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For Johnny Matteson, music is a healer, a means of communication, and a source of hope for those who have shared his struggle.
Matteson, who was diagnosed with manic depression aged 19, has used music as a medium to de-stigmatise mental illness for more than 13 years.
Through a mixture of gritty songs, practical and creative programmes and a wry sense of humour about the nuances of mental health, he has become a unique community leader for the Mental Health Foundation.
"I suppose I have felt the pain of the mental health sector and have tried to bring some hope and joy through music," said Matteson. His two albums and performances have lent a voice to people "living under a shadow" of poor health, and those who feel they are treated as less than human.
After being turned away for a job he was "very well-qualified for" on the grounds of his health problems, he began an initiative to confront discrimination against mentally ill people in the workplace and in schools.
His Break It Down tour of intermediate schools in Auckland and Northland aimed to get kids speaking openly about mental health early in their life. Matteson's voice and guitar are present in all his initiatives: "It crosses cultural barriers and somehow reaches people when perhaps a diatribe or the spoken word cannot."
Under the initiative "Mad Pride", he encouraged young musicians in the mental health sector to perform their music publicly.
As well as his work as an occupational therapist, Matteson has taken homeless from the streets and planned day trips and projects for them. He formed a band, "The Verandas", from a group of musicians from Point Erin Boarding House, who performed as far away as Australia. His role, he says, is seeing past their diagnosis and recognising their talent. "They had a lot of potential, I just nurtured their skills."
