Over the course of three days in February, Radford University music and theater students will have a chance to experience a unique wellness workshop when a team of Canadian educators and mental health professionals collaborates with Radford faculty.
Pianist Laura Loewen, tenor Colin Ainsworth, therapist Danna McDonald and Dr. Carol Wiebe, physician and pianist, will arrive from Manitoba with a program based on Franz Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” song cycle. Dr. Denise Bernardini (music), Professor Rachel Rotert (music) and Professor Robyn Berg (theater) of Radford University will work closely with the visitors.
“Die Schöne Müllerin,” or “The Beautiful Daughter of the Miller,” first produced in 1823, is based on Wilhelm Müller’s poetry. In the story, the protagonist is a young journeyman who meets and falls in love with the miller’s daughter, who never returns his affections.
When the young woman chooses a handsome hunter over him, he spirals into melancholy and self-destruction, drowning himself in the brook which powers the mill.
Bernardini says music and story provides a profound opportunity to open dialogue about mental health in a way that resonates with modern audiences.
“The cycle explores themes of unrequited love, obsession, depression, and ultimately, suicide, issues that remain deeply relevant today,” she explained.
“By analyzing the protagonist’s emotional journey, we can foster discussions on mental health awareness, emotional resilience, and the consequences of untreated mental distress.”
To address those issues, the team will work with vocalists, pianists, and actors in coaching sessions, a round table discussion, and a live performance.
As a theater professor, Berg is recruiting the actors who will either read some of Müller’s poetry or narrate translations for the German text in between songs in the cycle.
“Young artists can still connect to a piece of art from the 1800s, while also examining very human themes relevant in 2025 like hope, despair, love, trauma, self-compassion,” Berg said.
“Furthermore, the professional world these students will soon enter is complicated, unstable and requires tenacity. By exploring the journey of the protagonist, they can begin to unpack things they may encounter while still in a supported environment here at Radford.”
The experience thus prepares students to deal with real-world struggles and encourages open dialogue around mental health topics that are often suppressed.
Participants will work together from February 19 through February 21 on Radford’s main campus in the Artis Center for Innovation and Adaptive Creativity to prepare a performance.
"Schubert’s 'Die Schöne Müllerin' is more than a tragic love story,” says Bernardini. “It’s a deeply human exploration of emotion that resonates across centuries.”
“Through this performance, we hope to show how music can open conversations about mental health, creating space for reflection, understanding, and healing."
The public is invited to join the roundtable discussion on February 21 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and enjoy a free public performance of “Die Schöne Müllerin” in the Artis Center’s Main Stage Theater at 7:30 p.m.