2024 Annual Panel - Between the Notes: Exploring Identities as Artists
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Our very first annual panel discussion, “Between the Notes: Exploring Identities as Artists,” delved into the multifaceted career path as musicians and the diverse identities that shape the art and artists within it. We brought together a panel of distinguished musicians and mental health professionals to explore the profound connections between classical musicians and their identities, celebrating the rich tapestry of experiences that inspire their craft, accompanied by a commissioned work that represents the heart of our theme.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 2024
TIME: 2:00 - 4:00pm EST
LOCATIONS: New World Center (500 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139) + livestream link forthcoming!
FEATURING:
Alexandria Hoffman, host
Grace Ann Lee, composer
Musicians from the New World Symphony
Melissa Ngan, panelist
LaRob K. Rafael, panelist
Marte Siebenhar, panelist
Rosa Andrews, panelist
The panel discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A, with mingling to close out the event.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Annual Panel: Creating Institutional Change
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During our 2022 Annual Panel, we explored two significant topics related to mental health and classical music: institutional change and creating support. Hosted by Executive Director Alex Hoffman, this discussion featured a roster of incredible panelists, including:
Carl Evans, CEO, Hope For Us Network
Braizahn Jones, Assistant Principal Bass, Oregon Symphony
Mallory Thompson, Director of Bands, Northwestern University
Elizabeth Rowe, Principal Flute, Boston Symphony Orchestra
We kicked this event off with a New World Symphony / Sound Mind co-commission by composer Marcus Norris, Out for Blood. Check it out on our YouTube channel here!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Q: What are some steps that you have taken to find joy and fulfillment in what you do?
A: Have a hero. - Braizahn Jones
Q: How has your career or your life been affected by mental health?
A: We have to find the balance between striving for excellence and caring for ourselves, and help ourselves understand that caring for ourselves helps us get there. - Elizabeth Rowe
Q: What are some concrete changes you’d like to see regarding the impact of institutions on mental health?
A: Getting everyone to validate that mental health is real, and recognize signs and symptoms as early as possible. - Carl Evans
Q: How responsible are faculty members for their students’ wellbeing?
A: We are not qualified to be therapists. We are responsible for creating a healthy environment and modeling helpful behaviors in a career. Everyone needs boundaries - the students and the faculty members. - Mallory Thompson
Social Hour: Creativity and Inspiration
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Hosted by Dan Monte, this Social Hour offered an open forum discussing the nature of creativity and inspiration. Participants were given a space to discuss how to get in touch with their creative sides, exploring new ways to draw creativity out of their innermost selves.
DISCUSSION QUESTION HIGHLIGHTS
Can you be productive as an artist during the absence of creativity?
How does creativity, if at all, contribute to your mental wellness?
If you are not feeling creative, is there something you can do to put yourself in a creative headspace?
In what ways does inspiration pay off?
Social Hour: Identity, Reframing Failure, & Redefining Success
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Our identity is who we are, the way we think about ourselves, the way we’re viewed by the world, and the characteristics that define us. Hosted by Erika Gray, this Social Hour explored how classical musicians perceive identity, offering strategies to process failure and success in healthy ways.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
We can easily attach ourselves entirely to our identity as a flutist, tubist, etc. After experiencing a failure (not advancing at an audition, not getting into a certain school, not playing well in a rehearsal), this might look like:
Should I quit?
Am I really cut out for this?
So-and-so is much further ahead of me in their career, why am I not where they’re at?
What if I never “make it”?
By attaching ourselves entirely to our identity as a musician, we miss out on an opportunity to hold space for ourselves. By reframing failure and redefining success, we can find ways to find meaning in other parts of our identities
Social Hour: Coping Skills
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Hosted by Dan Monte, this Social Hour explored coping methods, encouraging participants to recount past coping behaviors and investigate new coping strategies.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The process of coping can help us feel better physically and mentally. It can help create space between us and the things that are causing us uncomfortable feelings.
Hundreds of coping strategies have been identified. Time to find the ones that work for us! Here are some of our favorites:
Journaling
Intentional breathing
Meditation
Volunteering
Engaging in spiritual practices
Social Hour: Holding Space
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What is holding space? How can we hold space for others while continuing to care for ourselves?
These are two key questions that framed this Social Hour, hosted by Executive Director Alex Hoffman.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Holding space allows us to better express ourselves by giving us the tools we need to be mentally well and create a healthy balance between work and life.
In a profession where we put our whole selves on the line in every performance, being able to separate ourselves from our career is essential!
Roundtable: Generating Compassion for your Inner Musician
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With school and work back in full swing, this Roundtable gave participants the space to check in with their creative psyches. Dan Monte led this discussion, offering strategies to hold space for the artist within ourselves.
KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do we spend energy in pushing ourselves to perform better?
How can we stay disciplined and competitive while finding space to nourish ourselves as both artists and humans?
Roundtable: Falling Back into Rhythm
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Sound Mind kicked off the first roundtable of the 21-22 season with an exploration of back to school routines, habits, and preparedness. Hosted by Dan Monte, this Roundtable offered ways to take charge of our mental health as the busy and often overwhelming beginning of the school year started.
KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do we spend energy in pushing ourselves to perform better?
How can we stay disciplined and competitive while finding space to nourish ourselves as both artists and humans?
Annual Panel: Mental Health
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Thanks to a project grant from the Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sound Mind hosted a roundtable on classical music and mental health! Host Alexandria Hoffman, the Sound Mind team, and the below lineup of panelists explored the current classical music environment, what it means to hold space, and how institutions can help cultivate a healthier classical music culture.
Ken-David Masur, Music Director, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Emma Gerstein, Second Flute, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Noa Kageyama, Creator, Bulletproof Musician
Melissa Ngan, Founder, Fifth House Ensemble
Larry Rachleff, Walter Kris Hubert Professor of Orchestral Conducting and Music Director of the Shepherd School Symphony and Chamber Orchestras (former)
Carl Evans, CEO, Hope For Us Network
The evening included the world premiere of Anxiety Cycles by Matthew Pellegrino (a Sound Mind and Civic Orchestra of Chicago co-commission). Check it out on our YouTube channel here!
KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What specifically would holding space look like in your ensemble/studio/place of work?
How can musical organizations (orchestras, conservatories, etc.) do a better job of supporting the health and wellness of their musicians?
How can we as individuals do a better job of supporting the health and wellness of ourselves and our colleagues?
What considerations for mental health do/should musical organizations take into account when making decisions that affect musicians?
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Classical Music
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The effort toward representation and justice for musicians of all races, ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities can have a serious impact on mental health. During this coffeetable, we aimed to create a space to share individual experiences, discussing strategies to achieve a more universal sense of belonging.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Boundaries - Work/Life Balance
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Boundaries are complicated, but they’re essential to our well-being. During this coffeetable, we explored the art of setting boundaries and offered strategies to practice them.
BOOK SUGGESTION
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Therapy & Medication
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Participants shared their experiences with therapy and medication during this coffeetable, discussing what they’ve learned and what they’ve found works best for them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to therapy and/or medication. It’s easier said than done not to compare ourselves to others, but this is a necessary stop in finding what works best for YOU.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Identity
KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is identity?
How has your identity developed and changed during the pandemic?
Has COVID-19 caused you to question, reflect on, or shift your identity in any way?
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: The Competitive Mindset
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During the culminating coffeetable of 2020, we explored “the competitive mindset.” There are so many different thoughts that surround preparation for auditions and competitions, and we learned a lot from one another about navigating them!
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Game Night Edition!
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This was a Classical Musicians' Coffeetable with a twist! We played fun Jackbox games via Zoom and celebrated a successful Giving Tuesday.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: COVID-19 & the Holidays
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As Covid-19 surged across the nation during the holiday season, the music world looked extremely different without the slew of gigs and live performances. This coffeetable gave participants an opportunity to talk about how to get through this difficult time.
KEY TAKEAWAY
It’s okay to step away from your passions or even change your career - rest and reflection are important parts of the process.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Imposter Syndrome
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Doubting our abilities, discrediting our successes….sound familiar? Imposter syndrome impacts more of us than we may realize.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Nurture that inner critic by practicing self-compassion. Try talking to yourself as you would a good friend or family member.
Mistakes are a natural part of the process; they’re how we grow as musicians and as people. And, everyone makes them!
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Injury & Taking Time Off
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We explored experiences with playing injuries, taking time off, and how our brain health can sometimes affect our playing health.
KEY TAKEAWAY
It’s equally important to rest as it is to practice. If you feel strained, whether mentally or physically, the most helpful thing to do is step away.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable: Non-Musical Pursuits & Redefining Success
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During this coffeetable, we talked about non-musical professions, redefining success, and other non-musical pursuits during COVID.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable
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At this open roundtable, we discussed our relationships with practicing.
KEY TAKEAWAY
This relationship impacts our mental health, our happiness, and our overall relationship with music.
Classical Musicians' Coffeetable
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Our first ever Classical Musicians' Coffeetable created a safe space for participants to discuss life as a musician during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Classical Musicians' Zoom Table: Mental Illness in Music Schools
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In the spirit of continuing the conversation surrounding mental health in classical music, we hosted an open Zoom forum to discuss the problems contributing to the stigmatization of mental illness in the artistic community and potential solutions.
KEY DISCUSSION GOALS
Create a safe space for people to share their suggestions, questions, and experiences
Develop a list of questions for mental health professionals
Identify specific problems that contribute to toxic environments in music schools and the habits, behaviors, and policies that perpetuate them
Develop a list of actionable solutions to improve the mental health of our community