New Audience Symposium #6: “We are all listeners.”

What happens when a concert enters a psychiatric ward? And what can live music offer that everyday clinical activities cannot?

These questions were at the heart of Musethica’s sixth New Audience Symposium, which brought together 21 international participants for a digital discussion on “The Psychiatric Ward as a Concert Hall.”

One of the key topics was what happens after the music stops. Ivan Nenchev, Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at St. Hedwig Hospital Berlin, observed that patients often show increased interest in music therapy following Musethica concerts. The concerts can open up new topics and encourage patients to talk about their experiences in subsequent therapy sessions. Katarzyna Fąk, Head of the Clinic for Mental Health in Warsaw, similarly described patients as becoming more open and willing to discuss the concert. She also pointed to an interesting tension: while a concert can be stressful, it can also give patients an opportunity to experience and deal with stress in a different setting. This raised the question of whether concerts could have an even greater impact if they took place regularly, for example every three to six months.

“We are all listeners”

The group also explored whether a concert can change the usual roles within a clinical environment. While professional hierarchies do not simply disappear – particularly when working with children and young people – the concert can create a moment of shared experience.

As Ivan put it: “We are all listeners.” Rather than listening as a psychiatrist or as a patient, everyone becomes part of the same musical situation. He also highlighted the difference between taking patients to a concert elsewhere and bringing the concert into the clinic: “with Musethica, the music is coming to us.” The familiar environment can therefore become part of what makes the encounter special.
This connects to a theme that has emerged in previous New Audience Symposia: space matters. Where a concert takes place can influence how people experience it, how they interact, and how easily established roles can shift.

More than just listening

The live aspect of the concerts was another important point. Young people may listen to music every day through platforms such as YouTube, but experiencing musicians performing live can be something entirely different. Even as audience members, they become active participants in the situation.

Music can also interrupt the routine of clinical life. It brings beauty, creates a particular atmosphere, and can offer a moment of connection – both with oneself and with others. As music therapist Ludwig Both noted, listening together can help create trust.

The symposium also brought in the musicians’ perspective. Musethica tutor Erica Wise described performing in institutions as a gift for the musicians, while Ivan Nenchev highlighted the courage it can take to enter these spaces.