Seattle Musicians Access To Sustainable Healthcare

We've got some big news to share with you! 📣 Please give a warm welcome to our new Executive Director, Nicole Vandenberg! Nicole is a thoughtful, compassionate, and trusted leader who brings to bear a rare blend of strategic vision, industry fluency, and real-world experience navigating the intersection of music, health and philanthropy. She has also witnessed up-close the toll that creating, performing, touring, and recording schedules can have on those who give so much of themselves to their art. We are so excited to have her on board to lead SMASH into its next chapter! Get to know more about Nicole in a letter from SMASH Board Chair Laura Figueroa Ware below. https://lnkd.in/gG8ukDnX

We are proud to announce the initial lineup of featured guest artists performing at the 2025 SMASH Benefit: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Join us on April 24, 2025, at The Crocodile for an amazing night of music and community. Get your tickets before they sell out (link below).  Thank you for supporting our mission to get and keep our local musicians healthy! http://SMASHBenefit.org

Exciting news: SMASH is hiring an Executive Director! 📣 To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and three references to the email address listed in the link below. Deadline for priority consideration is March 14, 2025. Feel free to share with anyone who would make a great fit!

Seattle’s vibrant music scene has long been a cornerstone of the city’s cultural identity. However, according to The Seattle Times 2024 Affordability for Artists Survey, the escalating cost of living is pushing local musicians and artists to the brink. According to the Times, housing was the top answer when asked which costs have become more burdensome to them over the past two years, with 72% of the 647 artists who responded selecting it. After housing, those surveyed chose food, rehearsal space, and healthcare as the most burdensome.

Check out our recent guest post by Susie Campbell, SMASH supporter and South Sound Blues Association Member. It features interviews with local musician Stephanie Anne Johnson and SMASH staff.

For Bob Bailey, music isn’t just a passion—it’s the ultimate connector, the thread that weaves people together, helps us understand one another, and inspires joy and healing. As the Fundraising Chair on the SMASH board, Bob has dedicated himself to ensuring that Seattle’s musicians have the resources they need to thrive. But his journey to this role is as fascinating as it is deeply rooted in his love for music. We recently caught up with Bob to learn a bit more about where his love of music comes from, why he volunteers his time to support the music community and more.

If you heard Chappell Roan call for healthcare for musicians and thought, “What is the best organization I can support for that?” That organization in the PNW is SMASH! If you’re a musician in the Puget Sound area, join SMASH today and gain access to free and low-cost healthcare! We know it is not quite as good as winning the lottery, but It’s free, and even if you have health insurance, you can still be a member. Learn more at SMASHSeattle.org/join 🎵 Not a musician but love local music? Consider making a tax-deductible gift to SMASH today. When you donate you directly impact our capacity to serve current members, expand programs and services, and support even more musicians in our area. Learn more at SMASHSeattle.org/donate

Your voice, your work, and your challenges are part of the larger story of Washington music, and it’s critical to paint the full picture.

The Washington State Music Census is a long-overdue recognition of the creative community that drives this state. It’s a call to the drummers, the sound engineers, the music teachers, and the stage managers. To everyone who works tirelessly behind the scenes and on stage to keep music alive in Washington: this is your moment to be seen, heard, and counted. Survey due Jan 31st! https://lnkd.in/gaSGcJDC

Congrats to our 3rd group of Anti 27 Club Overdose Response Workshop graduates! They learned about overdose trends in Seattle/King County, how to identify someone experiencing an overdose, how to respond during an overdose, and harm reduction techniques. Thank you to Public Health – Seattle & King County and Seattle Office of Economic Development for supporting the workshop. Thank you to board member Bob Watanabe and our Member & Provider Services Manager Karina for doing such a fantastic job teaching their first workshop! Our next workshop is August 29th. https://lnkd.in/gy7yCFfX