Feeling blue? Get a prescription for a free Windsor Symphony Orchestra concert

Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Windsor, Ont., on Sunday, March 10, 2024. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

The WSO is partnering with the Essex County Medical Society to offer ‘social prescriptions’.

“Research tells us that when you put strangers in a room together and they listen to a live concert, their brainwaves on an EEG are matching,” WSO Education and Outreach Manager Becky Ng told CTV News.

“There is this level of connectedness, whether you know the person sitting next to you or not.”

Family doctors in Windsor-Essex can ‘prescribe’ – read: Give their patient a voucher – for a free concert.

It’s specifically designed for people who are struggling with mental health or loneliness, said Ng.

“A doctor might say to them, ‘Hey, why don’t you try going to a concert? It’s not going to cost you anything and see how you like it? And maybe that’ll help you too, gets a little pep in your step.'" Ng explained.

The symphony is hopeful the partnership will help support “the emotional and social well-being of members of our community while connecting them with meaningful cultural experiences”, according to their news release.