FILE-Ronald Braunstein conducts the Me2 Orchestra at the University of Vermont Recital Hall during a rehearsal in September 2012. The orchestra is a group of musicians who have directly or indirectly experienced the impact of mental illness.
Emily McManamy – member, EMILY McMANAMY/Free Press
The Associated Press
BURLINGTON, Vermont, USA (AP) — A classical music organization started in Vermont for mentally ill musicians and their supporters is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a free performance in Boston on Sunday.
Me2/ is an orchestra of unauditioned musicians, half of whom are living with a diagnosed mental illness such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder, among others, the Burlington Free Press informed. He also marked his first 10 years with a free performance at the University of Vermont’s Recital Hall last week.
Music director Ronald Braunstein, who lives with bipolar disorder, and executive director Caroline Whiddon formed Me2/ in September 2011, months after Braunstein was fired by the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association.
“I decided that I no longer wanted to be susceptible to stigma and discrimination in my field,” Braunstein said in a statement. “At that point, I decided that the only people I wanted to work with were people like me, people who were living with mental illness and those who would support me even if I wasn’t having a good day.”
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