When you think of the emotional effects of a recession, you probably think of insecurity, depression, and a worthlessness that can even lead to risk of suicide. But you don’t expect to hear that for some, the current recession has been their ticket to joy and meaning. The venue for this joy? Music. The Rockland Conservatory of Music has seen expansion in the face of the recession: “We have expanded programs in order to include members of the community we might not have engaged before,” Marigene Kettler, Executive Director of the Rockland Conservatory of Music, told me on Friday. The recently unemployed, she said, “now have time to pursue something they really want…something in life that lasts. People are looking to invest in something that actually has a long term investment…something that really gives them joy.”
This article will discuss the ventures the Rockland Conservatory of Music has undertaken to make music more affordable. It will discuss their broad range of clientele and will include quotes from interviews with staff, adults and children participating and benefiting from the music they have to offer.
http://www.samhsa.gov/economy/ This link provides an interesting contrast; it is the government’s “advice on how to deal with the effects financial difficulties can have on your physical and mental health.”