Man says learning to DJ “awakened his brain” after serious injury
David Wilson, who is also a drum & bass MC, says he can now learn songs "word for word", describing it as his "superpower"
David Wilson, a 38-year-old man from Basingstoke has said that learning to DJ has "significantly" contributed to his recovery after experiencing a brain injury following a knife attack.
Wilson was stabbed in his right eye back in 2005 and went on to experience significant long-term effects. “My thinking is a bit blurred. I can’t focus on anything for too long without getting confused. I’m learning to walk again now," he told the BBC.
Under the mentorship of Wiltshire DJ Emma Ryalls, Wilson — who was also drum & bass MC before his injury — has been learning to DJ alongside his friend Ashleigh Crowley, who also suffered brain injuries in a car accident in 2007.
According to Wilson's mum, Kim Wilson, the DJ lessons with Ryalls have "really awakened his brain". He's also since started coming up with lyrics. Wilson says he can now listen to a song and learn it "word for word", describing it as his "superpower".
Wilson and Crowley performed their first gig in Salisbury on Friday (17th May) with all proceeds going to anti-knife crime charities.
Emma Ryalls is the mother of Girls Don't Sync DJ Sophia Violet, who headlined the event on Friday.
In recent years, numerous studies and initiatives have shed light on the relationship between music and mental and physical health. In 2022, it was revealed that doctors were developing a music-making app to help reduce the experience of brain fog in cancer patients while in 2021 two studies found that choir-based music therapy can help reduce symptoms of depression in people with dementia.
