Almost 15 years later, Nathaniel lives in a
locked mental rehab facility
, and the rest of us live at the center of an epic collapse of care and a failure of leadership.
What is Nathaniel playing when Steve Lopez first sees him?
Nathaniel Ayers was a homeless man, playing
a violin with two strings
when Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez first encountered him.
Did Nathaniel Ayers get treatment?
Ayers was one of the few black students at Juilliard at that time. For some years he lived with his mother in Cleveland, Ohio, where he
received electroconvulsive therapy for his illness
to no avail. … Homeless and suffering from the debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia, Ayers lived and played music on the streets.
How did Steve Lopez end up in the hospital?
How did Steve Lopez end up in hospital?
Steve was riding his bike and fell off. Steve had a car accident
.
What has happened to Nathaniel Ayers?
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 playing one of several instruments.
Why did Nathaniel Ayers refuse treatment?
Ayers was
unable to care for himself and needed the appointment of a conservator
— his stepsister — who will have the authority to consent to forced commitments and medication even if Mr. Ayers objects. Mr. Ayers rejected all of that.
What mental illness does Nathaniel have in the soloist?
‘The Soloist’: Living With Mental Illness On Skid Row The Soloist tells the story of Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless cellist who has
schizophrenia
.
When was Nathaniel Ayers diagnosed with schizophrenia?
MOORE: Nathaniel has been diagnosed as schizophrenic. It actually happened
in the ’70s
when he was attending Juilliard. After that, he actually dropped out of Julliard. He lived on the streets in Cleveland for a while and then moved to L.A. So, for more than 30 years, he actually had lived on the streets.
When did Nathaniel Ayers go to Julliard?
Column: A homeless musician changed my life. I wish I could do more to change his. TOGETHER: Nathaniel Anthony Ayers and Yo-Yo Ma, who attended Juilliard at the same time, chat at Walt Disney Concert Hall. When we met, in
2005
, I wouldn’t have guessed we’d still be in each other’s lives this far down the road.
How did Nathaniel Ayers become homeless?
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez says he’ll 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
. Ayers pulled two sticks out of his shopping cart full of personal items that night.
Is the soloist real?
The Soloist is a 2009 drama film directed by Joe Wright, and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. The plot is
based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers
, a musician who developed schizophrenia and became homeless.
What is lamp in the soloist?
LAMP Community (originally the Los Angeles Men’s 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.
What instrument does Steve bring Nathaniel?
Nathaniel Ayers asked for an inventory update on Christmas morning, after I picked him up at the South Bay mental health rehabilitation center where he lives. He brought his
string bass and trumpet
with him. Like I’ve said before, he’s a one-man band, and he never travels light.
What statue was Nathaniel talking about in the square?
The statue of a pensive
Nathaniel Rochester
in Nathaniel Square Park in the South Wedge has been defaced. His hands have been painted blood red, “SHAME” is stenciled across his forehead, and his back has been tagged with “WHITE SUPREMACY.”
What is a soloist in music?
Also Called. Virtuoso. In the world of classical music, soloists are
top-level musicians who travel from city to city
, performing with different orchestras as the star of the show.
