Serving NARAS' & Musicares' mission by providing a desperately needed solution 

The Missing Link:

•     focuses community attention on the healing properties of music

•     cultivates the well-being of the music community

•     ensures that music remains an indelible part of our culture.

What is The Missing Link?

Created by Oscar nominee/6X Emmy winner/recognized educational thought leader and former LA Chapter governor  Chris Boardman, The Missing Link provides a relevant, experiential learning experience by combining music (of any genre),  breathing exercises, and simple movement to alleviate the onset of anxiety and depression.

Designed to promote participation, the outreach program (as an online course) can be used by any age group, allows for self selection of musical examples and is available 24/7 on any device with internet access.

This is followed by an immersive orchestral concert that brings communities together. Every performance can be customized to highlight local communities AND provide children the opportunity to perform with the orchestra. This heightens feeling connected to others and a sense of belonging.

Benefits to each community are immeasurable

How the Outreach Program works

Leveraging the ability of music to alter brain function

Presented as either an online course, live presentation or both, each exercise in the course simultaneously provides:

• self- selected music 

• rhythmic breathing

• simple body movements

This experiential method allows users of any age to customize the process to match their intent--creating a sense of belonging and improved self-worth.This novel process will increase how people listen to music and increasing the use of music across the board.

The power of story and live performance on full display

An original story that follows two families as their lives intersect following a tragic school shooting and the pandemic.

The Missing Link features:

•   A new score composed  by Chris Boardman

•   5 Actors positioned on stage in front of the orchestra 

•   A visual accompaniment that gives local context to the story (by      inserting images of local landmarks)

Structured as a community engagement vehicle The Missing Link gives classical music the opportunity to rebrand themselves - becoming a provider of a service needed by their community. 

Why am I doing this?

Our mental health crisis left unaddressed will have profound consequences. As a trauma/PTSD sufferer I am intimately familiar the with how trauma destroys lives.  When I thought of how helpless our children are I knew I had to do something.

Trauma effects mental stability, physical health, job and school productivity, and more. Doing nothing will ensure the fragmentation of our culture and ultimately the failure of our country.  I believe music can be the answer for many of these issues. The research supports it. 

I also believe that using music as the salve to heal our wounds will transform the perception of music as being merely a form of entertainment (and expendable) to define music as being essential to our common survival with NARAS being the beneficiary.

I look forward to sharing details and discussing ways to collaborate. Please contact me at: [email protected] for more detail.

Thank you.

Chris