“Extreme Healing: The Catharsis of Heavy Metal“ | Michael LaRocco | TEDxBellarmineU

For most of his life, Mike has been obsessed with heavy metal music. He listens to it every day, plays in metal bands, and features it in his academic research. Despite the fact that it is often dissonant, aggressive, ugly, and even violent, it brings him joy and calm like no other genre of music, and during the immense stresses of the COVID pandemic, the brutality of heavy metal provided healing and catharsis. Mike’s talk addresses these apparent contradictions, speaks to the surprising benefits of aggressive music, and considers how extreme times often call for extreme soundtracks. Besides serving as a professor, Michael is a filmmaker and musician. He has an intense obsession with heavy metal music, both personally and professionally. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at