Press Category: SIMS Press

Live music review: Feel Good Music Festival for SIMS Foundation

The first Feel Good Music Festival at Far Out Lounge and Stage took place over the holiday weekend. The venue and SIMS Foundation hopes it to become an annual tradition at the upstart live music venue in South Austin. The festival capped a month-long celebration of Mental Health Awareness for the music non-profit that provides mental health and recovery services to Austin music industry members and their dependent families.

Soundwaves’ New Exhibit Envisions 20 Austin Songs as Art Prints

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, SIMS Foundation is partnering with Soundwaves Art Foundation for a limited-edition collection of artworks based on songs from over 20 Texas musicians. Learn more about Soundwaves Art, its founder, Tim Wakefield, and the immense impact it leaves around the world.

Songs by Spoon, Shakey Graves, and other Austin artists become wall art for mental health fundraiser

“We are thrilled to partner with Soundwaves Art on this exciting project,” said Executive Director of the SIMS Foundation Patsy Dolan Bouressa. “The funds raised from this collaboration will go directly towards providing life-changing mental health services for those in the music community. We are incredibly grateful for the support of Soundwaves Art and the […]

Gibson Gives’ Tempo Program Offers Opioid Emergency Response Kits To Nashville Venues

Learn more about how Gibson Gives’ TEMPO (Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose) is making an impact in the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee with ONEbox opioid emergency kits. SIMS is a proud member of TEMPO and honored to be a part of this lifesaving initiative.

Confronting Music’s Mental Health Crisis

In 2021, the Journal of Psychiatric Research published a peer-reviewed report titled “Mental health issues among international touring professionals in the music industry”—based on a pre-pandemic survey of 1,154 individuals—that showed “greatly elevated” rates of clinical depression and stress in comparison to the general population, and levels of suicidality that are five times the average […]

Austin leaders and Sims Foundation band together for ‘Safer Together’ benefit show

Read how Sims Foundation is leveraging our reach and joining D.A. José Garza’s office in producing the second annual “Safer Together: Overdose Prevention & Harm Reduction Saves Lives” free benefit concert to raise awareness and funding.

Meet Some Of The Music Industry Leaders Who Just Joined The Recording Academy’s 2022 New Member Class

The Recording Academy / GRAMMYs recently announced their new 2022 membership class which includes nearly 2000 music industry professionals and is in keeping with their efforts to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion. Read more about what inspired SIMS Foundation Executive Director Patsy Dolan Bouressa, Pat Buchta of Austin Texas Musicians, and others from our local […]

Inside Austin Interview with SIMS Foundation and Seton Ascension

Recent interview with Inside Austin featuring Dr. Lowell McRoberts of Ascension Seton and SIMS Foundation Executive Director, Patsy Dolan Bouressa. Discussion includes our collaboration efforts and how musicians suffer disproportionately with mental health issues. https://omny.fm/shows/inside-austin-podcast/podcast-edit

Money Chicha, Greyhounds, Carolyn Wonderland, Deezie Brown, Sir Woman to Play Austin Music Awards

All proceeds from the 40th annual Austin Music Awards, held on March 8, will benefit the SIMS Foundation. Read more about the featured artists, presenters, and buy tickets.

Be Good to Yourself and SIMS Foundation Partner to Bring Services to NC Music Community

Learn about the Be Good to Yourself initiative and how SIMS Foundation is partnering to raise awareness and funding to expand in to North Carolina.

Voyage LA Daily Inspiration: SIMS Foundation Executive Director, Patsy Dolan Bouressa

Interview with SIMS Foundation Executive Director, Patsy Dolan Bouressa, and discussion on what sets SIMS apart from other organizations as the only non-profit that serves musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members.

Austin’s SIMS Foundation Wants to Take Musician Mental Healthcare Nationwide

In July, SIMS launched a fundraising campaign in an effort to expand its services The Founders Challenge, as it has been dubbed, was initiated in late 2020 by founder and father of Sims Ellison, Don Ellison, who wanted to expand the organization’s reach. “When the pandemic hit, exponentially more people contacted us in need of care,” […]

SIMS Foundation Founders’ Challenge Highlights Importance Of Behavioral Healthcare For Musicians

Read about the SIMS Foundation Founders’ Challenge that is helping raise awareness for our work, and that will help us expand across the nation.

Alejandro Escovedo and Mental Health Care for Musicians

Sound Opinions podcast with Alejandro Escovedo on the founding of SIMS Foundation in 1995 by Don Ellison, Don Harvey, Wayne Nagel and Alejandro, and how SIMS has helped make behavioral healthcare available to the music industry. He is joined by SIMS Executive Director Patsy Dolan Bouressa.

SIMS Foundation Growing to Support Well-Being of All Music Professionals

American Songwriter sat down with SIMS Foundation co-founder, Alejandro Escovedo, and SIMS Executive Director, Patsy Bouressa, to chat about the history and future of SIMS.