FRAMED MUSICIANS OF AOTEAROA POSTERS UP FOR CHARITY AUCTION

Phantom Bill Stickers, leaders in the most music-friendly ad medium in the country, have gifted an exclusive set of their acclaimed NZ Music Month “Musicians of Aotearoa” poster series to The NZ Music Foundation for auction on TradeMe. The proceeds will help the charity to provide emergency assistance and counselling to kiwi music people experiencing illness and hardship and also help develop music projects in the community that positively change the lives of people in need. 

The fifteen posters are specially printed A3 copies of the “Musicians of Aotearoa” series displayed around the country during this year’s NZ Music Month in May. They are each presented in their own frames and will be progressively available for bid on TradeMe from this Wednesday. Three posters will be listed each week with Ronnie van Hout (Into the Void), Bill Vosburgh (Perfect Strangers) and George Henderson (The Puddle) kicking off the auction series.

“Musicians of Aotearoa” comprises 40 portraits made into posters of some of our best but maybe not best- known musicians. Photographers Hayley Theyers and Stuart Page visited the homes and studios of musicians around the country to shoot them for the posters. Phantom Bill Stickers managing partner Jamey Holloway says “Posters are the flowers of the streets; beautiful, vibrant and very of the moment. But they are also works of art and this is a perfect way for someone to take home and treasure some of the shit-hot images that Hayley and Stu have created. We’re damn proud to support The NZ Music Foundation who do vital work in the community and with kiwi musicians by providing these posters for auction.”

The New Zealand Music Foundation general manager, Peter Dickens, says: “We’ve loved the subject matter, the art and the impact these posters have had ever since they went up. We’re very grateful to the people of Phantom Bill Stickers for supporting us in this way. The proceeds will give a great boost to our work with kiwi music people and with people in the community who are at risk or suffering from health issues.”

The posters have a starting price of $15 and can be found at The NZ Music Foundation presence on the TradeMe website from Wednesday 28 June. The auctions will each be open for ten days and the winning bidders will be able to pay by credit card or direct transfer to the The NZ Music Foundation.

GIBBS FARM OPEN DAY – THE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC FOUNDATION

Gibbs Farm, the private Kaipara sculpture park owned by entrepreneur Alan Gibbs, is to open its gates on Thursday March 23in a fundraiser for music charity The New Zealand Music Foundation. 

As the Farm is rarely open for the public to visit, the fundraising day is a special opportunity for supporters of The New Zealand Music Foundation to view Gibbs’ unique collection of 22 artworks by renowned sculptors from around the world. 

The New Zealand Music Foundation General Manager, Peter Dickens, says: “The creative drive within those in the visual arts and music is equally powerful and one we fundamentally understand. Those who attend this event will experience a blend of built and natural landscape that will affect them in ways they haven’t experienced before. We’re very grateful to the Gibbs Farm trustees for supporting our work to change lives through music with this rare opportunity.”

Tickets are on sale now from NZ Tix, with the proceeds contributing to support the efforts of The New Zealand Music Foundation. 

Private car parking is available on site, and The Foundation will also be providing bus travel to the farm from the Auckland CBD at an additional cost. 

No beverages or food are available for purchase onsite, but food can be brought into the park and pre-ordered picnic lunchboxes are also available at an additional cost.

Full details’ regarding transport and food options is online at NZTix

In brief:

Gibbs Farm Open Day, sculpture walk (3-4km total). www.gibbsfarm.org.nz

Gibbs Farm, 2421 Kaipara Coast Highway, R.D. 4, Warkworth, 0984

Thursday 23 March, 10am – 2pm

Tickets:                     

$80.00 - numbers strictly limited

Transport:                

There is private car parking onsite. The NZ Music Foundation will also be providing bus travel to the farm from the Auckland CBD at an additional cost.

Food:

Pre-ordered picnic lunchboxes are available at an additional cost.  No beverages or food are available for purchase onsite and alcohol is not permitted.

Tickets, picnic boxes and bus passes are all available to purchase from NZTix     

NEW ZEALAND MUSIC FOUNDATION RELEASES FINDINGS FROM COMMUNITY WELLBEING REPORT

The New Zealand Music Foundation provides support to members of the local music industry in times of illness, distress and hardship, and develops and assists projects across all areas of society that use music to positively influence the lives of those in need. 

The charity has today released a full report from its New Zealand Music Community Wellbeing Survey. Conducted in July this year, the survey is currently the world’s largest per-capita quantitative research project to examine the health and wellbeing of the music community. Over 1350 respondents answered 40 questions about their working hours and income, sleep, nutrition and exercise, drug and alcohol use, mental health, support networks and more.

Initial results from the survey, released in September, showed that over a third of songwriters, composers and performers report having been diagnosed with a mental health disorder - almost double the incidence in the general population (1)- and were two and a half times as likely to have been diagnosed with depression as the general population (2). 

The full report further reveals that songwriters, composers and performers are almost three and half times as likely to have an issue with hazardous drinking as the rest of the population. 

It also found that of the 140 survey respondents who reported making plans and preparations to commit suicide, 100 said they had gone on to make a suicide attempt (3).

Comments from those surveyed illustrate the difficulties of a life in music:

 “This is such an important issue for artists - many of us find ourselves supporting each other clumsily, through the power of solidarity alone. Others of us just don't talk about it with people at all.”

 “It has been a lonely road at times and one where I have watched a lot of friends die. My hope is for a better, healthier future for musicians, an environment in which they will be treasured and respected.”

Informed by the initial survey findings, the New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service was launched on September 29th, a world-first online, on the phone and in-person free professional counselling service for Kiwi music people experiencing hardship. Service Director Julie Crawley comments: 

“In the eight weeks the service has been in operation we’ve had an extraordinary response, higher than any other industry support line service of this type in my experience. While some calls have been general in nature, others have been serious with presenting issues including mental health, managing in the industry, the difficulties of financial sustainability, depression and anxiety, chronic health concerns and more.”

Julie feels the service is making a great impression:

 “Those who have been referred to in-person counselling have given feedback that the sessions have been of great relief and help. There is a genuine appreciation of there being a tailored avenue of support available for music people now, and I believe that use of The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service will grow and develop.”

The full New Zealand Music Community Wellbeing Survey report can be found at www.nzmusicfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/survey/

The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service can be accessed now at www.nzmusicfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing, via email at wellbeing@nzmusicfoundation.org.nz, or by telephone on 0508 MUSICHELP.

NEW ZEALAND MUSIC FOUNDATION LAUNCHES WORLD FIRST WELLBEING SERVICE FOR LOCAL MUSIC COMMUNITY

The New Zealand Music Foundation provides support to members of the local music industry in times of illness, distress and hardship, and develops and assists projects across all areas of society that use music to positively influence the lives of those in need.

The charity has today announced the launch of its latest initiative to support Kiwi music people: The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service.  A world first, the service offers 24-hour online, on the phone and in-person counselling, specifically tailored to the music community, in order to provide support for those who are experiencing emotional, physical and mental health challenges.

The Wellbeing Service reflects the commitment of the New Zealand Music Foundation in providing proactive assistance to those who make our music happen. The service is available free of charge to anyone working in the New Zealand music industry unable to access help due to hardship or other circumstances, and is staffed by registered professionals with experience in providing support to creative people.

The Wellbeing Service was established in response to the results of the New Zealand Music Community Wellbeing Survey conducted by the charity in July. With over 1350 participants, initial survey results already paint a detailed picture, showing that many in our music community are experiencing health and wellbeing issues at incidence rates often far in excess of the general population:

Songwriters, composers and performers report having attempted suicide in their lifetime at a rate more than double that of the general population.[1]

Over a third of songwriters, composers and performers report having been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, almost double the incidence in the general population. [2]

Songwriters and composers are two and a half times as likely to have been diagnosed with depression as the general population.[3]

84% of all those who responded to the survey report experiencing stress in the last year that has impacted on their ability to function day to day.  

Encouragingly, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed reported they would be likely to contact a servicesuch as The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service if they were experiencing difficulty.

General Manager, Peter Dickens, comments “We’ve worked hard to listen to the voices of those making their way in music in New Zealand. It’s a vibrant, vital and exciting industry and we’re very proud to be able to launch this service today . We hope it will further support kiwi music people to enjoy healthy, productive and fulfilling lives in their chosen careers.”

The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service can be accessed now at www.nzmusicfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing, via email at wellbeing@nzmusicfoundation.org.nz, or by telephone on 0508 MUSICHELP.