Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan launched a his mental health initiative, The Busyhead Project in 2023. Named after his album of the same name, it is a very personal project for the Vermont native. So far he has raised $4.5 Million and is still at it. Just a week ago he raised $750,000 at a Fenway Park show in Boston. That’s some serious determination!
Mental health is a common topic in music. Artists across decades use music to discuss their feelings. They’ve also addressed the issue of depression and anxiety on a larger scale. Kudos to Noah Kahan for tackling this issue head-on.
According to Noah Kahan, the initial goal for his new initiative was to raise “$1 million for mental health.” To aid in this, Kahan is donating a portion of every ticket sold on his Stick Season tour. His organization has made tremendous strides.
Noah Kahan on Mental Health
Speaking to Substream Magazine, Noah Kahan says, “When I was a kid, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I had all these dark thoughts and dark feelings and felt alone and scared of my brain all the time. I had an understanding family and friends and a supportive community, but I felt afraid to talk about what I was going through because I was scared I would sound crazy. Some of the only times I felt connected to anyone was through music. I’d hear a song that felt like its lyrics were ripped straight from my heart and my experience, and for 3 or 4 minutes I felt less alone and less afraid.”
Noah Kahan continues with his motivations. “As I began to make music, I made an effort to write lyrics about how I was feeling, in the hopes that maybe someone out there would feel less alone when they listened to it, like I did growing up. As a non-college educated professional musician, this felt like all I could do: to try to make people feel heard and understood and less uncomfortable in their own brains. I never felt equipped to endeavor anything beyond just writing songs.”
The Busyhead Project
Noah Kahan continues, “…My team and I started talking about how we could push the effort further. We wanted to find a bigger way to reduce stigma and provide resources to people struggling with their mental health. My incredible management team and many other wonderful partners and I got together to create an initiative, with the goal to raise a million dollars for organizations specializing in mental health awareness and resources. I’ve been given so many wonderful opportunities in my career, and it really is all for nothing if I don’t try and give back to the community that has supported me. If I can help anyone get through their struggles, it will be the proudest achievement of my career. So, I present to you: The Busyhead Project.”
You can support Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project by donating on its official website.
