Living with mental health challenges can be hard to articulate. So a group of jazz musicians decided to convey the experience through music.
"Portrait of an Unquiet Mind" was created by Grammy award-winning Colorado artist, educator and producer, Mark Rabideau and Grammy-nominated drummer Joe Farnsworth.
Together, they recruited NYC-based composer Shelbie Rassler and a group of world-class musicians. The “Portrait” lineup includes Farnsworth on drums, Sean Jones on trumpet, Patrick Bartley on alto saxophone, Paul Cornish on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Sara Caswell on violin and strings.
"At its core, ‘Portrait of an Unquiet Mind’ is about building empathy,” Rassler said. “We hope to help audiences not just understand mental illness, but truly feel the emotional journey through music, and in doing so, normalize open conversations and break down the social barriers that too often surround mental health.”
“Portrait of an Unquiet Mind” was performed at Dazzle on Sunday, May 4, at CU Anschutz on Monday, May 5, and will be released as an album in early 2026.
Many of the artists involved have a close relationship with mental health disorders, especially bipolar disorder, Rassler said. She added that she was shocked to learn it takes most people 11 years to get help, between the onset of symptoms and a patient’s first treatment.
The concert, Rassler said, chronicles this gap in time.
“Through the last few months, I've been doing tons of research on what that time period looks like and what someone with bipolar disorder goes through during those, on average 11 years,” she said. “So we're literally feeling the emotions through the music from that very first symptom all the way to the sort of triumphant moment where there is a diagnosis and a treatment plan.”
In addition to live performances of the music, Rabideau is also working on a PBS documentary about music’s role in combating mental health stigma.
He's also creating lesson plans for middle and high school students to help them learn about music and mental health, and working on an art exhibition to be installed in The CU Denver Experience Gallery at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
Rabideau said “Portrait” aims to reduce suicide rates for people with bipolar disorder and decrease the impact on families of those supporting a loved one with bipolar.
Rassler agrees.
“I truly believe that if we can start nurturing empathy and emotional awareness in the next generation,” Rassler said, “that’s where the real, lasting change can begin."
Though "Portrait of an Unquiet Mind" isn't available to listeners quite yet, here are some previews of the work.
