It was a night to remember for the many in attendance at Nova Southeastern University’s Rick Case Arena, as Recovery Unplugged Chief Strategy Officer Paul Pellinger was on hand to spread the message of healing and health through music and music assisted treatment. Paul also signed copies of latest book Music Is Our Medicine, which recounts the evolution of Recovery Unplugged and gives candid insight into Paul’s personal connection to music. We would like to extend special thanks to the staff at NSU for their hospitality and for allowing us to bring the Recovery Unplugged philosophy to a new and wider audience. We would also like to thank everyone who came out to be part of this special and unforgettable event.
The audience sat captivated as Paul delivered an inspired and engaging talk on the powers of music and music assisted treatment to not only treat addiction and mental health issues, but to enrich all aspects of daily life. They were also treated to a story by acclaimed songwriter and Recovery Unplugged Director of Creative Recovery Richie Supa who relayed accounts of his own battles with addiction and how they led to him writing the Aerosmith smash-hit “Amazing”. Also on was Sasha Geisser, daughter of Recovery Unplugged co-owner Marshall Geisser, to deliver a haunting and beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that absolutely brought down the house.
Attendees walked away with a new perspective on the Recovery Unplugged treatment model, music assisted treatment, and how music affects the way we think, feel and see the world around us. Paul put these powers into words and Richie and Sasha helped the audience experience them first-hand through their stories and performance. While we will continue to host events like this in the interest of spreading the word about Recovery Unplugged, it’s going to be incredibly hard to replicate last night’s electricity. Thanks again to all who came out.
“There is scientific proof that music appeals to the same pleasure centers of the brain that drugs do, so, in essence, what we’re doing is teaching clients how to get high without using drugs, which then makes recovery more of a payoff than getting high.”
