[In Memory of Sten Roer Andersen (1948-2013)]

Sten Roer Anderson

By Dan Gormley

I write this tribute to my friend and colleague Sten Roer Anderson with great sadness. It’s difficult to believe that such an energetic vital man is gone. Hopefully my reflections can give you some impression not only of what he achieved professionally, but also a small flavor of who Sten was as a person. To accomplish this, I’ll be suggesting various songs for you to listen to. As I remember Sten, several key words come to mind: lively, caring, passionate, respectful, proud…

We met sometime in the early 1990s when he came to observe my music therapy sessions on the in-patient psychiatric unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. We shared an interest in using contemporary popular idioms like rock, funk, blues, etc. to help in the treatment of people with psychiatric disabilities. Sten had founded the rock band “Chok-Rock” comprised of psychiatric patients. He had heard that I was using electric guitar to structure clinical improvisations in psychiatric group sessions, and we hit it off immediately. Over the years he attended my sessions on subsequent visits to America, stayed at my home, arranged for me to lecture at his hospital in Aarhus Denmark, and played in jam sessions with my friends and me.

There are several key facets of my recollections of Sten. He was a gregarious, cosmopolitan soul, always looking sharp in his jacket and jeans. With his keen interest in humanity, Sten knew more about American politics than many Americans, and was highly knowledgeable about world events. He cared deeply about the treatment of psychiatric patients, and he loved rock music.

(Listen to “Rock n Roll Music” by Chuck Berry.)

 

When he spoke about his favorite musical instruments he often savored their names, and pronounced them like there was an exclamation point after each one: “Fender Strat!”, “Marshall Stack!!”, “Fender Rhodes!!!”, and “B-3, with a Leslie!!!!” His tastes, though quite broad, leaned towards music with a vital edginess. He was more ‘Stones’ than ‘Beatles’; more ‘Pink Floyd’ than ‘Moody Blues’. He laughed heartily, easily, and often. That exuberance was also how he played music. No excuses given, his playing and singing was an affirmation of being unabashedly alive in the moment.

(Listen to “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” by the Rolling Stones”)

 

This vitality was consistent with the kind of experiences he intended to provide for the members of his band Chok-Rock. He sought to empower them, and give them positive life experiences through bona fide rock music. It was essential that the music be real rock music.

(Listen to “Eruption” by Van Halen.)

 

Not watered down or wimpy in any way. The quality of the music required it to be assertive, proud, strong, loud, and sexy in order for the band members to claim their rightful place in the world and to have the full experience of playing in a real rock band. He worked tirelessly to promote Chok-Rock, and was rightfully proud of their accomplishments.

(Listen to “Pride in the Name of Love” by U2. )

 

Sten was understandably proud of all the gigs the band had performed at. They played at festivals and functions for “big-wigs”. Taking the band on the road meant that Sten and the staff were on duty 24 hours a day. It was a labor of love, an arduous undertaking. In the role of therapist, he and the other staff needed to work carefully to maximize the strengths and minimize the disabilities of the band members who suffered from psychiatric conditions. He worked diligently because he truly cared about empowering psychiatric patients.

(Listen to “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive. )

 

In addition to being proud of his patients, Sten was very proud of his family. He loved to tell me about his children’s accomplishments, and he was so pleased to become a grandfather.

He was passionate about the power of music to provide positive life experiences for his patients that they would otherwise been unable to access.

(Listen to “Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin” by Sly and the Family Stone. )

 

He was dedicated to the notion that the people he served should have the benefits of playing music in a rock group setting in order for them to live more fully. He respected them as fellow human beings with talents. His idea never was to pander, but rather, to help them focus on and maximize their strengths through their musical creativity. Naturally, this required accommodating the disabilities imposed by their conditions. Sten truly related to them as fully equal adults in the effort to restore dignity and autonomy that psychiatric conditions often diminish. This was an integral aspect of his approach.

Sten will be missed by all those whose lives he touched: his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his band.

(Listen to “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” by Jeff Beck.)

 

I wish you had met him. He was one of a kind.