Music therapy applied by the Good Luck Orchestra

Barcelona"I have a strange feeling," says musician José Manuel Pagán. For 23 years he has directed the Good Luck Orchestra, a group made up of people with mental health conditions. "After so many years, after having performed so many concerts and rehearsals and having traveled with them to places like Berlin, this Saturday, February 14th, I will give my last concert with them, and I'm a little sad," says Pagán, who as a composer won a Gaudí Award for the soundtrack of the film Black breadHe compensates for his sadness with satisfaction for the work done and shared. "And I'm at peace because the orchestra continues," he affirms. In fact, his son Pol, a music therapist like his father, is taking over. The concert by the Good Luck Orchestra, which has a danceable repertoire including boleros and rock 'n' roll, will be held in the auditorium of the Liceu Conservatory at 6:30 p.m., and will feature guests such as Albert Batista and Manel Joseph, from the Platería Orchestra, and Valentí Agustí. "I think it will be very moving, because psychiatrists, patients, family members will be there..." says Pagán.

It all began in Palafolls. “At that time, I was a fairly conventional musician, in the sense that I worked mainly in film,” Pagán recalls. “A friend, Valentí Agustí, suggested I do some music with the patients at the Palafolls day center. I didn’t really know what I would do, but I found a wonderful person, who was the center’s director.” One person played the drums, another was taught to play the bass… and little by little, the Good Luck Orchestra took shape. Pagán’s involvement in music therapy grew because it wasn’t just his work with the orchestra. “And when I won the Gaudí Award for…” Black bread"What for me was the high point of my career, I decided to focus more on music therapy. I think I made the right decision, because it has given me immense satisfaction," he says.

According to Pagán, the orchestra has helped its members "feel much better," and has been a way to "express what they truly feel." "In the orchestra, they can not only be themselves, but also demonstrate their full creative potential, and we find they are capable of doing so on stage. It also helps them a lot to have to focus on what they have to do, such as meeting at a specific time to catch the bus, taking care of the scores, controlling their nerves... All of this contributes to having a more humane and creative life by taking on responsibilities," Pagán explains. His farewell as director of the Bona Sort Orchestra will also be part of a project produced by the Barcelona-based production company Canada, with the support of the ICEC.