His 2020 project on the early Southern California phonograph industry helped identify the first-ever commercial recording made in Los Angeles. He happened to go to Juilliard. Nathaniel Ayers was a homeless man, playing a violin with two strings when Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez first encountered him. And my mother. Its easy for us to judge them, until we know the individual stories., Elyn Saks, who founded the Saks Institute event and is recipient of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation genius grant, said Lopezs talk was powerful and moving. I began to notice changes a few weeks into it. #inline-recirc-item--id-a64c0f28-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Lopez met Ayers four years ago, when Ayers was a homeless musician on Skid Row in Los Angeles. It's obvious that he's troubled in some way, like so many others who wander the streets as if they inhabit a different planet than the rest of us, wrapped in many-layered outfits to keep from coming unraveled. The man turned out to be Nathaniel Ayers, once a promising cellist who dropped out of the Juilliard School of Music in the 1970s after developing schizophrenia. But with terrifying memories of shock treatment and the medication he was given years ago, Mr. Ayers refuses to try new, more effective drugs now used to reduce the ravages of schizophrenia. hide caption. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez says hell never forget the night that he slept on Skid Row with Nathaniel Ayers, a former Juilliard double bassist that became homeless after experiencing a mental breakdown and schizophrenia. The orchestra's musicians also took up Mr. Ayers' cause. And the stars are Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Mr. Ayers. How does this guy end up on this street corner?'". When that day comes, its possible he will prosper, and its possible he will slide again. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, What is the song of summer? Steve Lopez acknowledges Nathaniels schizophrenic behavior: Sometimes I come upon him in full conversation with someone who isnt there, a fluid, animated back-and-forth with the wall or with a tree or with nothing at all (26). He's a handsome guy, lean and fit-looking, with a strong jaw and clean white teeth. New Columns From Your Class Correspondents - Cornellians Will the real schizophrenia please stand up? He has it. A deeply relevant set captured to tape in conjunction with the 2019 Jazz Is Dead live series in a Highland Park nightclub, the eight songs were co-written and performed by Ayers with producer-composers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) at Younges Linear Labs studio on Figueroa Boulevard. He also played violin on a visit to Housing Works, the Hollywood nonprofit that found a home for him last year. A story that confirms that life is indeed stranger than fiction. Ayers is a former cello prodigy who suffers from schizophrenia. It was the bass that got him to the Juilliard School for the Performing Arts 43 years ago, where he played with Yo-Yo Ma. It may be any word, even a simple word that I know well. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Nathaniel Ayres' sister talks about life with her brother Some nice grooves on this album for sure., Ayers, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in September, said that the protests following George Floyds killing at the hands of police give him hope for the world his children and grandchildren are inheriting. He says he was trying to remember a Tchaikovsky piece he once knew quite well, but now it is as elusive as the meaning of a dream. He has made such an amount of wealth from his primary career as a Musician. I notice while talking to him that someone has scrawled names on the pavement where we're standing. READERS OF THE TIMES HAVE watched Nathaniel Ayers -- musician, schizophrenic, street dweller -- creep for eight months toward a better life under the empathetic eye of columnist Steve Lopez. L.A. has a new answer, Epic snowpack upends rhythms of life for many species in Sierra Nevada range, Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims. Yes, I said, and a few minutes later, as I walked to the lobby of the rehab center, I heard a banging and turned to see Ayers waving at me through a window. WebStill, Lopez would continue to see Ayers playing his two-string violin under the Beethoven statue where he played for inspiration. His estimated earning is $1 million $2 million. YouTube, 2009. Im standing right here. And he said, I know you are, but are you flying the plane? The look in his eyes was intense and very real. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Family involvement is also beneficial and important for the family, because they too suffer. He "We had a ball with them," he said. Mental illnesses change the mind of those affected so they find themselves in a world that has been completely altered, failing to realize that the altered world is due to the mental illness. What mental illness does Nathaniel have in the soloist? J.S. Steve's columns about Nathaniel begin to make a difference, and the mayor promises to allocate $50 million to help the homeless community. This man left Beethoven to be near me, Lopez said. He plays as if he's a student, oblivious to everyone around him, and this is a practice session. This disease lands him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. A few blocks from the office - by a small park where a statue of Beethoven had been erected - he found Mr. Ayers, a homeless man, playing not as a panhandler, but for himself, music to chase away the demons that forever stalk him. The meds have helped, Lowery believes, and so has structure, talk therapy and constant monitoring by medical staff. He has also written three novels and two column collections. Who, after all, could do it better? And I knew that he needed that in his life. Former staff writer Randall Roberts covered Los Angeles music culture for the Los Angeles Times. In fact, it is this which is the essence of depression; the despair of absolute nothingness, of being trapped in acomplete void. The list includes Babe Ruth, Susan, Nancy, Kevin and Craig. Foxx was requested to acquire the skill for his role in the film as homeless schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayers. However, the mental illness did not deter Nathaniels love or talent for music, for he constantly plays. The classical music community, which was amazed by Ayers, has been supportive. ", "All I want to do is play music, and the crisis I'm having is right here. Both of his parents played instruments, and when he was little they took him to see jazz vibraphone player Lionel Hampton at the Paramount Theatre in Boyle Heights. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. LAMP Community (originally the Los Angeles Mens Place) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization located in Skid Row that seeks to permanently end homelessness, improve health, and build self-sufficiency among men and women living with severe mental illness. Where did he go? We will do the same. Copyright 2008 by Steve Lopez. I still do," she said. He argued that drugs had caused horrible side effects for him years earlier. I realized there was a mental health issue, but I had no idea what it was.. Oct. 2009. "She's really amazing.". Please enter valid email address to continue. It's a triumph. Mr. Ayers still insists he doesnt need the rehab center, the therapy or the drugs. His disappearance only makes the mystery more provocative. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? His music, like his speech, is more grounded and coherent lately. His love of music began when he was a teenager in Ohio where he was a student at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, where he studied the double-bass. As he begins to play, I wave good-bye, and he responds with a suspicious glance in my general direction. Lopez chronicled Ayers' struggle in several columns at the Los Angeles Times. He feels it. Safer asked Mr. Ayers' sister, Jennifer Ayers-Moore. The Soloist (2009) - Plot - IMDb Ayers illness was schizophrenia, mine is blindness. Its one reason Skid Row exists. What is his story? As the years passed, Mr. Ayers drifted on to California. Nathaniel Ayers isa talented African American musician, who was diagnosed with a severe mental illness and ended up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. I can't get the image out of my head, this odd picture of grubby refinement. One day, we suspect, he will have made enough progress to be released. Nathaniel And there's rage and terror in them," Mr. Lopez explained. This can be displayed by the realities faced through a homeless man suffering from Schizophrenia named Nathaniel Ayers and the struggle of Central American immigrants in the United States. It was horrible., With a spirit that could interrupt even the darkest days, the songs optimism, and logic, was undeniable. I nod, not knowing what to say. Severe mental illness has landed them at this Long Beach rehab center, and you can see the toll it has taken. What happens to First Republic Bank's stock and deposits now? Its not so much that I absorb it, its more like it is absorbing me., Psychologists have concluded that because an object has the ability to capture a patients attention so strongly, confusion for the patient toward what matters vs. what is insignificant takes place. His story touched a nerve in the Los Angeles area, where - after sunset - as many as 60,000 homeless people wander the streets. Maxmen, author of The New Psychiatry, characterizes a person with mental illness as having symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, mania and depression; those with long-term, highly disabling dysfunctions of the brain (Hatfield 5). Me developing as a musician was based largely on a lot of the work that Ali was doing, Younge said, adding that A Tribe Called Quests samples of Ayers, Bartz and others helped to make them icons for the hip-hop generation., Most famously, A Tribe Called Quest tapped portions of Ayers Runnin Away for its 1989 track Description of a Fool, and Roy Ayers Ubiquitys 1974 song Feel Like Makin Love on Keep It Rollin, from the hip-hop groups classic 1993 album, Midnight Marauders.. "We had a marriage, myself and Nathaniel," he said. "The Soloist," based on a true story, tells how Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, played by Robert Downey Jr., discovered the homeless Ayers and helped the former music prodigy, who has schizophrenia. Thanks to studies conducted by M.A. They're tangled thoughts followed by moments of perfect clarity. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. WebWHEN NATHANIEL WAS IN THE APARTMENT. Print. Unfortunately, while in his third year at Juilliard, he bombed out (Lopez 14) because of his diagnosis. In relation to Nathaniel of The Soloist, Steve Lopez agrees that if Nathaniel is going to get better, it wont be because of a correct diagnosis or a textbook treatment program, but because he develops enough trust in me and others to pursue his own recovery (57). Jamie Foxx plays mentally ill musician Nathaniel Ayers in "The Soloist. Columnist Charts His Journey With The Soloist - USC News He was one of only a few black students in his class at Juilliard, where the competition was cutthroat. It's the one I've learned the most from," Mr. Lopez explained. Beyonc, Drake, Lil Baby and Megan Thee Stallion are among the artists with tunes contending to be 2020s song of summer. I'll have to check back with him now and again until he's comfortable enough to open up. Webwhen nathaniel was in the apartment. "She felt like this was gonna be it. He tells me his name is Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. And then one day while driving to work from my home in Silver Lake, a neighborhood five miles northwest of downtown, I cut through the Second Street tunnel and there he is, putting on a one-man concert in a location even noisier than the last one. When one is on the streets for weeks without eating and without proper sleep, it is possible to fall into a state of depression. Nathaniel Ayers is a famous American musician. Unlike him, I have no musical ability. "I wouldn't want to do that.". "This is a different type of hero story. "Right up the hill. The writer explains that the musician re-ignited his passion for journalism and gave him a sense of well-being: "You know, there's this humility, there's this good feeling I have from giving something," Lopez says. Safer asked Jennifer Ayers-Moore. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Change). How Mr. Ayers And Mr. Lopez Became Friends - CBS News Safer asked. As depicted in The Soloist, written by Steve Lopez, Nathaniel was twenty-one years old when he began experiencing confusion, anxiety and hallucinations (15). With a few forgivable missteps and obligatory dramatizations, The Soloist portrays schizophrenic Nathaniel Ayers, or as he prefers it, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Junior, in a richly nuanced and clinically accurate manner. Lamp Community is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization. Legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers, 79, just released his first album in nearly a decade on L.A.-based Jazz Is Dead label. "Oh, no," he says. Taking his first lesson A conversation with Mr. Ayers can switch with lightning speed from one fixation to another: Stravinsky, baseball, Barbara Eden, Colonel Sanders. His 1963 debut solo album, West Coast Vibes, was produced by the late Downbeat editor and Times jazz critic Leonard Feather, and across the 1960s Ayers released a series of albums for labels including Pacific Jazz and Atlantic. The Los Angeles Times reported that Foxx suffered "panic attacks and bouts of paranoia" during filming. Though he still required medication and supervision, and he still heard voices, Nathaniel found a balm in putting his fingers to In telling his story about Ayers, Lopez said his goal is to put a face on mental illness. And that was it. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? He was born on January 31, 1951 and his birthplace is United States. The conversations didnt always come easily, Steve Lopez is a California native who has been a Los Angeles Times columnist since 2001. Maybe he's a little more unreachable than I realized. Its a friendship that isnt always easy but is never dull. Nathaniel Ayers Net Worth, Age, Bio, Birthday, Height, Facts ". It takes patience and some agencies plugged into housing resources to make this work. Though he was trained to play the bass, he also taught himself trumpet, cello, and violin. I am optimistic, he wrote, for the first time in a long, long time.. She remembers the family's pride in his acceptance to Juilliard in 1970, when he was 19. Speaker featured at Valeo event Mr. Lopez recalled. WebDescribes nathaniel ayers, a 64-year-old african-american male who is homeless, single, and does not have any children. In 2008, Lopez joined Fresh Air to describe his friendship with Ayers. CNN's KJ Matthews contributed to this story. Two weeks later, I go looking for him once more and he's disappeared again. His goal in life, Nathaniel tells me, is to figure out how to replace the strings. The book inspired the recently released movie The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Mr. Lopez would find that Mr. Ayers, now 58, was once a hugely gifted young musician accepted by Juilliard, the country's preeminent music school. Maybe I could go on his rounds with him over the course of a day or so, see if anyone can help fill in the blanks in his story or explain his condition. Last year, trapped in a dark web of delusional ideas, he became combative, and was committed after he threatened a neighbor. I ask Nathaniel if he has moved to this location to be near the concert hall and he says no, he isn't even sure where Disney Hall is, exactly. But his spiritual oasis is Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Frank Gehry designed building that's home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The exposure to people who lived on the streets of Los Angeles taught Foxx a positive lesson, he said. AFTER THAT STEVE STARTED MAKING MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS Even when Mr. Ayers had a place to live, with supervision, it wasnt easy for mental health professionals to treat him. He is 72 years old. Mr. Ayers and Mr. Lopez were introduced, in a way, by Mr. Music himself, Ludwig van Beethoven. Along the way, he would sometimes call Harry Barnoff, his teacher at the Cleveland Music School Settlement and talk about music. "That's more than San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Houston and Seattle combined," explained Casey Horan, who runs Lamp, a private agency which provides shelter and services for the large number of homeless who are mentally ill. After a year of trying, Ms. Horan and Mr. Lopez were able to talk Mr. Ayers into coming off the streets at night to sleep in a small room. I live on the street. Web725 Words. And I remember that when he came out, he had this look on his face. The Soloist tackles the themes of homelessness and mental illness, as well as the healing power of music. Mental illness is what The Soloist is about and family is a theme in the book. But that's just a hope," she said. That being in this concert hall meant a great deal to him," Mr. Lopez explained. The friendship that Lopez formed with Ayers and eventually helped the musician get off the street, settle into an apartment and find treatment for his schizophrenia. Townsend, Aloen L.,David E. Biegel,Karen J. Ishler,Barbara Wieder,andAmy Rini.Families of Persons With Substance Use and Mental Disorders: A Literature Review and Conceptual Framework. The Soloist: Psychological Movie Review. His sister started a foundation in his name after the movie and all the articles about him. } A simple question about his love of Beethoven sends him on a flight through unhinged thoughts that float through his mind like wind-driven clouds (25). Lopez and Ayers are still in contact, Ayers-Moore said, and her brother is doing well now, living in an assisted living facility. His playing is a little scratchy and tentative, but just like before, it's clear this is no beginner. display: none; Before they can buy medication, they must first go to a doctor who will further diagnose them. Asked what first piqued his curiosity about this homeless man, Mr. Lopez told Safer, "Desperation. He happened to go to L.A., become homeless and run into his angel, Steve Lopez.". WebNathaniel Ayers, a 54 year old schizophrenic man who lives on the street of Los Angeles, uses music to fill in the void of his life. He went back to Cleveland to the home that he grew up in. His talent - and future - were crushed by the weight of a devastating, incurable mental illness: paranoid schizophrenia. He had served various roles since arriving at The Times in 2010, including music editor and pop music critic. Here is what I found on the internet about Ayers: Nathaniel Ayers grew up working class in Cleveland. He said he and his management have "carved out our own niche.". The next day, he's the devil. "There was a sanitarium in my hometown in Terrell, Texas, called the Terrell State Hospital, and when we would visit I would go, 'I hope that never happens to me,' " he said. Tania Cervantes. Did Jamie Foxx learn violin for the soloist? From Cleveland. Those distractions may quickly shift, for example from the color of the dog walking past, to the shape of the bench the dog walked by, to the texture of the hair of the women sitting on that bench. During a recent phone conversation from his home in New York City, Ayers said that Younge and Muhammad approached him about recording in the midst of a series of gigs in February 2019. Jamie Foxx plays mentally ill homeless man in "The Soloist", Foxx was frightened by experience: He had "childhood fear of going crazy", When he was 18, someone slipped him "something" and Foxx ended up in hospital. During his concert for Crane and me, Mr. Ayers jumped from one instrument to another. Steve Lopez writes a column for the LA Times . He would turn against his closest allies and supporters at times, and not only refuse help, but insist that he didnt need any. Another student served as his "angel," just as Lopez helped Ayers, Foxx said. This can be displayed by the realities faced through a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia named Nathaniel Ayers and the struggle of Central American immigrants in the United States. The pressure is sometime too intense, Lopez said, and Ayers is most comfortable playing among friends and in less formal settings. Is Mr Ayers still alive? WebThe Registrars office tells Steve that there is no record of a Nathaniel Ayers ever attending Julliard and then hangs up on Steve. Within my essay I will write about the families view of a person that is mentally ill. I dont know if any two cases of schizophrenia are exactly alike, but I realized that distinguishing whats real and whats not is a daily challenge for Nathaniel Ayers.. But clearly, he knows what he's doing," Crane said. New York: Guilford Press, 1990. Family Involvement in the Lives of the Mentally Ill. Mental illness can be defined as the inability to perform everyday activities or the lack of control of ones own mind. Lives are forever altered, but with the correct treatment, families can overcome mental illness and look forward to a new chapter of life. Nathaniel Ayers of Soloist Fame & Forced Medication That he had on an old tattered like sweater. Do I take notes for a column, or do I make a few calls to see if someone can come and help him? Ayers no longer lives on the street and is currently living at a facility in LA where he is safe, has access to doctors, therapy and can often be found Weeks go by and I get distracted by other things, shoveling whatever I can find into that empty space on the page. Nathaniel Ayers first attended Juilliard in the 1970s as a double-bass student. Was Octavia Spencer In The Soloist? Yes, Octavia Spencer was in The Soloist. She played the role of a troubled woman who befriends the titular character, a homeless musician played by Jamie Foxx. When Did Nathaniel Ayers Start Living On The Street? Soloist - Chapter 14 - 19 ". Like a salad encased in Jell-O, a word salad doesnt make a lot of sense. "They found this beautiful story, which paralleled my life a little bit," he said. TITLE IX: The talented musician was breaking new ground long before she took up teaching at USC. Wrapped around his neck, like a scarf, is a yellow terrycloth towel. Back then, he hoped to end up in a great orchestra one day. Born and raised on East Vernon a few blocks from the then-thriving Central Avenue jazz and R&B scene, Ayers started playing music in the mid-1940s and earned his earliest credits as part of the citys cool jazz movement. Even when Mr. Ayers had a place to live, with supervision, it wasnt easy for mental health professionals to treat him. Something thats very integrated into Black culture is that once we finish something, we leave. Standing by his side, Ayers daughter and manager, Ayana Ayers, apologized for what she called a bit of confusion going on right now and requested that the interview be rescheduled. She sang backup. In an unlikely encounter, Steve Lopez meets Nathaniel Anthony Ayers on the streets of Los Angeles in Pershing Square. he asks. "I don't know how God works," he tells me sincerely, with an expression that says anything is possible. I scribble that down in my notebook, and I also copy what he's written on his shopping cart with a Magic Marker: "Little Walt Disney Concert HallBeethoven.". The journey to discover what lies behind the mind of the mentally ill is not without difficulty, but many psychologists in the 1960s through 1980s attempted to find out. He was enraged. Mr. Lopez arranged to take Mr. Ayers to a concert. Where is Nathaniel Ayers now 2020? - TimesMojo At times though, making a diagnosis isnt as important as making a connection (Lopez 57). And the bird droppings are wiped away by the workers. Desperately needing to catch a deadline Mr. Lopez considers writing a story about Nathaniel. STEVE WAS IN LAS VEGAS AND DECIDED TO VISIT MR. AYERS NATHANIEL'S FATHER TO FIND OUR MORE ABOUT NATHANIEL, STEVE LATER FOUND OUT THAT MR. AYERS STILL MISSES NATHANIEL AND THINKS ABOUT HIM. "I think that I did. Mr. Lopez's columns prompted readers to give him musical instruments to replace the battered ones he'd lugged across country. Asked about his legacy, Ayers replied, Id like it to be that I was one of the greatest vibists that ever lived. The Soloist Overcame His Homelessness with A Little Help from He left Texas after high school to attend college on a music scholarship in San Diego, California. Its as if the patients are trying to escape a bad dream, make sense of what happened and convince themselves that there will be better days ahead. He engages in conversations, he laughs, hes got a sparkle in his eye, said Housing Works Mollie Lowery, who has saved countless people from Los Angeles streets and came to Mr. Ayers rescue when he lost his downtown apartment. I wanna be back out there, using every moment as if its the most precious thing in the world. Nathaniel sun sign is Aquarius and his birth flower is Carnation & Snowdrop. Without a choice, we have the choice to use our power through sound, to rebound against the hate, Younge intones, in the hope of seeing through the misty shades of America., The album concludes, By choice and by force, we are colored by the African sun., Neither Younge nor Muhammad wanted to speak publicly about Ayers declining faculties. He was very rusty. Violinist Robert Gupta, a virtuoso gives a master class. He grew to rely on me. "So he sees it now as his home and he really values his home," Horan explained. The Soloist, starring Foxx and Robert Downey Jr, is currently in cinemas in the UK. What became of Nathaniel Ayers, the talented musician who was diagnosed with a severe mental illness and ended up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles? Everything becomes brighter, louder and more distinct. Hes looking outside, touching other people and responding to them rather than being locked inside his own illness.. We have known each other almost 10 years now. The Oscar buzz is again building for Foxx, who is firmly established as master of the biopic. Rich with a female chorus of vocalists expressing positivity and reveling in the power of music to, as the opening song describes it, synchronize vibrations, songs such as Hey Lover reconfigure the groove-heavy textures for 2020-accented romancing. The Urban Lights exhibit is open to the public and free to all visitors. "You either have it or you don't. The result of this research showed that: 1) the main character of "The Soloist" movie is Nathaniel Ayer has psychological aspects namely self-psychology and psychopathology (mental disturbance). I realized he has very different realities. } Music insiders spin the soundtrack for a once-in-a-lifetime season, Aerosmith is saying farewell with Peace Out tour, which hits L.A. in December, The 10 best things we saw at Willie Nelsons 90th birthday concert, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Excerpted by permission of Putnam Adult. "Well, schizophrenically, yes," Mr. Ayers said, chuckling. This interview originally aired April 22, 2008. "Did you look up to him at that point in your life? According to our database, Nathaniel Ayers is still alive.. Just as Ayers used a cello for comfort, Foxx would use the piano. Noting how significant emotions are and how big a role they play in our behavior, is it any wonder that people who suffer from mental illness undergo changes in their emotions? Columnist Charts His Journey With
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