This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Take a walk Nashville. Hi, this is Sarah Harrelson, your host of Take a Walk Nashville. And I just want to start off by saying thank you to our listeners who have been tuning in. We just hit number five on the Apple Podcast. Top shows chart in the music category, which is amazing. So thank you, give us a follow or a review if you like what you're hearing. But today I am here in Franklin with Jared Farley. We are at the Porter's Call office. Jared is the program manager at Porter's Call. It's an organization and place where artists can find support and encouragement with services provided at no charge to them. So Jared, thank you so much for me on Take a Walk Nashville today. Can you give our listeners a little background on how Porter's Call was started and what this organization does for artists? Absolutely. I'd love to. So thanks again for coming all the way down to Franklin. I know it's a little bit of a hike. We at Porter's Call, we really love story. And so I find the best way to give some of that description of how do we start? What do we do? How do we do it? It's kind of just by telling a little bit of the Porter's Call story. And so we really started with the one man named Al Andrews in 2001 who saw that though he was a trained therapist in clinician and town, which meant that when you're a therapist in Nashville, at least part of who you're going to see are artists, he found that there, there was no shortage of reason why they would need help, encouragement, support because of the lifestyle that they lead, the specific challenges that come with being an artist. The way that he was able to provide that within a clinical setting, he just felt there was a big gap. There was a big ask to try to get artists to come and adopt that model. And so he had the idea of trying to end the support from the industry. He got the buy-in from some labels in town. And he wanted to try to fill in the gap. He wanted to care for artists emotionally, mentally, even spiritually if they wanted or needed that because the lifestyle that they lead, how nomadic it is, the isolation having to deal with fame and shame, the financial volatility, the normalization and access of addictive substances and processes. It's just there's, it's right with reasons why people would struggle with anxiety, and depression, and all these types of diagnostic disorders. But, but he wanted to take a little bit of a more kind of comprehensive approach to it, and not just work through kind of a diagnostic lens. And so he set out to do that. And it is almost next year, it'll be our 25th year in doing this. And so one of the most foundational things I wanted to do, though, he noticed when working with artists in particular in the industry, not just people in music, but specifically artists. When you're an artist, it's really easy to be in really transactional spaces with people. Because a lot of them you employ, and then there's a lot of people that want to, there's kind of always angles that people can take in social relationships from artists. And so I wanted to provide this service for free. And that did two things. One, it meant people that otherwise couldn't get access to the help that he would provide could because there was no no cost barrier to entry. But more importantly than that, it directly dealt with that transactional nature of these artists for some, for some of them finding the first time in their story where they didn't have to give something back to Al. They just got to come and receive. And we've been doing this now for, like I said, almost 25 years. Alice now retired, but we've got two of our other long time folks who have met with artist we call ourselves porters, which is really not a very commonly used term these days. But it really speaks back to this old tradition where we, a traveler, could come to a monastery and they could find safety, shelter, and provision free of charge. And they didn't have to be a person of faith. They just needed somebody to care for them. And there was a man who would be stationed along the road and his title was a porter. And it was his role to just meet the needs of the weird traveler, however he could. And when I heard that description of a porter from his wife, Nita, he was like, that's exactly what I do for people who are not just kind of metaphorically on the road of life, but who are quite literally sometimes pulling up to our office out of a van because they've just been on the road. So we have a really unique approach because we serve a really unique kind of demographic of people. So. Yeah. And who is that demographic? Is it just touring artist and signed or independent that are eligible for these services? Yeah. So we, honestly, if it were up to us, I don't think we would have any limitations on who we could see because we recognize that the entire industry needs help and care. It can be really brutal. So anybody is listening that is wondering if they feel crazy for the industry being brutal. It is brutal. Yeah. So we do recognize there's so currently there's five, five of us that porter full time. So those people actually sit behind closed doors and work with artists. I'm right now I'm sitting with you. I have spent an entire day just behind closed doors with artists helping navigate their struggle, their pain, their story. Because there's only five of us. And only two of us are behind closed doors full time with artists. That just means we just can't see everybody. And so we do have some eligibility requirements because we find that when you are an artist that is recording and producing and then having to then tour your own music, the stakes are really high when it's your music. And when you're really giving it a go, this is not a side project, but it's your full time. That's almost always going to require travel, touring, all that. And so that also comes with unique struggles. And that's really who we've worked with really closely for the last kind of two decades. And so the LJU billy parameters are just in kind of a nutshell. And these are laid out with more detail on the website. But 20 shows in a calendar year. So 20 public performances of your own material. So not you covering somebody else's. But music where you've invested kind of your heart, your story into. I'm trying to think off the top of my head if there are any other parameters around that. And then we also recognize if you're not the artist, but if you're the partner of an artist. If you are a romantic partner and you're really committed, that comes with unique struggles as well. When your significant other is away for 150, 200 show dates a year, you can be kind of almost like bachelor bachelor at mode or single parent mode. And so we recognize that comes with unique struggles as well. And so our eligibility as always extended to the artist and to the artist's significant other partner. You don't have to be signed. You can be independent as long as you're doing at least 20 shows each year. Yeah, I think that's great. And I think it's great for artists to know that there are services with no strings attached for them. They don't have to recoup a balance. And there's so many artists nowadays that are road warriors because you know, that's where you make the majority of your income and a streaming world. And you know, we're all human and we face sickness and challenges. So if something comes up, especially health wise, you're missing out on show dates, you're missing out on income. You don't have a PTO bank to fall back on. You don't have maternity leave, paternity leave, bereavement, all that kind of stuff. And that's also where we love to partner with existing organizations like Music Cares, Music Health Alliance. Because we recognize well, we do kind of fit a very kind of small niche of care for artists that's really tailored and specific to their struggles. Also recognize sometimes like sometimes you just need dental work. You know what I mean? Like I'm not going to be able to help with a root canal. But let me get you connected with an organization that already has a team, a passion, funds to help supplement some of those things. So we really see like to care for any human, just requires there's a huge range of need that no one organization entity are going to cover. And so we like to see we are this kind of tailored, mental, emotional, social support that a lot of artists need. And then we love to also kind of be in some ways the gateway for them to also get into with those organizations so they can get additional care that they want. Yeah. And I love that it's tailored to their needs because there's so many resources out there. Some that musicians may know about maybe they don't know about, but it can be overwhelming when there's so many resources resources to dig through. You have to figure out if you're eligible or not, it takes a lot of time and research to figure out which resource is the best for you. Yeah. And we, one of the reasons that we feel really confident about what we provide is because we've been doing it for a really long time. This is not like we're not a new thing. Right. This is long before there is ever even really conversation in the industry about mental health, emotional wellness. I mean, this is 2001, you know, when when Al Andrews first started this. And so we have a long history that we get to rely on and pull on. And we've got we're lucky to have a good buy in from for even a number of people in the industry. We've got label execs that are on our board or have been on our board. And we've we've got buy in from management companies and booking agencies and all that because they recognize when when artists are healthy. That also makes for good business too. Like it does actually aid them in what they do. We really hone in on this idea of, you know, all of our artists are in some way shape or form storytellers. You play music. You we were we were talking just before we went live that you, you know, you have a round coming up even that you're going to play at and unfortunately a lot of times the environment that you're expected to do that. So we're going to make a living at it really. It kind of requires you in telling those stories actually lose touch with your own story along the way because of the cadence or the pace at which you're expected to do this creative thing. So we like to provide a space where people can come off the road, come out of music city, come on down to Franklin again. I know it's a hike, but provide a space where where they just get to be human again. Yeah, and I think that's so important so they're not stuck in what feels like a constant machine ever to go on the road, write songs, produce, make music. I think so important. I was reading some of these stats. I want to read some of these off that I was seeing because you do have a lot of sponsors from labels, organizations that provide the funding for these services. And because of this, you have 200 plus new eligible clients reaching out per year, a million dollars have been saved by artists and their partners in cost associated with mental health support. It's so important. And $75,000 provided through your artist community fund to cover emergency situations through the ACM lifting live. So that's amazing. Well, and I think on there and even says that there's a percentage of our of the artists that we see that make significantly less than you know a list artists, right? They're they're making, you know, between 50 and $75,000 a year and sometimes with a spouse or with kids or family just expenses just living in middle time to see these days. That is not a ton of money. And therapy can be really expensive treatment can be really expensive. And there's all kinds of reasons why not to get help. And we just never want money to be kind of a determining factor in that. And so we rely heavily, well, not heavily exclusively on the generosity of people in our community that want that our kind of our mission with us that they don't want to live in a world where you know the beauty and art of music is is lost. Yeah. And so we want to make sure that the artists that's helping to create that that they don't lose themselves on the way to right. Yeah, there's definitely a lot of financial struggles struggles with artists who maybe just got signs that are trying to make it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And these are all on our website. So this is a, you know, we do we do hold a confidentiality. So it's one of the things that we we kind of bring over from the clinical model, which all of our portals are trained in. Like I went to Treveca, go Trojans. So I was a licensed marriage of family therapists. But but there's test motors on our website. So I know, Hayley Williams from Paramore has a quote on there. I think Hillary Scott is. Looks like Tom is right. Commentary are. Yeah. And so there are, that's a, that's a big way too. While artists don't ever give directly for anything they receive. And if they come in for, we've had some artists coming in for 10, 15 years, different stages of their career, different stages of their life. They might not darken our doorstep for a year. And then something might happen and they kind of circle back in. And so we kind of take this longer kind of longitudinal approach with artists. And sometimes even though they they have not given anything financially, they, some of them get to a point where they, they do want to give financially as a donation. And so that's not uncommon for that to happen. And that helps us keep our doors open as well. But it doesn't matter if you're busking on Broadway or selling up Bridgestone. Like we, we don't really have any, any investment in your career other than, are you, are you well doing it? We definitely have had some of those larger artists come in. But I would say probably the vast majority of, of artists that at least I see. And I know a lot of the folks to come in here would, would not be ones that are going to be, you know, top spotify streamers. But they are, they're putting their heart and soul into what they do. And they need a place to come and process what that's like when it goes well. And they encounter fame or success or whatever that might look like. And when it doesn't go well, which is really often. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's very important. You mentioned about a writers round. There is a monthly writers round hosted here in East Nashville. It's held on the third Tuesday of every month at prospect house. You can find it. I believe through event bright tickets for it. It's a house show. They charge, I think a $10 cover, which benefits porters call. I'm going to be playing at the one on January 20th. If people are in town, want to come out and support. I think it's great that there's so many organizations around town supporting the cause. And what's beautiful about that too is we never have really taken the approach of promotion. We've always taken the approach of attraction. Like Al when he started just kind of leading into almost a stubborn belief that the right people will kind of come around. And that's shown to be true for the last, you know, 20 something years is we've never taken out ads or we all have billboards as you're driving into town. In fact, I was a practitioner in town. I was a musician in town. And for over a decade, I had lived here and had never even heard of this place called porters call until I got a call one day where the founder had met with the founder of another organization. That was a part of the time. And basically, they porters call was trying to I was about to retire. They were looking for another porter and they had kind of gotten my name. But it's just even in this town, I had never heard of it. You know, and I know that there are people that will probably listen to this who maybe they've been in town for a long time or maybe they were just getting in town. But would definitely benefit from just just knowing that there are spaces here in Franklin. But there's also spaces even in the industry where where it's not always transactional like there are places that you can go to that they're less interested in anything you do create or produce their mornch didn't who you are. So yeah, I think it's great. I great resource resource for artists. What about session musicians? Are they eligible for this service or where would you recommend any touring musicians? So great question because when we get off then we always we always hear where's where's the porter's call for you know songwriters where's your porter's call for the higher guns or for the crew. We don't like there are services out there because of our eligibility requirements. We aren't able to see anybody that's not really like the the the artist or the partner of an artist there. But there are again, our tons of organizations there's I know backline is one there are again, I don't know it's the end of the day right now. So my my brand is fried so I'm trying to think of other but there are definitely resources and if you don't know what those are and you call in and you're wondering am I eligible and we have a hostile to coordinator her name is Mara and she's incredible and she will she will help if we're not the spot. That's fine we're not for everyone but will will know who who to get you to to make sure that you get the support that you need so that being said if you are maybe a higher gun or or a studio musician and maybe that's what you're doing as you get your artistry built up then that's a different you know that's a potentially different story but yeah we the reason for that is because one of the. I found one of the biggest stressors and unique stressors in working with who we've worked with for so long is the travel component is kind of constant departure re entry from life from family from friends that is one of the things that in. Most people that don't. Spend their entire day with artists it's it's kind of hard for them to wrap their mind around what like that dynamic and what that's like and how to navigate it and the pains that come with that and so really when we find your artists and you're you're having to go on the road and that comes with those unique things that's really who we've worked with and special us with for a long time so yeah and that makes sense you know there's a lot of higher musicians that go on the road all the time but when you're the signs. The artist or sign band you know you have a lot of commitments with your label and that's usually a heavy touring schedule you have a lot of money to recoup what and if you're the hired musician you're not really attached to that contract like artist is. But I think it's definitely important for hired musicians to have these resources to but I think the great thing about Porter's call is this organization provides community and awareness so if you're a hired player with an artist who has been affiliated with Porter's call and you're struggling maybe you have a conversation with them and they lead you to an organization like music health alliance so I think it can only bring awareness to anyone in the music industry. So you need to help yeah and it was funny because we've worked sometimes with people that started out as a hired gun and then became an artist themselves or put the other way around and this isn't maybe everybody's experience but it's not all that uncommon when I sit with somebody who is who is in the hired gun spot who is also an artist over here who says oh man it's really nice to just go on the road and do not have to be like I just get to show up and do my thing because there's it's it's not a better or worse it's just a different type of of pressure is a different type of. It's a different experience and I think most people that are in the industry that do it have to some degree felt that difference of like when when you're an artist versus when you are on the road with an artist again that's not everybody's experience but there's just it's just a different it's just a different kind of thing and when we set out to do this it was it was it was it was to make the biggest impact we could and we found when working with the person that this artist that is a kind of an artist that is an artist that's really cool. at the head that the impact that that can have on the entire team around them can be really strong as well. Yeah, absolutely. So if someone's listening and they want to support Porter's call or maybe they're an artist themselves and they are eligible for these services, they feel like they need to talk to someone because they're struggling where they where can they go to find Porter's call and connect with you. Yeah. Well, our websites are going to be one of the easiest. We have we have some stuff on socials as well. I know we have an Instagram page that you can that you can find. And right on there, there's there's a link. If you want to if you want to get in on what we're doing and you want to support it, there are all the ways to give right there. And most importantly, I would say if you're if you're here in this and you're in the struggle, you are I think exactly where you're supposed to be adhering this whenever you hear it. And so please just know the hardest step that you can ever take is that first one of reaching out. And if you do, you'll be met with Mora who is an absolute wizard at what she does. You can call her office. You can also see the eligibility stuff online and you can do all of your internet sleuth thing and check us out on our website and see who's eligible. Why do we do it? We do all that information's on there. That's great. Jared, thank you so much for being on and taking a walk Nashville to say this is. Thank you. I'm quiet. I always ask my guest at the end. But since we're on taking a walk Nashville, do you have a favorite place to take a walk in Nashville or even Franklin? Oh gosh. Well, I like to think of myself as kind of the walking porter because if it's not freezing outside and it's not raining, I really like to walk with my people. And there's a park right next door called Pinkerton Park. That's really like I really enjoy walking that. But my answer would have to probably be because is where I proposed my wife would be Percy Warner Park Nashville. Great answer. That's my favorite park to go to as well. It's so beautiful. So it's got some good memories too. So if you ever in town, you need a great place to walk. Can't go wrong. Percy Warner. Yeah. It's always a popular answer on our show. There you go. Jared, thank you so much again for being on the show today and I hope our listeners will go and check Porter's call and support them. Thanks. Thanks for listening to Take it a Walk Nashville with singer-songwriter Sarah Harrell. And check out our other podcasts. Music save me, comedy save me and take it a walk. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
