Mobile Music Program making the most of virtual programming

Since 2018 John Baker and Wes Grove, the co-founders of Mobile Arts Programming (MAP), have brought the magic of music production to patients at CAMH.

Before the pandemic, the pair would visit four to five units a week and set up a small mobile recording studio, so patients like Delroy can write and record music.

“I am here to be better. You could be in a bad mood and this could inspire your mood. Even if I am in a bad mood, I will make a tune out of it,” says Delroy.

“It inspires me and keeps me focused.”

MAP originally began as a weekly volunteer program; however, it became so popular with patients that Gifts of Light (GOL) started funding it in order to have John and Wes dedicate more time to patients and increase  the amount of sessions offered.

Since its inception more than 1,100 patients have participated in the weekly program, which explores various aspects of song writing as a way to expand creative capacity and healthy forms of self-expression in the genre of their choice. All skill levels are welcome and being technically proficient at music is not mandatory.

As John and Wes continued their mission to “provide music programming for folks who wouldn't otherwise have access to it,” patients steadily joined them every week.

But when the pandemic hit, it forced GOL to rethink the way client programming is offered. MAP, along with GOL programming, had to pivot from offering in-person programming to virtual programming. Overall, vendor programming has increased from 30 hours to 50 hours a week.  

“Some of the immediate benefits seen were patients sharing how happy they were to see a familiar face as many had built strong rapport with the vendors pre-pandemic. Additionally, we have been able to expand the reach of the programs to more units as we can share the virtual link with more than one unit,” says Janine Bakelaar, project coordinator with GOL.

“Through virtual programming CAMH patients can still connect with individuals outside of CAMH and participate in activities of interest that can help keep their minds engaged.”

But that transition “was a difficult time” John says. Both he and Wes worried the rapport built over the years and months would suffer. It’s an aspect of the program they enjoy as much as the patients do.

“When we go in into the space we don't have patient backgrounds. Yes, we’re aware of some triggers, but beyond that, we don't really know what or why they're there. And that's kind of cool, because we're just forming a relationship as we would be in real life,” explains Wes.

Once they found the right software, the music duo got into a groove. Sessions resumed and they’re now back to interacting with patients. They’ve even been able to reach new patients who weren’t able to participate in face-to-face workshops.

“In a time when everyone is encouraged to stay apart, the virtual programming with GOL vendors has provided an opportunity for patients and clinicians to still connect with community members. Our partnerships and relationships with our community vendors is such an important piece to connect patients with the community,” says Janine.

As things slowly begin to return to normal, MAP will have a new permanent space in the Tour de Bleu Therapeutic Neighbourhood in the McCain Complex Care & Recovery Building. This shift will allow MAP to reach even more patients.

“We’re so excited! It’s going to be a game changer once we have that physical space. It will feel and look like a real recording studio, which is amazing,” says Wes.

For Delroy, this is great news because these workshops give him some direction he says, but also teaches him respect and challenges him. He’s attended workshops for the past year and half and records mostly reggae music. He looks forward to when John and Wes stop by.

His clinician, Megan Duquette, says this workshop is “an outlet for him to express himself.”

“I think in terms of his recovery, just being able to go somewhere that's not with a clinician, like myself, and just having an opportunity to see somebody else that's there to help you express yourself is nice, and it just provides structure to the patient’s days. It’s something to look forward to,” says Megan.

Self-expression is the goal and John and Wes are happy to continue to offer a different way for patients to figure out what they’re feeling in a creative way.

“We’re really looking forward to continuing what we're doing for patients with an added bonus of the dedicated space,” says John.

“It’s been so rewarding. I feel lucky to be able to be able to be a part of something like this and watch it expand and allow for more creative outcomes for patients."