Orchestrating Change

Me2 / Orchestra is the only orchestra in the world created by and for people living with mental illness and those who support them. Once Music Director Ronald Braunstein's diagnosis of bipolar disorder was made public, his acclaimed international conducting career came to an end. He dreamed of creating an orchestra for people "like me." In 2011, Braunstein and his wife, orchestra executive director Caroline Whiddon, founded Me2 / Orchestra, Inc. The mission of the Me2 / Orchestra is to erase mental health stigma one exhilarating performance at a time. While preparing for a major concert at the beautiful Art Deco Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, VT, these extraordinary musicians reveal what it is like to live with a mental illness -- the triumphs and the devastating setbacks -- and how the orchestra is changing their lives in ways they never imagined.