May 2020 TOM

Can Sound-Based Art Break Down the Stigma Around Mental Health?

AlanJames Burns is drawing a parallel between sound and mental health through psychoacoustic sound artwork. These pieces, performed in pitch black caves around Ireland, are designed to recreate the human thought process and mental health overall. The entire experience mimics the way the mind works, and comments on many mental health struggles, such as hearing voices or having anxiety. Through depicting the mind with sound, Burns is breaking the stigma and spreading the word about mental health.

2015: When Music Destroyed Mental Health Stigma

2015 marks the year that talking about mental health in the entertainment industry was de-stigmatized. The Guardian takes a look at mental health challenges and their prevalence among artists, and comments on the importance of contributing to the discussion around mental health.

Video: 'There Are a Lot of People in Distress.' Dear Evan Hansen Creators and Experts On a Youth Mental Health Crisis

Creators of the hit Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” and mental health experts come together to discuss youth mental health and the power that theater has to reveal #DistortedPerceptions.

With Stay At Home Orders Extended, Mental Health Of Musicians Becomes Priority For Organization

Music Minds Matter, an organization focused on helping musicians talk about mental health, discusses how they are shifting their work to adapt to stay at home orders.

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Fighting the Stigma of Mental Illness Through Music

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Music can have a profound effect on mental health. When Ronald Braunstein lost his job after being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, he created the Me2/Orchestra to welcome all musicians with mental illnesses. Now, neuroscientists and musicians are working together to embrace the healing powers of music and break the stigma around mental illness.