New Orleans Musicians Clinic & Assistance Foundation

Help NOMC+AF raise $27,000 this GiveNOLA Day- $1,000 for every year we've served New Orleans musicians!

Founded in 1998, the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic and Assistance Foundation (NOMC) protects and preserves the unique music culture of New Orleans as the city's only organization dedicated to providing access to comprehensive healthcare, wellness education, mental health services, and social services tailored to the needs and interests of local musicians and culture bearers.

Since 1998, The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic and Assistance Foundation (NOMC &AF) have focused our efforts on increasing. Our musical and cultural traditions are unique - our distinct culture and traditions enrich our region and bring joy to our communities and tourists and visitors. Indeed there is a paradox, the very people who create and sustain our musical and arts culture are often the most vulnerable and underserved members of our community. The detrimental effects of unaddressed physical and behavioral health needs and lack of access to routine preventative and comprehensive healthcare is amplified in our senior population, the elders - primarily underserved - who are our original stewards of New Orleans musical and cultural entertainment and hospitality-based industry.

The NOMC clinic offers low-cost high-quality patient-centered care to local artists. This includes primary care delivered in a team-based clinical model, disease management, behavioral and mental health, comprehensive specialty referrals, labs, dental and other wrap around services. 

Your support strengthens Clinic offerings and allows the Assistance Foundation to further assist musicians and culture bearers in the following ways: 

• Music Therapy: We offer group and individual sessions addressing performance anxiety, depression, and more. Programming has recently expanded into and beyond oncology departments at Ochsner, University Medical Center, and Touro, providing therapy to patients during chemotherapy treatments.
• Combating Senior Loneliness (Senior Band): Creates performance opportunities for musicians 65+ to play for under-served senior audiences, combating isolation. It fosters a “third space” for connection, improving mental well-being for performers & audiences alike.
• Musical Instrument Cleaning: To address performance-related health risks (such as respiratory issues from mold), this program offers bi-monthly instrument cleaning demonstrations & pathogen testing workshops in partnership with local medical labs and music schools.
• Musician Hearing Health: Focusing on prevention, this program includes annual hearing screenings, subsidies for custom ear molds, and education on treating impacted earwax - a common issue for musicians using ear protection that can lead to hearing loss.
• Epidemiological Study of Musician Health: a new survey is underway to study the health patterns and needs of the musician population. Information on performance-related injuries unique to musicians is very relevant to creation of future NOMAF programming.
• Trade Education and Training Scholarships: This program provide parallel career options for musicians to supplement income and access employer-sponsored benefits like health insurance. Offered in partnership with Delgado Community College, courses were selected for their short training periods & local job availability linked to the entertainment and healthcare industry.
• Safeguarding Healthcare Access: This subsidizes private health insurance premiums for musicians losing Medicaid coverage. With patients at risk, the program prevents loss of essential care, protecting both individual artists and the city’s cultural fabric.

Testimonials