May is when we annually launch Boley Centers on Broadway in collaboration with Destination Theatre. As the curtain rises on this adaptive program, Boley Centers on Broadway shines a spotlight on the vital conversation surrounding mental health, using the transformative power of theater to help the people we serve and to and engage the community. In the same way that Boley Centers and Destination Theatre believe in the therapeutic power of theater, Freeman Sound believes in the therapeutic power of music to support mental health and healing. And like the Boley Centers on Broadway Program aims to destigmatize mental illness and substance use disorders, Freeman Sound is working on this too but in a very personal way. Boley Centers received a generous donation from Freeman Sound this year to help fund this program and founder Sarah McAdoo shares her story of love, loss, and regaining hope through her labor of love in the story below!
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A Boy Who Loved Music
Our family’s connection to Boley Centers runs deep. Our son Kyle became a client around age 23 and stayed with Boley until he passed away in 2016 at just 34. But before his illness, Kyle lived a full, joyful life. He was playful, kind, and absolutely lit up a room. A natural performer from the time he could talk—he’d do impressions at age four, inspired by In Living Color and Jim Carrey, he began crafting his own style of physical comedy. Music was everything to him. He loved going to the skating rink for the music. He skateboarded with a boombox, DJ’d parties in high school, and later decided to attend Full Sail University to study Recording Arts. He had so much passion and creativity—it was simply who he was.
Mental illness can happen suddenly, and for Kyle it did. After graduating and starting his first job in Nashville, he called and asked to come home. I knew the moment I saw him—something was deeply wrong. At first, he was misdiagnosed with depression and given meds he had an allergic reaction to. Then came a full psychotic break. It was heartbreaking. This driven young man who had so much direction refused to believe he had a mental illness. And like many with bipolar disorder, once he felt better, he thought it was gone. The stigma made everything harder. Friends didn’t understand—they told him to “snap out of it” or “get a real job.” That kind of shame was so damaging to Kyle. He only shared his illness with a few people outside our family.
As his illness progressed, our family realized Kyle needed more help than we could give him. Boley Centers was suggested by his doctor. Boley gave Kyle something we couldn’t: structure, support, and space to keep going. He had a medical staff, caseworker, goals, and regular check-ins. He worked his way up to independent living—and that’s when something wonderful shifted. He built a little studio in his apartment and started making music again. He spent mornings at Kahwa Coffee, met musicians to collaborate with and DJ’d at clubs on Central Ave when he was doing well. The cycle was still there though — stop the meds, psychotic break, hospital stay and sometime weeks or months to fully recover. But through it all, his positivity remained intact as he continued to chase his dream. He even found love and had a beautiful son in 2015. Without Boley, I truly believe Kyle wouldn’t have had those last few years. Boley gave him more time, more freedom, more life. And for that, we’re forever grateful.
Although I knew I wanted to carry on the positive force Kyle brought to the world, it took six years to find the strength to create freemansound.org. We believe deeply in the power of music to support mental health and healing. We now organize concerts and donate the proceeds to local mental health organizations that serve those living with mental illness. Our very first donation went to Boley Centers. In doing so, I’ve been able to complete the loop—and it feels empowering to carry this mission forward in Kyle’s name.
Sarah McAdoo
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Earlier this month Freeman Sound presented “SOUND WAVES,” an electrifying M.I.N.D_S.E.T Concert on Pier 60 in Clearwater. The event brought national DJ Mark Farina and Tampa Bay DJs Austen van der Bleek and Jask together for yoga, community, and top entertainment all with the goal of promoting mental healing, raising awareness, and deleting stigma surrounding mental illness.
As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, Boley Centers on Broadway and Freeman Sound both stand as testaments to the power of art and music to heal, unite, and uplift. They remind us of the importance of compassion, support, and community in the journey toward mental wellness. Together, Boley Centers and Freeman Sound are Building Better Tomorrows TODAY!
To learn more about Freeman Sound and the passionate work they are doing, visit www.freemandsound.org.
