Tigers game July 2010

Monday, November 16, 2009

Pure Inspiration

Sometime earlier this year, I read the book, The Soloist. Since my reading it, it has been made into a movie and gotten quite good reviews. As of right now, I have not seen it but desperately want to.

Anyway, the book is the true life story of the relationship between Steve Lopez, LA Times columnist and Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a schizphrenic homeless man in LA. Steve happens upon Nathaniel playing his 2 stringed cello in the presence of a statue of Beethoven in LA. It is a book of tears, joy, music and friendship.

This weekend, I was in San Diego for the national music therapy conference. During the opening session, we were surprised with a performance by Nathaniel, along with one of our fabulous colleagues, Al Bumanis. I have never in my life heard such beauty and joy in music, improvised music. Nathaniel played the cello and the trumpet and it was over far too soon. I was so disappointed to not have my camera with me and I knew I was too far away to use my phone camera. So, I was content to sit and listen and wipe away my tears. I could not get over the timing of this man appearing within a week or two of my poignant discussion on homelessness with the prisoners at work.

On Friday morning, I went to a roundtable to discuss the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation. Steve, Nathaniel's sister Jennifer and Ted, the Executive Director of the foundation were on the panel. What an amazing group of people and words could not describe how I felt when listening to the work they are doing with artistically gifted mentally ill clients. Toward the end, Nathaniel came and played for us again. Many people left when the session was over but several of us were so drawn to this man and his gift that we had to stay to listen to his music. Christine Stevens, a renowned and gifted MT, began improvising with him on the piano. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, Nathaniel played the piano, cello and trumpet, once again improvising as only he knows how to do. I could not believe the beauty of his music and the expressions on his face as he did what he loved so much. When it seemed our time had to end, Nathaniel stood up and said "This is what I was born for. These few notes." WOW! Later on in the day, I had a chance to talk to Jennifer and thank her for coming to share their story with us. She kept saying over and over that she was so grateful to have this opportunity to see her brother "happy and having a great time". I can only imagine.

I feel that words will never come close to describing what I witnessed in this man but I had to process it somehow. To share this with my good friend, Shannon, only made it more memorable. I think it took me these last few days to get around to blogging about it because I just wanted to keep it to myself on some level. Just to reflect and remember the man who has somehow, in some small way, changed my life.

As Shannon and I sat out in the sunshine talking about what we had witnessed, I described it as pure joy and beauty. She said it was pure inspiration. I think we're both right.

It should be mentioned that the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation is doing amazing work, helping the artistically gifted mentally ill and trying desperately to stamp out the stigma of mental illness. They have a website and I encourage anyone and everyone to check it out and support this amazing group of people. I know I have and will continue to do so.

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