Tye Harris Brings His Mental Health Journey Home for Louder Than Stigma

Editor’s Note: This article discusses topics related to mental health, attempted suicide and other topics that may be considered disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.

Music helped Tye Harris when he dealt with some of the darkest moments of his life more than a decade ago. Now, Harris is doing his part to ensure others have access to those types of resources right here in Dallas.

Harris will headline Amplified Minds’ annual Louder Than Stigma benefit concert, which will bring local musicians and visual artists together to raise awareness about mental health and connect concertgoers with helpful resources.

Several Dallas-area visual artists have also designed one-of-a-kind pieces by repurposing clothing that will be available for bidding during live and silent auctions.

While Harris is always thrilled to perform for his hometown audience, Louder Than Stigma hits close to home for Harris.

“I’ve always rapped, but I don’t think it became an actual outlet until I went into Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital in 2015,” Harris said. “That’s when I tapped into a different side of music, for sure.”

Harris attempted suicide in 2015, beginning his own mental health journey. He later spent time at Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital.

“It’s pretty much a full-circle moment, for sure,” Harris said.

Harris said the conversation surrounding mental health in Oak Cliff has shifted since he faced his personal demons. Oak Cliff has always been a community full of creativity and pride, Harris said. However, the stigma surrounding mental health was not as openly discussed when Harris found himself struggling.

“Oak Cliff, of course, has its ups and downs and reputation,” Harris said. “As you can imagine, there wasn’t a lot of awareness back then, but I’d like to think I’ve been a part of the progress that my community has made when dealing with mental health.”

Helping continue that change is what Harris and Amplified Minds hope to accomplish at Louder Than Stigma.

Music weaves directly into Harris’ story because he, like other artists featured at Louder Than Stigma, uses his craft to manage and process trauma in his life.

Although his use of music as an outlet grew from pain, Harris does not always visit that place when he creates. Some songs make him revisit trauma, while others help him remember comfort, positive experiences and better times.

Finding comfort in his music has become an important part of Harris’ career. Combining his rap talents with his background in classical vocal training, Harris has blended genres like hip-hop and opera with piano and personal storytelling.

Building confidence in his artistic blend is something Harris said took time. He spent years learning and expanding his knowledge of music.

“Lots and lots of sight-singing and ear training,” Harris said. “I had great teachers.”

Harris specifically thanked two former teachers: Demetrius Ethley at David W. Carter High School and Dr. Rick Piersall at Abilene Christian University.

Education is something Harris plans to continue to pursue. He hopes to one day return and graduate.

“One of the things I really want to do is go back and finish school,” Harris said.

Specifics on what Harris will perform at Louder Than Stigma are limited, but Harris said he will lean into his background.

“I have something special planned, and I don’t want to give it up so soon,” Harris said. “But my Louder Than Stigma Fest performance will definitely be inspired by Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys, another artist who struggled for years with his mental health.”

Through public struggles, Wilson wrote some of the most iconic music in popular culture during the 20th century.

Mental health and art are complicated. Harris’ decision to honor Wilson embraces that.

Consumers want to hear artists put their pain into music, but Harris said that expectation can become damaging.

“I think all artists, independent artists and artists with big company machines, go through so much,” Harris said. “I think the biggest one may be humiliation, because we’re all just exposed, vulnerable nerves exploited for everyone else’s entertainment.”

Just because someone chooses a public artistic career does not mean that feeling goes away.

“Although it’s the life we chose, it can get a little overwhelming at times,” Harris said.

It is because Harris understands that vulnerability that he thinks artists at any level should have access to mental health resources.

Fans do not see that vulnerability. They see the finished product. They see artists take the stage full of confidence. They are not privy to what most musicians deal with onstage and off.

Louder Than Stigma not only gives artists the opportunity to speak about those vulnerabilities, but it also helps provide people with the tools to work through them.

The influences that shaped Harris throughout his life were not limited to music.

Growing up, basketball was a key component of his identity.

“Basketball will always be my first love,” Harris said.

The sport also helped open the door to classical music.

Harris said he first heard “Lacrimosa,” his favorite Mozart piece, in a Jordan Brand commercial. From there, he fell in love with the sound and would later learn how both passions could influence him long after his playing days ended.

“Basketball is how I found my love for classical music,” Harris said.

Harris remains an avid basketball fan and can regularly be found at Dallas Wings games.

The deeper influence of the game, however, came from what basketball taught Harris on the court.

“Now that I think about it, all the practices from Coach Robert Allen, Coach Damon Barnett, Coach Brian Johnson, Coach Curry, Coach Brian Wilson and Coach Walton at Carter, Atwell and AAU prepared me to be mentally tough in adulthood,” Harris said. “I felt like I could be in any type of situation and come out on top. Even when I felt like I lost my way, I always leaned back on their teachings to help me through life’s toughest times.”

Music now plays a similar role for Harris, but he still carries everything he learned on the court.

Basketball gave him the drive and strength to push through. Classical training helped him develop his craft and introduced him to new sounds. Hip-hop provided him with a means to address his pain and find others who might be going through the same thing.

All of those influences will converge on one Oak Cliff stage.

For Harris, pain is not the only emotion worth exploring through his music.

“Although I relive painful experiences over and over again, I also make it a point to relive good experiences, euphoric feelings and nostalgic memories as well,” Harris said. “It’s a full spectrum of emotions that I get to explore.”

Louder Than Stigma takes place Saturday, Sept. 19, at The Kessler Theater. The lobby opens at 6 p.m., doors open at 7 and the concert begins at 8.