Music Publishers Association

Laura May, Champion for BeWELL and Director, May Music Ltd. – MPA Board Member

Our new MPA BeWELL Employee Network is focused on creating a working and learning environment which is inclusive of people impacted by mental health conditions and experiences. We want to ensure that our colleagues are treated with dignity and respect and are given the support they need to thrive. We want to listen to and learn from the needs, concerns and experiences of our colleagues and our members and take informed action to be more inclusive and supportive.

Our BeWELL Employee Network will be a safe place for members of it to discuss topics, share best practices, share experiences and concerns, celebrate events, raise awareness on issues and challenges faced by people impacted by mental health conditions and experiences and to provide feedback to the MPA Head of DEI and the Champion for BeWELL. All of this engagement and input will help the MPA positively influence the Music Publishing Sector’s awareness and strategies to assure a safe, welcoming, well-maintained and inclusive industry in which to work.

Introducing Laura May…
I’m Laura May, and I started my own publishing company in 2017. I got my first job in publishing a long time ago after graduating from university with a degree in music. I moved on from publishing after 5 years but stayed in music.  Nowhere was ever the same and after leaving my job in a management company I had the idea for May Music. But before that, in 2012, I was diagnosed with an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and after 5 months of intense chemotherapy, I was clear of cancer and began a lengthy recovery. This time in my life really made me think about not only my physical health but my overall wellbeing.  I noticed that when I returned to the workplace that the people around me were working themselves into the ground and making themselves ill by doing so.  Not just physically run down but full of anxiety.

Our industry is pretty competitive and there is a lot of pressure to be working all of the time. Everybody wants everything now but what we really need to take some time for is a bit of self-care. Mental health issues affect everyone and we need to take care of our mental health in the same way we do our physical health.  The aim of BeWell is a safe space for everyone to get together and be able to speak openly, without judgement about how they are feeling and about what may be making them feel this way. I’m hoping that our discussions about issues in the workplace can guide us to help employers support their employees and understand their mental health needs.