Talks, musical lectures and presentations
I share my experiences with mental “illness” and the importance of music in my life.
I adapt the content to the occasion
My talks are adapted to the occasion. In churches and parishes I will discuss my experiences about my relationship with God. In high schools, elementary schools, music academies and music schools the focus could be diagnosis culture & society. In psychiatry my experiences with this and its treatment.
My music with accompanying story
At the musical lecture, I will play a selection of my best compositions, supplemented by stories about my experiences with personal crisis, spiritual development, and the vagaries and challenges of life.
The importance of music in my life
I share my story of a life with a psychiatric diagnosis, for better or worse. Although my experiences have also been harsh, I tell them with seriousness, but also with lightness and irony.
My story is interesting, not only because I tie story and music together in a woven unity, but also because it relates to something human. I understand how to balance extreme experiences and everyday events in a way that takes myself as an example.
Schizophrenia – so what?
At the age of 28, I had a sudden and extensive psychosis. This turned my life upside down. I now became a victim of stigmatization from my surroundings, in addition to having to fight symptoms and the side effects of medication. But it also became the starting point for a long-term spiritual development, which I am still working on today. The art is to find your way and choose from the heart.
Art as an extra
Talks (lectures) are given by me (Kristian Marcussen, pianist). I may involve Mette Munch, who is a visual artist and has given a long series of lectures on The Art of Breaking Frames and Reflecting the Mind.