A man who was left with significant brain injuries following an unprovoked attack has found that learning to DJ has helped “awaken his brain”. David Wilson, aged 38, was stabbed in his right eye in 2005. Since then, he has been working with Wiltshire DJ Emma Ryalls to train as a drum’n’bass DJ. His debut performance took place on 17th May in Salisbury.
Formerly a drum’n’bass MC, Wilson had always loved the genre. Since his injury, however, he has had difficulty focusing and walking. Learning to DJ has helped him to regain some of the skills which he had thought lost. “It’s really awakened his brain,” said his mother Kim, adding that he is now able to listen and memorise a piece of music word for word.
Research has shown that listening to and creating music can have positive effects on brain function. In January, for example, a cancer patient underwent brain surgery whilst playing Deftones and System of a Down songs on guitar. The operation involved removing a large, parasagittal meningioma as well as the right inferior frontal gyrus, a region involved in music perception, to aid recovery of the patient’s speech. More recently, a Taylor Swift fan sang the singer’s songs whilst undergoing surgery to remove a tumour. The former surgery, also conducted whilst the patient was awake, helped to reduce the risks of causing harm to normal brain function.
David Wilson highlights the transformative effect that music can have on mental and physical wellbeing. Through music, Wilson has found a way to not only reignite his passion for drum’n’bass, but also to recover some of the skills he had believed forever lost. This highlights the importance of music in helping to overcome life’s obstacles, and how it can positively impact mental health
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