A rock concert with a message of mental wellness: Robb Nash to perform in Yorkton

Artist and mental health advocate Robb Nash speaking with CTV News. The Robb Nash Project holds concerts for kids while highlighting the issue of youth mental health. (Robb Nash/CTV News)

The Robb Nash Project is set to perform in Yorkton Tuesday morning, with the goal of raising awareness about children’s mental health.

Robb Nash, who was an up-and-coming rockstar in the 2000s, was involved in a car crash when he was 17 years old. He suffered serious injuries to his head, shoulders, and chest.

“I went from a guy that was six foot five, playing a lot of sports to a guy that was getting bathed by his mom. I went through a really dark time where I didn’t want to be alive,” Nash explained. “I made it through that dark time, and [thought] there’s got to be other young people going through these same things.”

He went on to record several hit songs, only to give up fame and fortune for his philanthropy. He founded The Robb Nash Project.

“I actually walked away from my record deal to do the tour, which was supposed to be nine months. It’s been almost 15 years now, and we bring tons of schools together,” Nash said.

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His tour and the team behind him advocate for mental health through music.

“We charge the schools nothing, [because] we don’t want school resources to be stretched even more than they are,” Grant Smadella told CTV News on Monday.

Smadella is The Robb Nash Project’s Director of Corporate and Philanthropic Partnerships. In layman’s terms, he is responsible for working with community stakeholders to make these concerts happen across Canada.

“We follow a school year, and we coordinate based on different professional development days, which vary by province,” Smadella said. “We set our schedule based on the school’s calendar.”

During this school year, The Robb Nash Project will be in seven communities across Canada.

In Yorkton, it was supported by the Yorkton Kinsmen and Kinettes Club, as well as the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN).

“Just knowing that we have so many people dealing with mental health issues,” explained Ron Hanishewsky from the Yorkton Kinsmen Club. “It is an opportunity to speak with youth and let them know there’s so much out there for them, and the impact they can make in this community.”

The Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs have been working with Nash’s team and the school divisions since last fall.

“We’re hoping for the community and youth in the area to know the things that are available to them, should they struggle with anything now or in the future,” Hanishewsky said. “A message that will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

Nash’s next concert is slated for Tuesday morning at the Gallagher Centre. Hanishewsky expects 14 schools and a total of about 1,300 students to attend.

It was already clear on Monday that Nash was ready for the performance. He could be seen on stage, doing voice checks.

“Every kid that you see is walking around with headphones in their ears. Every music calms you down when you want to rest and go to sleep. Music rouses you up before a hockey game, it affects us. So music is a big part [of storytelling],” he explained.

During his concert, he shares stories. Not only his own struggles, but others’ as well.

“I think one of my struggles when it comes to mental health is people seem to only tell the stories of tragedy,” he said. “Kids need to see that not every story of mental illness ends in a suicide. Not every story of addiction ends in an overdose.”

His arms, along with his band’s tour bus, boast dozens of names. Some are written with delicate curves, others are jagged and rough. Each name tells a story of someone who at one point considered taking their own life.

“I took actually all the names and signatures from all the first suicide notes that we were given, and I tattooed them on my arms,” Nash slowly rotated his arms, revealing more and more names. “I show these to kids and I say like ‘I was there once’ ... ‘You’re not alone.’”

Nash said his team has received 977 suicide notes from students so far, signifying that these letters will never have to reach their recipients because their writers have moved on to a journey of healing.

He advised anyone who is struggling with mental health to let those emotions out and seek support.

“Don’t hold it inside. Channel it. You know, let’s find somebody to talk to. Don’t do it alone.”

Those who need support are encouraged to call the national suicide crisis helpline.

A full listing of provincial supports can be found here.