Jul 22, 2026 · 37 min · 11 segments
In this episode, David talks with **Caroline Whiddon**, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Me2, a classical music organization created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who…
Caroline WhiddonGuest
David TaylorHost
Hello and welcome to the Classical Next podcast, the global platform for the ideas and the people redefining classical and art music worldwide.
Today, I'm talking with Caroline Whidden, the executive director and co-founder of Me Too, a classical music organisation created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who support them.
The organisation started in Vermont in 2011 and has grown to include orchestras, choruses and even a flute choir located in three New England states.
The unique nature of MeToo's work has garnered attention from the NBC Today show, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, as well as numerous newspapers, including the Boston Globe and the New York Times.
A feature-length documentary about MeToo's work titled Orchestrating Change was broadcast on PBS stations across the US in the fall of 2020, and you can find a link to this in the show notes.
In this conversation, we dive into how classical music can serve as a vehicle for social change and a sanctuary for mental health.
We look at how removing audition and fees creates an inclusive stigma-free environment and why leading with love can transform orchestra management.
We also explore the practical accommodations that help musicians thrive, the power of community-making as part of mental health treatments, and how civic partnerships offer a new future for arts organisations.
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Hello and welcome to the Classical Next podcast, the global platform for the ideas and the people redefining classical and art music worldwide.
Today, I'm talking with Caroline Whidden, the executive director and co-founder of Me Too, a classical music organisation created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who support them.
The organisation started in Vermont in 2011 and has grown to include orchestras, choruses and even a flute choir located in three New England states.
The unique nature of MeToo's work has garnered attention from the NBC Today show, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, as well as numerous newspapers, including the Boston Globe and the New York Times.
A feature-length documentary about MeToo's work titled Orchestrating Change was broadcast on PBS stations across the US in the fall of 2020, and you can find a link to this in the show notes.
In this conversation, we dive into how classical music can serve as a vehicle for social change and a sanctuary for mental health.
We look at how removing audition and fees creates an inclusive stigma-free environment and why leading with love can transform orchestra management.
We also explore the practical accommodations that help musicians thrive, the power of community-making as part of mental health treatments, and how civic partnerships offer a new future for arts organisations.