Whenever disaster strikes musicians are among the first to donate their time, energy and talents to help those in need.

But where do they turn when they unexpectedly find themselves in a tough situation? Sadly, most musicians do not have health care coverage, for either themselves or their families. The mission of the Musicians Emergency Medical Association (MEMA) is to help out in those times of need. When a medical emergency strikes and all other resources have been exhausted, our goal is to provide financial assistance to musicians and their families.

Imagine this: What if the next time you attended the Eugene Celebration, Art in the Vineyard, Saturday Market or just your favorite local winery, fair, festival or live music venue THERE WAS NO MUSIC? No Pop, Jazz, Rock, or Country. No Hip Hop, No Rhythm & Blues, no Opera. Regardless of the genre that appeals to you, music provides the soundtrack to our lives and there are musicians here in our community that are making music purely for that one purpose: for the love of the music. As a community, we all get to enjoy what they create, and our lives are enriched just for listening. So, isn’t it worth our time to ensure that these musicians would get to continue making music for all to hear - even if they were to befall a medical emergency?

M.E.M.A. was founded in 2006 by Professional Saxophonist Paul J. Biondi, with headquarters in Eugene, Oregon. Currently in its formative stages, M.E.M.A. provides financial assistance and medical resources to musicians throughout Lane County. However, as the need of musicians extends far beyond the local area, M.E.M.A. aims to one day to be able to provide this assistance to musicians and their families nationwide.

Fundraising efforts are currently underway. Beginning with our Annual World Music Festival at Sweet Cheeks Winery and preparing to embark upon other opportunities, M.E.M.A. has a focused, consistent plan to grow beyond these humble beginnings. It is M.E.M.A.’s belief that our dream to provide a strong advocate and resource network for musicians to rely on when a medical emergency strikes is a worthy and achievable goal.

Your contribution may be tax deductible and can really help those whose chosen profession benefits us all but don’t themselves benefit from health insurance coverage.

If you would like to be involved with M.E.M.A., click here to see how to help.