The cultural theme of the Federation for Mental Health is horse music. It is a great way to deal with painful issues. Erkka Korhonen, founder of the Heavy Christmas tour, was chosen as a spokesperson.
Finns are notoriously a bunch of hayseeds. According to a survey a couple of years ago, heavy or heavy rock is the favourite genre of one in three people.
Now metal music is being harnessed to the full for mental health work. This year’s cultural theme of the Mental Health Federation is horse music.
Listen to the podcast about a heavy Christmas:
– Fans in particular feel that listening to the music has a positive effect on their mood. Heavy music could, for example, reduce suicidal thoughts or act as a buffer against them. In horses, nothing that is present in human life escapes, Tuittu sums up.
Depression does not necessarily show on the surface
The title of Kulttuurikummi pesti is a matter of honor for Erkka Korhonen, known as a multi-tasker in heavy rock.
Korhonen hopes to be able to influence the fact that unnecessary shame and secrecy around the subject would disappear, and that everyone who needs help would dare and know how to ask for it.
Mental health problems have also touched him closely. One of the background characters of the Raskasta joulua working group committed suicide a few years ago.
According to Korhonen, all the other members of the relatively large collective had imagined the person in question living a perfect life. The whole community was shocked and saddened.
Even when it’s difficult, depression doesn’t always show up.
– In the case of the person in question, we all imagined that he has everything wonderful and the code of life solved. We did not believe that this was possible.
Mental health problems are by no means unusual in musician circles, Korhonen describes.
– Our group of performers also has people with depression or bipolar disorder. Especially at the point when the musical patterns become big, the crossfire of pressures is really intense. It is not necessarily good between the human ears.
You can’t always help others, but you can try, says Korhonen.
If the other person is completely inconsolable, it doesn’t necessarily help, no matter how you convince them that you are loved. During his godfather year, Korhonen plans to focus on the channels through which support can be found.
Talking is not for everyone
As important as talking is, conversation is not everyone’s first or even best means of self-expression or dealing with pain.
There aren’t always words for feeling bad. Then culture can help in many different ways. An already shared fan experience can banish loneliness and release pent-up energy.
Erkka Korhonen takes, for example, the community spirit of the Tuska festival, which is popular with the horse people.
– There are fewer disturbances there than at any other music event. It says that the horse at least does not feed aggressions, but diggailu together dissolves them. When there is a great concert, an insanely great, self-growing cycle of energy is created between the audience and the performers. There’s an awful lot of love in that.
The next step after listening to music is making it.
According to the mental health barometer, 95 percent of mental health rehabilitators think that culture is well suited to treating mental health problems. 60 percent of all Finns share this opinion.
Erkka Korhonen’s godfather duties include, among other things, guitar workshops organized for mental health rehabilitation patients and hope-themed riff showdown events open to everyone. Participants receive feedback from professionals.
– For many, the emotional state experienced through listening to music or identifying with the lyrics is enough. For others, it is necessary to be able to make this energetic music yourself, to generate it from your own experiences.
Guitar workshops can even give you the opportunity to perform for the public. For some rehabilitators, that can be the necessary restorative experience, Korhonen describes.
– I can say from experience that they are, at best, insanely energy-releasing experiences.
*Have you noticed the healing effect of metal music? You can discuss the matter on 15.2. until 11 p.m.*