Personal tools
You are here: Home Knowledge Base Arts Mad Music Psychiatric Survivor Musician Works on Album
Look inside...
 

Psychiatric Survivor Musician Works on Album

— filed under:

Vara Adams is a psychiatric survivor musician who is working on an album of songs that challenge the current mental health system. She has three of the six songs recorded so far. We've been enjoying these first three at the MindFreedom office! Go Vara!

Psychiatric Survivor Musician Works on Album

Vara Adams has recorded three of six songs for her music album challenging the psychiatric system.


16 December 2007


VANAHEIM GROUP PRESS RELEASE


On 1 December 2007, Vara Adams released her first album, "No Means Yes." Already the album has received a warm welcome, with people calling it "jarring," "superb," "powerful" and "timely."

Vara had this to say about the album:

'I decided that it was time to tell the world how I feel about the system that labelled, drugged and shocked me. I know the songs are raw, but they very clearly express the way I view psychiatric treatment as a whole. It makes me angry that people labeled as mentally ill immediately become nameless and are subjected to coercion and abuse. I have survived that label, and I won't be nameless anymore.'


Three songs -- "Nameless", "Panacea" and "Trees" -- were funded by Vanaheim Group, but the next three remain unrecorded due to a lack of money. Although incomplete, Vara wants to get the album out there in the hope that those still in the psychiatric system might have a voice, and that those outside will be inspired to try and change it.

Vara's album can be downloaded at: http://www.varaadams.com.

- end of news release -

David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom International adds:

"We at the MindFreedom office downloaded and paid for the first three songs and we really enjoyed them. It's great hearing a combination of skilled artistic creativity and clarity about massive change in the mental health system. We look forward to this album's full release!"


Related content
Document Actions

We are MFI



Lauren Tenney, psychiatric survivor activist from New York State

First involuntarily institutionalized, at 15, Lauren Tenney is a survivor of psychiatry. She has been involved with the user and survivor movement since 1992. Her goal is to help stop forced psychiatric procedures, detainment, and confinement, human rights violations, psychiatric abuse and torture. Of particular concern are the elimination of forced electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) on people of all ages, but particularly children and senior citizens, forced drugging, restraints, seclusion, behavioral interventions, and coercion of any kind. Lauren, a Mad-Activist/ Artist/ Author/ Academic/ Adjunct Professor is coordinating The Opal Project, an outcome of participatory action research she coordinated for field research in the PhD program in Environmental Psychology at the Graduate Center, CUNY. Her dissertation topic is: "The Institutionalized "Community." She became involved with WE THE PEOPLE when the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights and MindFreedom International needed someone on the ground in Brooklyn, New York to coordinate a response where Esmin Green was murdered-by-neglect. She now lives in Albany, NY with her service dog-in-training and cat. For more info: www.TheOpalProject.org and www.etrash.tv

E-alerts

Facebook Like Box