Me2/ Orchestra Adds Artistic Flair to Practical Psychopharmacology at the 35th Annual Psych Congress

The 35th Annual Psych Congress got off to a moving start with Friday evening’s first-ever Eric C. Arauz Memorial Keynote Address, entitled “Classical Music for Mental Health” and featuring the Me2/ (pronounced “me, too”) Boston string orchestra. The session wove together live performances with Co-Founder and Executive Director Caroline Whiddon’s reminder that mental health care encompasses both practical psychopharmacology as well as immersive artistic expression.  

Founded in 2011 by Whiddon and her husband, world-renowned conductor Ronald Braunstein, Me2/ started as an idea shared on a date: “I want to create a safe space for people like me—I want to create a mental health orchestra,” Braunstein told Whiddon 6 weeks into their relationship. By that point in their lives, Braunstein had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Whiddon with depression and anxiety with panic attacks. 

Thus, Me2/ was born, created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who support them, providing community for both newcomers and the co-founders themselves. More than half of the organization's musicians live with mental health diagnoses, while the remainder embrace the opportunity to practice music in a “stigma-free zone” while learning about life with mental illness. 

Aside from sharing the group’s origin story, Whiddon let the musicians speak for themselves through skilled renditions of much-loved classical pieces. The keynote became truly immersive when Whiddon quipped, quite seriously, “When we meet new members of our family, we like to have them conduct,” and invited Psych Congress Co-Chair Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, up to direct the orchestra for the next movement. Mid-crescendo during his conductorial debut, Dr Jain exclaimed “Oh, this is fun!” whilst beaming from ear to ear as he brought his famous personal flair to the stage. 

Braunstein could not be upstaged, though, and throughout the session conducted the string orchestra with a precision and urgency that attested to not only his passion for classical music, but also his belief in the skill and validity of his orchestral members regardless of the mental health challenges they faced in their lives. One could almost sense the smile inherent in his deliberately jerky movements, as well as the comradery present onstage that Me2/ strives to foster in its 3 orchestras across the country. 

Following the orchestra’s final movement performance, which was met with a standing ovation from the audience, Dr Jain closed out the keynote by observing that many of the mental health care professionals in attendance “understand the challenges that people face to not only continue their craft, but also to publicly come out” and share their art with others.  

The Eric C. Arauz Memorial Keynote Address honors its namesake, Eric C. Arauz, who served as a Psych Congress Steering Committee member from 2014 to 2018. “Remember that Eric was a valiant fighter,” Dr Jain said.

To learn more about Me2/'s non-profit mission, you can learn more on their website: https://me2music.org/.