MJ (Hookworms / Suburban Home)

Matthew ‘MJ' Johnson is a record producer and musician based in Leeds. Predominantly known as the singer and keyboard player with Hookworms (Domino Records), Matthew has also produced a number of songs playlisted on BBC 6 Music for artists including Joanna Gruesome, Martha, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Tracey Thorn and Lusts. In 2014 he was named Record Producer of the Year by The Line of Best Fit, having won the Welsh Music Prize for his work producing the Joanna Gruesome album Weird Sister earlier that year, with the follow up Peanut Butter also scoring a nomination in 2015.

Hookworms album Pearl Mystic featured in album of the year lists compiled by Brooklyn Vegan, Loud & Quiet, The Wall St Journal and Drowned in Sound. Their second album The Hum went to no.1 in the Official Album Breakers chart and was an album of the year in NME, Loud and Quiet and Rough Trade. Critics have labelled third album Microshift an "Instant Classic" (Q Magazine), with both The Guardian and The Times awarding five star reviews. It scored the band their first top twenty album, entering the charts at no. 18 in February this year.

Lucy Heyman

Lucy Heyman is a multi-disciplinary vocal coach, researcher and performance anxiety specialist.  She coaches on an individual basis, holds workshops for groups and delivers bespoke training programmes to support and enhance the mental, physical and vocal health of the clients she works with.

Through her own academic research at the Royal College of Music she has examined the health and wellbeing experiences of artists, and combines this scientific approach with 15 years of industry experience to ensure her clients are fully equipped for the challenges they face in their careers.

In June 2018 Lucy will launch Elevate, an organisation providing research, training and resources to support artists with their mental and physical health needs, all informed by scientific research.  For more information, please follow Elevate on twitter @elevatemusicldn.

Lucy is listed in the 2018 Alt Music Power List by SheSaid.So.

Sam Parker (Music Support)

Sam Parker has worked in the industry for 20  years, predominantly in artist management.  She is the MD of Music Support, an ordained Interfaith Minister and addict in recovery.

Chris Madden

Chris Madden

Website

Sally Anne Gross (University of Westminster)

Sally Anne Gross

Sally Anne Gross has been working in the music industry for nearly 3 decades now, as an artist manager, record label director and head of business affairs. She is the program director of the MA Music Business Management at the University of Westminster. Sally was the lead researcher on ‘Can Music Make You Sick’ the largest ever research project into mental health issues in the music industry that was funded by the charity Help Musicians UK and published in November 2017.

Joe Hastings (Help Musicians UK)

Joe oversees all health and welfare activities and is responsible for the development of new support services within the team.

He was instrumental in facilitating the delivery of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme, which to date has had an intake of 4,700 musicians accessing state-of-the-art hearing advice and protection.

Joe has recently been busy working alongside colleagues to create and deliver the Music Minds Matter support line, which launched in early December 2017.

Joe is particularly keen on looking to develop services that support healthy careers for musicians. He also composes music for film in his spare time alongside playing various instruments for fun.