On Oct. 29, for the first time in memory (or perhaps ever), Marran Theater will be filled with symphonic music as we host the Me2/Orchestra for an evening of music and discussion.
The orchestra’s mission is to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness through supportive classical music ensembles and inspiring performances. Me2/Orchestra consists of musicians living with mental illness and people who support them. Nearly half the orchestra’s members have a diagnosis, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, borderline personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Getting to participate in this concert, to me, means that we are continuing to spread mental health awareness and acceptance, something I feel passionate about as a music therapist,” says bassoon player Emily Eckel, a Lesley graduate student studying music therapy.
The concert, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., will also include Assistant Professor and Music Therapy Coordinator Rebecca Zarate, sitting in on cello, and Lesley music therapy student Nataly Kruh on violin.
The hour-long program includes music by Borodin and Beethoven; brief mental health testimonies from the musicians; and a Q&A session with the audience. Audience members are invited to participate in a “stigma-free environment.”
“Me2 is the space where I can continue to experience the orchestral music-making process and use my main instrument, which I thoroughly enjoy,” says Kruh, a master of music therapy candidate who plays multiple instruments, including piano, guitar and her main instrument, violin. “But in addition to that, it allows me to be part of a group with a greater goal, which is to bring music to all areas of the mental health community.”
Music with a mission
The concert, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the Graduate Music Therapy Program with the support from the Office of the President, the Graduate School for Arts and Social Sciences and the Division of Expressive Therapies.
The orchestra is led by Music Director and Conductor Ronald Braunstein, who has conducted orchestras all over the world, in addition to teaching at the Juilliard School and the Mannes School of Music. He was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than 30 years ago.
Me2/Orchestra was founded in Burlington, Vermont in 2011. The Boston-based branch was launched in 2014, and there are now Me2/ Affiliate programs in Portland, Oregon and Atlanta, Georgia.
Other musicians may not have a diagnosis themselves but they join Me2 to use their musical skills to further the organization’s social mission. There is no audition and no fee required to join the orchestra.
“I've been playing in concert bands for the past 14 years, since I started playing flute in fourth grade,” says Eckel, who plays bassoon, flute, tenor sax, guitar, piano and sings. “About eight or nine years ago, I started playing bassoon and never looked back.”
Eckel explains that, because she didn’t attend a conservatory, she didn’t have the opportunity to play bassoon in an orchestra. But the Me2 concert gives her the chance to realize a dream while still working for a good cause.
“As a musician, playing with this ensemble has given me an opportunity for self-care that I cannot receive in any other way,” Eckel says. “Me2 gives me the opportunity to really focus on the joy of playing music with a community, without the external pressure of perfection. I can be fully present with the music.”
Notes Dr. Zarate, “I am an ally and advocate for people who are impacted by a mental health diagnosis and am dedicated to serving individuals and communities through music as social action, and as clinical intervention, so they can receive and gain access to the necessary resources and treatment.”
She adds that participating with other musicians is vital for artistic identity, as well as self-care.
“We encourage our students to actively seek out fellow musicians in the Lesley and broader community where artistic identity can be nurtured at the same time as learning clinical identity as socially conscious music therapists and counselors,” Zarate says.
She also applauds the work and temperament of the conductor and music director.
“Ronald conducts with absolute positive regard and the orchestra plays with love,” she says. “I constantly learn from him and from my fellow musicians. The music created is incredibly powerful to experience as a player and witness. It’s an acknowledgment of the stigma free approach, the incredible musicians, and Ronald’s talent to conduct.”