New Documentary 'Orchestrating Change' Features Orchestra for People With Mental Illness

What happened: Ronald Braunstein, a Juilliard-trained conductor who first performed at Lincoln Center when he was 20 years old, found his career derailed by the turbulent emotions of bipolar disorder. That’s when he decided to create an orchestra of his own, one where he wouldn’t be judged or discriminated against in the industry he said “abandoned” him. The Me2/Orchestra, featured in the new documentary “Orchestrating Change,” is an orchestra designed specifically for people with mental illness — and some therapists believe Braunstein’s approach can also help those who live with mental health conditions.

• What is Bipolar disorder?

“Orchestrating Change” is the documentary about @Me2Orchestra, and the film is changing lives and erasing stigmas about mental health, and it will be on American Public Television this fall. We are incredibly grateful for your support! ????

— Orchestrating Change (@Me2documentary) July 7, 2020

The Frontlines: According to The New York Times, Braunstein didn’t discover that he had bipolar disorder until he was 30 years old and had his first serious episode. By then, his career had suffered, and he was ultimately hired by his now-wife Caroline Whiddon, the executive director of a Vermont-based orchestra whose struggle with depression and anxiety sidelined her career as a French horn player. The pair later created the Me2/Orchestra, but their bipolar disorder diagnoses aren’t unusual. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance:

• 7 million American adults struggle with bipolar disorder
• The median age for the onset of bipolar disorder is 25 years old
• 3 million American adults live with depression

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A Mighty Voice: Our contributor, Sara J. Eaton, wrote about how playing guitar helped ease the symptoms of her mental illness. “When I resumed playing guitar after regaining some strength, I effortlessly played the songs I’d learned years ago,” she wrote. “If I tried to read a textbook, I spent hours rereading the same page. Yet, without having to think about it, my hands flew to different chords and remembered old strum patterns. When I struggled to feel worthy because I couldn’t accomplish basic tasks, my ability to play an instrument helped me feel meaningful.” You can submit your first-person story, too.

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Other things to know: Music and music therapy can help those who live with mental illness. According to one study, just three months of music therapy caused rapid improvement among patients experiencing depression symptoms. If you’re interested in how music can help your mental health, check out the following:

• How Music Has Opened Doors for My Autistic Daughter
• 18 Songs That Remind People With Mental illnesses They Are Not Alone
• How Music Gives Me Hope in My Mental Illness Recovery

How to take action: “Orchestrating Change” is coming to KTWU and American Public Television throughout the fall of 2020. You can check out the broadcast on their website and watch the trailer here.