Caroline Whiddon on breaking the mental health stigma in the orchestral world

In this episode, David talks with Caroline Whiddon, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Me2, a classical music organization created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who support them.

The organization started in Vermont, USA in 2011 and has grown to include orchestras, choruses, and a flute choir located in three New England states.

The unique nature of Me2’s work has garnered attention from the NBC Today Show, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, as well as numerous newspapers including the Boston Globe and the New York Times. A feature-length documentary about Me2’s work titled “Orchestrating Change” was broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S. in the fall of 2020, and you can find a link to this in the show notes.

In this conversation, we dive into how classical music can serve as a vehicle for social change and a sanctuary for mental health. We look at how removing auditions and fees creates an inclusive, stigma-free environment, and why leading with love can transform orchestra management. We also explore the practical accommodations that help musicians thrive, the power of community music-making as part of mental health treatment, and how civic partnerships offer a new future for arts organizations.

Show notes:

Me2 - https://me2music.org/

“Orchestrating Change” - https://orchestratingchangethefilm.com/

Join us in Katowice, Poland for Classical:NEXT 2027 from the 11th to the 14th of May: www.classicalnext.com

The Classical:NEXT Podcast:

Hosted by David Taylor

Produced by Aliena Haig

Learn more: classicalnext.com/update/introducing-the-classicalnext-podcast

www.classicalnext.com

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(24)

Nathan James Dearden on treating composers like startups and building sustainable careers

In this episode, David talks with composer and conductor Nathan James Dearden.Nathan is a Welsh composer whose music is shaped by its function: music written for particular people, places and purposes...

4 Nov 38min

Hanni Liang on reimagining classical concert formats and taking creative risks

In this episode, David talks with pianist, concert creator, and lecturer Hanni Liang.Hanni has broken free of the traditional classical music career and forged a path for herself. In her new concert f...

28 Okt 35min

Amandine Richardot, CEO of Newzik, on the future of digital sheet music for orchestras and musicians

In this episode, David talks with Amandine Richardot, CEO of the digital sheet music app Newzik.Newzik is not just a pdf reader for digital sheet music. It is an interactive and collaborative app for ...

21 Okt 32min

Anthony Roth Costanzo on why classical music must embrace the risk of failure

In this episode, David talks with Grammy-winning countertenor and General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia Anthony Roth Costanzo.Described as “One of the world’s most important singers” by t...

14 Okt 32min

David Önaç on using classical music to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade

In this episode, David talks with award-winning contemporary composer, pianist, musical director and educator David Önaç.This conversation is ahead of the world premier of his Atlantic Requiem with th...

7 Okt 42min

Zubin Kanga on using artificial intelligence in music performance

In this episode, David talks with pianist, composer, and technologist Zubin Kanga.Zubin is at the forefront of music technology. Since 2021, he has been the Director and Research Lead of Cyborg Solois...

30 Sep 39min

Martin Cullingford on the power of the album in the digital age

In this episode, David talks with Martin Cullingford, Editor and Publisher of Gramophone Magazine.Martin holds a unique place in the industry. In his role, he listens to countless recordings each year...

23 Sep 43min

Leah Broad on why progress for women in classical music is not linear

In this episode, David talks with Leah Broad, a multi-award-winning writer, historian, and public speaker whose work focuses on twentieth-century cultural history, especially women in the arts.Leah is...

16 Sep 46min