Robert Gupta begins his presentation by telling a story that many are already aware of - that of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, the Julliard trained basset who's career was cut short due to a battle with schizophrenia, and who's story was portrayed on the big screen in the movie 'The Soloist'. Robert Gupta himself had a chance to meet Nathaniel at Walt Disney concert hall. Shortly after meeting him, he heard word that Nathaniel wanted a violin lesson with him.
Gupta describes the day in which Nathaniel and himself started their first lesson, and the way Nathaniel was acting that day in a way that allows you to visualize the event in your mind. On that day, Gupta describes Nathaniel as having a "manic, glint in his eyes, he was lost". All the while Nathaniel talked about "invisible demons, and smoke, and how someone was poisoning him in his sleep". Gupta admitted that he was scared, yet not for himself. He explained how he was more afraid that if he began speaking to Nathaniel about scales and arpeggios he might ruin Nathaniel's relationship with the violin due to this 'episode'. How do you overcome such an obstacle, during what is supposed to be a violin lesson? The wrong step could send Nathaniel into a raging episode that could cause him to disappear for days, as he was prone to do. Instead of saying a word, Gupta decided to simply pick up the violin and begin playing. Gupta described how as he played, he could see a change in Nathaniel's eyes, how the rage disappeared and transformed into "understanding, curiosity, and grace". Soon afterwards they began talking about music, both with extreme passion. Gupta explained how Nathaniel transformed, almost as if there was two different people in front of him. Nathaniel went from "the paranoid, disturbed man" that had originally stepped in front of him, to a "charming, brilliant Julliard musician".
Gupta's passion in telling his story inspires everyone to believe that music really is medicine. To many people music provides a busy mind with calm. He strives to deliver his message that music gives you an escape form your reality, that it is the reason we make music in the first place. The reality of the expression created is what moves everyone and inspires him or her. He ends his presentation by stating that Nathaniel reminds him why he became a musician in the first place. That escape from our problems is the 'sanity' to which Gupta refers too.
So can music really be mental medicine? After listening to Robert Gupta's passionate encounter with Nathaniel Ayers, I believe it truly can.
If you would like to see the presentation in it's entirety, here's the video:
