Hello friends.

Anyone who has known me for any period of time knows about my struggles with mental health, especially depression and anxiety. As a writer, I have made it my goal in life to do as much as possible to help stop the stigma surrounding such conditions.

I am quite open about my struggles, almost to the point of oversharing my thoughts. In the last few years I have learned how important is it for me to be able to share these things. You simply do not know how many people feel the same way you do, until you get the conversation started. If my words can help even one person get through their day without ending their life, then I feel like I absolutely must do that. I would even go as far as to say it is cathartic for me, as writing my thoughts out helps me wrestle and pin down the dark thoughts that plague my daily life.

The truth of the matter is that many mental health issues start in childhood. There is no way of knowing how specific traumas may affect people, and there are many children who grew up depressed, anxious, feeling alone and not knowing where to turn. For so many years, mainstream media saturated us with the idea that feeling different is a bad thing; that we should conform to a certain set of ideas and thought patterns. In recent years the trend has started to turn around, but there are still millions of people, especially children, who don’t know where to turn and what to do when their mind wanders.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is looking to change the narrative with their On Our Sleeves initiative.  They boldly and clearly state, “It’s time to break the silence around mental illness. No voice is too young. Or loud enough. And no action is too small to help end stigmas and misconceptions about mental and behavioral health.”

In the past few years we’ve lost major musical heroes such as Chris Cornell, Jill Janus, Avicii, Chester Bennington and Keith Flint, to suicide. I know from my time working in the music scene that many musicians deal with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Many of them parlay those thoughts into their craft, using their musical artistic abilities to overcome the darkness that plagues their minds.  It might not seem like a perfect solution, but as I stated earlier, every life saved is a life worth living.

Kyle Jones and The Patchbay Columbus are looking to do their part to help raise awareness as well. Jones started The Patchbay Columbus as a music blog with a simple mission – empowering local artists and supporting initiatives in the Columbus community through their events.

With that in mind, they are hosting The Patchbay Music Festival! The lineup is fantastic, with Souther, Zoo Trippin’, The Broken Relics, Fifth & Aurora, Thomas and the Work Men, Pacific, and Forever Unknown. There will also be art vendors, booths, and other events happening around the festival area.

The folks from Roochute are also a main partner and will be bringing their acclaimed parachute to help spread the positive message. Roochute was started when Ron Holgado brought a 50-foot parachute to Bonnaroo in 2014, in the hopes to promote positivity as well as mental health awareness. The idea blossomed throughout Columbus and has become a national phenomenon, making appearances as far away as Malibu, New York City, Orlando, and even in Costa Rica.

Several of the bands have come together to launch a DIY fundraiser to help cover the costs of the festival. If you wish to help by donating to the event, you can do so HERE. Patchbay is hoping to raise at least $1,500, and are currently three-quarters of the way to their goal!

We are proud that Music in Motion Columbus is partnering with The Patchbay Columbus to help with this event. I personally want to thank Kyle and the musicians involved for making this a free event so that those who might not be able to afford a regular “festival” rate can attend and still be part of something excellent.

The festival is being held on Sunday, August 4 at Land-Grant Brewing Company, located on 424 W. Town St, Columbus Ohio. The event will start at 1 p.m., and we’re hoping for beautiful weather and many of smiling faces! Music in Motion Columbus will have a booth set up and will be conducting interviews with the bands between sets.

Band Lineup

1:30 – Forever Unknown
2:15 – Fifth & Aurora
3:15 – Pacific
4:15 – The Broken Relics
5:15 – Souther
6:30 – Zoo Trippin’
7:45 – Thomas and the Work-Men