RIOPY, a chart-topping pianist-composer who found solace in music during a traumatic childhood, has been commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation to create a new piano piece called Meditation 111 for Mental Health Awareness Week (15-21 May).
The piece is meant to be simple enough for anyone to play, regardless of musical ability, and is designed to help people soothe anxiety. RIOPY, a self-taught pianist who suffered from anxiety, depression and OCD, discovered the piano during his childhood and has been using music to cope with his mental health issues ever since. His latest composition, Meditation 111, is a repetitive and easy-to-play piece that aims to inspire a meditative state in the performer.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, RIOPY and the Mental Health Foundation will encourage people to participate in music-making and creative expression, both of which have been shown to have mental health benefits. The campaign invites people to join in via social media, either from pianos at home or public pianos in schools, churches, malls, and train stations.
RIOPY said of the commission: “It is an honour to partner with the Mental Health Foundation for Mental Health Awareness Week this year. As someone who has struggled with poor mental health for most of my life, music has been a great source of solace and calm. It is not an exaggeration to say that the piano saved my life. I hope that, by sharing this piece with the world, I can bring the restorative power of music to others who are also suffering.”
The aim is to learn the piece by the end of the week with the help of tutorial videos, lessons, and tips from RIOPY himself. Participants are also invited to reinterpret and improvise over the work and share their creations on social media using the hashtags #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and #ToHelpMyAnxiety, and tagging @riopymusic and @mentalhealthfoundation.
Meditation 111, which is available for free download along with video tutorials and sheet music, is part of the Mental Health Foundation’s efforts to help people tackle their anxiety by engaging in music-making and creative expression. Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, highlighted the importance of music in mental health, saying that “the arts, including music, can be good for our mental health. It offers people the opportunity to explore their feelings and emotions creatively and can have a powerful and lasting effect on a person’s health. It can help to protect against a range of mental health conditions, help us to manage ill health and support recovery.”
Music video, tutorials and sheet music are available at https://www.riopymusic.com/pages/111
