The Behavioral Corner 
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano. And this is the Behavioral Corner; you're invited to hang with us, as we've discussed the ways we live today, the choices we make, the things we do, and how they affect our health and wellbeing. So you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner, please hang around a while.

 

Steve Martorano 
Hello, everybody, how are you? If you're in Portland, Oregon already know how you are, it's any consolation to you all out there. Here on the Corner - in the Northeast Philadelphia is where we're located -- it's hotter than hell here, too. So it's miserable all over. But it is the Behavioral Corner and what we do is we hang here, interesting people come by coming out of the bodega, get the car wash, whatever. And often, as luck would have it, they have something really cool to tell us about behavioral health. And you know what that is this point. Behavior health is everything we do, decisions we make, that affect our emotions and our physical well-being. So we're going to take a look, today, it's something we often do. We often take a look at constituent groups who are underserved by the healthcare system, across the board -- most notably, people of color, minority communities, women also suffer from a lack of really quality health care. But there's another group I want to talk about. And it's a particularly good moment for that. We're talking about musicians and artists because as the, mercifully, this plague recedes, if that's the case, those people that are out now, this is going to be a summer of live music, like you have never seen. So the musicians are out on the road, again. Artists are out in the world. They enrich our lives and all of that is for the good. The problem -- and it's a problem of long-standing -- is that they are underserved when it comes to their mental, often emotional and certainly physical health care. To that end, here on the Corner, today is Andy Hurwitz. I'll give you the textbook resume -- he's an attorney, a husband, a father, and an all-around good guy. Andy made his bones in the entertainment industry -- that's how I met him. We're old pals as well. And what characterizes everything he's ever done is a deep commitment to whatever it is he's doing, particularly the broader community. The guy likes to give back. Andy Hurwitz is a good guy. Hi, Andy. How are you doing? 

Andy Hurwitz 
Hey, Steve, great to see you. 

Steve Martorano 
I'm sorry to pull you off the beach. But you know...

Andy Hurwitz 
hey, it's funny when you gave that intro, I was like, Oh, yeah, read about the fact that it was hot in a lot of places.

Steve Martorano 
Okay, actually rub it in. As I mentioned Andy is an old pal of mine, from the entertainment business nominally, and just hanging up. And he really does he has a rep for you know, let's do this is to be a cool idea. Let's do that. We're going to talk a little bit maybe down the road about the initiative, he just, he just got some ink on concerning the Philadelphia school system. It's a really cool thing they're doing there. Here's an example for you. He is the founder of a nonprofit called Thirty Amp Circuit. This is such a great idea. When I first saw this, I thought, wow, this is cool. It's dedicated to the health, wellness, and professional needs of musicians and artists. So we're going to talk about that in-depth. Andy. Yeah, it's hot here. The idea that you would act like it's not where you are, is wrong.

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah. Well, you know, it's the ups and downs of life. And you know, you gotta enjoy it. It's not gonna last, I'm sure I'll be sweating real soon. Just today, I'm not

Steve Martorano 
Good for you. Here's the deal. Do you agree that this is going to be a summer of live music like we have never seen? I mean, there's going to be bands playing everywhere, right?

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah, there was an article that Dan DeLuca wrote in the Inquirer last week that featured Chris Perella of the Ardmore Music Hall, and the quote was something like every band that ever was, wants to tour this summer. So...

Steve Martorano 
I don't think you'll be able to go to a bandshell in some small town in New England or your local bar, or, you know, outdoor arenas where there's not going to be live music. The demand is enormous. Somebody characterize it like the roaring 20s in terms of entertainment. Now, it's all well and good. These people, you know, really been cut off from their livelihood, but their problems are going to be out there on the road with them, you know, musicians and artists as well. They don't have generally speaking 401 K's they don't have company benefits, and so their health suffers. Why did that occur to you? I mean, you're not a working musician, but you know them. You must hear a lot of stories about how bad it is.

Andy Hurwitz 
Well, I mean, I'm not a working musician, but I feel like anyone at my level at this point in the music business, which I don't even know what that means any more music business, but we're all sort of in the same blue-collar boat and it's profoundly doubled with musicians like you said that are going to be touring and roaring it up in the 20s all over the place, because You know, there's the one on the one hand, lack of health care, on the other hand, is the inability to make appointments in advance to meet with your dentist, your doctor, your psychiatrist and keep any sort of semblance. And it's interesting because we figured this out a while ago. And what happened...during the pandemic, is, I think all of this was exposed in a way that was super profound, and the ball is rolling towards reform, and not you know, we're just one of many, many nonprofits that are working towards changing this. And a big part of the changes just specifically with mental health, which you see in sports, as well, as a lot of people are just coming out, you know, during the COVID, especially a lot of people are like, no, I'm depressed, I was always anxious, I take, you know, medication. And when the lockdown hit all these musicians had nothing to do but things and artists, they were stuck in their house not moving for the first time in their lives, a lot of them. So, you know, it was heavy, but I think that it was something that everyone was forced to deal with. And it was almost impossible not to deal with. So I remain pretty optimistic about all of it and I feel like we were just I don't want to say right place right time. But, you know, it's a great opportunity for any organization that's helping any humans with, you know, just sort of health and mental wellness and just trying to get by in this world.

Steve Martorano 
I mean, music is fun. Live concerts are enjoyable. Are they important? Are they necessary?

Andy Hurwitz 
Well, now, they absolutely are for artists and their livelihood. Because as you know, there's, it used to be, you could at least make money off of record sales, and publishing and that has diminished significantly. It's one of those catch 20 twos, like, yeah, it is it's easier to be in the music business today than it once was. But it's also harder to make a living. So, musicians absolutely have to play live to earn a living. You know, is it necessary for us, I don't know. I just went to a concert, which I was thinking it should be the wave of the future. There's a bunch of upstart businesses, that happened during the COVID live stream inspired. And, you know, 20 friends each chipped in 50 bucks to have swift technique, you know, they're not the biggest band in the world but you know, they're a great professional band, and they played in my friend's backyard. And there were 40 people there. And it was amazing. It was so great. And I suppose we were all sort of like, so when you say, is live music necessary for musicians? It isn't for young people it is they don't care about any of this. But for me, I think I'm going to start making music and entertainment on a different level. Now I come out of it in a different space, like, I can't perceive me and my old ass fucking, smushing -- and sorry I cursed -- me and my self, a little I used to push my way to the front, and ride the rail, the Snoop Dogg concert a couple months before the pandemic. So I don't really want to be doing that anymore. So I'm hoping to see but yeah, live music and live entertainment are absolutely necessary. Now more than ever, especially when you have people like you said, lined up and ready to pay for it.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, which is already a good thing. So let's talk about the 30 Amp. Where did the idea come from?

Andy Hurwitz 
I was working with Ivan Neville in New Orleans. And we were talking about the health and wellness of musicians. You -- I don't want to say before any of this came in vogue. But you know, health and wellness, in general, is a burgeoning you know, bustling, you know that you have a podcast -- it's what's going on. And he shared with me, he turned me on to this place called the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. It's been around since 1973. And it is this gorgeous, huge home and working office facility in New Orleans with incredible people there. And I've been introduced to me saying that they basically saved his life because they were available for free. He had an illness that he couldn't afford to deal with long ago. Not only did they deal with his physical illness isn't they have a forged relationship with LSU hospital. But also the mental side too. New Orleans people are like -- they're like, "Andy, you should start one in Philly", because I'm the Philly, you know, like you, I'm Philly, Philly, Philly. And so, you know, they're like you should start one because there is a bigger organization, sort of a group. I don't remember the acronym, but there's a lot of organizations that are based locally to help their communities. There's great (one) in Seattle, it's called Smash. There are the Memphis musicians...you know, every community should have one and we didn't. So that inspired me to start one. And it was a nice organic process that I wasn't intending to be front and center in my life. But again, when the pandemic had a changed a lot of things and so we pivoted a little bit and now you know, here we are with more attention to it because we've had a lot more opportunity to...You know, we were the first ones to do a three-day virtual music festival Love from Philly, which was incredible. It really literally brought the city together for three days because there was nothing else to do. But you know that a dance event. And you know, as a lifelong music industry person I'm seeing, really the great opportunities that you can create for artists specifically -- and for the city with a nonprofit. And sort of the music business is filled with horror stories of, you know, shady people, shady deals, but once everyone I'm like, look, I'm not Andy Hurwitz lawyer, I'm not Andy Hurwitz record label guy, I'm just Andy Hurwitz trying to do a good deed. And the good deed goes full circle. So that's how it started. And the synergy created by the people places and things helped sort of expedite it.

Steve Martorano 
Well, yeah, I remember when ----- this predates the pandemic. Because I remember thinking, wow, this is going to be in my wheelhouse. This is what we talked about. He's just focused it on these people. And again, I'm back to this thing about artists and musicians who are not thought of in the same breath when you talk about underserved communities.

Andy Hurwitz 
Not only that, Steve, it's so depressing. I won't say who the person is. Because he's, he's really, he's a great guy. He's the first guy he would think, as a business person, a leader in Philadelphia with a great brand and a great business, that he'd be the first person that would give money to some of these divisions because that remains part of the challenge. He was just like, "Oh, no, I don't give it to the arts." And he so mattered of fact about it. He's like, "Andy, that's why the arts are so underserved these because like people like me, it doesn't resonate." He's like, "Yeah, I'd rather help somebody like a sick person, you know, and that's probably the problem. You know, that's where the mentality is and that's why it's always been that way. I never really thought about it before because you and I are so, you know, it's such a part of our lives. But to other people, they're just like, "Musician or cancer thing." "Musician or Africa person," you know, so. It's tough. 

Steve Martorano 
Exactly. And you know, I mean, it is certainly is understandable on one level, because you support the arts means subscribe to the Philadelphia Orchestra or donate to the Philadelphia Museum or something like that. It's not like No, these people need dental work."

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah.

Steve Martorano 
They have, you know, root canal they need to be done. So, and that's underserved. We're going to get into the mental component of that as for substance abuse, in particular, a big number here. But I know that of the services provided by 30 Amp is something and this is just a great idea. And you mentioned Backstage Clinic. Tell us about that Backstage Clinic.

Andy Hurwitz 
As we're discussing here, musicians and artists, in general, are in need of health care, blah, blah, blah. You know, you can fill in the blanks. 

Steve Martorano 
Yep. 

Andy Hurwitz 
Yes, we all know that. But it became a question that was part of a grant. Like it was sort of like a shark tank thing where they asked you that life instead of filling out the paperwork. And they're like, okay, we get it but the big question became, well, where do you find these (musicians). In New Orleans at the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, you know, the musicians grow on trees, but in Philadelphia, like, where are all these artists? and nationally, how do you find these underserved people? And I was like,"Oh, I know where they all are."I know where they are. I know how to find them. At festivals, that's, you know, become every art no matter of big, small-medium. I bet your town has a festival or had one this summer. Lord knows, Narberth has a music festival. There's the Wayne Music Festival. It's just crazy. So I said that you know, artists are at festivals. And, you know, if you haven't had the pleasure and pain of being involved working at a festival, you know, there's a lot of downtimes and you're usually stuck there. You know, an artist will usually get out on the road, play gig at the Filmore, and then unload, you know, and then get the heck out on the bus and go to the next tour. But at a festival, everyone's back there. And festivals have been catering to artists, you know, making that backstage experience more fun. So, health and wellness for musicians, they're at festivals, the concept was set up a Backstage Clinic, which is really what it sounds like, you know. We have two trailers, and we set out a chill-out zone and in a nutshell, we have four specific services that we have revolving around piss and blood, and they're just basic things that you can get like you just get a prick and needle prick in your finger and we can send you these results for everything from your cholesterol level to pre-cancer screenings, the whole the end. And then the piss is revealing and we had this deal with Labcorp, you know?

Steve Martorano 
Okay.

Andy Hurwitz 
It's crazy that Labcorp, set it up so that you can piss in blood and bleed at these festivals anywhere in the country and FedEx picks it up and sends it to lab core. It's competitive. Like they bid on it, you know, they're like, oh, we'll hook you because that's, you know, masked at so well. I should tell you that the Backstage Clinic was set to really blow up the summer of the COVID. We had deals in place with Live Nation and AEG and Pete Shapiro, he does Brooklyn Ball, we're gonna roll out and we want to a pretty big grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to do this backstage clinic. And at this point, when I started reaching out, I have one of our board members, one of my partners, and all this I should say, when I started this, I recruited two people one was Ari Greis. He's a great doctor at Jefferson and Rothman to get through to that world. And I brought him back to New Orleans with me. They introduced him to all the medical people and like, oh, and he asked all those right questions, and the other person is Keith Scriven, who eventually became the executive director. But once we got...once we started telling people about it, doctors are like, "Yo, I'll, I'll pay you to be backstage at the dead show to like, potentially take piss and blood from anybody!" you know." These are doctors that have you know, what are you going to give a doctor who has all the money in the world, this is an experience that we found resonated really well. So I started collecting for, you know, we had a core. And then we were building out to a core of the person blood tests, you know, strict tests, we didn't want, we experimented with this thing. We don't want to take too much time you come in, you come out. But then there are the extended services that were super cool dental, vision, and we had sponsors, you know, so even like, vision isn't a big deal. But you get your eyes checked. And you know, there was a company that sends you the glasses that you pick out. So that's the gist. It's like a boot camp for health and wellness, mini-hospital, mini MASH unit for those. For those viewers that are old enough to remember the TV show, I did imagine a little MASH set up.

Steve Martorano 
Here's how old I am. The last time I saw anything that resembled a medical facility in operation at a concert was in Woodstock. 

Andy Hurwitz 
Right? 

Steve Martorano 
Where there was never a greater need for a place like that. A lot of people were stressed out that day. Anyway. So alright, so the blood phase is amazing that Labcorp just swoops in and takes it away from the other laboratory. Because it's such a lucrative thing, I guess. So they get some better early warning signs that you may have borderline diabetes so, they take care of that. You also have some social workers available, right?

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah, the social workers do the simplest task of helping people work through you know, even me, I didn't have...I didn't know about any of this. When I became an independent contractor. You know, this applies to everybody. You know, there's way more than Obamacare. But first of all, there is Obamacare and it sounds, you know, it sounds threatening to people, but we have social workers on the handle, simply walk people through that process. In addition, there are things and services available, and even insurance, catastrophic health insurance is something that you wouldn't think about, but as a musician, it's the difference. It's like $150 a year. So the social workers are there to sort of provide information and again, just beheads to talk to, we find that you know, this is a super young program, it was we beta tested it here in Philly, with the Philly Music Festival. And we found that a lot of times people just want to talk and maybe that that ties into the mental health thing as well. You know, we'd have all these services ready to go and people...We really found like, like, one guy was like, man, I don't really see a doctor, you know, I go to CVS, where they have the tests, you know, blah, blah, blah, but I go every month. And the doctors were like, well, that's kind of cool. 

Steve Martorano 
The social workers are really amazing people. I mean, they're, you're right, the people don't understand what social workers do. They fill out the forms, the endless forms, you look at, you go ahh, they're gonna do it. I can't do it. I know, they know how to do that.

Andy Hurwitz 
Now more than ever, you know.

Steve Martorano 
They spend their days trying to get, you know, working moms a refrigerator because their old one broke. 

Andy Hurwitz 
It's funny, because, Steve, it's like, there's all of this that we're talking about, you know, it's not like, um just a regular schmo that feels like man, it's pretty easy to do some help, you know, do some good with what we have and feeling a need and doing it. But big up to all the people that really dedicate their life. There are so many people like... 

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, but...you help...you help them do that. Tell me about the Body and Soul. What is the Body and Soul foundation? What are we doing there?

Andy Hurwitz 
Well, that was like just a fancy marketing term. I know you're big on that. I don't even like hearing that name. But it becomes so commercialized, you know, the meditation and well, really mindfulness. We're huge on connecting those two things. And I'm going to change that "body and soul." But while it's actually interesting because I'm a, I'm a born again, when it comes to them, I've been doing it for 15 years, it changed my life. 

Steve Martorano 
Meditation? 

Andy Hurwitz 
Meditation. Yeah. I was taught by a guy that it turns out, it's just a guru. And he's right here...he's right here in Bryn Mawr, right down the street. And he is like when you figure out that meditation is really just a form of Buddhism, you have to know where it's coming from these days because the real teachers like you know, the Juba's from the 70s, like Jack Kornfield and, and Mr. Goldstein, and all those guys like there are teachings that proper. And now the self helps the body and soul like I just described this sort of being watered down. But with Gabriel Rocco, who's here. He started the Penn Mindfulness Center for cancer, you know, he started really taking this mindfulness and teaching it to people that suffer from cancer and not just for the physical pants, but for the mental strain. 

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, yeah. 

Andy Hurwitz 
And so we're working on something called Mindfulness for Artists, we're not the first, but I feel like we have a good approach to it. And that's where the body and soul that you asked about, that's where it comes from. You know, teaching people to meditate in a really simple way because it's really not that hard. And providing alternative sort of homeopathic products within that, in that range. We, we wanted to make sure that we were able to get sponsors like Lululemon on board. So I think that's where that name came from. But it's true, you know, we feel like it's such a great opportunity to, you know, for companies or whoever to, you know, it's something you can hang your hat on. So to speak.

Steve Martorano 
We're hanging out on the Corner with Andy Hurwitz - an old buddy, a real pal, and he are the founder of the nonprofit, we've been talking about a 30 Amp Circuit. Finally, this piece about the Backstage Clinic in the help you provide. It's the issue of substance abuse. I've had this discussion with several people now, on the podcast and another context about what happens when you take the drugs out of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. I mean, these people are sort of thought of as high risk. For some reason, artists and musicians are at high risk of substance abuse. Are they coming to you? Are they looking for help?

Andy Hurwitz 
They are, but thankfully, and here's where I can point anybody that's listening to a better organization than us. People do come to us and we'll say, you know, I just described our mindfulness for artists, right, that's not suicidal, depressed artists programs and for that, there's an amazing nonprofit called Backline...backline.org. 

Steve Martorano 
Oh, I know. Backline. Yep. 

Andy Hurwitz 
And we have a broad mission statement -- and I learned all about how to be a nonprofit in the last couple of years doing all this and what it means -- they have a very specific... it's mental wellness for musicians. Period. And man, oh, man, was their demand during the COVID. I mean, you know, it was like, in addition to being strapped financially, you know, most artists were just screwed. Even rich artists were screwed and had to figure out solutions. And some were really noble, like Tedeschi Trucks, you know, they mortgaged their whole world, so they didn't have to take their stuff off of payroll, you know. No income coupled with being stuck at home and facing all these problems Backline did an amazing job at really creating during the COVID a Zoom-like therapy session, you know, like a group therapy that they had at seven o'clock every night. Then they had meditation at nine. And so...they also had artists speaking, um, you know, people that you know of and I think that helps so much when you're like, "Oh, shit, look, it's that guy. He's depressed" How can he be depressed?" So with drugs, though, you know, it's funny, not funny. I feel like drugs are like the people, you know, I don't know, maybe I'm just not rolling in there. I need to hang out with the right drug people. But, you know, I think it's that opioid crisis that really dipped into everybody's role. I think that's where you see, it's still, and I feel like the high flying like, coke and blow like, I don't know, I don't know. But it's...

Steve Martorano 
I know. I listen. I know what you mean. And what people don't understand is that that's a cliche.

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah. Well, alcohol isn't. And the need to drink and do drugs is is is obvious. It's tough, it's a tough life. And the grind of being an artist is super, super, super tough. There's also this other weird thing that I experienced all the time in my own, like, left-of-center careers that, you know, if you're just trying to be a person on the before, you're a rock star, it's really tough. Like to be an artist, like it's challenging to just exist in America, with the societal pressures on, you know, like, just how you live and what you can afford. You know, people there's a lot of pressure like young people get pressure from their parents who, you know, I have three kids. I mean, I don't know, one of my best friends. You know, Marc Brownstein, his son, Zach is an incredible drummer. I mean, he's the best drummer. Like, he's once in a generation, but like, I so I understand the mental stresses is complicated.

Steve Martorano 
My experience though, and talking to a lot of people now is that and they've now risen up to mainstream awareness. There's a whole lot of sober entertainers and they're not stand up and go, you know, yeah, I used to be nuts and I was gonna die. I don't do that as well. 

Andy Hurwitz 
Yep.

Steve Martorano 
And they're still making good art and still making great music.

Andy Hurwitz 
Well look, most famously Trey (Anastasio) from Phish, you have to say like, "Trey." He just started his own house, a home a sober home. During the COVID he launched a program and a facility a treatment center. So...

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, Clapton has a place in the Caribbean, that's very famous, Crossroads.

Andy Hurwitz 
Right. You know what, as a person, like, I've never been addicted to drugs, but I know what it's like to be addicted in ways and I feel like there's a relief in the freedom of not having that shackle on you. And so people like Trey and Steven Tyler, I think it's inspiring because, you know, especially Trey's fans who have them under a microscope, he sounds so much...it's better. You know, he sounds incredibly sober. So maybe he's not having as much fun but his art is peaking because it's clear and amazing. Steven Tyler to a certain extent but Trey famously right now. His fans and everyone agrees that hand in hand with his new rebirth has been his sobriety, so...

Steve Martorano 
Well, you know what we support anybody that can manage to do what they love to do and keep it all together. And that includes you, my friend, even though you are very humble. We love the idea of a 30 Amp Circuit. We love the idea that not only will music be back in the troubadours on the road and the artists "rating," but there'll be people like you who are going to make it just a little easier for him so that the rest of us can have our lives enriched by them. Andy, It's been too long but we got to hang.

Andy Hurwitz 
Yeah, man, I just anytime I get to hear your voice, do you? It just makes me happy. What what's your nickname? You need a like...you know, there's like the Velvet Fog. Wasn't that like Mel Tormé? No one would know if you took Velvet Fog.

Steve Martorano 
No, they wouldn't know what we're talking about. 

Andy Hurwitz 
Right. 

Steve Martorano 
You know most often in the day I have referred to "Oh him again." or something like that. I appreciate your time. Back to the beach. I'll see you around. 

Andy Hurwitz 
I'll see you, Steve. Thank you. Thank you. 

Steve Martorano 
Take care, man. Bye-bye.

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