“As the Chair of the New Hampshire Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Council, I am always looking for ways to share stories about people who live successfully with serious and persistent mental illness. Organizing a virtual screening of ORCHESTRATING CHANGE not only helped me achieve that goal, but the documentary also helped to destigmatize SPMI and showcase the happiness those living with SPMI can achieve. As the mother of a son with schizoaffective disorder, I am beyond thankful for the hopeful message this movie provides.”

Dellie Champagne, Chair, PAIMI
 

"To the performers in the Me2/Orchestra, Mr. Braunstein is much more than a conductor. He's a friend and a mentor, as well as a living example of what can happen when a person with mental illness is accepted unconditionally and treated with dignity and respect."
Jane E. Brody, Personal Health Columnist, The New York Times

"The film...paints the portrait of an ensemble that functions as much as surrogate family as an orchestra...The ensemble's importance transcends questions about whether particular performance standards are met."
David Weininger, The Boston Globe

"Terrific...A moving and richly informative film...ORCHESTRATING CHANGE provides a gentle, sober, and realistic look at the ways that mental illness shapes lives, and the ways that music can provide a community and a chance to build something beautiful together."
Joseph Straus, Professor of Music Theory, The Graduate Center, CUNY

"ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is a passionate documentary overflowing with neurodivergent joy, struggle, integrity, and hope. Rather than rely on clichéd narratives of music as panacea, this nuanced film destigmatizes mental illness and amplifies humanity in all of its chromatic wonder. To hear these radiant musicians perform together is to hear the sounds of empathy, love, and social justice at play."
William Cheng, Chair and Associate Professor of Music, Dartmouth College, Co-editor, Music and Social Justice Series

"ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is honest about the cycles of wellness and disability that come with mental illness. The Me2/Orchestra does not cure its participants, or allow them to overcome, per se. It provides a space for making music where its musicians can be more fully themselves. I look forward to teaching this film in my classes on Universal Design, inclusion, and disability justice."
Jennifer Iverson, Associate Professor of Music and the Humanities, University of Chicago

"Inspiring...With empathy, honesty, and humor, ORCHESTRATING CHANGE follows the fascinating story of Me2/Orchestra."
Robin L. Flanigan, BpHope Magazine

"Riveting...A powerful story."
Brett Campbell, Oregon Artswatch

"The Me/2 musicians shared their stories in such a powerful way. The film is a wonderful tool to raise awareness and fight stigma. Highly recommended!"
Wendy Giebink, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) South Dakota

"This film has it all, an authentic look into what it means to live with mental illness, the vital importance of community, meaningful work and interactions, and the exceptional potential that exists in each of us. I recommend this film to anyone who seeks a series of beautiful stories with an outstanding ending; leaving us wanting know what happens next!"
Jill Wiedermann-West, CEO, People Incorporated, Mental Health Services

"Ronald Braunstein's vision of creating an ensemble for people learning to live creatively with their mental health, playing music alongside those who work with them, is captured clearly and presented inspiringly. Music is such a powerful art form, and is here employed for positive change in those who participate in its making as well as those who listen. We are challenged in this film to change our minds in order to change our world, viewing one another with insight and deeper compassion."
Delta David Grier, Music Director, South Dakota Symphony

"Margie and Barbara made a profoundly resonant connection with Ronald Braunstein, the gifted conductor whose career trajectory was disrupted by his bipolar disorder. This film is a beautifully told, heartwarming story that gives us all hope, at the deepest human level, for our future as a loving, connected species."
Jamie Bernstein, Author, Daughter of Leonard Bernstein

"The idea and its execution has been so successful that there are Me2/orchestras popping up in the United States and elsewhere...ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is as inspiring and endearing as a film can be."
Don Schwartz, cineSOURCE

"Facing the stigma around mental health requires all of us to reconceptualize illness, independence, and even our lives. ORCHESTRATING CHANGE does that brilliantly through narratives of those most affected, brief animations, and performance."
Aubry Threlkeld, Associate Dean of Education, Endicott College

"The story of Ronald Braunstein and the Me2 Orchestra disrupts the stereotypes and stigma surrounding mental illness. ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is an invitation to witness the transformative power of music, and it creates an important opening for further dialogue about the meaning of art, community, friendship, and solidarity. The film offers profound lessons for students and educators in all disciplines and professions, as it speaks to what makes us flourish as human beings, and how we can share our lives with others."
Licia Carlson, Professor of Philosophy, Providence College, violinist in Longwood Symphony Orchestra

"There are some things in life that you just can't fake. Making great music and true compassion are at the core of this extraordinary film. Mental illness is no longer remote; mental health is not merely an aspiration. ORCHESTRATING CHANGE is a signpost for love, talent, and the gift of making a community."
Sean Astin, Actor, Director, Mental Health Advocate