{"id":400,"date":"2026-06-20T23:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T23:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cambridgemovinghub.com\/?p=400"},"modified":"2026-06-20T23:37:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T23:37:24","slug":"at-the-middle-east-singing-for-his-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cambridgemovinghub.com\/?p=400","title":{"rendered":"At the Middle East, singing for his mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cI won\u2019t open the door,
volunteer to the dark,\u00a0
where the demons wait patient to make me their mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Trinity\u2019s Touch salon celebrating 20 years<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

These lyrics might be something the dinner crowd hears Kev G Mor sing on Thursdays at The Corner Bar or every fourth Friday at Zuzu Restaurant. Mor plays in the 5-8 p.m. time slot at the outposts of the Middle East, in the same calm acoustic vein of many of the performers accompanying dinner service. But Mor\u2019s music goes beyond ambience, because his songs focus almost exclusively on his experience with mental health recovery.<\/p>\n

His song writing is the main way he copes. \u201cA lot of my songs I write to get through an episode,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s very hard for someone with schizophrenia or bipolar to really explain what it\u2019s like to go through it and so I try to show the audience a little glimpse of what it\u2019s like inside the brain of people who have this disorder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mor \u2014 whose given name is Kevin Moore \u2014 started out less than glamorously, playing street corners and coffee shops around New England beginning at 15. He had been in and out of psychiatric units and group homes since he was 10 for what would later be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar one depression.<\/p>\n

Now 53 and in mental health recovery, Mor recently landed a music residency at the Middle East through the end of the year, which also happens to be the venue he dreamed of playing when he was a homeless youth busking in Cambridge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOn his initial outreach he gave me plenty of info on who he was and what he was looking to try and do,\u201d explained Max Kozol, the talent buyer who booked Mor at the Middle East. After searching Mor up and listening to his samples, she said to herself, \u201cThis is perfect, It fits our vibe and what we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon after his initial booking and a bit of background listening done by Kozol, Mor got great news: the Middle East wanted to give him a longer-term opportunity, a twice-a-month residency at Zuzu.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although the Middle East does not directly sponsor a residency program for mental health advocates, Kozol said the club is interested in connecting with as many groups in the community as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do want to be the space for anybody to say anything as long as it\u2019s with the value of good,\u201d said Kozol. \u201cKeeping everybody open, honest, and safe with Kev providing the space to talk about any mental health stuff like anxiety, depression, ADHD, is amazing \u2026 we should be having more discussions about it, and having it in a musical format is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Cambridge lacrosse wins championship<\/a><\/p>\n

Mor has brought discussions on mental health recovery to several different stages over the past four decades, from lectures and performances at Harvard University and the Grammy Museum to sponsored gigs for local non-profit organizations. Last month, Mor performed in a benefit concert at The Burren in Somerville for the Home for Little Wanderers, a non-profit that provides access to family services and community programs for disadvantaged kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not only has Mor brought mental health conversation to several different stages across the country, he has also brought his music and message to the internet. On Mor\u2019s Youtube channel he posts his music, videos explaining what it\u2019s like to experience psychosis, as well as vlogs about the daily struggles of recovery. \u201cI focus on music and mental health, \u201d he said. \u201cI have a daily vlog about how I cope with my mental illnesses.\u201d Through his daily uploads over the past year, Mor\u2019s audience has grown enough for him to receive payments from Youtube.<\/p>\n

With the help of advocates like Mor, community spaces for musically driven mental health recovery are becoming prominent across Cambridge beyond just traditional music venues. Tunefoolery, a Boston based non-profit designed for musicians in mental health recovery, is one of the only community spaces dedicated to fostering a safe space for mentally ill musicians with programs ranging from open mic nights to performances at hospital dementia units and other facilities. Mor has been one of its sponsored musicians for over a decade and serves as its social media coordinator. Musicians involved in Tunefoolery\u2019s programs are invited to perform shows with the organization at several different types of venues from hospitals to bars in order to provide spaces for healing through music.<\/p>\n

Tunefoolery\u2019s co-executive director, Jeff Fisher, described Mor as a longtime \u201cmental health troubadour,\u201d one who seems to particularly enjoy the Tunefoolery community\u2019s offering of \u201ca camaraderie or a space to bind with people\u201d over shared experiences.<\/p>\n

As Mor continues his residency and groups like Tunefoolery work to expand their community reach, Mor and Fisher emphasize the importance of spreading awareness and resources for mental health recovery.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, Mor explained that he wants to offer others in recovery hope that there is a future for them to not only survive, but also thrive. \u201cMy whole mission in life is to show that people with these disorders can achieve more than just stability,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of the mental health system focuses on getting people stable and there\u2019s nothing beyond that \u2026 so I go out and I try to do things and achieve things that go beyond stability, and this\u00a0residency is proof of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brianna Earle is reporting this summer for Cambridge Day as part of a partnership with the Brandeis journalism program.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Juneteenth at five: Cambridge\u2019s Black community reflects on \u2018our 4th of July\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI won\u2019t open the door,volunteer to the dark,\u00a0where the demons wait patient to make me their mark.\u201d Read more Trinity\u2019s Touch salon celebrating 20 years These lyrics might be something the dinner crowd hears Kev G Mor sing on Thursdays at The Corner Bar or every fourth Friday at Zuzu Restaurant. 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