Sounds of Saving (SoS) is a 501c(3) music and mental health non-profit that creates unique video content, experiences, and events to provide awareness, education, resources, and direct paths to treatment—especially for youth and marginalized communities.

Traditional mental healthcare messaging doesn’t necessarily reach those who need it. People in different musical subcultures speak their own language around mental health that doesn’t subscribe to typical messaging.* 

But extensive research shows that when details of positive coping during crisis are presented through media, it has a protective quality for those who may be experiencing suicidal ideation and encourages help-seeking and hopefulness. This contagion of hope is known as the Papageno effect—the impact that media can have by presenting non-suicide alternatives to crisis.

We see music, for creators and listeners, as a uniquely powerful space to process struggle and joy and stay connected to each other.


1: Reduce Stigma, Raise Awareness, Spread Hopefulness
By spreading personal stories from artists and fans about managing mental health struggles, we create dialogue that minimizes shame surrounding discussions of mental wellbeing.

2: Educate & Engage
We host and appear at live events to provide resources about mental health to music fans of all genres, with extra focus on under-represented communities and young people who may be unaware of, or even feel alienated by, the existing culture of mental health care.

3: Provide Pathways to Treatment
Through the SoS Therapy Fund, we offer grants to fans and artists that cover up to 12 psychotherapy sessions with experienced and culturally competent clinicians in their area or online. We partner with specific clinical networks to increase the likelihood that participants are able to financially afford treatment if desired following the grant period.


Why We Exist

Americans are experiencing high rates of mental health struggles and suicide. Factors that prevent people from seeking needed mental health treatment include stigma and lack of education and awareness, as well as the high costs, limited options and long waits embedded in our health care system — particularly for marginalized communities and young people.

• 95.6% of Americans with mental health conditions have experienced barriers in accessing care**, with over 50% of mental health issues going unaddressed.***

• 22% of people who need help did not seek it because of stigma; 34% did not seek help due to lack of knowledge on what kind of help to seek or where to get it.***

• Only 9 out of 50 states have any mental health education in school curricula.



*Rowe, P., & Guerin, B. (2018). Contextualizing the mental health of metal youth: A community for Social Protection, identity, and musical empowerment. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(4), 429–441. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21949
**Coombs NC, Meriwether WE, Caringi J, Newcomer SR. Barriers to healthcare access among U.S. adults with mental health challenges: A population-based study. SSM Popul Health. 2021 Jun 15
***Sapien Labs Mental Health Million Report 2021: Mental Health Has Bigger Challenges Than Stigma

SoS was created in response to a major loss in my life. My uncle Mike took his life and left behind his wife Michele and four kids. As you can imagine, it was a very hard time for me and my entire family.
 

In reflection, it caused me to then take a good look at the world around me and the state of our collective mental health and I decided that I had to do something. 

I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and therapy wasn’t part of the conversation. But I like to think people like Erykah Badu and Elliott Smith filled that void. And everyone I knew that had a strong relationship with music would say something similar. 

For me music was and is mental health. But sometimes music is not enough. And that’s why SoS exists. To bridge that divide—leveraging the emotional connection we feel to music and our personal relationships to the artists we respect and admire to open doors that may otherwise be closed and reaching individuals that may be skeptical or unable to access traditional mental health care. 

— Nick Greto, co-founder

Team

Nick Greto

Nick Greto

Co-Founder

nick@soundsofsaving.com

‍Nick created Sounds of Saving in 2017 as a response to losing his uncle to suicide. He has always found solace in music. Nick grew up in a family of musicians, creates music himself, has written for music publications, and even helped found a small Brooklyn record label.

A graduate of Widener University with a degree in psychology, he has been involved in technology and music in NYC since 2007. Nick currently resides in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn with his wife, Dana, and two daughters.

Anjali Ramasunder

Interim executive director

anjali@soundsofsaving.com

Anjali has served in senior development and partnerships roles at music industry and media based organizations like the TJ Martell Foundation, Music Will and the Ad Council, and in her years as a consultant has worked with many companies, artists and athletes on their social impact initiatives. She most recently served as the Interim VP of Programming at NationSwell, where she was brought in to build their events team and design their new programming products that are core to servicing their C and principle level executive members, in the areas of CSR/ESG/Corporate Philanthropy. She is a cultural organizer and believes strongly in the power that music and art have on wellness.

Dorothy Fuqua

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

dorothy@soundsofsaving.com

Dorothy is an avid music fan and lifelong champion of mental health advocacy who has spent her life cultivating a passion for the nonprofit world. Before joining Sounds of Saving, she worked at two foundations focusing on mental health treatment and spent a summer working and living in Gulu, Uganda educating women on business and healthcare. Dorothy attended the NYU Stern School of Business, and since graduating, has committed her time to volunteering in her community and serving on several foundation junior boards. If there is a Bluegrass concert anywhere in New York, you are likely to find Dorothy in the front row.

Isa Tariq

RESIDENT PROJECT MANAGER

isatariq@soundsofsaving.com

Isa Tariq is a facilitator, DJ, and passionate advocate for equitable access to high quality mental health care for all communities. He works regularly with both artists and organizers, bridging the two worlds with the intent of creating experiences that make people more free. Isa grew up listening to U2 and Dipset, reading Audre Lorde and the Boondocks, and using art as a way to process both the world around him and his own emotions. Currently a psychology major at Amherst College, he believes mental health and trauma are linked to every issue of injustice and that art is a powerful asset in the fight for a more just world.

Charlie Gross

Charlie Gross

Co-Founder

charlie@soundsofsaving.com

Charlie Gross is a psychotherapist and photographer based in Brooklyn. His photography work explores the overlap between creativity and mental health. In the ‘90s, Charlie was a personal photographer for Beck and based his work largely in the music world. His current work includes a long-term artist residency at Kings County Hospital in which he uses collaborative photography with young adult patients to tell their stories.

Charlie treated young adult patients with substance use and psychiatric disorders at the Weill Cornell Medical Center and in private practice. He holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and an MA in Clinical Psychology from the City University of New York.

Cassie Archdeacon

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

cassie@soundsofsaving.com

Cassie is a lifelong music obsessive with a background in arts programming, management, and operations. She started her career in the literary world as an event producer and artist manager, launching a globally accessible virtual writing program that continues to thrive today. She holds an undergraduate degree from NYU Gallatin and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, where she served as a teaching fellow. 

Alyssa Goldberg

EDITORIAL LEAD + OPERATIONS ASSISTANT

alyssa@soundsofsaving.com

Alyssa Goldberg is a passionate mental health advocate, writer, and photographer. Her work utilizes educational and creative media to advance health literacy and aims to bridge the gap between the arts and public health. She is a master's student in the Media, Medicine, and Health program at Harvard Medical School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Global Public Health and Applied Psychology from NYU. Her writing appears in Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, Mary Christie Quarterly, 988 Lifeline, and elsewhere.

Board of Advisors

Hover over each name to learn more about our board members:

Adrienne C. Moore

Adrienne is an actress and voice artist who currently stars as Kelly Duff on the CBC/AMAZON FREEVER series “Pretty Hard Cases.” Before that, she starred as Cindy Hayes on the critically acclaimed Netflix series, “Orange is the New Black.” Earning 3 consecutive SAG award nominations, she and the rest of the cast took home the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Additionally, Adrienne personally earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and was awarded the Vanguard Award at Essence Magazine’s Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon. She has voiced campaigns for brands like Jergens, McDonald's, Cheerios and more. A dog owner and huge advocate for rescue animals, she has worked alongside the ASPCA, The Humane Society and Hope For Paws. Between projects, she spends her time volunteering with the 52nd Street Project Theater and Comfort Zone Camp, the nation’s largest bereavement camp for kids and young adults.

Alec Bemis

Alec is the cofounder of Brassland, along with Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. He is also a writer, critic, journalist, and speaker.

Alex Rosamilia

musician, founding member Gaslight Anthem, Dead Swords

Bradley Tusk

venture capitalist and philanthropist

Brittney King Brock

Brittney is a music executive, entrepreneur, wellness enthusiast, and the founder of King Creative Group, an artist services and management company whose clients include Quality Control Music, Lil Baby, City Girls, & Jamaica Craft. She is the President of Operations at 10k Projects record label whose artists include Trippie Redd, Iann Dior & Surfaces, as well as a wellness advocate. Her personal brand Women Like Me is a dedicated platform to educate burned out, busy, overworked women in creative industries on how to slow down and make time to nurture their mind, body, and spirit.

Dana Wachs

Live sound engineer for Cat Power, Deerhunter, St. Vincent and others, musical director for Rachel Comey, and singer songwriter for Vorhees.

Dave Bellevue

Dave is a musician in the group The Oxymorrons and a mental health advocate. Dave has worked with the Jed Foundation and was featured in Time Magazine’s The Future of Mental Health

Emily Lazar

Grammy winning, American mastering engineer, Emily is the founder, president, and chief mastering engineer of The Lodge, an audio mastering facility that has operated in New York City's Greenwich Village since 1997.

Eric Dammann

Dr. Eric Dammann is a clinical psychologist/psychoanalyst and executive coach with a private practice in Manhattan. He specializes in executive coaching, financial counseling, and psychotherapy. Aside from his private practice, he is clinical supervisor at Columbia University and the William Alanson White Institute, where he is also Co-Director of the Artists Program. He is an associate editor of the professional journals Contemporary Psychoanalysis and The Journal of Financial Therapy. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and was Phi Beta Kappa at Bucknell University, and received his doctorate from Michigan State University. He completed psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute, and executive coach training at The College of Executive Coaching. When not working, he can be found hanging with his family, dog, and drum set.

Francis Rodriguez

Francis Rodriguez is a New York City based hair stylist and groomer. With 10 years of experience in editorial styling, Rodriguez specializes in creating both sleek and effortlessly undone looks for textures of all types, and wig cutting, coloring, and styling. Inspired by his Chicano culture and ‘70s-’80s era punk, Rodriguez has created looks for the likes of Julia Fox, Maye Musk, Awkwafina, Ciara, Bowen Yang, and more. His editorial work appears in the pages of L’Officiel, Paper, Numero, and Ladygunn, among others, and his commercial clients include UGG, Grailed, Makeup Forever, and Mario Badescu.

Gary Gunn

Gary is a composer, music producer, and audiovisual artist noted for his genre-defying musical aesthetic and forward-thinking application of sound across contemporary art, film, augmented/virtual realities, and botanical environments.

Graham Macindoe

Graham is a documentary and portrait photographer whose work focuses on a range of social justice issues, including drug policy and criminal justice reform, as well as music and running—a lifelong passion he continues today. An associate professor of photography at Parsons School of Design in New York City, Graham has worked as a photographer for more than 20 years and has published and exhibited his work widely, including solo exhibitions at the National Arts Club in New York City in 2021, the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati in 2018, and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2017.

Jamie Feldman

Jamie is a non-profit, tech start-up, and L&D expert.

Joanna P. Elliot

Nonprofit management consultant including for Jennifer Lopez’s "Lopez Family Foundation" and Linkin Park’s "Music For Relief"

John Draper

John Draper is an international expert in crisis intervention and suicide prevention with over 30 years of experience. He has led significant initiatives in crisis services, including the establishment of New York City's LifeNet hotline and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Currently serving as President of Research and Development at Behavioral Health Link, Inc., he continues to advance crisis care through research, data, and technology.

Julia Cumming

Julia is the frontwoman and bass player of Sunflower Bean and a political activist. In 2017 she founded Anger Can Be Power, a project that "endeavors to invoke the DIY spirit to inspire people to integrate political involvement in their lives." She is also active in the Model Alliance.

Ken Weinstein

Ken is the co-founder and co-president of Big Hassle Media.

Lisa Gottheil

Co-founder and partner at Grandstand Media. Has worked in the music business for 30 years. She is on the board of Josh’s Fund, a non-profit that works to provide educational support for nurses working on bone marrow and stem cell transplant units. She is also the co-founder of The Sled, a NYC non-profit that assists underprivileged NYC Public School students and their families, most of whom live in shelters or other temporary housing.

Mark Elzey

Mark Elzey is a fashion, portrait, and commercial photographer working across New York, Los Angeles, and Europe. Originally from Bogalusa, Louisiana, Mark’s life has always been filled with art. From watching his grandmother paint, to early placement in magnet charter schools as a gifted creative, Mark’s world is rooted in self expression and originality. Now residing in Brooklyn, Mark finds the city provides him with an endless source of inspiration.

Nate Auerbach

Partner at Versus Creative, a marketing strategy firm that works to build communities and experiences around music and culture. Leads a breadth of clients that have included Spotify, Instagram, Goldenvoice Concerts, Monotone Artist Management, Solange, the Grateful Dead, Oatly, Rockstar Games and Vinyl Me, Please. Prior to joining Versus, Nate spent a decade in senior roles at the intersection of music and tech, including four years as Head of Music at Tumblr, where he facilitated industry partnerships, editorial and program development, and worked closely with the artist community to engage Tumblr's passionate audience. Before Tumblr, he helmed the digital department at The Collective talent management, where he architected Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays series and led Linkin Park to a #1 album with A Thousand Suns. Nate also held a myriad of roles at Myspace during the social network's heyday. He got his start as a tour manager while finishing college at Syracuse University and, upon graduation, traveled the world with multi-Grammy Award winning band, Ozomatli after bailing them out of jail his first day on the job. Advisor to Vinyl Me, Please and the Black Jewish Entertainment Alliance and the Schusterman Foundation’s Reality initiative. A multi-Clio Award recipient and Billboard Digital Power Player, Nate passionately brings an artist perspective and digital acumen to his partners in his mission to unite fans around the globe.

Nicole Hegeman

Nicole Hegeman is an Artist Manager, A&R Consultant, and Executive Producer in music. Originally from Burlington, Vermont, where there was an unusually rich and diverse music scene, Nicole’s love of music took her into roles as radio DJ and producer, event manager, stage manager, festival organizer, photographer, publisher and writer.

Owen Grover

Owen is the CEO of TrueFire Studios with a 20+ year career in media, technology and content. He is also a founding member of the iHeartRadio team.

Peter Shapiro

Peter is a club owner, concert promoter, and entrepreneur. He owns Brooklyn Bowl and The Capitol Theatre, is a publisher of Relix magazine, and is a chairman of HeadCount, a non-profit organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy, with a focus on registering voters at live music events. In 2022 he published a book: The Music Never Stops: What Putting on 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Magic.

Robert Galligan

Robert Galligan is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Galligan works with families, couples, and individuals in psychotherapy. He is particularly interested in helping parents develop more harmonious, satisfying relationships with their children and supporting individuals’ efforts to bring meaning and purpose to their lives. Dr. Galligan is on the advisory board of Sounds of Saving and is a Special Adjunct Professor/Clinical Supervisor at Long Island University. Dr. Galligan holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University and a B.A. in English from Yale University. In his spare time, he surfs, makes music, and coaches flag football.

Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall is a therapist and record label owner living in Cincinnati, OH. Ryan is a Licensed Independent Social Worker trained in and practicing EMDR therapy while also providing consultation to communities receiving federal funding to address youth homelessness. Ryan has run the experimental record label Whited Sepulchre Records since 2016 which has seen releases by Midwife, Joy Guidry, Endlings (Raven Chacon + John Dieterich) and many more.

Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten is a musician, performer, and actress, and recognized as one of the most influential and iconic songwriters of our time. She released her sixth full-length album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, this past May. Leading into its release, Pitchfork profiled Van Etten stating, “Sharon Van Etten Is an Institution Now,” while Rolling Stone called her “one of the most fearless, soul-shredding songwriters on the planet.” Van Etten made her return to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in support of the new album and took the “soul-strengthening” (New Yorker) Wild Hearts Tour with Angel Olsen and Julien Baker all over the country. In support of Van Etten’s 2019 release, Remind Me Tomorrow, she was profiled in The New York Times’ Arts & Leisure section and the album was featured prominently in best of 2019 lists by NPR Music, Billboard, Fresh Air, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, ESQUIRE, The New Yorker and more. Van Etten has collaborated with artists ranging from Courtney Barnett and Joshua Homme to Norah Jones and Angel Olsen, and been covered by artists including Fiona Apple, Lucinda Williams, Big Red Machine and Idles. She has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Austin City Limits TV and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Sunanda Ghosh

Sunanda has over a decade of experience in fundraising and has worked with national and international nonprofits for over 20 years, including The American Friends Service Committee, Human Rights Watch and Mural Arts. Her work has mostly focused on fundraising strategy, leadership gifts, campaign management, planned giving and board development. She is currently based in Philadelphia and has worked in India, South Africa, and Brazil, and speaks fluent Bengali.

Taja Cheek

Under the mononym L'Rain, Taja Cheek records and performs music rooted in r&b, jazz, noise, and pop, using voice memos and manipulated samples as inspiration and source material. Cheek has toured internationally with her band in support of her second album, Fatigue, the Wire’s #1 album of 2021, and the #2 album in Pitchfork’s year end list. Her most recent album, I Killed Your Dog, also earned praise from outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, and Artforum, among many others, and she has been featured on the cover of The Wire and Paste’s last digital issue of 2023. A frequent collaborator, she has worked with artists including Helado Negro; Okay, Kaya; Naama Tsabar; and Kevin Beasley. She has also toured with and opened for musicians including Animal Collective, Moses Sumney, Sharon Van Etten, Brittany Howard, Deerhunter, and Big Thief. In addition to her work as an artist, Cheek is a curator. As an Associate Curator at Large, she led performance programs at MoMA PS1. Prior, she worked closely with artists to realize projects at institutions including Creative Time and The High Line. She co-founded a DIY rehearsal and performance space in her neighborhood that primarily supports experimental music. Cheek is currently a guest curator for the upcoming Whitney Biennial.