“We recover in order to help others recover”

Michelle Titian grew up with music.

Her dad, Reginald, a lifelong musician, owned Reggie’s Music & Sound in downtown Hamilton. She played piano and guitar. Music was always a key part of her life.

And for a long time, so was alcohol.

“I struggled with alcohol and depression for years, until I got to the point where I had to surrender to the truth that I had a problem,” Titian explains. “Through recovery, I’ve realized that my purpose here is to help others, and I’ve been able to do that through writing music.”

Titian will be performing in an upcoming concert at McMaster’s LIVELab on February 28, 2020 – but, as the LIVELab’s coordinator Sally Stafford points out, it’s a unique kind of concert: the evening will combine photography, art and science with Titian’s songs to create a multimedia exploration of addiction and mental health through the arts.

“With our ongoing research on music and health, we’re in a unique position to inspire others, to raise awareness and take part in the sharing of information, tools and support for mental health issues,” Stafford says.

During Titian’s performance, the LIVELab’s video wall will show selected lyrics from her songs, as well as photos by Sandra Antoniani, a Hamilton attorney whose series “Shifting Focus” highlights individual portraits of people recovering from addiction. McMaster concert will also feature a “Science Snapshot” talk by Candice Graydon, an addictions researcher from the University of Waterloo.

To bring the concert’s message to the wider student community, the LIVELAB has partnered with Artists at McMaster, an MSU club: student artists will display digital art created at an earlier workshop on the theme “What does mental health mean to you?” The group will also hold a pop-up event in MUSC on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to promote the concert, as well as highlight supports for students dealing with mental-health challenges. Titian will perform at MUSC that day from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“Many students struggle with their mental health and making art focusing on the theme of mental health can be a way to express their struggles in a way that others can relate to,” says Shekina Grace Remigo, one of the executive members of Artists at McMaster.

“By providing a platform to express their feelings and emotions, we hope this conveys a message that they are not alone and that there are resources available to help them through it.”

Titian points out that the most important thing for people struggling with addiction and mental health challenges is to reach out and ask for help – as difficult as that might seem.

“We recover in order to help others recover,” she says. “You’re not alone, and there are other people who have experienced the same thing who can help you. It’s OK to ask for help.”

For tickets to Michelle Titian’s concert, featuring photos by Sandra Antoniani and digital art by Artists at McMaster, go to the LIVELab’s website. To learn more about Michelle Titian’s work using the arts to remove the stigma from addiction and mental illness, go to https://drivefoundation.org/.