CMA Programming: Mental Health 101

At the onset of the pandemic, Country singer-songwriter, CMA Award nominee and 2022 CMA Triple Play Award recipient, Ray Fulcher, like many others, found himself forced to take a true inventory of his mental health as the world began to shut down and the music industry came to a halt.  

“A few months into it, I started taking stock of my own life,” says Fulcher. “I thought, ‘now that I have to stop, and I can’t busy my way through it, I have to deal with some things.”  

During part one of CMA’s four-track program, hosted by Borer Newman and focused on mental health and wellness, Fulcher spoke about the struggles artists and other industry professionals face in a business so tied to numbers and analytics and encouraged participants to “focus on the things you can control.” He discussed the ever-changing nature of the music industry and the stigma around combating mental health with “toughness.” 

“There’s room for toughness and willpower,” Fulcher said, “but one of my favorite sayings I’ve ever learned is, ‘two things can be true at once.’ You can drink beer and still say, ‘I recognize something is not right, and it’s okay not to be okay sometimes.’” 

With 20+ years of involvement in the music industry themselves, Borer Newman cited increased streaming and shifting financial resources, the need for additional touring, and conditional self-worth, as common reasons music industry professionals could experience strains on their mental health. They also shared a variety of effective tools and resources to ensure mental well-being.  

When asked what message he would like to give the Country Music community as it relates to mental health, Fulcher said, “Let’s talk about it. If you’re feeling something, probably someone in the room is feeling the same thing. You’re never alone. If it feels scary to talk about or feels uncomfortable, lean into that, because on the other side of it is where the good stuff is.” 

In light of Mental Health Awareness this month, CMA is committed to continuing to create and maintain dialogue around mental health and wellness. The series will continue with three more installments available to CMA members. The next, Managing Stress and the Return from the Pandemic, will take place May 17, 2022. The session will highlight ways to better understand and manage stress in the mind and body. Participants will explore the main sources of stress, the emotional and physiological impacts of chronic and acute stress, and the interplay between stress and the COVID-19 pandemic. To register, click HERE. The final two sessions will take place in July and September 2022.