As MusiCares prepares for its annual person of the year tribute, honoring Barbra Streisand, MusiCares/Grammy foundation senior vp Kristen Madsen provides a glimpse into this amazing organization and how it serves the industry we love and its members.

We’re gearing up for a spectacular evening on Feb. 11 where we’ll honor the amazing Barbra Streisand to benefit MusiCares at our annual Person of the Year tribute.

Held two nights before the annual Grammy Awards, it’s one of the most prestigious events of Grammy Week.

We’re recognizing Ms. Streisand for her renowned creative accomplishments, as well as her philanthropic work, which has included an extraordinary range of charitable activities over the years.

Proceeds from this annual event—21 years old now—provide the essential funds MusiCares needs to meet its mission of ensuring that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Some of the performers confirmed for the evening include Jeff Beck, Tony Bennett, Kristin Chenoweth, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, LeAnn Rimes, Seal, Donna Summer, Nikki Yanofsky, BeBe Winans, Stevie Wonder, and members of the Grammy-nominated “Glee” cast Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Darren Criss.

It’s always a once-in-a-lifetime evening, and this year promises to be the same, especially since the finale will be a special performance by Barbra Streisand herself.

Since we were founded by the Recording Academy, MusiCares has provided a safety net of critical assistance for music people in need. Our services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each of our clients is treated with integrity and confidentiality. 

So, for example, if you are a guitar player and you break your wrist, you probably don’t have sick days, let alone health insurance. MusiCares can come in and pay whatever bills are most urgent for you for a few months to help you get back on your feet — anything from medical bills and rent to electrical bills or even relocation costs.

We also put a lot of energy and resources into addiction recovery programs because we consider addiction to be an occupational hazard of the music industry.

Through our MusiCares MAP Fund, we provide recovery treatment and sober living resources including our Safe Harbor Rooms backstage at televised music shows and other major music events.

We also host weekly addiction support groups in Austin, Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York; and our Sober Touring Network database of individuals across the United States who can take music people to recovery support meetings while on the road.

And MusiCares provides a wide-range of proactive healthy essential programs including nationwide educational workshops covering a variety of subjects, from financial, legal, medical and substance abuse issues, to programs in collaboration with healthcare professionals that provide services such as flu shots, hearing tests and medical/dental screenings.

For more information on the range of services we provide and ways you can support us, visit www.musicares.org.