Mental Health Workshop: Self, Empathy, Love & Fulfillment

Workshop Order: 

Intros

Voice and Body Warm-Up to relieve anxiety with Gianna Rapp

Self-Compassion Exercise with Therapist, Christina Chacko

Journal Reflection and Break

Group Reflection and Share

Q&A with Panel

Song-Writing Exercise with Music Therapist, Chana Jamison

Journal Reflection and Share

Closing

50% of the profits will go to The Giavanni Innovation & Arts Fund

Guest BIOS:

Christina Chacko (Therapist-LMSW)-Her mission is to empower you to understand that your weaknesses and the traumatic events of your past, do not define you or minimize your impact. When working with you, she will operate with compassion and respect, and she will aim to create a space where acceptance and understanding are top priorities. She has experience working in a trauma informed care setting with survivors of crime, as well as clinical case management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This experience has strengthened her belief that you are your own best expert; her goal is to help reveal your strengths to empower you to go after your best self. 

Chana Jamison (Music Therapist, BA, MT-BC)-Chana Jamison is a Board Certified Music Therapist & Voice, Piano, and Guitar Instructor. She is originally from The Bronx, NY and has Caribbean roots in Jamaica. Chana has been singing and exploring her musicianship since childhood. Her most notable performance being singing background vocals for Patti Labelle at The Gershwin Prize for Popular Music Award show. Shortly after earning a Bachelor's degree in Music Therapy and Jazz Voice Studies from Howard University, Chana began her work as a Music Therapist : facilitating Songwriting Workshops in Adolescent Psychiatry at Children's National Hospital (independently and with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation), and working with private practices, schools, daycares, nursing homes, and senior centers throughout the DC and NYC area. She now serves as a Remote Practicum and Internship Supervisor to undergraduate students at her Alma Mater.

Chana’s inspiration to start a Music Therapy and Music Lesson company for all ages spurred from her experience and passion in the field of Music and Music Therapy. She saw a need to fill and decided to take up the task. Her mission is to help expand and diversify the reach of Music Therapy to populations who are in high need of these resources.

Gianna Rapp (Actor & Coach)-Gianna Rapp is an actor and singer with a background in theater, television, and musical theater. Most recently Rapp booked a role on 10x Emmy Award-Winning show Succession and played opposite of Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook. On stage Rapp has performed at The Kennedy Center, DC Capital Fringe Festival, and regionally in the DMV area. She holds a BA in Musical Theater from American University and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. Training includes: CAP21, The British American Drama Academy, The Freeman Studio, The Barrow Group and has worked with teachers such as Jayd McCarty, Isle Pfeifer, Welker White, Damien Young, Susan Finch, and Maria Dizzia.

As a coach, Rapp has worked closely with actors on self tape auditions for television, film, and theater. Her clients have booked roles on Law and Order and FBI: Most Wanted. She specializes with actors who experience performance anxiety and tension and helps them find ease in their work.

Chris Russell (Actor & Coach)-Chris Russell is an actor, writer, filmmaker, and acting coach. Recent TV credits include FBI, Blue Bloods, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Law and Order: SVU, and The Deuce. The first time Chris helped a friend with a self-tape in exchange for a coffee in 2016, there was no going back. The spark was undeniable. He instantly fell in love with the process, questions, discoveries, and all of the other wonderful nuances that help an actor flourish in their work.

In his classes, actors discover how to bring their most authentic selves to light while navigating the ins and outs of what, for most of us, is the hardest hurdle to jump - how to WORK as an actor. In an intimate, non-competitive, always-collaborative setting, actors empower themselves to smash their way through their fears of being in front of the camera… by getting behind it.

Chris also is a Crisis Text Line volunteer, amateur chef, and long-suffering Mets fan.

Jazz Hall (Interdsciplinary Artist & Advocate)-Jaz Hall (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, interdisciplinary artist working as a director, performer, casting associate, producer, curator, and advocate. Jaz believes in supportive stewardship of emerging QTBIPOC businesses, community building, new work development, and media with historically marginalized groups at the forefront. Works for and by these communities are the forward momentum of necessary change.

Jaz' work as a producing curator was most recently seen on the OSF Green Show Stage with IT IZ... WHAT IT IZ: A MizCast Variety Show. They are the creator of QTBIPOC artist platform, WOMB, the creation space (hiatus) and previously served on the Artistic Producing team at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival under Nataki Garrett and Evren Odcikin. Jaz is proud of their work with the Empowered Artist Collective, In The Margin, and JZ Casting.

In 2023, Jaz opened Nataki Garrett’s currently running ROMEO AND JULIET (OSF) as Assistant Director. Jaz returns to OSF as an independent producer collaborating on curation of the Green Show stage season lineup. Howard University; BFA, Musical Theatre.

Selected Acting: Sara u/s, LuAnne/Jade u/s, Confederates, dir. Nataki Garrett; Mama Euralie, Mama Euralie u/s, Once on this Island, dir. Lili-Anne Brown (OSF); New Girl, A Letter to My Ex, the musical, dir. Be Steadwell (Joe’s Mvmt Emp); New Wave Chick, Duke & McNamara u/s, Heathers, the Musical, dir. Amelia Acosta Powell (Red Branch)

Selected Technical Work: ASSOC DIR. - The Gradient, dir. Amelia Acosta Powell (St. Louis Rep); ASST DIR. - Romeo and Juliet, dir. Nataki Garrett, Once on this Island, dir. Lili-Anne Brown, Alice in Wonderland, dir. Sara Bruner (OSF); PRODUCER - The Copper Children by K. Zacarias, dir. Shariffa Ali, Bring Down the House, dir. Rosa Joshi (OSF)

IG: @thejazhall / @inthemargin / @empoweredartistcollective

Kat Herndandez (Actor & Advocate)-Kat (they/she) is a queer actor and singer from Huntington Beach, CA. They’ve worked on The Disney Channel, had a recurring role on Nickelodeon, and have done National Commercials for Campbell's, General Mills, Mattel, and Procter & Gamble all as a child actor/young teen in LA. They studied at LIPA, NYU, and graduated from the University of Alabama. After taking a long break from acting and singing all together, they restarted their career back in NY in 2020.

Mental health awareness has been a huge part of my life, especially after being diagnosed with Lupus. Besides physical effects, anxiety and depression are very common with lupus. It has taken a lot of self work (I recommend the books by Dr. Nicole LaPera) and therapy (primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to get to the place where I’m at today. Mental health, especially in our community, is a conversation that needs to remain present. I’m so grateful to be a part of this conversation and on this panel!