Be Good to Yourself is fiscally sponsored by the 501c3 organization, Abundance NC. It was created by musicians and social activists in the Triad, Charlotte and Triangle areas to raise much-needed awareness and funds so we can help give our musicians access to mental health care and substance abuse counseling services when they need it most. In times of crisis and in times when they just need someone to talk to.
To accomplish our mission, we are partnering with Mindpath Care Centers to provide mental health and substance abuse counseling – free of charge or at greatly reduced rates – to North Carolina musicians. Mindpath has facilities in all major markets across the state.
Mental health and substance abuse issues touch all of our lives. And during 2020, it has touched the North Carolina music community like never before. We see our artists struggling with anxiety, depression and much more. Not only because of the pandemic itself, but because it has effectively ended live performances, cut off sources of income and killed livelihoods.
Everyone in the Asheville, Charlotte, Triad, Triangle and Wilmington music communities knows someone who has died from suicide or overdose. Or simply struggles every day with mental health. We see their posts on social media about depression and anxiety and their lack of health care coverage and money to help with counseling and treatment. And then there’s drug and alcohol dependency.
An investment in our music community.
If you would like to sponsor a musician for a week, month, year or more, or if you would just like to make a one time or ongoing contribution, here’s how you can help:
We believe that our North Carolina musicians are treasures. They enrich our lives and make our state a better place to live. When we lose an artist, we not only lose their talent, we lose a human being. Someone’s son, daughter, father or mother. A friend. Let’s not allow depression, mental illness or substance abuse to stop the music.
Let’s start helping our artists be good to themselves.
*All sponsorship funds go into Be Good to Yourself’s not-for-profit account, and Mindpath Care Centers are paid directly for their services. Neither Be Good to Yourself’s board members nor musicians touch the money.
Be Good to Yourself: the record
Recording has been ongoing since October 2019, primarily at Old House Studio in Charlotte, and we plan to release a compilation record (digital, CD and vinyl) in mid-2021. The record will contain 27 tracks recorded by North Carolina musicians for North Carolina musicians. You can pre-order the record here (LINK)
A who’s who of North Carolina musicians contributed their time and talents to the record:
A who’s who of North Carolina musicians contributed their time and talents to the record:
The DeFacto Brothers:
Ed Bumgardner: arrangements, bass (Winston-Salem)
Rob Slater: arrangements, guitars (Winston-Salem)
Larry Carman: percussion (Winston-Salem)
Gino Grandinetti: guitars (Winston-Salem)
Chris Garges: drums/percussion/keyboards/engineering – Mitch Easter & Balderdash Ltd., Don Dixon, The Spongetones (Charlotte)
Contributing artists:
Snuzz (Britt Harper Uzzell): singer-songwriter – Ben Folds, Bus Stop (Winston-Salem/Greensboro)
Mitch Easter: guitar – Let’s Active, Balderdash Ltd., R.E.M. & Suzanne Vega producer (Winston-Salem)
Don Dixon: singer – Arrogance, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Mary Chapin Carpenter, R.E.M. & Gin Blossoms producer (Charlotte/Ohio)
Peter Holsapple: singer-songwriter, keyboards – The dB’s, Continental Drifters, Stamey & Holsapple, Hootie & The Blowfish, R.E.M. (Winston-Salem/Memphis/New York/Los Angeles/New Orleans)
Rick Miller and Mary Huff: singers – Southern Culture On The Skids (Chapel Hill)
Jeffrey Dean Foster: singer – The Right Profile, Pinetops, Carneys (Winston-Salem)
Ava Foster: singer (Winston Salem)
Bruce Piephoff: singer – solo artist (Greensboro)
Tim Gordon and Brad Wilcox: horns – Four Tops, The Temptations (Charlotte)
Doug Davis: singer, keyboards – Magnolia Green, Doug Davis & The Near Strangers, The Plaids (Winston-Salem/Charlotte/New York)
Maya Beth Atkins: singer – solo artist (Charlotte/Asheville)
Mike Strauss: singer – The Mike Strauss Band (Charlotte)
Josh Daniel: singer – Big Daddy Love, solo artist (Charlotte)
Joey Recchio: guitar – Big Daddy Love (Winston-Salem)
Shana Blake: singer (Charlotte)
Libby Rodenbough: singer, strings – Mipso (Chapel Hill)
Roberto Orihuela: vibraphonist (Greensboro)
Molly Brown: brass – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Charlotte)
Shawn Lynch: singer – Mitch Easter & Balderdash Ltd. (Charlotte)
Steve Stoekel: singer – The Spongetones (Charlotte)
Bruce Hazel: singer-songwriter – Temperance League (Charlotte)
John Elderkin: singer, acoustic guitar – Mad Crush, solo artist (Charlotte)
Ron Brendle: string arrangement – bassist, numerous artists (Charlotte)
Jane Brendle: violin – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Charlotte)
Marlene Bolaina: cello – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Charlotte)
Matt Darcy: viola – Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Charlotte)
Danielle Howle: singer – solo artist (Awendaw, South Carolina)
DK Kim: drums – Temperance League (Charlotte)
John Harrell: drums – Hectorina (Charlotte)
Jack Cornell: singer – The Fabulous Knobs (Raleigh)
Billy Livsey: keyboards – Ronnie Lane, Tina Turner, Pete Townshend (Nashville)
Terry Anderson: singer-songwriter – The Fabulous Knobs, Olympic Ass-Kickn’ Team (Raleigh)
Peter May: singer-songwriter, acoustic and resonator guitar – solo artist (Winston Salem)
Jaime Hoover: singer – The Spongetones (Saint James, NC)
Brett Harris: singer – solo artist, Chris Stamey, Big Star’s Third (Durham)
Elena Rogers: singer – solo artist (Southport, NC)
Alan Edwards: singer – The Edwards Brothers, The Loudermilks (Charlotte)
John Howie, Jr. (Finger, Two Dollar Pistols, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, The Rosewood Bluff)
Daniel and Danny Chavis (The Veldt)
The Chatham Rabbits (Sarah & Austin McCombie)