On Thursday, November 14th, legendary electronic musician Don Slepian will perform at a supervised ketamine journey in Los Angeles — a groundbreaking event that could pave the future of music-assisted psychedelic therapy. The experience was organized by The MCPI Group, and will be their first in a series of events pairing ketamine group therapy with live music by big-name ambient musicians. Slepian will perform his 1980 landmark Sea of Bliss, widely considered a New Age classic, on a high-resolution quadraphonic sound system by Mobius Acoustics. The group will be limited to 15 patients, and tickets cost between $650 to $875.
Patients attending the event will be given a two-part screening involving psychotherapy and medical intakes. Once they arrive, these participants will be educated about the process of inner journey work, then given a seat on a reclining pad with a blanket, pillow and eye mask. Ketamine will be administered as an intramuscular injection as the music begins to play through a powerful quadraphonic sound system. Clinicians will be present to supervise their journeys, and patients will also be given integration therapy sessions after the event.
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A former computer engineer turned electronic music artist, Slepian began programming computers and building his own electronic instruments in 1968. He gained a reputation as one of the early innovators in electronic music, recognized for his contributions in the late 1970s and 1980s to the New Age music genre, as well as for his technical expertise in digital signal processing and computer-generated sound. He was also a member of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the early 70s, helping to test the experimental computer network ARPANET that was the forerunner of the Internet. Today, he is known for his live, improvised shows using self-constructed synthesizers.
“Don Slepian’s music is recognized as some of the most potent for therapeutic work with ketamine,” said MCPI Group co-founder Matt Baldwin. “We believe that this is because of its depth, complexity, and tranquility. It simultaneously soothes and encourages psychic exploration.” The MCPI Group was co-founded by Baldwin and Dr. Mark Shortt, psychedelic therapists who also run The Ketamine Providers Network and Los Angeles Community Ketamine Clinic. Both Baldwin and Shortt are deeply engaged in expanding the possibilities of therapeutic psychedelic experiences through music; in addition to being a licensed marriage and family therapist, Baldwin is himself a musician who has released an EP with Leaving Records.
“Live music allows the performer to sensitively respond to the feeling in the room and make adjustments to the music,” Baldwin continued. “In this way we believe that there is a unique possibility for the experience to be more attuned and patient-centered than in the case of a static playlist. It’s the same principle that a skillful DJ uses to manage the energy on a dancefloor.”
