GLAMA was officially formed in the summer of 2021 in the wake of tragic loss. Max Graham was a Minneapolis musician, who impacted the lives of everyone around him. For some it was his art, but for many others it was the unconditional kindness, his love of community, and his fight for a better world that drew them in. Max was often described as bright, golden, and magnetic and while all of those things are true, Max was also dealing with his own mental health and wellbeing.

In his journey with mental health, Max accessed many forms of support; tele-therapy, therapy, partial hospitalization, medication and hospitalization and through this journey it became obvious that the mental health system is difficult for a healthy person to navigate and near impossible for someone dealing with mental health concerns. Ultimately, Max died by suicide in the spring of 2021 and from this, a vision was born to make sure that Twin Cities artists and musicians will not have to navigate these systems alone.

The name GLAMA originated years before on a long car ride where Max dreamed up an awards show that would benefit the local community. At the time, he envisioned the Great Lakes Americana Music Association. We would lift up and celebrate the art and music being created by the community that Max loved so much and in turn we would be able to support those in need. After Max died it became apparent that his reach was far beyond the Americana Music community and Max had dreams of a bigger, more inclusive community and so we used the GLAMA abbreviation and created the Great Lakes Association of Musicians and Artists.

In order to bring Max’s vision of community and celebration to life and to honor the need that Max’s life and death presented, the Great Lakes Association of Musicians and Artists was incorporated as a non-profit organization. The official announcement happened at the celebration of Max’s life and the inaugural Sandhill Crane Arts and Music festival on Max’s family farm, another vision of Max’s coming to life.

Together, Andrea and Hannah Graham have collaborated and used their knowledge of community and support to co-found and lead GLAMA. We view the combination of community and support as both equally important in the prevention and response to musician and artist wellbeing. Andrea is an expert in creating community and has been a brand experience consultant who’s spent the last 15+ years producing events and experiences across the country. Hannah is a licensed school counselor and has worked providing similar support, connecting young people to resources for the last 7 years. Together, we are able to collaborate with a group of diverse experts and community members to bring Max’s vision of a kinder, more beautiful world to the Great Lakes Region.