Deep Roots donation benefits the Mental Health Foundation
The Deep Roots Music Festival presented a $2,000 donation to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia recently.
The contribution rounds off a 2019 festival focus on mental health. Foundation representative Kate Udle said the funds will be used for programs like music therapy.
The 16th edition of the festival, which took place last September, had a strong emphasis on the role that music plays in mental health and well-being with a series of workshops, talks, and films that address the subject.
Volunteer Jim Murphy said the focus on music and well-being this past year was, “because while live music improves the quality and quantity of life for audiences, making live music and the work and lifestyle associated with that is really hard on musicians.”
Sharing stories, like those of Catherine MacLellan and Elsie Morden, Murphy said festival organizers hope they started a conversation that could lead to better circumstances for the musicians who give others a boost with their talents.
The event began with a documentary screening of The Song and the Sorrow that captures the tale of MacLellan’s father and legendary Canadian songwriter, Gene MacLellan, and the challenges he faced with mental illness.
The film illustrated her journey to embrace his musical legacy, and break the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness. MacLellan also performed.
Deep Roots also presented an exclusive music and well-being concert in several Annapolis
Valley schools, featuring Morden, a former Valley resident. Currently a Halifax resident, she is recipient of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia Outstanding Individual Award.
A five-songwriter roundtable tackled the theme of ‘Music as Medicine, Songs that Heal.’ Acadia University music therapy graduates Sarah McInnis and Rebecca Fairless were joined by two current Acadia students from that program, lead some singing and explained what benefits music and singing can bring.
The Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, according to Udle, was honoured to be the beneficiary of the poignant and incredibly important artistic festival endeavours.