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Ronald Braunstein (he/him) is the Co-Founder and Music Director & Conductor of Me2. He received his musical background at The Juilliard School, Salzburg Mozarteum, Fontainbleau, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Immediately following graduation from Juilliard, he won the Gold Medal in the Herbert von Karajan International Conducting Competition and spent the following four years mentoring with Mr. Karajan. He has conducted the San Francisco Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, Swiss Radio Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta, Auckland Philharmonia, Kyoto Symphony, Osaka Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague, and the Oslo Philharmonic .
Mr. Braunstein was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1985. He launched Me2 because of his desire to support others who struggle to maintain good mental health. His inspiring journey is the focus for a new 3-episode story arc on the podcast Brain Stories.
Caroline Whiddon (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Me2. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in orchestra leadership. During her tenure as Executive Director of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association, the organization nearly tripled its student enrollment, completed a successful $2.1 million capital campaign, made its Carnegie Hall debut, and toured internationally. She is a past Chair of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras, and a graduate of the Snelling Center for Government’s Vermont Leadership Institute.
Caroline received her Bachelor’s degree in French horn performance from the Eastman School of Music. She was first diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder nearly thirty years ago.
Braunstein and Whiddon launched Me2 in the fall of 2011. They were married in 2013.
Michael Colburn (he/him), Music Director & Conductor of Me2/Burlington, is a freelance guest conductor and clinician who regularly leads professional and student ensembles in festivals, residencies, and a variety of other settings throughout the country. Colburn most recently served as the Director of Bands at Butler University, where he also taught conducting, euphonium, and the history and literature of the wind band. Colburn previously served for 27 years in “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, where he held a variety of positions including Principal Euphonium (1991-1996), Assistant Director (1996-2004), and Director (2004-2014). As Director, Colburn was music advisor to White House and regularly conducted the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra at the Executive Mansion and at the Presidential Inaugurations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He was promoted to Colonel by President Bush in a private Oval Office ceremony in 2007, and in 2014 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Gen James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Medal of Honor by the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic Board of Directors.
Colburn currently serves as the President-Elect of the American Bandmasters Association and the Vice President for Project Enhancement for the John Philip Sousa Foundation.
Sarah Mitchell (she/her), Me2’s Chorus Conductor, is an experienced music educator and soloist with a passion for the positive fusion of choral singing and mental health. She holds degrees from Western Michigan University and Anderson University, and has pursued her studies through masterclasses hosted by The Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, Queens College, the Madison Early Music Festival, and the Amherst Early Music Festival.
In 2010, Sarah attended the AIMS Opera/German lieder summer program in Austria, as well as a choral tour of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in Mexico City. In 2015, Sarah was selected for the Boston Early Music Festival Young Artist Program, and was a semi-finalist in the Canticum Gaudium vocal competition in Poznan, Poland. She was awarded the Best Opera Singer Award of 2016 by the WISE Foundation of New England for a performance with Lowell House Opera at Harvard. She has performed with the award winning choir the Tallis Scholars in Carnegie Hall masterclass Venetian Voices, and with The International Rameau Ensemble in London.
In addition to her work with Me2, Sarah serves as Choir Director and private voice faculty at Southern New Hampshire University.
Sarah believes strongly in the mission of the Me2 orchestra and chorus, from working as a music educator and having explored her own mental health journey through different seasons of life.
Eileen Yarrison (she/her), Conductor of the Me2/Boston Flute Choir, has been teaching flute for nearly forty years. She is on the faculty of Gordon College, and the Indian Hill Music School (where she also conducts the Intergenerational Flute Choir), and maintains a private studio at her home on the North Shore. Eileen holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, a Master’s of Music degree from Pennsylvania State University, and a Bachelor’s of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire.
Eileen is the new National Flute Association’s Professional Flute Choir Competition Coordinator. She is currently a member of The Collective, a chamber music ensemble based on the North Shore, which includes winds, strings, guitar, and an Irish band.
Caroline Wittschen (she/her), General Manager of Me2, is an amateur violinist with a lifelong love for classical music. She brings professional experience from the financial services industry, where she has worked in trading operations, client relationship management, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Me2, Caroline was the Director of Marketing and Communications with the Boston Civic Symphony, and she continues to lead projects with the Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers. She has also participated in leadership development programs through the League of American Orchestras.
Caroline is passionate about helping people build a meaningful connection to classical music and believes in its power to build community and foster healing. She is committed to breaking down cultural, social, and perceived barriers that make orchestral music feel inaccessible, and creating spaces where everyone can feel a sense of belonging.
Phoenix Crockett (he/him) is the Managing Director of Me2’s orchestra in Burlington, Vermont. Phoenix grew up in northern Maine and made his way to Burlington for school in 2014. He joined the Me2 orchestra that same year, and performed as a cellist during five seasons. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education, after which he joined the world of PreK-6 public school.
Today, Phoenix is a therapeutic case manager with a young adult transitions company. In his free time he rescues wildlife and practices his cello and harp, all while chasing his three young boys.
Robert P. Bulger, Former Director of and Consultant to numerous nonprofits and Lecturer in Accounting and Finance
Alison Krompf, Director of Vermont Strategy, Four Pines Fund (Burlington, VT)
Margie Leith, Business Intelligence Developer, University of Vermont Health Network; violinist, Me2 Orchestra (Burlington, VT)
Jeffrey Means, Artistic Director & Conductor, Sound Icon; Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music
Klemens Meyer, Director of Dialysis Services, Emeritus, Tufts Medical Center; violinist, Me2 Orchestra (Boston, MA)
Andrew Rosenfeld, MD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry Dept, University of Vermont; flutist, Me2 Orchestra (Burlington, VT)
Melanie Snider, Master’s Level Clinician, Northeast Health Services; violinist, Me2 Orchestra (Boston, MA)
Stijn Van Even, Partner Software Development, Health & Life Sciences; flutist, Me2 Flute Choir (Boston, MA)
Ben Walsh, LICSW, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health; member of Me2 Chorus (Boston, MA)