May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a Portland-based nonprofit has a challenge for people who express themselves through sound.
The first annual “Noise-A-Thon” is a monthlong pledge drive similar to a walkathon, but participants pledge to practice their chosen form of noise instead of walking miles. Studies have shown that actively creating music can boost mental health in many ways — from pain reduction to motor development — and you don’t need to be a professional performer to reap the rewards.
Noise-A-Thon benefits Brett’s Bass Fund, an organization honoring the memory of the late Portland bass player, Brett Rothfeld, by providing scholarships, lessons, and instruments to aspiring bass players who lack support or resources.
To participate in Noise-A-Thon, all you need to do is register (either as a group or individually), gather pledges, and practice your music for 15 minutes each day throughout the month of May. Don’t hold back — toot your own horn.
