♪♪ >> AT THE ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP, MAYBE PEOPLE ASK US WHAT A PLACE TO BE IS.

FOR BOTH OF US, IT'S A PLACE OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE AND WE USE MUSIC THERAPY AND EXPRESSIVE ARTS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIFE CHALLENGES AND STATES.

>> AND ONE OF THE -- AND DISABILITIES.

>> AND ONE IS THAT IT'S FULLY INTEGRATED AND I THINK THAT THE CONCEPT OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD HAS VALUE AND BECAUSE OF THE INCLUSION MODEL SOMEONE WHETHER A WHEELCHAIR WHO NEEDS PHYSICAL ASSISTANCE AND ALSO MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE ASSISTANCE, THE PERSON IN THE WHEELCHAIR MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE EXPERT HE'S FOR SOMEONE WITH -- EXPERTISE FOR SOMEONE LIFE WITH DEPRESSION AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WE USE THIS.

>> MUSIC HAS A WAY OF BEING A TANGIBLE ELIXIR TO THE SOUL AND SO PEOPLE WE WORK WITH MIGHT HAVE A DISABILITY WHERE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT THEIR FAMILY, THOUGHTS ABOUT THEIR NEEDSEN WANTS.

THROUGH MUSIC WE -- NEEDS AND WANTS, THROUGH MUSIC WE HELP THEM GATHER THOSE THOUGHTS AND CREATE.

AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS WHAT WE DO.

IT'S ALL CREATION.

>> MY SON SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC BRAIN INJURY IN 2011, SO SEVERE THAT THE SURGEONS TOLD US NOT TO EXPECT HIM TO WAKE UP FROM HIS COMA AND IF HE DID, HE WOULD BE SEVERELY BRAIN DAMAGED.

BUT WE KNEW OUR SON AND HIS JOY AND OFTEN MYSELFISM AND SPIRIT AND THE PEOPLE AROUND US BROUGHT THEIR ENERGY AND THERAPY AND MUSIC THERAPY TO HIS JOURNEY AND MADE ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE.

HE LOST HIS VOICE AND DIDN'T SPEAK FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, A YEAR AND A HALF, THROUGH A LOT OF CLINICALLY-BASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION WAS ABLE TO HUM AND BREATHING AND THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED MELODIC INTONATION, HE'S SINGING AND SPEAKING.

>> MUSIC CAN ACCESS A PART OF THE BRAIN THAT SPEECH ALONE CAN'T AND OTHER MORE TRADITIONAL THERAPIES HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ACTIVATING AND COMBINING MUSIC THERAPY WITH SPEECH THERAPY AND OPTIONAL THERAPY AND PHYSICAL THERAPY, MUSIC THERAPY WAS THE KEY THAT REALLY UNLOCKED HIS BRAIN.

♪♪ >> THE COOL THING ABOUT MUSIC AND SPEECH IS THAT EVEN RIGHT NOW, I HAVE INFLECTIONS IN MY SPEECH.

EVERYONE HAS I HOPE FLEXIONS IN THEIR SPEECH SO IT'S HOW WE TALK AND BY EXAGGERATING THAT MUSICAL VALUE WE CAN HELP PEOPLE RELEARN HOW TO SPEAK AGAIN.

JOHN WAS BORN WITH SPREIAL PALSY AND ONLY ONE VOCAL CORD SO HE'S INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT AND KIND AND FUNNY BUT SPEAKING IS REALLY DIFFICULT AND WE'VE USED MUSIC THERAPY TO FIND YOUR VOICE.

DO YOU WANT TO SAY HELLO WITH YOUR MOUTH.

AND OVER THE YEARS, ATTEMPTS TO GIVE -- I KNOW THE THUNDERSTORMS IS AROUND US TOO.

A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S DIFFERENT SENSITIVITIES AND THINGS OUTSIDE CAN BE CHALLENGING BUT JOHN FOUND A DIFFERENT WAY TO COMMUNICATE.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US.

>> I'VE BEEN AT A PLACE TO BE FOR SIX YEARS AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE I LOVE SINGING ON STAGE AND I LOVE ACTION.

♪ WHEN I SEE SOMEONE HURT, I GET MAD ♪ >> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DO SUMMER CAMPS AND THEATER CAMPS LIKE THIS, PICK A SHOW AND CAST WHOEVER IS BEST FOR THE ROLE.

WE DON'T DO THAT, WE CREATE SHOWS FROM SCRATCH KNOWING WHO OUR CLIMATE, OUR CAST IS AND THEN WE CREATE ROLES THAT WILL NOT ONLY GIVE THEM THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PHENOMENAL PERFORMER ON STAGE BUT GIVE THEM THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH IN THEIR THERAPEUTIC GOALS.

>> WE SAY THAT THE ART IS THE SKY THERE.

HERE OUR GUYS ARE HAVING NATURAL CAMP EXPERIENCE BUT UNDERNEATH IT ALL, EVERY OUNCE OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES HAS BEEN THOUGHT THROUGH, WE DO A PERFORMANCE-BASED THERAPY BECAUSE MOST PLACES WITH THERAPY ARE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, RIGHT?

AND WHY WE HAVE CHOSEN TO USE THE STAGE THAN PLATFORM IS TWO REASONS, FOR THE PERFORMER, IT GIVES A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END.

GOAL, SOMETHING TO WORK ON AND GAIN THE SKILLS AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PART, THEY'RE REHEARSING AND ALSO FOR THE AUDIENCE, WE'RE SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON FOLKS TO SAY THAT EVERYONE HERE -- EVERYBODY HERE DESERVES TO FEEL LIKE SOMEONE BIG AND STAND IN FRONT.

AN AUDIENCE AND GET SPOTLIGHTED FOR WHO THEY ARE IN RIGHT NOW IN THIS WORLD.

>> MUSIC IS A WAY THAT I CAN EXPRESS MYSELF AND HOW I FEEL.

WHEN I SING, OR I TRY AND WRITE MUSIC, SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE STRESSFUL BUT I KNOW THAT I'LL -- I CAN WORK THROUGH IT WITH MUSIC.

MY BEST FRIEND.

SHE REALLY GETS ME THROUGH A LOT.

>> ONE, TWO, THREE.

>> WE'RE COMPLETE OPPOSITES, I HAVE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND SHE HAS A BUNDLE OF JOY, SHE BRIGHTENS MY DAY AND TELLS ME HOW BEAUTIFUL I AM AND HOW MUCH SHE LOVES ME AND I NEVER THOUGHT ANYONE WOULD THINK THAT ABOUT ME.

AND I -- >> HOPE YOUR JOURNEY GETS EASIER.

>> YEAH.

I HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT, THOUGH.

>> THAT'S IMPORTANT.

>> AND IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE I- >> YEAH.

>> BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND BECAUSE EVERYONE IS RELAXED AND FRIENDLY, PEOPLE ARE THEMSELVES, SO PEOPLE ARE THEMSELVES, THAT THEY'RE WONDERFUL AND THEY FIND FRIENDS.

I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH DEPRESSION A LOT IN THE PAST AND ALWAYS TURNED TO MUSIC OR THEATER OR SOME FINE ART TO HELP ME VENT MY EMOTIONS IN A WAY THAT'S HEALTHY AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE.

>> WHAT DOES IT BRING YOU?

>> PEACE.

IT'S A SAFE SPOT TO BE HAPPY.

♪♪ [SINGING] >> IT'S REALLY FUNNEL AND I CAN MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDS.

IT'S REALLY FUN AND I CAN MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDS, I WAS LIKE HIDING BEHIND MY MOM'S BACK AND DIDN'T WANT TO, BUT NOW I TRY TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE.

>> WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN THE PLAY HERE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT.

>> I HAVE TO DO MORE -- >> A PLACE TO BE IS POSITIVE AND AT SCHOOL, A LOT OF NEGATIVITY BUT ALSO A LOT OF HYPE ALLOWING -- AROUND ME AND SINCE I'M GOING TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT NEW SCHOOL, I'M GOING TO TRY AND LOVE MYSELF MAJORLY AND POSITIVELY AND PEOPLE -- COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND, HOPEFULLY, I CAN CHANGE THINGS AND MAKE A POSITIVE OUT OF THEM.

I'M NEVER GOING TO GIVE UP.

♪♪ >> MY LIFE IS SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL.

STORYTELLING IS MY PREFERRED EXPRESSION.

I FEEL STORIES ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF MY LIFE AND THE WAY I SEE THE WORLD.

AND ANYONE I RECOGNIZED AT A PLACE TO BE WAS A FRIEND.

AND ANYONE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE WAS A FRIEND I HAD NOT MET YET.

>> I HAVE PERSONAL STRUGGLES ON MY OWN, I HAVE DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY THAT I WORK WITH DAILY.

AND THROUGH THE MUSIC CAMP, I'M ABLE TO FOCUS REALLY NOT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY HEAD BUT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME.

AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS A CHALLENGE, I CAN HELP THEM THROUGH, BUT ALSO SOMEONE ELSE SEES I'M DOWN, THEY COME TO ME, IT'S A HUGE WORKING WITH ENVIRONMENT TO BETTER OTHER PEOPLE.

I KNOW WHEN I'M ON STAGE, I'M IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD.

I'M IN MY CHARACTER.

BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR CHARACTER, YOU'RE ALWAYS WORKING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT YOUR CHARACTER IS ALSO GOING THROUGH.

AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THERAPY IN ITSELF BECAUSE YOU'RE FOCUSING ON GETTING INTO YOUR CHARACTER BETTER.

>> IT'S A BACKPACK ADVERTISEEL OF SORTS WHEN YOU COME OUT OF IT AND YOU'RE DOWN ON STAGE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEW DAY.

>> I LEAVE FEELING SUPPORTED AND I LEAVE FEELING LIKE I HELPED SOMEONE THAT DAY.

SEEING SOMEONE SMILE AND SEEING SOMEONE COME OUT OF THEIR SHELL AND BEING ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT IS SO AMAZING AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN OVERWHELMING THING FOR OUR WORLD TO BECOME AN INCLUSIVE PLACE FOR ANYONE.

IT CAN START WITH JUST BEING KIND OR SAYING HELLO TO SOMEONE AND NOT ASSUMING THAT SOMEONE'S NOT GOING TO RELATE TO YOU IN SOME WAY.

>> WOW, IT'S SO MUCH THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO ABSORB AND LEARN FROM AND THE FACT THAT WE COME FROM SUCH A LOVING PLACE, REALLY SETS A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR LIKE HOW WE THINK THE WORLD SHOULD BE MODEL AFTER US, LIKE KINDNESS AND LOVING MY NEIGHBOR.

♪♪ >> IT'S SORT OF SEPARATELY CONNECTEDNESS THAT WE ALL NEED IS CRUCIAL FOR THE WORLD TODAY.

>> IT'S COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION.

[APPLAUSE] >> FOR THE MANY PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS OFFERED BY A PLACE TO BE, GO TO APLACINGTO.ORG.

AND FOR INFORMATION ON THE DOCUMENTARY RELEASED ON THE JOURNEY OF FOREST ALLEN, VISIT MUSICGOTMEHERE.COM.