Sims Ellison loved Austin’s music scene. Playing bass and writing songs for popular rock band Pariah in the early ‘90s, Ellison was described as laid-back and outgoing. After his death in 1995, his father, Don Ellison, co-founded the SIMS Foundation, providing mental health services for the local Austin music community.
For the past four years, the foundation has partnered with Austin City Limits Music Festival to offer free on-site care in the artist village to performers, industry professionals and venue workers during both event weekends. The services include counseling with a provider, art therapy and mental health education.
“Musicians face a unique set of stressors that other professions don’t see,” director of operations Conrádo Markel said. “We’re out until three or four in the morning. Usually, we’re playing in a place that’s got alcohol or other substances readily available. If you’re out touring, you’re away from your friends and family for a long time. Those are unique moments that need specialized care.”
During the festival, at least two therapists were available at all times, pulling from the foundation’s 130-plus providers.
“Keeping your nervous system regulated is hard for people just attending the festival, much less the folks who are performing and have that additional pressure on them,” chief advancement officer Sarah Andrews said. “Having that resource on site in case people are struggling or challenged helps provide that extra support that they need to do their job.”
Community engagement coordinator Jason Amato said volunteers, many of them UT students, help support the nonprofit by raising money or setting up tables, and they also get into ACL for free.
“Part of (the) music community is the college community,” Amato said. “It’s a really great way for college students to get out there and experience Austin culture.”
A 2018 study by Lloyd Berg, a clinical professor and psychologist at Dell Medical School, surveyed Austin musicians to understand pressures facing the local music scene. The study found nearly half of Austin’s musicians experience significant work-related stress, and those who report high levels of job insecurity “were over 5 times more likely to report higher levels of depression and anxiety.”
“Our live music culture today is at risk with all the changes that are happening in terms of venues shutting down because they can’t afford the rent, and it’s very expensive to live here now,” Andrews said. “If we want Austin to continue to be the live music capital of the world and we want to, as individuals, continue to live in a city that values that, we all have to come together and support the folks who make the culture what it is.”
