“The Long And Winding Road” Leads to Global Collaboration with Universities for Students’ Mental Healing
MTSU and LIPA Collaborate with TUFF Earth to Provide Students with Free Counseling from Psychologists and Professional Life Coaches
TUFF Earth is pleased to announce the alliance of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) with TUFF (The Unity of Faiths Foundation) Earth for the upcoming global music project promoting mental health and The Road to Nashville – Liverpool International Song Contest 2022.
The project officially launched May 9, 2022. To date, 14,411 artists have submitted nearly 15,500 songs representing talent from 29 countries. Of those who have submitted a song, over 16% have applied for the complimentary mental health services and counseling provided by professionals. An astounding 2,300 lives are being extraordinarily changed thus far.
MTSU College of Media and Entertainment and LIPA support TUFF Earth to locate student musicians and songwriters in need of mental health services and make them aware of the opportunity The Road to Nashville presents. Submissions remain open until August 31 and the top ten finalists will perform live before judges in Nashville at the renowned EXIT/IN on John Lennon’s birthday Oct. 9, 2022.
MTSU is an accredited professional college that reaches students nationally and internationally for a comprehensive education, preparing students to handle diverse challenges of the job market. As the #1 producer of graduates for the Greater Nashville economy, MTSU has been named the Princeton Review‘s list of “The Best 388 Colleges” in the U.S., which is the fourth straight year making this list.
“It was important to me that Middle Tennessee State University become a partner in Road to Nashville because the internationally acclaimed program shares our values,” says Beverly Keel, Dean of the College of Music and Entertainment at MTSU. “Of course, MTSU has one of the world’s best music business programs, so we embrace the contest that encourages songwriters to share their music with the world. But it’s the mental health component that sets Road to Nashville apart from other competitions. We help students become whole, healthy and happy adults, no matter what their desired careers are, and mental health is certainly a vital component of that. I am proud that MTSU is affiliated with a program that puts mental health first and creates a sense of community.”
To hear more about LIPA and Sir Paul McCartney on The Road to Nashville, CLICK HERE.
LIPA is a world leading center of excellence for the training of those who make performance possible. An international community of performers, creatives, technicians, filmmakers and business people who learn by working together with industry partners on fully realized productions and projects. LIPA is world renowned as a leading provider of university level creative and performing arts training with a portfolio of ambitious and popular courses.
Martin Isherwood, Head Of Music for LIPA, said, “As the ‘World Capital City of Pop’ it’s great to see Liverpool in a new song writing collaboration with the world Music City, Nashville. These two great song cities are the home and source of some of the world’s best songwriters and songs. Together they are leading the song writing world to inspire songwriters to use their skill and creativity to promote what the world needs now more than ever: human kindness. As well as using the power of music and songs to lift our spirits The Road to Nashville Liverpool International song contest, this also offers support to all songwriter entrants with mental health issues.
Alyssa Bonagura, recording artist, songwriter and graduate of LIPA, talked about the importance of music and the link to mental health, “I spent three years, 2006 to 2009, attending the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. When I was over there, I had never felt more at home by the Liverpool people. You are combining two magical cities because music is at the heart of both of them. One of my biggest songs of my career was written in Liverpool called ‘I Make My Own Sunshine’. I was going through a tough time being far away from my family when I wrote that song. This is such an important cause. A song can change your life, it can change your perspective, and it can change your mental health in an instant.”
About Liverpool International Song Contest
Last year, Liverpool City Council played a role in supporting the International Song for Kindness which was created by the charity TUFF (The Unity of Faiths Foundation) to support their wider goals of empowering young people and promoting acceptance, equality and respect for other cultures.
The Liverpool International Song Contest is a vehicle used to tackle discrimination and the stigma of mental health, providing support for those most in need and developing a bespoke mental health service infrastructure specifically tailored toward those in the creative sector.
Participants in the 2020/21 Liverpool International Song Contest were invited to attend one of 23 workshops across the Liverpool City region, delivered by TUFFs Music division and led by TUFFs co-founders Anna Prior and Dr. Shamender Talwar FRSA (renowned social psychologist) and Liverpool based producer Daniel Xander BSc MA (TUFFs Head of Music). These engaging workshops provided education in music, production and human values, and provided education on mental health and one to one counselling with mental health practitioners.
In addition to the thousands who attended the in-person workshops, TUFF also provided an online version of the syllabus for those unable to attend through medical reasons, Covid-19 and/or mental health disorders such as social anxiety and depression. This online digital format provided people with the same opportunities and one to one counselling, delivered in a way that best suited their needs.
The connection with Liverpool came about because TUFF developed the global #KIND20 campaign as a way to demonstrate and promote social integration, which reached a staggering 6.5 million people from around the world. After conversations with The Cavern and other organizations in Liverpool, they came up with the idea of an International Song Contest to celebrate what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music, was involved on behalf of the city and attended the final event at The Cavern in October 2021. The songs were judged by an impressive panel of industry figures (including Adele’s agent and respected musician/songwriter Andrew Roachford MBE who had a number of hits with his band Roachford) who all attended the event in Liverpool. Entries were received from 28 countries in the inaugural contest.
About TUFF – The Co-Organizer
The Unity of Faiths Foundation (TUFF) is a British secular charitable organization working in four continents. They bridge community sectors, organizations and government by rebuilding social integration and global community cohesion. TUFF also empowers youth through participation in sports, music and science. Teaching education in human values, acceptance of integration, individual liberty, gender equality, understanding environment, respect for other cultures, the rule of law and democracy. They have been established since 2011 and have the support and acknowledgments of many dignitaries like H.H Pope Francis, H.M the Queen, President Barack Obama to name a few. The ultimate goal is to share kindness and facilitate the integration and empowerment of those people who do not have a voice, due to numerous challenges and obstacles they face in their daily lives.