Heavy music hope: meet HeartSupport Program Assistant Reece Maopolski
“I resonate deeply with HeartSupport’s mission to utilize the beauty of music to heal the scene. Music can heal us from within and strengthen us from without.”
Reece Maopolski might be HeartSupport’s newest staff member, but he is far from new to the organization itself.
As Program Assistant, Reece is joining HeartSupport’s team to support the organization’s core functions of providing peer support and encouragement to those struggling with their mental health. He will help facilitate the moments of connection that are the lifeblood of the HeartSupport community.
This step is a natural one for someone who has been involved in HeartSupport for most of his life.
“I grew up in the metal scene as a lifelong fan of the genre and a touring musician for the past five or so years,” Reece explains. “My family has been longtime fans of August Burns Red. When we heard that Jake Luhrs had a nonprofit focused on spreading hope and developing relationships within the metal scene, as a family we jumped on every opportunity to help where we could! From fundraising to becoming a volunteer replier, HeartSupport has been a huge part of my life since I was about 12 years old.”
Reece’s passion for this work is deeply intertwined in his personal calling as a musician and a mental health advocate. As the bass player in the band of brothers known as Brotality, Reece has had half a decade of witnessing the way that music can be a powerful force for change. He also has his own firsthand experience of struggling with mental health and finding solace in heavy music.
He says, “I've had countless conversations with people at shows who have shared their stories with various mental health issues. As someone who had also experienced their own struggles with anxiety and depression, I've made it my life's mission to bring hope and love to a scene that is too often defined by brokenness and hurt.”
Music first entered Reece’s life when he first picked up an instrument at just 7 years old. Over the next few years, he fell in love. Since he was 10 years old, the musician has lived in this duality: playing music encourages him even as it also encourages those who hear his band.
“I've personally experienced how beautifully impactful music can be in our darkest moments,” he adds. “For so many people, music can be the sole thing they hold onto when the darkness of their struggles threatens to overshadow everything else. Needless to say, I resonate deeply with HeartSupport's mission to utilize the beauty of music to heal the scene. Music can heal us from within and strengthen us from without, and I am so grateful to be a part of this healing opportunity.”
After all of these years, Reece is still finding meaning and making memories through music in fresh ways. If you were to attend an August Burns Red show, you might find him in the pit alongside everyone else.
“I'm reminded of when I attended Christmas Burns Red with my family and a few friends two years ago,” Reece recalls. “During Kublai Khan's set, their vocalist Matt Honeycutt announced that they were playing one of their heaviest, gnarliest songs again, right after just playing it, as a Christmas gift. It was hilarious and brutal, and I ran into the pit with my friend and threw down with a crowd of supportive, excited people. That moment encapsulated so much of what I love about the metal scene: its unmatched energy, its passionate community, and its pure, fun-loving nature.”
Photo by Katie’s Media
Reece has already invested so much in supporting those qualities through his work as a volunteer replier. Volunteers who take time to respond to the comments of those who are struggling are truly at the heart of everything HeartSupport does. They are able to anonymously come alongside someone in their darkest moments, offering solidarity and hope. As part of HeartSupport’s staff, Reece is ready to take that commitment to compassion to the next level.
He says, “At HeartSupport, I hope that I can learn how to best help those who help others. As I have felt called to work within the metal scene to spread hope, I am eager to support those who so often expend themselves selflessly for others. However I can encourage volunteers and those working to help those who are reaching out, I am ready to do whatever it takes to make everyone feel seen, valued, and loved just as they are.”
You can join the incredible team of volunteers that Reece is helping to lead at heartsupport.com/volunteer. Get to know Reece a little more below!
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Dance Gavin Dance
Deafheaven
Dave Matthews Band
Opeth
The Story So Far
Turnover
Radiohead
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Bass and vocals
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It Feeds EP
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Reading
Running
Rock climbing
Writing a fantasy novel
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Instagram @brotality_reece
YouTube: @brotality6217
