See Colossal in Rolling Stone Magazine

Sound Waves of Change

COLOSSAL X MUSICARES

Since 2022, Colossal, a nationally registered professional

fundraiser, has made an extraordinary impact on fundraising with

a commitment to supporting diverse charitable causes. Through

the America’s Next Top Hitmaker competition, Colossal is proud to

support MusiCares’ mission to help the humans behind the music,

including artists, production crew, writers, engineers, and more.

In an exclusive interview, MusiCares’ vice president of Health and

Human Services, Theresa Wolters, shares the organization’s vital

mission and the support it provides to those in the music industry.

WHAT DOES MUSICARES DO TO HELP THOSE STRUGGLING IN

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

For more than three decades, MusiCares has been a critical safety

net for people working in music. It supports music professionals

in three ways: First, through customized care, MusiCares provides

financial assistance and access to services for basic living needs,

medical needs, mental health, addiction recovery, disaster relief,

funeral expenses, and more. Second, MusiCares offers free

preventive dental, vision, hearing, physical therapy, and vocal clinic

services through nationwide providers. Finally, MusiCares offers

free weekly virtual support, recovery groups, and educational

services.

WHAT NOTABLE CELEBRITIES HAVE YOU WORKED WITH?

We’ve worked with many talented artists, most notably through

our Person of the Year event coinciding with GRAMMY week.

This year, we honored Jon Bon Jovi, a seasoned philanthropist.

MusiCares has also named Busta Rhymes Pioneer ‘Humans of Hip

Hop’ Champion for his support of the hip-hop community. Many

artists have lent their voices and experiences to our educational

programs, which have had an impact on normalizing challenges.

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU SEE A GROWING NEED FOR OVER

THE LAST FEW YEARS?

Addicti on recovery is a significant service we provide, and for this

reason, we have increased our treatment and aftercare options

to better meet the needs of music professionals. Many people

are still recovering financially from the loss of work in recent

years, and we continue to see gigs and tours canceled. Similar to

many across America, music professionals are also caring for their

mental health in better ways, and support for therapy continues to

be a priority. Through our ‘Humans of Hip Hop’ initiative, we work

directly with hip-hop professionals and communities to increase

awareness of how MusiCares is here for them.

Music professionals can access support by emailing

musicaresrelief@musicares.org. The Health and Human Services

team works directly and compassionately with each individual to

understand their needs and provide responsive support.