Philosophical dialogue on mental health, music features Juilliard artists

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
February 25, 2014

The artists from the Juilliard School will participate in a discussion, "How Music Can Help Us Explore Mental Health and Illness," as part of the Philosophy Dialogue Series 12:30 p.m. March 5 at Texas State University.

The event, hosted by the Department of Philosophy, will be held in room 230 of Fowlers Hall on campus. It is free and open to the public.

The philosophical dialogue event will focus on creative processes, the everyday life of advanced artists, the importance of music in maintaining mental health, as well as the arts and their relationships to mental illness. Discussions will also center around arts and the broad spectrum of emotions, the triumph of the human spirit as well as its struggles.

The philosophical dialogue will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. concert Thursday, March 6 in Evans Auditorium with Metropolitan Opera singer Susanna Phillips, Met Orchestra cellist Julia Bruskin, Juilliard faculty pianist Aaron Wunsch, Broadway actor Creed Garnick, TED speaker and flutist Emi Ferguson, well-known violinist Yo-yo Fann, and other Juilliard faculty, alumni and students. Two compositions by Wayne Oquin will also be performed.

"The Department of Philosophy was instrumental in establishing the ongoing collaboration 'Juilliard Joins Texas State,' of which we are hosting the seventh iteration," said Vincent Luizzi, chair of the Department of Philosophy. "We are happy to bring our collaboration to the next level and host an event in our successful Philosophy Dialogue Series."

Jeffrey Gordon, professor of philosophy, and Wayne Oquin, Texas State Distinguished Alumnus and Juilliard professor, initially established the Juilliard Joins Texas State collaboration in Spring 2006.

"Wayne was one of my students in the late 1990s," said Gordon. "Although he was a music major, he took many philosophy courses and eventually graduated with a minor in philosophy. We kept in touch over the years, and I was happy to play a role in bringing outstanding inter-arts events to Texas State and our Central Texas community."

The Juilliard Joins Texas State initiative is co-sponsored this year by Wells Fargo, the Common Experience, Texas State Student Service Fees, the Department of Philosophy and the School of Music.

For more information on the Philosophical Dialogue event, contact at vluizzi@txstate.edu or (512) 245-2285.