MentalMusic is an amazing initiative started by 15-year-old entrepreneur Jordan. MentalMusic is a music based podcast - created for teens, by teens - focusing on the topic of teenage mental health issues. They take songs and stories submitted by young people and combine them with expert advice to create a 20-30-minute-long fortnightly podcast.

MentalMusic was originally a PBL (Project Based Learning) English unit called Verge Young Entrepreneurs in 2016. After a lot of support from their school, Brisbane State High School, as well as the FYA and Little Tokyo Two, they were able to transform it into a full-blown start-up in early 2017. Since then, they have released over 15 episodes ranging from topics such as depression and anxiety, to school stress and choosing happiness.

The two main goals of MentalMusic are to educate young people about mental health, and spread awareness of mental health related issues. In doing so, they hope to erase some of the stigma surrounding mental health, and normalise open and honest conversations on the topic.

So Jordan, why do you think conversations around Mental Health are important?

“I believe that for any social problem, especially relevant and significant issues like mental health, communication is a crucial factor in finding the solution. Encouraging open and honest conversations is the best way to increase communication, as it ensures that both sides can build empathy and a mutual understanding.”

Do you think new forms of communicating – ie. Podcasts, social media & technology - are important to young people and can encourage them to seek help?

“Yes. Communication is key. Things like podcasts and social media are a great way to communicate with young people, because they are already using these platforms, and they allow us to talk to them through a medium that they understand and enjoy.”

Listen to MentalMusic by heading to www.mentalmusic.org  and check them out on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.