Q7 Do you have any thoughts why mental

illness is so common in this profession? Or

any other comments?
Answered: 487 Skipped: 699

# Responses Date

1 I feel the pressure of others expectations of me as a musician. Late nights getting home from gigs. Having to find 1/18/2017 4:48 PM
work without an agent or manager Finding the right band members. Having to to do "Dep" gigs Not having a regular
income.

2 Perfectionism, Self criticism, Uncertainty. 1/10/2017 10:50 PM

3 Self criticism is the killer! 1/10/2017 4:11 PM

4 Repeated life style or hard work followed with little or no praise or thanks for the work you have done. But with the 1/8/2017 8:36 PM
added stress of the tiniest mistake can be blown out of proportion. Being around those with inflated egos can create
a toxic environment for a musician that is down to earth.

5 I believe that to be a successful musician, your songs have to have meaning and honesty. If you're a musician on the 1/8/2017 12:33 AM
fringes of folk like I am, most of your songs will more than likely be sad. If you've had a lot of sad experiences, then
you are more likely to be able to write with honesty and perhaps meaning in terms of how concrete you can make
your lyrics. If you have more meaning and honesty in the words, and the music is good, then it's more likely that you
connect with your audience and are 'successful'. That would suggest to me that there would be a trend that
'successful' musicians would tend to come from a more painful place than the average person. On top of this, being a
musician exacerbates the pain. For example, amongst the many traumatic things that have happened to me that I
write and sing about; my drug and alcohol addictions, witnessed a murder, been victim to a serious assault that left
me partially paralysed and with brain damage, broken relationships... etc. When I sing about these things and my
anxiety and depression in general, I have the pressure of the actual performance, then I have the pressure of sharing
the intimacy of the words, then I have the post traumatic stress of reliving the incidents, then finally I have the self-
critical stage afterwards where NOTHING is ever quite good enough (in my mind) - regardless of what others tell me.
Many of the musicians I know closely have had negative experiences in their youth. Being a musician is stressful and
financially very difficult. Yes, family members/partners make you feel guilty for being at home all day. Yes, when you're
at home all day, you're not interacting with other people. Yes, you are constantly being judged - most sincerely by
yourself. Life, for me, is a struggle that being a musician soothes and torments me in equal measure. Constant
Follower

6 I think that we experience pressure of a mental nature due to so much planning and preparation, practicing, dealing 1/5/2017 10:09 PM
with choir progression and learning. We are sensitive people, true artists who work hard for not a lot. Now we
servants of the Church are to be self employed and cast adrift into the world of different tax returns, which brings its
own stress. We have become contractors, not employees.

7 Being a musician is all of my life and I reckon I've had a successful career. But now (at 70) I'm expected to pay to 1/5/2017 3:20 PM
make music with others, where earlier I was paid. This sets up a feeling that my whole life was spent doing something
others can do anyway, without investment of time and energy...

8 Most of the problems I have had are around balancing with degree and now a research degree. I study an unrelated 1/5/2017 12:13 AM
subject, however I simply cannot stop seeking to play gigs despite the distraction it causes me. The buzz from doing
gigs is just so addictive even though I can't afford to make it my full time job.

9 Every success and failure we feel as musicians seem to come from a place where music takes shape and becomes 1/4/2017 1:10 AM
more than just noise. Our hearts and souls are always responsible for our work - that's what makes music human. So
for everything that can happen to our psyche, by putting our heart and soul out there, it's impossible to protect our
emotions as they are martyrs to their own creativity.

10 Uncertainty of bookings. Travel between gigs. Away from family. 1/3/2017 10:44 PM

11 I'm not sure that I would agree that mental illness is more common amongst musicians than any other profession. 1/3/2017 8:48 PM
Understanding a little about scientific methodology, I would argue very strongly that it is exceedingly difficult to gain
accurate reliable real-world data on mental illness, as either the sufferer is not prepared to communicate her
suffering, or, more commonly, the sufferer does not recognise or understand that they are suffering from mental
illness. If all that is nonsense, perhaps one of the reasons that music attracts people who suffer is because it involves
bearing one's soul to complete strangers on a regular basis. Few other occupations have this in common possibly
teaching, stand-up comedy, acting I wonder if one looks closely at these professions, one would find similar levels
of mental ill health(Look at the number of top comedians who take their own lives Tony Hancock and Robin
Williams being the most obvious).. Hearsay evidence would also suggest a strong link between having parents who
suffer depression, or who are absent (which amounts often to the same thing), and being involved with music. It's a
fascinating subject good luck with your research. I'm Jonathan Williams, and you can reach me at
jonohot@hotmail.com

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12 It's a hard industry where luck is more to do with work than talent ! 1/3/2017 4:14 PM

13 Some customers or clients i some venues can be quite rude and expect you as a musician to be a human iPod or 1/3/2017 11:18 AM
jukebox that plays the genre/style of music that 'they' want, when you are a musician that works in certain genre's.
E.G, being soul/jazz/blues/reggae musician being told that you are rubbish because you don't play any Elvis songs.
Or as happend to me and a fellow musician on New Years Eve, being told that nobody likes your music and that you
are just playing for yourselves. The lady who said this was very rude but what she said was untrue as many other
guests were shaking our hands at the end and saying how good we were and could they have a business card. If you
are a solo musician with low emotional resilience then rude comments can contribute towards a low mood.

14 Work can be hard to get hold of and once obtained, repeat business can be challenging. 12/30/2016 2:51 PM

15 Some people put pressure on themselves, others don't. 12/30/2016 3:37 AM

16 Artists deeply feel most aspects of their lives. Some of us are wont to imbibe in alcohol & drugs which lead to other 12/30/2016 12:13 AM
risky behaviors. While we often examine ourselves, we can then chastise ourselves for things we believe to be
inappropriate or wrong in our art &/or our lives. Those who often tour can lose touch with family & friends aka loved
ones, which causes great pain & loss. This leads to estrangement, divorce, tremendous feelings of remourse, guilt.
Perhaps any combination of these things to include turning around our day & night schedules can cause mayhem
with our lives & minds.

17 Please produce the research for a truly ridiculous thesis statement. All the professionals I have known for 60 years 12/29/2016 11:57 PM
are well adjusted, and stable and most continue to "take lessons" from other professionals.

18 Stressful spending lots of time learning things to be paid (usually my enough) means you any spend much time on 12/29/2016 12:05 PM
the original music you love which you don't get paid for. Balancing is difficult . People don't treat musicians fairly, they
don't pay us properly or see it as a real career

19 I think creative people are probably more susceptible to mental illness in general- that can manifest in both positive 12/28/2016 10:41 PM
and negative ways. Our obsessive nature pushes us to become better at what we do but this often comes hand in
hand with extreme self-criticism. My self-analysing has also spilled over into personal relationships- often I expect as
much (too much) from those closest to me as I do myself which I'm sure makes me difficult to live with at times.
Performing in general makes you susceptible to extreme highs and lows depending on the gig and post-gig
"hangovers" are common. I think being aware of how this affects us, chemically, helps. I know how my body reacts to
performing, being on tour, how it's harder to sleep after a gig, etc which makes it easier to deal with. In my case I
think the way my mind works makes me a better musician but a difficult person to be in a relationship with- so creates
loneliness.

20 It's something a lot of people tune to and when you find that it takes your mind away from shite then people with 12/28/2016 1:45 PM
larger problems will exceed more cause they use it as a crutch more than a hobby

21 People and audiences tell you you're a success by coming in their thousands to listen to you. I think I'm very lucky. 12/28/2016 10:38 AM

22 Creative people by nature are often more sensitive to many things, including being aware of others, mass opinion or 12/26/2016 2:21 PM
consciousness (audience), we are constantly put in positions where people openly judge us for what we do and how
we do it, there seems to be very little understanding from non-musicians about how much work goes into one
performance, or the effect that performing can have on each person's mental health. Also, in my experience with
severe work place bullying as a professional musician, it is people within the industry who perpetuate the
competitiveness instead of working together.

23 I think stress induced mental illness is common in this industry due to the mental and physical strains musicians 12/24/2016 2:22 AM
endure to maintain their career; however I also know many musicians and creatives (including myself) who are
otherwise prone to mental illness, to embracing irregular routines, to bursts of motivation and periods of apathy
and/or lack of motivation - it seems that the creative learning and thinking type that is drawn to this industry is often
also the type that is naturally prone to these things. We crave the high and the exciting touring and gigging and
creating life, and then suffer severe lows.

24 I have struggled with mental illness in the past. For me, it was that the music I was creating was soo emotional and I 12/23/2016 10:13 PM
was very vulnerable (I personally think that this vulnerability is vital for intimate performances and collaboration, and
is a truly beautiful thing), but with vulnerability comes the risk of failure and having your hard work thrown back in
your face. For me it all started in the run up to undergraduate auditions for conservatoires. The stress and fear of not
being wanted/accepted/valued by any institutions was overwhelming. Practice became the most important thing in
my life, leading to suffering health and increased stress, meaning that the practice I did was a lot less constructive
and I found myself very frustrated. I knew what I had to do - how I wanted to play and how I wanted to sound - but my
body would not let me communicate this. I am primarily a classical musician, and the industry is disgusting at the
moment, to the extent that I have pretty much given up on any dream of an orchestral career. There is the fact that in
order to network successfully (particularly in London, where I live), one must drink heavily and socialise in pubs and
bars until ridiculous times in the night, after every single performance/rehearsal/recording. It is known that failure to
do so will result in not getting booked again. I find that musicians (not just myself) are faced with this decision of to try
and socialise with everyone at all times and get very little sleep, which affects work the following day, or get a name
for being antisocial and not fun to work with. Sorry if this sounds like a bit of a rant, but I think this is a great survey
and thought I should share!

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25 Apart from self reward i.e the pleasure one gets from playing and performing, the other key type of reward is from 12/23/2016 3:49 PM
audience and venue hosts. Many audiences can be extremely fickle and playing the same set in front of 2 very
similar audiences can have polarised reviews and responses causing drmataic uncertainty. Financially the business
is almost entirely unrewarding and 'live' musicians are entirely thought of as people not worthy of earning a decent
payment because their 'work' is something they just happen to enjoy. A lot of people envy that because a lot of people
feel they have to work in jobs they don't enjoy to earn a living and so it is begrudged. Strangely enough, people will
pay several hundreds of pounds plus travel costs and taking time off work to see a small number of high flying bands
who are at best mediocre or 'dialling it in' and begrudge paying a nominal fee to see dedicated excellent performers
giving it all they have and are often far more entertaining. There really needs to be a shake up of the industry if
musicians are ever going to have a blanced and healthy life. Venues and hosts should take the same attitude to pay
and conditions in the same way they do for staff working in their venues

26 Dont always have the time and/or money to take professional advice 12/23/2016 1:20 PM

27 Non musicians do not understand in the slightest the amount of life long effort that has gone into learning your 12/23/2016 12:25 AM
instrument and what this means to you in terms of identity...as a result you can be left feeling very misunderstood,
isolated and lonely.

28 I have worked for over 30 years professionally across many musical genres and I'm not sure I've met more 'mentally 12/22/2016 11:58 AM
ill' people in music than I have in other walks of life. I think we put ourselves through a lot, but we also gather the skills
of a creative mind to resolve many of our issues. Many musicians are carried away with the hedonistic aspects of
what we do early on in their careers and some don't make it through, but most do and most of them find balance. Its
easy to portray the 'artist' as being troubled and thats because in a sense, its a part of that mind set, but I think its to
easy for us to indulge in this and feel sorry for ourselves. Mental illness is serious and in a creative mind fuled by
living in a world of metaphor and wonder, some people loose perspective. We are also looking for acceptance as
artists and this leaves us fundamentally insecure on a public platform....obviously that can lead to problems, but I
really feel that we have to solve these problems for ourselves. Its something we should take more seriously in our
teaching: to give advice to younger musicians and to act as guides and mentors in the way we behave as role models
for the younger generation of musicians. I feel we as artists need to take control of our lives and our environment and
build bridges between us and not fall victim to the pursuit of the individual. To pursue a collective sense of community
where we can begin to take confidence in what we do and realise that every day we solve so many problems. Ours is
a problem solving life, and if we stick with it, we develop skill sets that can help not only ourselves but others too. The
first stage in that is to accept who we are. Of course we live in a mentally precarious state, that is the nature of it, but
there are ways of balancing and dealing with that and the most healthy and productive one is to talk to each other and
support each other. I'm forming a company at the moment in Scotland called the Community of Musicians..... we are
launching it in the new year. Its part of a bigger project connected to the Grit Orchestra which came together to
celebrate Martyn Bennet but which now has a life of its own and is going on to become a new cross genre orchestra.
The sense of community from Jazz, Traditional and Classical musicians all playing together made me realise how
strong we become if we share each others knowledge and take strength from that. Its too easy for us to wallow and
become isolated as musicians, but it is within our power to take control of our lives and become better artists and
more balanced people. The Community of Musicians will be a forum and a support group for knowledge sharing, like
a large production hub. Gaining identity and learning new skills and musical dialects will be at the centre of its
purpose. I have known many troubled souls in my life as a musician and i have often been one myself and may
continue like this for the rest of my time......but music is also the healer. We are involved in a thing of such beauty and
such human need that to learn to celebrate it and love it is the only way forward. Along the way, some people fall and I
have buried many friends. some troubled some not, but if we come together and learn from each other instead of
'suffering' in silence, then I think we can find the cure for our existentialist despair in the very nature of Music itself.
Greg Lawson ps. who ever is running this survey, please feel free to get in touch because once the Community of
Musicians is up and running it would be good to be as informed as possible about the issues people may have
discussed here on this survey. As I said, COM is about learning and sharing so perhaps we could share and learn
from each other here and put things in place to help others. gregbagel@gmail.com

29 So far I've identified two reasons 1) people who crave highs are drawn to a profession that has a nightly high from 12/22/2016 8:28 AM
stage performance. 2) Mental health is a spectrum and also can ebb and flow over a lifetime due to brain chemistry
and situational crises. Things like good sleep, routine, exercise and only moderate use of drugs and alcohol can help
stabilize mood in any person. Not tending to these things can destabilize mood in any person. Things like endorphin
high from the stage can become a daily dose of a drug. When you leave tour you need to have a tapering
mechanism to ween yourself off this daily high. There are healthy and non healthy mechanisms. Spicy food or
running vs drugs and alcohol. **side note: how do we access your findings from this survey?

30 Often smarter people have issues. 12/21/2016 12:12 PM

31 I feel the personal investment, and the connection between profession and the core the person, result in the changes 12/21/2016 11:43 AM
in external appearance/appreciation affecting the inner more so than in many other 'conventional' occupations.

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32 Lack Of sleep,rubbish food,lack of exercise,working through the day as self employed in another job then working of 12/20/2016 7:50 PM
an evening self employed takes its toll through exhaustion.trying to be nice to people all day and evening when they
are pure dicks takes it out of you drsinung your energy.trying to be creative and constantly thinking takes it of you but
it can also work in your favour as it filters through your music

33 I think it is so unsertin whether you get work or not. It makes it difficult to secure a loan for whatever reason let it be a 12/20/2016 7:08 PM
car or just to pay household bill's.

34 The strength you have to show for a performance is important, pressure and commitment. Low income and variable 12/20/2016 6:47 PM
income is a big factor. The unknown in your choice of career and knowing that your last performance has to be your
best.

35 The constant need to pick yourself back up and the pressures of trying to get regular work. I personally have to work 12/20/2016 4:04 PM
as a gardener part time just to keep me from going into my overdraft each month.

36 No daily routine. As a student my timetable changes every day, making my day stressful and unsettled. 12/20/2016 2:25 PM

37 Lack of security and stability relating to work and income. The continued opportunity to criticise yourself more than 12/20/2016 12:03 PM
other professions when, for example, not chosen for roles. There's no such thing as 'making it' or reaching a level of
perfection, you're constantly bettering yourself and learning which can lead to a feeling of never being good enough.

38 Self doubt. Under paid for the amount of work. Working in symphony orchestras with colleagues Of a similar nature. 12/20/2016 11:52 AM

39 I am reluctant to go into this as I feel we need to keep perspective. Just think about firemen - The police - Nurses. 12/20/2016 11:51 AM
We mostly choose to do it for the great satisfaction involved.

40 The competitive nature of the industry I think is what gets me, pressure to have your own voice otherwise play covers 12/20/2016 10:49 AM
every night. Thanks for this survey

41 The creativeness of a musician goes hand in hand with depression. We experience extreme lows and highs, for me 12/20/2016 9:07 AM
personally I'm always in my head. Not to be cheesy but we feel and experience life at different levels than those who
don't write music. I need to write lyrics to get over something or to get out of a funk.

42 Lack of routine,poor food,sleep and exercise when touring are big factors,lack of time to build up other friendships 12/20/2016 8:36 AM
and maintain relationships also factor.the contrast between the buzz of playing and the boredom of long periods of
sitting around waiting or having to be sociable for long periods of time is hard.

43 I think it's very difficult to be a part time musician. I find that I spend all my time doing the 'wrong' thing by not 12/20/2016 7:11 AM
practicing or writing music, and that leads to feeling bad about oneself because I'm not improving etc. I would also
say that being a creative person who is largely unable to use my time constructively due to work and social
commitments is depressing. Not to mention constant judgement by people listening to music I produce. Very often
people will think a band who jumps around or looks good are better than really quality musicianship these days, and
it makes you wonder whether learning to be great at something is worthwhile when people thrashing out chords
badly are often give more accolades.

44 The 'Yes' / 'No' functions on the survey seem too black and white, there are some questions I'd like to have answered 12/20/2016 2:29 AM
'Sometimes' or other answers to.

45 Creative brain?? 12/20/2016 1:12 AM

46 Many musicians are not 'stable' in the first place , that's why and it's what drives them. 12/20/2016 12:14 AM

47 The unsocial hours. Performing for others who are having a good time while you are disconnected. Inability to allow 12/20/2016 12:14 AM
time off because of fear of loss of income. Non musicians view of being a musician as not being a real job and the
constant self questioning that comes along with that. The meaning of a successful musician is???

48 Stigma. People don't understand why we choose to do what we do in the first place and expect us to be able to just 12/19/2016 11:23 PM
walk away from it

49 I don't know why, but I instinctively feel that there is a link to the sensitivity and introspection that is such a common 12/19/2016 10:51 PM
characteristic of composers and other artists (no matter how well hidden!) and the need - the compulsion - to keep
working creatively. Although I am fully recovered, I was once diagnosed with clinical depression. I think that an
empathic sensitivity coupled with the requirement for 'toughness' in terms of business, performance, criticism etc can
make certain 'types' vulnerable to 'burning out' or similar. I am one of those types ?? For background, I'm a Brit,
currently working in the USA. I spent the first ten years or so of my career as a session and touring musician, then
became a full-time composer. I rarely play live these days, I'm almost exclusively studio-based.

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50 I believe that there may be a strong correlation with creative minds and personalities. I have always been quite a 12/19/2016 9:42 PM
sensitive, empathic person which has made me a good musician but works against me in my personal relationships
sometimes. There are other factors in my experience that could contribute to mental health issues eg a societal
stigma that being a musician isn't a 'real' job and by no means a viable career. This has created tension between
myelf and others as well as me putting more pressure on myself to work harder sometimes to the point of working
more hours. 'Burn out' could also massively add to mental illness as a lot of musicians I have worked with, icluding
myself, have not a lowed sick time when it is needed and ended up comprising their health in the long term. Also, the
failure of others to accept that we do this job for the love and passion for making music!

51 It can be brutal, tiring and precarious. 12/19/2016 9:05 PM

52 It goes with the territory. Artistic, Creative people and mental illness. 12/19/2016 5:41 PM

53 I also think it's worth drawing the links between people who struggle with mental health that go into music. It's a very 12/19/2016 4:47 PM
cathartic and rewarding place, making music, and it's easy to fall into it on a low level. I think a lot of people go into
the profession already struggling, higher than other professions because the rush, the emotive, the beautiful nature
of it does help with mental health. The lifestyle is detrimental to mental health at time too, mostly because of a lack of
stability (schedule and financial, but parts of that suit me very well too) but a good support network helps that. In
general musicians experience the greatest highs and the greatest lows, it is a lifestyle as a well as a profession. You
can't treat it like a 'normal profession' because it isn't one.

54 My thoughts on why mental illness is so common in this profession are that it could be due to - The constant 12/19/2016 2:55 PM
uncertainty of where the next job is coming from and when - The fear of losing everything you have achieved Seeing
the things that family and friends have achieved through having much more stability in their lives, and wishing that
you could have those things. The list could go on and on.

55 I believe it may have something to do with talented musicians feeling a sense of worthlessness. I think this may be a 12/19/2016 1:47 PM
theme running through the reason why mental illness is high amongst musicians. Perhaps, there is an inherent lack
of appreciation towards the talent of the performer both from the general society but more importantly from close
friends, family and ultimately themselves. An extreme lack of stability in financial terms and sometimes no upward
progression in our field too are definitely factors. An excellent study to do by the way and good luck ??

56 I think the music business has a lot of problems being that record companies take 88% of the profits and your line of 12/19/2016 5:35 AM
work tends to be less stable and more irregular. You are constantly in the atmosphere of parties and celebrations
that it can be tempting to do dangerous an threatening things to your family relationships and your health, ergo Sex
Drugs and Rock and Roll .All anyone has to do to document this hazard is to listen to Pink Floyds The Wall which is
an accurate description of this professions hazards.

57 The lead songwriter in one of my old bands suffered from pretty serious Schizophrenia but was one of the most 12/19/2016 2:08 AM
prolific and talented composers I've known. But I don't think mental illness is a cause of musicianship so much as
people who don't always fit in as totally normal tend to be drawn to creative outlets for expression. I also believe the
old adage "genius has a price" is generally true. Being a performing musician requires a great deal of time and
dedication to honing those skills, often starting lessons as a child when brain development is still fairly plastic. And
perhaps that time spent dedicated to their craft comes at the sacrifice of development in other areas. Another
talented musician I know also had schizophrenia in his family though he himself does not suffer from it. He does
however have perfect pitch and from what I understand there is documented correlation between perfect pitch and
schizophrenia. As both a musician and visual artist I know exactly how hard creatives are on themselves. I don't think
you can become a talented or skilled creative with that constant desire to be better. It's the thing that drives us and
we would be lost without it. While harsh self criticism has certainly taken its toll on my own self-esteem it should not
be mistaken as a cause for sadness or depression. In fact, I can confidently say I am at my most depressed (I should
clarify I mean this colloquially and not clinically) when I am not productive and lose that drive to be creative. That self-
deprecation is the driving influence in my life and allows me to constantly strive to improve. Personally I've never
been diagnosed with any sort of illness, and most of my musician friends haven't either. But to say that most of them
are perfectly well-adjusted and not suffering from their particular brand of personal quirks would be short sighted. As
for myself I recognize that I've become socially akward and have a hard time connecting with normal people. Maybe
it's simply because I've associated with musicians so long that I only know how to speak our own language and have
forgotten how to socialize with regular people. This has led to a certain amount of social anxiety and difficulty meeting
or interacting with people but in general it's not an issue. Anyway it's a complex topic but I can't say whether the
eccentricities come from being a musician or if those with eccentricities are simply drawn to creative endeavours. I
think it's a bit of a chicken and egg problem. Hope that helps. Good luck with your study!

58 Music is introspective and emotional-- it definitely isn't an empty profession 12/18/2016 9:30 PM

59 Becoming a musician or any other artist is indicative of a mental illness to start with. A musician lifestyle just 12/18/2016 9:24 PM
exacerbates underlying mental illnesses.

60 Self doubt, self-deprecation, desire to be liked 12/18/2016 8:38 PM

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61 fuccbois think they can just waltz in and `work hard` and get places with just determination. well it aint so. its not 12/18/2016 8:30 PM
about passion, its not about work ethic, its not about knowing the right people. you just gotta study the trends and
abuse the data. add in some luck and a charming smile and you start to get place. keep your expectations healthy
and low. basically i think theyre all depressed little shits because the media has sold them a lie about the life of a
musician, especially those fucken heartwrenching shitshows about the struggling artist who just scrapes by. fuck off,
its not that simple.

62 Mental illness is probably a pre-requisite for wanting to be a musician. One has to be a little unstable to begin with to 12/18/2016 8:20 PM
want to live this life.

63 I would imagine that a primary reason for mental illness being so prevalent within the musical profession, particularly 12/18/2016 6:11 PM
the solo musical artist, is that it provides an escapist relief for the mental and emotional disturbances that person
feels. While the rest of the world may be in constant flux, music provides a metaphorical safety net. Through music,
we can achieve deep introspection, but also develop a layer that separates us from the natural world (that idealistic
perspective, or rather, delusion). Further, the adrenaline released from live performances would have similar
addictive properties of many drugs, and often times performers will chase that high with actual drugs, resulting in a
mild preexisting mental instability to spiral downwards in conjunction with mood altering narcotics.

64 Very lonely career. Constantly competitive Disrespected profession by society, sometimes even close friends and 12/18/2016 6:08 PM
family

65 It attracts people who don't normally fit in more conservative avenues. I feel self esteem is lower by creative people 12/18/2016 5:55 PM
in ones core even if on the outside they might not reflect that.

66 Sensitive souls are drawn to this life. People who care about art more than money. Progress is slow and success is 12/18/2016 4:49 PM
rare.

67 Labels and judgements effect all. Everyone struggles. Musicians at least vent. Some still drown, I believe they should 12/18/2016 4:34 PM
see past the separation aspect, however ego is a devious slave master and clever. Love is all.

68 I believe we are a high risk 12/18/2016 3:20 PM

69 Expectations like being excellent Uncertainty of income Personal nature of performance. 12/18/2016 3:00 PM

70 Musicians are generally lonely a lot and live in a state of financial instability. Also because its a performance or a 12/18/2016 2:51 PM
work of art, your job can be critiqued and can knock confidence

71 The whole idea is to remain on the WANTED list, the list where people want to hire you. It's so easy to slip up and all 12/18/2016 2:27 PM
of a sudden somebody else is on the list and you're no longer a wanted act.

72 There are a lot of highs and lows in the profession. You tend to enter the profession because of your sheer love of 12/18/2016 12:24 PM
music and performing but that is not enough to sustain a career. Music has an incredible power to bring people
together but also, when it is your job, there can be periods of lonliness. You have to practise and evolve and you
need alone time to do that. It is all about finding a work/life balance and gigging schedules do not always allow this.
Like any one who is self-employed you have to take the work when it is there. This can take its toll on family life too.
My favourite times are creating music. Not necessarily performing in front of audiances but the actually development
of the music itself - the rehearsal time.

73 Instability. Society in general does not support or truly appreciate musical arts. Family and friends don't understand 12/18/2016 11:42 AM
what we feel. Financial pressure. Relationship pressures. Creative minds may be more susceptible to negative
influences.

74 I think the lack of stability is a main contributing factor combined with often low levels of income for the amount of 12/18/2016 11:35 AM
time and effort required for some areas of work. Many people can feel overstretched as a result and the distinction
between work and personal life can become very blurred. Being a self-employed musician can also sometimes paint
you in an unfavourable light to other people who do not recognise your job as a serious profession and understand
the amount of time, effort and dedication that is required to maintain a career in this area.

75 Interesting to find out if people with mental illness are more likely to be musicians, or if musicians are more likely to 12/18/2016 9:43 AM
develop mental illness. I would expect the former.

76 I think this profession is a waste of time, life and public resources, and not needed by anybody except musicians 12/18/2016 3:55 AM
themselves. I don't like 95% of my job. Bear in mind it that I do it professionally (earning my living with it) since 1990,
and I've toured most of the world, including preforming at top venues and festivals, so I really know what I'm talking
about. However, there are still some 'islands' (like Japan) where what we produce is required, but they are rather
exceptions.

77 Artistic people are often empaths; empaths often struggle with the constant bombardment of emotion. 12/18/2016 2:51 AM

78 I was a full time professional musician until file-sharing began and music became devalued. 12/17/2016 10:55 PM

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79 I am not blaming others but it does feel like in institutions we are often pushed to practise more and more and given 12/17/2016 9:28 PM
examples of other people that practised a lot without much context about how they practised or whether they were
happy or mentally balanced etc. In exercise this kind of behaviour is seen as a really negative thing called over
training but in Music it is quite often prized as the bench mark to reach to be a good musician.

80 I think there is a huge amount of pressure on musicians to be competitive with each other and therefore some of the 12/17/2016 8:03 PM
closest people around them. I believe this often leads to heavy criticism both of themselves and their peer group,
even friends; which leads on to a distancing of friendships and therefore a feeling of loneliness. I personally
consciously avoid taking on or giving any criticism that is not constructive and well intentioned. I also hold strongly to
my personal beliefs and reasons for doing music, though I recognise the difficulty of doing this within the current
music industry.

81 Capitalism 12/17/2016 4:03 PM

82 Music is a therapeutic enterprise, as much for the musician as for the listeners. 12/17/2016 3:37 AM

83 Perhaps as you are putting a product or performance out there into the public domain, opening it up to such scrutiny, 12/17/2016 2:13 AM
and because music is something so subjective- theres a lot of pressure to get it right yet there isnt is a 'right' as it can
always be better. This can mean that you are rarely full satisfied with a performance and so in many people this
kindles a deep rooted feeling of inadequacy, and is it is seemingly impossible to ever be perfect. Also you learn to be
scrutinise your work so much in the practice room that it can be hard to leave the mentality of picking holes in
yourself and work in the practice room. The job can also be lonely, with hours spent practising. Also- which is the
cause and which the effect in the correlation e.g. Could it be that more people with mental illness are drawn to the
arts and pursue music, and it is not due to the studying of music itself that causes the illnesses?

84 Members of the public and some organisations responsible for booking musicians do not intrinsically value musicians. 12/17/2016 12:39 AM
We are expected to work longer for less, be grateful for the 'exposure', provide music in inadequate venues, without
proper musical parts, double multiple instruments and invariably have to play any kind of style of music required as
one cannot always afford to be choosy about which work to accept. All this while trying to maintain one's own
standards of playing and hanging onto the hope that it will get better and that it is even possible to live the dream and
earn a living playing music you love. It is enough to make anyone depressed.

85 Huge amounts of pressure, self-critiquing, competition and insecurity. 12/16/2016 11:58 PM

86 See above.. 12/16/2016 10:02 PM

87 Because it's so undervalued by society. I mean, everyone says "oh, wow!" after gigs, but they don't see the hard work 12/16/2016 8:57 PM
that goes into it and tend to equate what I do (play in a duo in pubs) with karaoke or X Factor or some such crap.

88 You are sitting amongst highly critical people in the section. You have 2,000 audience watching your every move. 12/16/2016 8:37 PM
Good music making should be made from the sub conscious. This is obviously impossible when you are made to feel
totally self conscious. But you have to shoulder on because you'll lose your house and your family will starve if you
don't.

89 Dealing with the need to create in the of an uncaring world 12/16/2016 8:01 PM

90 Performance element - one good performance doesn't guarantee a next People - as in fellow musicians - can be 12/16/2016 7:46 PM
cruelly critical although through their own insecurities it can make work/rehearsal space difficult

91 Artistic people are often perfectionists and they are also the type of people who suffer from stress. 12/16/2016 6:17 PM

92 I think one of the most prominent reasons would be that, as you often can't differentiate work from leisure, having 12/16/2016 5:14 PM
your work be so often undervalued, underpaid and unrecognised leaks into your personal life. Great survey, good
luck with your research!

93 The instability in all levels of work; quantity of work, money, respect, forward planning must be high up there on 12/16/2016 4:26 PM
causing mental health problems. We don't get yearly work reviews, or have a line manager we can talk to if there are
problems. We have to deal with all issues, if you are an anxious person this can cause many worries. It's a
precarious living, especially when you have responsibilities. For me, I gained more perspective on life as a musician
when my personal life became more stable. Married to a non musician and now with children has given me
perspective towards my career that I definitely lacked in my 20's. A secure and supportive family can be such a
positive thing for a musician. Many, I think don't have at support.

94 Lack of socialization skills. Some musicians are so in their own head that they've lost the ability to interact properly 12/16/2016 3:33 PM
with others, thereby heightening their own sense of isolation.

95 Musicians know it is an odd profession and thus more likely to admit it. 12/16/2016 3:28 PM

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96 I think that to be an artist of any kind means having a deep connection to the human condition, which almost always 12/16/2016 2:54 PM
comes along with an extreme personality type, and therefore more extreme moods and emotions. A lot of more
"sensible" musicians I know I would not say are artists and therefore able to lead a more normal life. Also the sheer
difficulty in being a professional musician can lead to health problems, you have to be very, very good and that means
not having a normal life. Also, to produce the kind of energy for a performance that people feel they are entitled to in
these days, it often takes some kind of substance, considering we'll have often just picked up a full PA system, driven
five hours, set up the PA system and soundchecked all on our own. Even if that substance is caffeine, you need a lot
of it to get to that level. I think that's the same for every musician.

97 lack of proper pay rates, huge level of rejection, continued need to 'party' in order to network, 12/16/2016 2:08 PM

98 I think all these questions hit the nail on the head! It is a ridiculous way to make a living and maintain regular 12/16/2016 1:56 PM
relationships/family commitments unless everyone who is affected within your circle can relate to what you are doing,
and is understanding. I took a gig tomorrow which is the 1st anniversary of my mum's death. I didn't know what else
to do. To be honest it's the only thing I CAN do! I had to move my wedding day because I got offered a really good
gig. Luckily I was marrying another musician therefore there was understanding from him. NOT from the rest of the
family though!! (And then marrying another musician has brought its own issues - both of us away for weeks.
Adjusting when back from touring, we are constantly asking 'who got the gig in the diary first?', therefore the other
has to find childcare if they get offered a gig on the same day. Another whole survey on that! To be honest we now
live apart as we need the space to work and exist. But we are still together as partners, just not able to coexist in the
same small house with child.) I went back to work (full on rehearsals, then teaching and concerts at the Harp
Festival) a week after I had my baby as who else could do what I was offering? To find a dep was really hard, it let
my fellow musicians down, everyone was 'depending' on me. So I went back. I breastfed through soundchecks, in
breaks from workshops, constantly had two heads on, one musician, one mum. So not thinking about my own needs
at all. This is a huge issue for me. And as a consequence I have suffered huge back/hips injuries which has resulted
in two back operation in the last four years. This is a huge regret. Why did I let my music commitments mean more to
me than my time with my week old baby?? Why did I continue touring when my mum was dying last year? I did
cancel it eventually but my word, it took a huge effort to do that. And then I was gigging 3 days later again.... FFS. I
find the issue of 'looking like you are coping in order to be hireable' is HUGE. I cannot appear to be fragile,
vulnerable, flaky. I have gone through twenty years of various counsellers, studied some NLP, did CBT for three
months, had been hooked on antidepressants for many years (doctors DON'T help a lot of the time - pills and more
pills to counteract the side effects of the other pills... and on it goes) saw psychiatrists, blah blah. No help. I now use
light therapy which helps, and manage the back pain with herbal remedies and natural ways. And I try to access
help, comfort, support where I can (in a quiet, hope nobody notices that I might be having a bad time). But not very
much. It's much easier (?? yes, more comfortable in my discomfort) to hide and pretend it/me isn't there. And I
promote anything I can which helps i.e. samaritans number, depression support. I will be honest with people that I
have gone through a lot of this but I do not advertise it, in case it affects my work. I could talk for hours about this.
And having come from two very creative parents, there is also the 'child of musicians' issues too. I am so glad you
are doing this. This is SO important. Corrina Hewat corrinahewat@me.com

99 Many people fall into the trap of judging their self worth as a person by their success as a musician. With social media 12/16/2016 1:29 PM
there's also great scope for comparing yourself to your peers as people often brag about gigs they are doing.

100 Mental illness and creativity go hand in hand. 12/16/2016 12:56 PM

101 My main stress comes from financial insecurity 12/16/2016 11:36 AM

102 Is mental illness a result of working as a musician - or do people with mental illness, or the propensity for it, tend to 12/16/2016 11:34 AM
gravitate to such creative professions. There may be a higher percentage of musicians with mental illness because
the professional attracts those people, rather than people developing mental illness as a result of the profession. My
songwriting group has had three members disagnosed with depression, one member commit suicide, one been
permanently sectioned and one last seen living on the streets as a homeless addict. But I think they all had these
issues when they arrived in the group; indeed were attracted to sharing their inner muses as a way to overcome
these issues.

103 I think people with mental illnesses gravitate towards music because it offers an escape and can make one feel good 12/16/2016 11:29 AM
about one's self. I have suffered severe depression and anxiety all my life and playing guitar and creating music is the
perfect antidote. It puts me in an alpha/meditative state and clears my overbearing thoughts.

104 Possibly the lack of structure in day to day life, and also the type of social lifestyle that often goes along with being a 12/16/2016 11:19 AM
musician (drinking etc)

105 Very interesting but I think the correlation might be between any kind of freelance work and mh issues. Also my mh 12/16/2016 10:35 AM
issues may have arisen while I still had a "proper job"?? It has got me thinking though about wether the work I do
hinders or helps me? I was diagnosed with bipolar/borderline 3 years ago and I am not sure if this line of work fits
perfectly with my issues or is helping prolong them?? I have been on esa for 3 years now and I work occasionally,
when I can, teaching 1 to 1, as a live sound engineer, producer and recording engineer. Performing is far too stressful
for me! You may find that many musicians do several types of freelance work like this, other than just performing.
Please keep me informed of any further research?

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106 The personality type - to be successful as a musician you have to be perfectionist and put lots of pressure on yourself 12/16/2016 9:55 AM

107 A lot of time spent alone in the day. Anti social working hours. Not a lot of social time with friends, husband and kids. 12/16/2016 9:37 AM
Constant guilt because you are doing a job you enjoy ??? weird! If I was unhappy doing evening shifts in a factory,
the same hours I wouldn't feel guilty. Form the minute I get up I can't stop working on generating gigs, marketing,
admin, invoicing etc and when that stops I have new material to learn, and rehearse. I'm not good at having a set
routine as I work whenever I have the energy. I planned have two days off this week as I have nine days straight of
12 performances, plus travel etc. I didn't have the days off as I felt the need to catch up on admin as I wasn't feeling
desperately tired. My own worst enemy.

108 Luckily the extent of the "yes's" here with me is within reason but only because I have had lots of therapy in the past 12/16/2016 9:32 AM
and have (mostly) become aware of many of the problems. I have also done courses and work as a music therapist
myself which has helped greatly. I do not consider myself to be a top musician but have constant work, have to plan
ahead, and have a second line of income also related to music but not only performance. It has been and still is a
long old road. I think that mental illness is so common partly because if a musician feels that the "persona" they
have created (with hard work and dedication) actually becomes more important than their "real selves" (also not
easy to know who that is) then things become very difficult. They wanted very much to create this "person", that is
what they wanted to be, but it is of course not how they feel all the time. If the "persona" created is as close as
possible to how they really feel they are, then the feeling of being wanted and loved (by people they do not really
know) feels like it is personally directed at them and not just at "the performer" they have created. It would be quite
exhausting to be the "the performer" 24 hours a day and so they have to "come back" and "be themselves" after
performances or after the after-show! That can often be a dark and lonely place for some. Getting to know who we
really are and who we want to be is a problem all people have. I think musicians, or performers of any kind can find
it difficult if the divide between who they feel they really are, and who they
"pretend" to be, becomes too big. Particularly if "the performer" is successful - the musician is of course personally
and financially dependent on being this other "better" self. That is only the start! Thank you.

109 Set backs rejection lack of support from peers and gov 12/16/2016 9:04 AM

110 The time being away from family and friends. The fact that we keep unsociable hours. Getting home in the wee hours 12/16/2016 8:09 AM
of the morning. Sleeping in the daytime. Pressure to perform on stage when one often feels like shit.

111 Intense relationships within orchestras, politics, bullying from management and other players. Freelancers can't 12/16/2016 8:08 AM
complain about work conditions, hours, pay etc for fear of not being booked. Can't turn work down for same fear.
Physical injuries such as rsi are hidden for fear of not being booked, I am not longer booked by one orchestra since
struggling with impingement in my shoulder, no dialogue, just not called again. The idea that you might not be able to
play anymore is definitely associated with mental pain.

112 Creative minds... what can i say? 12/16/2016 7:11 AM

113 As a part time self employed musician, my role as a teacher often feels like it conflicts with my life as a musician. The 12/16/2016 6:57 AM
financial stability it brings comes with added pressures and expectations that restrict my time to practice and perform
which creates feelings of dissatisfaction and guilt.

114 The personal pressure can be huge and the hours tiring with a lot of travel, the financial rewards are not high and we 12/16/2016 6:43 AM
feel undervalued and constantly at risk ftom cuts to the art funding. The job is however very sociable and full of great
people to compensate

115 Self employment by itself is a uniquely pressured position to be in. People with an artistic personality can often be 12/16/2016 6:36 AM
highly sensitive and have mental health issues too and it doesn't feel as if there a great deal of support and
information there for such people trying to make a living this way.

116 If music is your only job you have to take gigs that are not great, but as I have other work I don't accept gigs that don't 12/16/2016 5:38 AM
bring me pleasure. I de pped for a while in a wedding quartet and the other players were so sick of churning out
pachelbel and such it really showed. It was ghastly. To study for so long and end up like that. It was only about the
money, and not only was the playing not enjoyable but the attitude of the musicians to their clients stank. ????

117 I don't know how common it is. I only know that I feel horrible after performing much of the time and can only imagine 12/16/2016 2:40 AM
other people experience the same

118 I think it's common across all creative professions. Suspect a degree of angst, at least, is required for making art. 12/16/2016 2:18 AM
Otherwise, how do you push yourself to improve? What drives you to create? What can you make that's relatable?
There's an even weirder aspect as a performer. You need an element of introspection or processes normally
associated with introverts to look inside yourself and create. But you become an extrovert on stage, almost. Those
are intrinsic factors before you start to look at external ones, logistic ones, etc. I could write about 3000 words on this
so will stop here.

119 The need to be liked and spread happiness!, This can make me feel more like an actor whereas when I pick up my 12/16/2016 1:40 AM
guitar straight out of bed, no shaved or dressed, can play amazing new ideas but then it's like a shadow of that come
the gig that night, just not able to be as relaxed, too self concious of people, makes for terrible anxiety and feeling like
people are getting in the way so to speak!

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120 I think it's largely because you never switch off from being a musician, there's always practice and planning to think 12/16/2016 1:32 AM
about. Late nights and travelling resulting in tiredness could be a factor. And also the amount of pressure we're under
to always be on top of our game

121 The negative imbalance between society and the different peoples way of thinking causes the general populace 12/16/2016 12:43 AM
topenalise the outcast for due to their lack of empathy and understanding. This causes friction between the two
different thinking people, which led toa battle of who thinks like a sheep or a wolf? The wolf, despite being able to
outwit the sheep, loosew due to their sheer of powering of numbers, causes the outcast into his name, thus causing
the mind to believe they are forever denied by people , as they are living a lie. The outcast becomes distraught, and
that's where, depression, anxiety, and in some rare cases, psychotic behaviour derives from. Humans are
vehemently social animals. And this lack of acceptance and understanding destroys a critical element off the mind.

122 There seems to be an undervaluation of artists who are not so famous as to have become a household name, which 12/16/2016 12:37 AM
is the vast majority. It is difficult not to take criticism (either about a specific performance or about one's level of
success) personally, as music comes out of a very personal place. It is difficult to combine the work with a social life,
which would typically take place during performance hours - unless this is with musical colleagues. It is easy to fall
prey to negative feelings about one's performance, level of success and lack of social contacts.

123 For me, it boils down to the threat of financial insecurity in a field where you are torn down constantly until you make 12/15/2016 11:56 PM
it to the top and then suddenly everybody wants to know you again. Support lacking and everpresent criticism. As
Jawbreaker once said, "[She] thinks it's stupid that we get paid to jump around. It's what I live for." Life as a budding
musician is crippling. You need another job to pay for your lifestyle but then you lose the time to perfect your art. And
yet, everybody proclaims music as the puppet master of human emotion; the window to the world of hope - so why is
it oft so castigated? Bewildering contradictions. Truly.

124 I think the artistic people in this world, see this world a little differently. There is two kinds of people in this sense. Left 12/15/2016 11:48 PM
brained, and right brained. That is of course an over-generalization but, The left brainerz seem to have more well-
being a lot of the time compared to the more far out types (right brainerz). This could make sense when you see that
the left logical thinkers work things out beforehand, and fast. They are more likely to know when they will be eating,
what, where they will be staying, and alllll that stuff. They are generally very organized, and can see ahead. Where is
the right brain folk seem to be more imaginative, more concentrated on how they are feeling and how they will
express these feelings if possible. This over active imagination (so to speak), makes their day filled with thoughts,
thoughts that they aren't able to organize very well, and thoughts that are out of control, and a lot of the time, stem
from fear, and are negative thoughts. Even on a subconscious level. I think this bombardment with no organizational
skills internally, can lead to low mood, tiredness, withdrawness, and then it just reinforces that way of life. I'm not
saying that it's only strictly right brained folk that experience things like this, but you get my drift. The 'right brained'
lifestyle is unorganized, unhealthy, very creative, but very wild. I think if it were more aware that we could find a
balance, then this would help to some degree. I know this point isn't of much, but I have sooo much more to talk
about, this is just merely an idea. I think I have a point though. I would love to talk more.
nickymurraymusic@hotmail.com

125 Freelancing is unpredictable. You have to work when you are ill otherwise you don't get paid. Eventually that can take 12/15/2016 11:44 PM
its toll. You have to perform to a high standard at all times to hopefully ensure that you'll be asked back so it is a very
pressurised job.

126 The continual pressure to need to succeed and also the pressure from everyone around you appearing to be better 12/15/2016 11:43 PM
than you. Constantly being surrounded by this feeling like you are never going to improve as much as the person next
to you is draining and not helped by a general unhappy attitude around classical musicians who play music
professionally. The difference between amateur musicians and professional musicians is very obvious as generally,
amateur players have so much more fun and get a lot more enjoyment out of it because they are able to do so and
not have the constant uncertainty of relying on performing being their sole means of income.

127 I think that artistic types are generally introverted and enjoy spending time thinking about and focusing on their 12/15/2016 11:28 PM
passion, making their secondary, more serious and formal life, more difficult to keep up to.

128 Self-criticism is one of the first questions you face when a gig doesn't go down as well as you'd hoped. Having 12/15/2016 11:12 PM
experienced the high and the real buzz of a great gig (meaning great audience response), facing the relative low of a
mediocre response is difficult to deal with.

129 Having to compromise to survive financially 12/15/2016 11:07 PM

130 I would say the insecurity of the work, which leads to have what you do be approved by your audience, plus, the 12/15/2016 11:00 PM
public are very fickle and there's always a faster gun !

131 Creativity often linked to mental health issues such as manic depression, bi-polar disorder, OCD, autistic spectrum 12/15/2016 10:49 PM
disorder etc. It's the same with other creative professions also.

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132 We are constantly under pressure to perform at our very best. It is possible for ANYONE to have a headache, bad 12/15/2016 10:19 PM
cough or cold, back ache or anything else and still be able to work all day for example on a computer, etc. but to
master an instrument under these conditions is a completely different story and it is especially challenging for those of
us that play wind instruments and need to be able to breathe properly and have a lot of strength! To still play well
under such conditions plays with our mental state of being and puts us under even MORE pressure to perform well!

133 I think the very fact that we are artistic people makes us more vulnerable 12/15/2016 10:17 PM

134 It is a well known fact that the lives we lead can lead to mental health issues due to financial pressure, alcohol, drugs, 12/15/2016 10:10 PM
irregular sleep, unhealthy diet, lack of excercise, stress over where the next gig comes from and the list goes on..
Some people can suffer mental health issues whilst not even realising it. It's a bloody tough word to be a full time
musician in, lack of goverment support, respect in a lot of cases but one big issue I see especially with younger
people I see is that they never switch off, the constant facade that has to be kept up ( or so they feel, it's not one for
me personally) constantly hustling for gigs, and having to be nice to someone who quiet frankly could be a prick just
to get a gig!! It's not all doom and gloom though as music is good for the soul which in turn is good for ones mental
health... I stop ranting, could go on all night on this one.. Good luck with this worthwhile survery..Leonard Barry

135 Using and paying attention to the creative side of the brain conflicts with the flow of regular society values and 12/15/2016 10:10 PM
standards leading to conflict of ideals and values leading to isolation and risk of mental health issues.

136 Creative people tend to be more cerebral and introverted 12/15/2016 10:08 PM

137 The stress of having to write songs, organise venue bookings, complete festival applications, organise the logistics of 12/15/2016 10:06 PM
going on tour, organise visa's for another country, organise the band, etc, all without knowing how much you might
earn, would send any sane person crazy! Welcome to the music industry, it's a labour of love and passion.

138 The wording of some questions seemed to assume that answering a certain way is negative/positive for mental 12/15/2016 10:05 PM
health. For example, Q2, I answered yes because there isn't much routine from day to day, but this is not really a
struggle for me - I enjoy the variety. Also Qs 18 and 20 - for me it isn't a problem that I don't take 30 days off work, or
have a clear distinction between work and leisure. I enjoy going between less busy and more busy periods, rather
than having the distinction of work days/ non work days, and also am happy to have a profession where work is often
so enjoyable that it I also count it as leisure. I feel grateful to be in a career which feels important to my life as a
whole, rather than just being something that brings in an income.

139 Lack of respect from others for the job. The amount of work required to get work and keep getting work, in spite of the 12/15/2016 10:05 PM
high level of skill and ongoing practice as compared to other jobs. The level of pay as a freelancer versus the amount
of work that goes into getting it, and the level of skill required. Difficulty balancing being a mother and a musician.
Difficulty finding repeated regular work. Insincerity in others so you don't know where you stand.

140 Wasn't aware that it was 12/15/2016 9:53 PM

141 Mental stability is more challenging being an artist because we don't fit into a cookie cutter life style like most other 12/15/2016 9:51 PM
professions. Sometimes our purpose in life as an artist is not clear. We must believe being an artist is a very
important part of a society's social structure.

142 Lifestyle, late nights, lack of routine. Low pay makes you feel worthless, 12/15/2016 9:37 PM

143 High stress because of the pressure of producing creative work to a deadline, performance stress (esp if using the 12/15/2016 9:31 PM
voice where every sniffle leads to binge-consumption of vitamins), need to produce/curate gigs, general low value
society places on music, including being asked to work for free/a pittance.

144 I think that most artists, whatever discipline, have little struggles. 12/15/2016 9:22 PM

145 Stress, lack of sleep, peer pressure. Underlying mental health issues that are amplified by performance highs and 12/15/2016 9:08 PM
lows

146 Speaking from personal experience; the stresses associated with being self-employed alone is one thing. Earning a 12/15/2016 8:51 PM
living from music seems to add an additional layer of stress; largely due to the inconsistent nature of; or having do
manage multiple jobs/roles in order to make ends meet. My biggest stresses are financially related. I've been
fortunate in that I've had the support and understanding of my partner, family and friends. However, there are still
days when the stress of it all hits you, and you wonder 'why do i do this?' For me,there's no better feeling then the
elation of playing live. I love and enjoy the creative processes. I find in many cases, the mundane nature of every day
life does not assimilate in the same way. No different for people working in other sectors you may say? When they
happen, the highs are great ! I do think the emotional downturn impacting many musicians is largely based on the
'struggle to survive', within an industry itself in turmoil.

147 There is a lot of pressure on self and by others surrounding anything creative. It is sometimes very hard to keep a 12/15/2016 8:50 PM
positive mind set with so much negativity in relation to a music career 'not being a real job'. It is also a very hard
industry to be what is deemed successful in and I think this can cause a lot of self doubt and from experience
depression. Personally I feel outcasted from society at times by telling people I am a musician, and I don't think
people appreciate the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into doing this full time. That being said, the
most important thing to do is stay positive.

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148 no 12/15/2016 8:24 PM

149 A big part of it (asides from the difficult execution of any self employment) is probably due to the nature of wanting to 12/15/2016 8:17 PM
be a musician. we want success and the work we do to keep 'the dream' alive is doing just that- keeping it alive not
fulfilling it which creates a feeling of never achieving the goal. And that feels awful and with age it becomes a little bit
pathetic. That is how I feel about my own goals.

150 It's a very physically and mentally demanding job 12/15/2016 8:03 PM

151 We are artist, sensitive people who live in this sick world full of fake expectations 12/15/2016 8:00 PM

152 Ego 12/15/2016 7:59 PM

153 I think the creativity is born out of the mental illness. 12/15/2016 7:43 PM

154 People who are sensitive are often creative and if they lack confidence they gain skills in looking like they are fine 12/15/2016 7:42 PM
when they are nervous. They are more likely to suffer mental health difficulties before they become a professional
musician. Having a strong self-critical personality will drive a person to practice and push themselves, becoming more
skilled performers. Classic sad but smiley clown. I suffer from severe depression.

155 I believe that both systemic and societal stigma against aupporting arts as 'real jobs' makes it difficult to keep a 12/15/2016 7:29 PM
personal drive. I know many musicians, myself included, that get paralysed in fear about either keeping their current
job or finding the next one, before it evened gets to whether it will be paid or not. This instability disallows creative
mental states and can make it a 'you're in or you're out' situation.

156 Musicians can be more sensitive and empathetic to their surroundings . 12/15/2016 7:19 PM

157 Some people 'do what they do', and some of us 'are what we do'. It's often hard to get close to people who don't 12/15/2016 7:07 PM
understand that. Musicians also function in a rhythm which is sort of our oneness with the universe. It's difficult to
relate to people who have no sense of rhythm. Not just musically, but in life. When things are in rhythm, it's easier to
express yourself and your humanity. When things are arrhythmic, we can get low and lonely.

158 We consistently feel pressured by others, 59 be someone we are not. We never want to show true feelings or 12/15/2016 6:49 PM
emotion. We constantly paint a picture of ourselves which we know isn't actually who we want to be.

159 The pressure especially amongst pianists is so competitive that although serious work hours and years of training, 12/15/2016 6:49 PM
are always up against those that seem better. It is an elitist field that does not accept change and new ideas, and has
a limited audience that is not always rewarding to perform for.

160 I think that being on a certain spectrum of the creative scale has an effect on the brain and makes it more susceptible 12/15/2016 6:45 PM
to mental illness due to the way in which we think, live and value.

161 1. People in this profession haven chosen this life because they can't think of any other way to survive in society: 12/15/2016 6:43 PM
they know they may be highly sensitive to negative forces. 2. They choose this profession because they have
something to say and something to contribute to cultural life and this is the only way to make their voice heard. 3.
Define mental illness. It may be that what you call illness, is not an illness at all, but a symptom of declining tolerance
toward human diversity. Many labels are just labels for convenience. Good luck with the survey, I hope my thoughts
make sense. Best wishes, e.

162 Difficult but fulfilling even if stressful. Continuous challenge 12/15/2016 6:28 PM

163 The fact that the industry has become so cut throat, and every Tom Dick or Harry are in a band. Bad musicians work 12/15/2016 6:00 PM
for cheap and venues expect all musicians to accept that standard rate of pay.

164 Just for next time - a scale might be a more useful feedback tool as 'yes' or 'no' as an answer can skew your results 12/15/2016 5:52 PM
as you have to choose one instead of the alternative. I personally think that at conservative as a musician you are
under enormous pressure, as you are constantly self critical, under pressure from many tutors and the 1-1 approach
means any 'failure' is much more personal.

165 It's is the most unreliable and unstable job there are no guidelines or pathways. It's very easy to get messed around 12/15/2016 5:45 PM
and dropped or not paid properly. The financial strain is in bearable and the nature of the work makes socialising
with anyone that's not a Mus ian nearly impossible

166 Almost all professional musicians are, to a greater or lesser extent, self-employed. Ongoing contracts that actually 12/15/2016 5:33 PM
pay a living wage are extremely rare (even symphony orchestra seats often do not pay enough to get by without
taking on extra work). And in times of general financial instability like the present, the supply of cultural work is
unpredictable. Also, there is a vast oversupply of (would-be) professional musicians compared to demand for their
services, which distorts the market, driving going rates and profit margins way down. All of this means that there is a
simple role of financial instability and stress in professional music. It is also true though that anecdotally I have
encountered several people (including myself) who have moved into professional music because doing a more
conventional, probably office, job was causing them mental health problems. These people would show up in the
statistic of 'pro musicians who have experienced mental illness', but for them working professionally as a musician,
for all its problems, actually constitutes part of the cure or at least the therapy for their mental illness rather than its
cause.

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167 I have suffered from anxiety related to other aspects of my life; I have found that my work as a musician has enabled 12/15/2016 5:27 PM
me to deal with this very successfully in some respects, but also this anxiety does occasionally impact my work also. I
have found that making a clear effort to differentiate between 'work' (I.e my music) and 'leisure' (I.e. Other activities
not related to music solely for pleasure/relaxation) has improved my overall productivity and mental health
considerably. It took me a long time to come to this realisation, I think because making music has always been for me
associated with enjoyment, but as this has become a professional pursuit for me, it has also become important to
consider it in those terms also.

168 i don't see being a musician as a career option for anyone now, streaming has made that impossible. You just have to 12/15/2016 5:27 PM
look at the festivals to see most of the bands are from the 90's or before that, new bands can't break through, as the
public don't want to pay for music, so big labels are not willing to invest in future talent. No paying customers = No
new music.

169 Musicians need the approval of other people in order to survive. Very few musicians have financial security. 12/15/2016 5:26 PM
Nonmusicians do not understand musicians, which makes musicians feel lonely and isolated. Non-musicians think
that being a musician is easy, fun, and not really work. Music is a very competitive field. There is a lot of pressure to
perform at one's best all the time. Musicians are subject to frequent criticism from others as well as feelings of
inadequacy. Musicians receive more negative feedback than positive feedback or appreciation from people who
matter to them, such as fellow musicians or a conductor.

170 No. 12/15/2016 5:24 PM

171 Musicians have got to be self critical in order to make progress in their practice, can also be very critical of others, 12/15/2016 5:24 PM
and it is a very competitive profession.

172 Creative minds are never structured and always strive for a perfection they can never achieve.,. 12/15/2016 5:19 PM

173 You are presenting yourself along with your music so if the audience aren't appreciative or you don't perform well it 12/15/2016 5:14 PM
feels very personal, they are rejecting you, or if it was a bad performance you feel you have shown yourself in a bad
light. Also future employment may be jeopardised by a bad performance so you have to keep the standard high
which can get stressful. If you're off sick someone else could take your place and then they might be kept on instead
of you.

174 Absolutely not saying this is always the case, but I feel people who gravitate towards this profession are generally 12/15/2016 5:08 PM
quite emotionally intelligent and 'aware', which can be wonderful when channelled musically but has the downside of
also potentially causing you to be over-critical or analytical about your own work among many, many other downsides
that unfortunately come with 'awareness.' Apart from that, late nights are the nature of our lives because we tend to
have gigs late at night, and the world is conditioned to suit people who are productive in the morning, quite apart from
the health issues our disruptive sleep patterns might bring. The stress of no regular income is self explanatory, and
it's another one of those 'arty jobs' where people quite often make assumptions about how much they should pay you
based on 1.) the fact that because you might be enjoying it (god forbid) or that people would have done it for free in
the old days, you should be paid less. This is terrible because quite often unenjoyable gigs are taken to make money
between very few enjoyable gigs and just because some people might do a gig for free or someone has done in the
past, doesn't mean you should, or your work is not worth the money. You wouldn't ask a plumber to do a job for free
etc. 2.) Not taking practice time/instrument costs/travel costs/other time costs into account. Which is also awful on
many levels.

175 Lack of stability 12/15/2016 5:02 PM

176 No insights but good work. 12/15/2016 4:59 PM

177 pressure of performance 12/15/2016 4:59 PM

178 We are always wanting to connect with people. Whether that be the composer, conductor, colleagues or the 12/15/2016 4:49 PM
audience. We but our emotions across all the time, very openly and without questioning, until we are put down.
Leaving us tired, and unable to differentiate between job and life.

179 I think it comes with the territory. It is a well known fact that creative people are sometimes linked with ASD or 12/15/2016 4:31 PM
Aspergers. I am neither of these yet I have been told that I do have some Autistic spectrum traits. My son is ASD and
my daughter is a forth generation musician. We all have to think in a certain way when we learn and play. We drift off.
Our instrument is or best friend.

180 Pressure (self inflicted, mostly) to always be available to work. Not prioritising a healthy balance between personal, 12/15/2016 4:25 PM
nutritional, holsiic wellbeing and relationships. I personally work consistently to balance all these elements and
manage my mental health, with good levels of success, but it takes conscious effort! I am greatly concerned about
the state of mental wellbeing in young people (I teach foundation musical theatre students), and am looking in to
courses which will help me to help support them and work through their personal challenges. I also am a qualified
massage therapist, and use this to help treat and bring relief to my fellow performers.

181 Because musicians inherently are obsessed with the self. Once they discover they aren't the be all and end all they 12/15/2016 4:22 PM
will become far more relaxed with the world.

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182 Having a creative job involves a lot of personal introspection and a requirement to be able to readily access one's 12/15/2016 4:17 PM
emotions in order to 'use' them in a working capacity. That and the instability, pressure, stigma and intensity of the
music industry is somewhat of a powder keg for musicians/artists experiencing anxiety, depression, alcoholism, etc,

183 I think there are very unhealthy attitudes that prevail among the classical music education institutions, with ridiculous 12/15/2016 4:16 PM
pressures exerted on students, and bullying or abusive teachers allowed to teach with impunity.

184 The work does not have the respect it should, music is taken for granted, treated as a vocation and we are expected 12/15/2016 4:12 PM
to perform "because we love it", ie for little or nothing. Next time you need a plumber try the same on them

185 Drug misuse, imbalance in ego and confidence. 12/15/2016 4:04 PM

186 Creative minds = troubled minds 12/15/2016 3:57 PM

187 Music connects the people..through arts we can convey our inner most thoughts and feelings and those who chose to 12/15/2016 3:48 PM
do it are usually people who have or are suffering in some way..usually very sensitive souls..music can be a very
soothing way to heal the mind with all the troubles in the world

188 It's a stressful job, with many pressures from many different places, however with strong organisational skill and 12/15/2016 3:42 PM
support one can limit the effect this has on mental illness

189 The music industry expect us all to be perfect. No-one is. Nobody can be happy and excited all the time. Musicians 12/15/2016 3:34 PM
are human beings not super beings. We need to be able to be ourselves instead of wearing a mask every time we go
on stage. The audiences also expect us to be perfect, because of the image the media and the music industry have
created. We don't live in a fairytale. The music industry and the media must change their tune and stop painting this
wonderful world musicians live in. We are normal people with one personality.

190 Musicians are creative people and I think that creative people seem to be affected by mental illness more. 12/15/2016 3:34 PM

191 Especially as a young musician fresh out of a commercial music degree at uni the world of music is a very scary and 12/15/2016 3:22 PM
unwelcoming place. It is uncommon to find a musical related job with a steady income or any that are require great
sacrifice (e.g being away from home for long periods of time) and will take many years of hard work to maybe get to a
point of self-sustaining music jobs. The way people have listened to music has also changed. It's a lot harder to grab
and keep the concentration of crowds and as performing is such a personal and emotional thing, it can be soul
destroying when you feel your efforts are being wasted.

192 Chicken or egg? Who knows? 12/15/2016 3:16 PM

193 N/A 12/15/2016 3:11 PM

194 the nature of the job means expelling a lot of energy resources on demand, and it doesn't matter whether you are 12/15/2016 3:08 PM
feeling up for it or not, it needs to be done. This lends itself very well to relying on artificial stimulants to be able to
recreate those energy supplies, which is not a healthy way to be, given that it increases the likelihood of
selfmedication with these stimulants, which, when it comes to the issue of mental health is a slippery slope, in that it
becomes a naturalised way of dealing with general life, not just for a specific purpose.

195 There are a number of issues. I think it is the myth of the suffering artist that in part encourages bad behaviours or at 12/15/2016 3:02 PM
least makes us think it is 'normal' and you should just get on with it. I know there are studies that suggest a genetic
basis for creativity and psychological problems, but I think it is more to do with the environment, lack of support (not
having a strong 'support culture') and also isolation. We start very young and have to isolate ourselves while other
children and teenagers are 'living life'. I think this impacts development and also psychological wellbeing as a result.
Add to this that the uncertain nature of the profession requires you to be flexible, hard-working and stress resilient...
and you have a recipe for disaster. I think musicians are just not equipped with the required psychological skills to
have a healthy career and in my experience they typically wait until they crash or are unjured before they seek help.
Ideally the entire music education system should change to acknowledge the need for crucial skills beyond
technique. Firstly, consider play-work balance in young children, introduce them early to effective and efficient means
of practicing, not just quantity, and educate them about psychological skills. Plus also, encourage them to develop
outside of music and learn tranferrable skills that they will need to put to good use later in life, e.g., social skills,
networking skills, presentation ability,... I think if music education changed and produced expert performers who were
able to be strong role models who openly discuss their positive behaviours, we might get a shift away from the
suffering artist paradigm.

196 I think a lot of the 'creative' industries provoke mental instability as one is trying to earn a living and in some cases 12/15/2016 2:56 PM
provide for their loved ones while trying to feed a passion for their art. Especially music as connections with musical
pieces are so much more personal, both for creators and listeners.

197 Lack of awareness. I don't suffer from mental illness but I think low moods are brought about by not being able to say 12/15/2016 2:55 PM
'no'.

198 Because overall, across all aspects of music and entertaining, highs and lows are so severe. There is no middle 12/15/2016 2:32 PM
ground.

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199 I think mental illness has always affected creative people, it's very positive that there are more people talking openly 12/15/2016 2:23 PM
about how it is/has affected them.

200 Pressure from others that do not understand what its like to be a musicians. Other people take you for granted and 12/15/2016 2:19 PM
forget that you have a life outside of music also.

201 I think the lack of routine community around being a musician can be very difficult. Yes, there's community in that 12/15/2016 2:16 PM
there's a strong group of pals/musicians around but it's a community that exists in busy, often alcohol related,
situations and I feel like when we ask each other how we are, we're not really asking about wellbeing, it's just a hello.
Add to that the fact that musicians mainly hang out with musicians due to a range of factors (understanding of each
other's lifestyles, choosing to socialise through music, odd working days/hours) and it's far more likely that musicians
are spending a lot of time around a lot of other people who're also struggling. WHilst there can be solace in struggling
together, it also makes it easier to lose hope/perspective. I've recently started a teaching job one day a week in a
great school and feel that my wellbeing has been dramatically improved by the simple feeling of having colleagues, a
staff room, company and structure. I like seeing people who are at different stages of their life and for the most part
have more normal lives (9 to 5 jobs, kids, keep normal hours and regular working weeks) as much as that structure
would drive me mad fulltime. A previous school teaching job in which I was working entirely on my own and more
days a week was hugely detrimental to my wellbeing as I hated the fact I wasn't seeing other musicians, and
socialising. I also believe social media has a part to play as we feel we can monitor our own success versus other
people's in likes/output. Also, in Scotland I believe we often lose track of the music/the art/process as our goal and
our driving force and people become focussed on popularity and an almost celebrity culture. It's almost become the
norm that people are struggling, and I think because musicians are so surrounded by other struggling musicians we
forget that we shoudln't have to accept unhappiness as the norm. In Scotland in particular I feel we're not very good
at honest, heart on sleeve conversations, preferring to cover things up and drink alcohol in the name of
craic/work/networking, and trying to get a sober early night can be seen as being no fun. I studied in Sweden and
found that people of all generations working in folk music there took their art way more seriously and their alcohol far
less seriously, and this not only had a fantastic impact on mental health (as far as I could see) as everyone seemed
completely confident in the value of their usic, but also on the music itself. I'm going on a bit here, but another thing
which I think contributes to this is the general view taken of musicians/the arts by society/politics- lack of funding or a
reliance on funding can hugely impact how much you value what you do.

202 A huge influence on mental problems, I feel, is the lack of care taken by employers. I recently finished a tour, and the 12/15/2016 2:03 PM
producers/directors of the show made the performers of the show feel totally worthless through sheer lack of
interest/care. Endless rehearsals for no reason apart from to appease the Resident Director's justification for her job;
forced to travel to all corners of the country on a ridiculous schedule with a day off and travel day the same thing; no
personal contact or personal perks/encouragements/gifts which make us feel like we should be thankful that we have
a job, and thankful for the way that we're treated; unfair payment for the skills we actually have to create a
professional standard of production; complete lack of communication within the company leaving a sense of
helplessness and constant self-doubt and uncertainty withstanding; the archaic "tradition" of finding our own
accommodation on tour which is extremely stressful and costs a lot of personal money regardless of subsistence.
There has been MANY a time when I have reconsidered re-training to do something else.

203 The lack of objectivity in it all. Taking difficult times very personally with no common person to relate to. High 12/15/2016 2:02 PM
selfcriticism

204 Personally, it is hard to maintain the fight or flight mentality and or the positive social mask that is required to network 12/15/2016 1:52 PM
and find success. I focus more on the music not the business side of what I do and it is far too much effort to worry
about the business and making good original music at the same time. The psychology of the industry is primarily
based in the world of ego and dominance. If you do not have much of an ego this can be a major factor in many
creative artists downfall. The industry is full of drug taking and partying, which is an extremely destructive thing to our
humanity and creativity. If you want to get in touch contact - tamofthepicts@yahoo.co.uk

205 Financial insecurity Unsociable working hours Difficulty maintaining relationships 12/15/2016 1:48 PM

206 Hardness... the repetitive fact that other peeple think yu don't need to eat, or pay your bills if you're a musician, 12/15/2016 1:43 PM
making it a constant battle to get paid at a sufficient rate

207 Lack of recognition of the importance of sustaining classical music generally means that opportunities for young 12/15/2016 1:41 PM
classical musicians are tight, and often even with the current bursaries and scholarship, it is difficult to progress as an
emerging musician without financial support from others such as family.

208 Correlation/link between creativity and susceptibility to mental illness. The fact that financial exploitation is the norm. 12/15/2016 1:24 PM

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209 Extreme highs when performing, trying to maintain the high, leading to increased drinking looking for the high. 12/15/2016 1:24 PM
Adulation from the audience creates a false sense of importance leading to arrogance... I can see why a lot of
musicians do drugs of any kind to maintain the high.. I have never taken them, but alcohol is as much a drug. Both
give a short term high leading to serious depressive states.... Also there are a lot of musicians with terrible stage
fright, every performance is hell but they still get on and do it... (original beatles guitarist could not face the
audience)... That has to have psychological affects... I know at times I get it... Once I start its OK but the initial going
in stage can be very difficult to do... I have see men and women being physically sick before performing... Lead
singers, guitarist, front people can get a false sense of self worth, leading to band break ups, fall outs, becuase of
drink, drugs, inflated egos... Relationships are no go areas because of the life style and unless you have a partner
who 100% gets that to music they will always be second, or another way that there is a mistress in the marriage
(music) that is not going away... it will fail.... The constant of having to be at the top of your game.... In other jobs
small mistakes or even large ones can be forgiven.... Live performance, studio performance must be perfect
everything.... Serious stress at all times, hence why the big come down after a gig when the relief is over and was
successful... It's taken 25 years to understand what it's really about for me, and I no longer have that yearning for the
high, the problem is, it's different for everyone else, and we have to find out for ourselves the real reasons for doing
what we do and live with it.... My 2 pennies worth.....

210 No thoughts to share, I'll be interested to see what you come up with. I've often thought that mental illness is more 12/15/2016 1:16 PM
prevalent in "creative" types. (I believe everyone has the capacity to be creative so I'll specify that "creative" types are
those who have a regular creative outlet, whether it be music, dance, painting, etc.) I saw this survey posted by
several Scottish musician friends. Good luck, Mischa!

211 Social acceptance makes the job very hard to take on. However, given the current time of year, jobs do come 12/15/2016 1:09 PM
frequently although as a musician working all year round,

212 Lack of regular working hours, disparity between number of years of professional training required and income level 12/15/2016 1:03 PM

213 Part and parcel of the music/creativity gene. 12/15/2016 12:46 PM

214 I think it's because it is seen as a leisurely pursuit, which in turn gives it a low esteem job value. This can make the 12/15/2016 12:42 PM
job less satisfying and can cause many inner self conflicts, leading to self doubt. Depression is a common result of
this.

215 I don't know if this is helpful, but I am no longer a full-time musician. The answers are based on my experiences (as 12/15/2016 12:40 PM
best I can recall) as a full-time touring musician between the years of 1976 and 1988 when I was aged 19-31. I am
still involved in the music business and have been since I gave up touring. Good luck with your research.

216 N/a 12/15/2016 12:33 PM

217 The type of personality that tends to be drawn to this profession can be highly sensitive and predisposed to anxiety 12/15/2016 12:32 PM
and depression etc. Adding to this predisposition factors like constant competition and rejection, financial instability
and vulnerability to criticism, both from self and others, exacerbates the problem. Also, lack of routine, exercise,
nutrition and sleep that comes with the job can increase the potential for experiencing mental illness. Also, the job is
also very high pressure.

218 Most musicians get a high when performing. Then when you are not performing it can leave you feeling a little empty 12/15/2016 12:28 PM
or low.

219 Much cause of mental illness in music business is due to rejection and lack of financial stability. One is constantly 12/15/2016 12:28 PM
fighting against cliques and if one ever dares to voice an opinion, publicly, which goes against those who rule the
scene, one is marginalised or even alienated. There is nowhere to air grievances about unfairness and against bad
practice of event organisers etc. It's all very difficult and can wear one down to the extent that you give up performing
or composing.

220 There aren't people in same situation to relate to - (or they like to put forward the impression they're coping perhaps?) 12/15/2016 12:25 PM
The music business is so unpredictable.

221 Performance on or off stage, generally having to put on a faade of "everything is alright" becomes normalised. And 12/15/2016 12:20 PM
when you are anxious; "doctor stage" is real, it does help, but only for that moment on stage and for a short while
afterwards. If there is very little time to decompress after a while, this leads to feeling "burnt out".

222 Long times away from family can drive you crazy. I remember waking up not knowing what city I was in while touring. 12/15/2016 12:15 PM
It all seems to run together

223 There's definitely a sense of isolation from regular working people that can get a bit weird sometimes and if you aren't 12/15/2016 12:15 PM
doing big gigs every minutes I think friends assume something has happened and you're not well or you've dropped a
ball or something. I think this in my case causes an unhealthy introspection which can be overly critical and causes a
drive which is so intense it leads to burning out, which combined with the inward criticism can sometimes be lead to
beating myself up and long depressions.

224 Musicians are often undervalued which has a negative effect on self esteem. Also maybe mire tempramentally 12/15/2016 12:08 PM
sensitive.

225 Maybe its the opposite. Maybe people who experience mental illness make good musicians? 12/15/2016 12:01 PM

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226 my guess would be that there are - practical factors e.g. instability and unpredictable working times/hours (working at 12/15/2016 11:54 AM
night) etc. social factors e.g. much of getting and doing work being reliant on social capacity and consistency cultural
factors e.g. alcohol / drugs and personal/psychological factors e.g. relationship between self-image and achievement.
Unrealistic expectations relating to music culture (fame/fortune/status myths etc.) Additionally, creative practice often
makes time and space to explore mental health i.e. "stay close to the abyss". Perhaps the increased statistics
relating to musicians are related to an increased amount of people identifying and exploring their mental health.

227 The pressure put on by yourself and others to constantly be 'on' is huge. The unpredictability of work and income is 12/15/2016 11:51 AM
massive and can put a lot of strain on relationships outside of the band. Taking time off means not making money
which is often simply not an option and so you push yourself to the limit just to get by and pay the bills.

228 Music is the coping mechanism to keep one sane: I have to sing to help me cope with my state of mind. If I'm ill and 12/15/2016 11:50 AM
unable to sing, my mental health goes down rapidly.

229 Trying to make everyone happy and neglecting yourself, super high personal standards and few opportunities can be 12/15/2016 11:43 AM
tough!

230 More and more music is becoming a 'product' that the public can get for free. I've been professional for 17 years and 12/15/2016 11:42 AM
it feels like every year another income stream is eroded or eradicated. The lack of agents, managers (and money) in
the industry means that I'm a musician, agent, manager, designer, web designer, PR person, stage manger, tour
manager, driver, ticket seller, distributer... and anything else I need to be to balance the books. I think of myself as a
positive person. I am lucky that I've never suffered from mental illness... so far... A LOT of my music friends have and
continue to struggle often without help. However... I've lost my temper a number of times in the past in such
outrageous way that I have lost essential paid work. I am, of course, ashamed of that behavior and it's no excuse
but... there is no doubt that it was triggered by stress, finacial worries and lack of sleep. RE: Question 8: I don't drink
when I'm touring anymore and I exercise frequently. The drinking is a downward spiral and running, even for 20
minutes a day, really clears my head.

231 On the road, miss your family and health goes out due to lack of sleep and a good diet. 12/15/2016 11:41 AM

232 If it were possible to make a reliable income, then it would be a lot easier! The work liad is crazy due to the industry 12/15/2016 11:35 AM
being underpaid - eg play for free to get your foot in the door etc etc Its also not taken seriously, which is difficult for
me - eg "So what's your REAL job?"

233 Since the classical world is so competitive, a culture of not supporting our fellow musicians has been the norm. In a 12/15/2016 11:27 AM
career that is meant to be creative and fulfilling, too often are musicians vilified for being different. Were the
competition felt in study and career more of a healthy criticism so that we all can be become our best rather than 'I
am better than her' and so forth, a huge amount of mental and emotional pressure would be lifted from our backs as
musicians.

234 Performance anxiety seems to be increasing amongst musicians. 12/15/2016 11:25 AM

235 It's a fickle business its also getting harder with venues closing their doors & more of vocation than anything else and 12/15/2016 11:18 AM
not like any other profession. If you choose this as a job then expect high's & lows there is no cut of point for the
adrenalin rush after a gig it's a lonely life I missed my daughter growing up and have not had a christmas or new
year since i was a child well apart from one or two . My father was a musician and done everything within his power
to stop me from following in his footsteps now i understand why lol ..........

236 Lack of job stability, sick pay etc. 12/15/2016 11:15 AM

237 Perhaps adopting an on stage persona as in a public face and then having a private face in home life can lead to self 12/15/2016 11:10 AM
deception as in not really knowing how you really feel about life in general. Also the music business is a cut throat
one and being deceived by supposed 'friends' can be soul destroying. I have personally been lied to and robbed of
my proper fee by those I felt were friends not business competitors. Very often the desire to play music is used to
take advantage of those that love to play music. They know you will say yes and perform even if you don't get the
proper wage or consideration.

238 We all need to have something to ground us in the highs and lows is what we do. Family and relationships play a 12/15/2016 11:00 AM
massive part in this, but we can be high maintenance so that brings a challenge too. It is also a massive temptation to
try and take on too much, including unsuitable work, so we need to learn to say no.

239 Insecure income and being treated like it's 'not a real job' are big issues. Earlier in life, being asked "when are you 12/15/2016 10:59 AM
going to grow up and get a real job?", was a factor. Not being allowed compassionate leave or sickness without
forfeiting pay, unlike many other professions.

240 People develop a distorted sense of identity through competition, ego and a preservation of self image. Plus, fear of 12/15/2016 10:53 AM
missing out means working beyond physical means and developing unhealthy working patterns can take people
beyond their own capabilities.

241 I think as musicians we are naturally more in touch and in tune with our feelings and have to draw on emotions more 12/15/2016 10:43 AM
to portray elements of the music we are performing or writing. That opens us up more to self reflection and inability to
work through and turn off emotional centres. As music is often our identity our work and our hobby it is hard to turn off
or to have social relationships out with this circle.

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242 In the profession people are valued almost exclusively for their playing ability. Thus people's behaviour often lacks 12/15/2016 10:41 AM
humanity and sensitivity. This is aggravated by the fact that many talented players secure top positions where there
is a supervisory component (orchestral section leaders) when they are very young.

243 Artists, musicians, creatives are the litmus paper of society. We are particularly responsive to our surroundings, 12/15/2016 10:34 AM
especially social and political climate. We are living through an age of uncertainty, so, for many who are composing
new works, every cell is burning at full tilt. With the reality of dwindling album sales, venues dealing with cuts, the
constant arts funding applications, we are constantly having to demonstrate our credibility, and we are vulnerable. It is
no wonder so many of us accede to alcoholism, drug dependency and mental illness.

244 Self employment isn't for everyone. The job requires you to understand your worth, which is sometimes difficult to say 12/15/2016 10:33 AM
out loud, (but incridibly empowering when you do, or so I'm told)!

245 It's self explanatory, really. Musicians have a tendency to be self-critical - they are their own worst enemy!! 12/15/2016 10:32 AM
Sometimes what we consider a 'crap' performance is what the audience consider a good one and when you come
off stage and get all the compliments and congratulations it feels faked. Then you go and sit in the back of a van with
these negative thoughts stewing all night until you eventually fall asleep. Some days you get up and brush it off but
some days the feeling resides until the next performance which in turn can affect the next performance and it can go
on like this for days. I try not to let it bring me completely down though. I often find listening to classical music quietly,
closing my eyes and doing breathing exercises really helps me ground myself again. This helps me to avoid these
thoughts and feelings taking over my life. Often I just remind myself of why I'm doing what I do but I also work full-
time when I'm not touring - I'm EXTREMELY lucky to have an employer that pays me a fairly good salary and also
lets me take leave as and when I need to and for that I am very grateful but again, I work all month, get paid and two
days later I'm broke again. It feels like a perpetual thing. Work. Skint. Work. Skint. Over and over and over again. I
try my best to remain positive though as I love what I do and I actually (believe it or not) like my 'proper' job so I think
I have a pretty fair balance in my life. I think if a lot more employers were like mine it would make life a lot easier for
people who want to pursue music or any other art form.

246 Public persona v private reality, unpredictability of work, lack of financial rewards and esteem, performance pressure - 12/15/2016 10:26 AM
and the fact that all of these are constant. There is little respite. (But we keep going, even when objectively it makes
no sense to do so.)

247 it may be due to the artistic creative personality type, perhaps it is to the fact I aim to be an over achievers,i demand 12/15/2016 10:21 AM
more of myself than i would really expect from others, however i do expect a lot from people, i am extreme self
critical. some of my issue come from complex PTSD due to childhood trauma. but i wanted to perform from as early
as i remember and was fascinated by seeing rock bands on tv.

248 I think it is mostly attributed to the pressure that we feel every moment of the day when we're not improving our craft. 12/15/2016 10:19 AM
I feel anxiety whenever I'm just relaxing at home when I could be practising.

249 Constantly working under such high pressure eventually leads to stress which can tumble into a mental health 12/15/2016 10:16 AM
problem if not caught. The nature of our job means that we are constantly having to be perfect. Through college we
had to aim for perfection. And when we inevitably didn't achieve that, it lowers your mood and you start to become
very critical of yourself. This then transfers into other areas of your life so you are never satisfied with anything you
do. I have been diagnosed with 2 mental health problems which are both exacerbated by this lifestyle.

250 I believe highly creative people are so for a reason. I also believe that great music comes from a place of great 12/15/2016 10:05 AM
sadness and loneliness.

251 because we are brave enough (or stupid enough) to stand up against the system and follow our hearts. 12/15/2016 10:02 AM

252 Lack of stability. People's reluctance to pay for what you do. People seeing music as s hobby. 12/15/2016 10:00 AM

253 Unsociable hours Unhealthy lifestyle 12/15/2016 9:56 AM

254 Ignorance. Unfortunately music (like theater) relies on a set of illusions. The illusions make the performance appear 12/15/2016 9:53 AM
easy, quick to learn or "just a fun hobby". Sometimes it feels like people still believe musicians only have it easy or
shouldn't be rewarded because they (very occasionally) enjoy their jobs. Ive been told be employers: "well everybody
would like to be a rock star. Some people are working very hard at their real jobs. You should get a real job". They
then walk home with their I-Phone in their ears, turn on the radio while cooking then settle down to watch TV
programs with full soundtracks. The music just comes out of the speakers and they have no concept of the process
involved in producing it. Music is taken for granted but it does not just appear from thin air. If people understood the
process a little better it may help society understand why musicians should be properly financially reimbursed and
where necessary 'given' appropriate treatments for the injuries sustained by the hazardous nature of their work.

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255 Because tbetes alot of unproductive musicians who sit and scroll through Facebook looking for gigs. Also I think that 12/15/2016 9:49 AM
if you become very money driven you can easily chase the money gigs and forget about your art. I think this survey is
very leading and is not really going to get a realistic response as all the questions seem to be written to try and draw
out a response which makes you feel depressed about what you do. It also seems to be written from the point of view
o wanting to have a 'normal life'and that this is happiness the idea that coming back off tour is the return to normality
but I think touring is the norm for a musicianI feel the choice of being a musician is a lifestyle choice. I think accepting
this allows you to become incredibly successfull as you have an open plan to create, travel and meet people but if
you are simply wanting to make a load of money of course your not going to be best chuffed as alot of people in the
UK don't respect the arts - why be bothered by then though? I think it depends if you want to be an artist or want a
career with great prospects and have bought into all the bullshit we get fed.

256 Lack of stability. Constant change of routine. Both these make it mentally implausible to set up a family/regular place 12/15/2016 9:44 AM
to live. Prospect of getting a job also sometimes discouraging as there is often a lack of progression available within
an organisation.

257 Body clock is set to working nights so not conducive to working a day job. Struggled to maintain jobs, friendships and 12/15/2016 9:44 AM
my marriage. Non-musicians don't understand the lure of doing this

258 Personally it comes from not being able to socialise as often. I started working at 16 which meant all of my 12/15/2016 9:42 AM
colleagues were older and therefore un-relatable and I would be working during most people's social hours. I ended
up developing social anxiety from that. I also suffer with depression which i think partly stems from the expectations I
have of where my career should be.

259 Increased exposure to alcohol, lack of sleep and expectations to be on good form at all times! 12/15/2016 9:40 AM

260 Because the shitstem is set against us 12/15/2016 9:37 AM

261 I think to be in charge of your own career can make you very inward as you have to think about yourself so often. 12/15/2016 9:34 AM
It's also pressure because it's all on you.

262 As always some of the aforementioned questions have way more than a "yes" or "no" kind of answer, which would 12/15/2016 9:29 AM
clarify the why's of either Yes or No answer. Some of the answers could make you believe that i am in a negative
mood/position/environment but in fact it isn't... It's a life choice, i love Music and whatever this brings to my personal
life. Being highly critical to myself is the path to improvement and i fully embraced it. My job and leisure are the
same, which is awesome and i wouldn't trace any distinct line between them (yet another false positive because
leisure is a subjective thing to me...). Come back to me please, if you need to know about some other questions of
this survey that needs to be addressed differently. Best, Samuel Marlieri. Saxmadness@Gmail.com

263 Money is a big thing Lack of sunlight Only talking to the same people Going to a lot of places but actually spending 12/15/2016 9:24 AM
most of your time in the same van/rehearsal room etc

264 Im not sure this question is phrased correctly, but there have been studies that indicate a correlation between some 12/15/2016 9:19 AM
forms of mental 'illness' and creativity. perhaps it should read 'why are do many musicians identify as having a
mental illness' the pressure from performing to the highest standard every gig can be extreme, we dont get doovers
or the 20 minutes in the toilet like others do. if we make a mistake then everybody can see it and it can throw the
whole band off. not a good look when youve been paid 2k to play covers at a wedding. also, the lack of continuity is a
big factor. i can work 4 nights in a row, but then nothing for 3 weeks, meaning I have difficulty budgeting. i can get
buy on aldi no brand goods for a bit, but I have to maintain my gear, and thats not cheap. a blown amp can mean no
food for a few days. the lack of structure can be hard to deal with too. some gigs can finish at 2am, meaning its 4am
before i can get any sleep, then its up to practice or learn new songs and worry about the next gig. if i have one. i
think, too, that one of the biggest factors is depression due to thwarted ambition. I know a great many excellent
musicians who had dreams of 'making it', but have instead found themselves playing coldplay covers at weddings
and bar mitzvahs to a crowd of uninterested innebriates. we might as well be a juke box for all they care. that can be
very disheartening. its hard to reconcile your rock star dreams with the cold reality of yet another corporate karaoke
night.

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265 I think one can box many minds into those of 'mental illness'. With musicians, I'd say it's the nature of what we do. It 12/15/2016 9:17 AM
can often seem like we are mentally unstable; I'd say it's that we're more honest with our state of mind and more
willing to expose the extremes of our minds and emotions and to embrace instability. Large in large, a musician can
live a rather 'normal' life and put their mind frame into 'normality' where we can interact and think in a worldly way.
However, when we want to think as artists and the depth in how we think, and alongside that, the lack of structure and
perhaps fueled with substances of some sort, it may lead to what others label as mental instability and losing touch
with reality. Losing touch with reality is in the essence of what we do; it becomes part of our identity to be able to do
that. That's also another element of our 'mental instability'. Where we embrace leaving sanity as part of being a great
musician. I also think it's our approach to being 'mental' as such; it's like we want to be labelled insane. We would
search and speak to therapists, even when perhaps we don't need to. There seems to be a glorification of the corrupt
mind. The knowledge that there's a thin line between genius and crazy. However, I do agree that being a musician is
an odd life, an abnormal one where it pushes our bodies and souls to the extreme. Is extremism and heightened
thoughts a form of crazy? Perhaps, but only when compared to the narrowness of every day 'normal' life. I think it
depends on how you look at it; it is inevitable that a successful musician must have an element of mental instability.
From the day we start to learn our instruments; we are isolated every day with hours trying to perfect and conquer
and give life to this lifeless object. Hours every day, we spend not with others but with ourselves and our emotions
and trying and struggling to express them through an instrument. Our conditioning to criticise and not tolerate
anything less than perfection. Performing; walking out onto a stage and being prepared to give and expose your
darkest emotions and show a glimpse of your soul; ultimate vulnerability. Somebody prepared to do that, must be a
little unscrewed inside. Aside from the vulnerability, is this greed and desire and need to be the best. From a
successful musician, you can see that the desire and fire to win and be the best consumes them. Being a musician is
also a very powerful thing, and this links to power and heightened ego and knowingness of one's greatness.
Performing may be the most vulnerable thing but is also one of the most powerful things a person can do. Have
ultimate control of all of those people's emotions under the influence of your fingers/voice and you can make them
feel a certain way by how you shift them. It's magic, complete and utter magic. As out of reality as you can get.
Another reason one may feel mental pressure or instability is this constant sense of judgement, that doesn't go away.
It is linked in with the profession you want. Either it breaks you or if toughens your ego to a sense of maybe even
false belief. Either way; you doubt yourself, you doubt others, you doubt all that you believe in. At one time or another,
and then have given yourself and answer that made you carry on. You're judged by your friends, your colleges, your
teachers, strangers; and there is no way of trying to convince them all that you're the best, because being the best is
a subjective opinion and therefore a unrealistic goal. All in all, are musicians all crazy? I'd say, maybe yes, but also so
is everyone. That's how we connect so much to so many people. It touches and consoles the abnorbility and brings
people to a state of out of worldliness.

266 I think that artistic/ creative people are usually more sensitive than the majority. This sensitivity shows itself in many 12/15/2016 9:07 AM
different ways which our society calls mental illness.

267 I think that there is too much pressure on socialising and networking in order to get a work. People are competitive 12/15/2016 9:07 AM
and insecure which creates a hostile working environment. There is not nearly enough support in music education
(conservatoires and school music education) for dealing with performance nerves and how to take/ give criticism
constructively. There are, in my experience, also a lot of instrumental teachers at conservatoire level who don't take
proper emotional care of their students, and even damage it, by giving cristicism that is too personal, for example
criticising a student's personality. My conservatoire education did not prepare me with skills for getting work above
and beyond just learning to play my instrument as well as I could.

268 I think creativity and mental illness are often linked. We are perhaps more sensitive too. 12/15/2016 9:06 AM

269 Solitude is a factor. Also great competitivenes. 12/15/2016 9:06 AM

270 While the lifestyle undoubtedly has a large influence, I tentatively suggest that perhaps people more prone to mental 12/15/2016 9:05 AM
health issues are more likely to take a keener interest in music, or at least people who are more sensitive.
My experience of this is purely anecdotal and entirely unscientific, but you may find it worth considering.

271 There's a lot of pressure to be the best in order to get work, mostly the pressure comes from me tho as I want to do 12/15/2016 9:04 AM
the best job I can - sometimes this has a negative effect on my playing and teaching. (Great questionnaire by the
way, good luck with the course)x

272 self doubt, performance pressures, competition/judged against others. need to gain/keep work. family life costs. less 12/15/2016 9:03 AM
work to go round. Ageism. \Pressure on Looks/image play a part. Have to largely do dreary work to live not inspiring

273 Stress and anxiety play a role for many. The lack of financial stability has a real affect. 12/15/2016 9:02 AM

274 Cause it's a world of mad right handed people 12/15/2016 9:00 AM

275 You're basically told from a young age (or at least I was) that being a musician wasn't a 'real job' and that you're not 12/15/2016 8:54 AM
good enough anyway. It doesn't really set the foundations for a healthy mindset. It's hard battling with these words,
they haunt you.

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276 I'd say it's mostly because we are hugely undervalued as musicians, as a session musician I struggle against the fact 12/15/2016 8:52 AM
that other musicians place no value on employing a professional with high experience over someone with no
experience or still developing their skill set who will work for free. I've watched my business decline hugely over the
last 4 years and most clients who contact me for session work do it reply after being sent my rates - to put things in
perspective, my rates are extremely affordable and well below Musicians Union session rates as no musician will pay
the MU's guideline fees.

277 Musicians have mental illnesses not because they are musicians they become musicians BECAUSE they have 12/15/2016 8:50 AM
mental illnesses. Most musicians suffer from depression and take up an instrument etc because of it. It is our crutch

278 Because we put our souls on the line, it is who we are which is critiscised and the vulnerability it takes to perform or 12/15/2016 8:40 AM
show deep emotion takes it's toll. Then there is the "real job" attitude plus never knowing if and when you can pay
your bills. Nor is there really a career progression unless you hit the big time, because you can still be touring in
smaller companies even if you have done principal in international companies -you go where the work is.

279 It can be very draining. 12/15/2016 8:40 AM

280 I think insecurity in general. Not only financial, but housing and relationship security. Its hard to build a life when 12/15/2016 8:34 AM
you're not there most of the time

281 Potentially correlation not causation? Or maybe those who a more likely to have a mental illness pursue music for that 12/15/2016 8:30 AM
reason (I.e. As a form of expression/release)

282 I think the type of person a musician is ; we have to be creative , passionate, emotional characters. There may be 12/15/2016 8:29 AM
something there that also makes us more prone to mental illness.

283 Sometimes the creativity beneficial to musicians can lead to a greater propensity to experience highs and lows. 12/15/2016 8:22 AM
This is a generalisation but it's a pattern I've noticed in many of my colleagues.

284 It is hard profession emotionally. I now am better at things like structuring my days and have a relatively stable music 12/15/2016 8:21 AM
related income for when i am not performing. But I also feel bad if I am. It olaying enough or if I feel that I dont have
enough time or commitment to music.

285 Because it's a lot of pressure, dealing with uncertainty, rejection, keeping ahead of the game, dealing with criticism, 12/15/2016 8:17 AM
not having a safe, predictable income, relationship pressures etc. But in no way am I complaining, I get to do the best
job in the world.

286 The music industry is geared towards making music that will sell records that will make record companies money, 12/15/2016 8:14 AM
through lots of marketing. In the 'old days' - ie more than 10 yrs ago, musicians were not expected to do be amazing
at website design, video editing, internet, publishing, production, social media, self promotion, bookings, accounts, etc
etc ! I feel like these days of internet culture, where everyone wants something for free, it is hard to get gigs as an
original musician, and make the money work, especially in a group - the good money just is not there regularly
enough and generally the people that get paid the most are covers bands @ weddings. In my experience the pay is
higher in Europe & other countries due to a different attitude from the public towards music (ie appreciation) and
government funded schemes which allow venues to subsidise their arts offerings and therefore pay more. You also
get treated with generally more respect, often getting free drinks / meal / place to stay - very unlike the UK where i
have been asked to pay for drinks etc on many occasions. So basically mental illness is common because the whole
thing is a bit of a facade, musicians get a bit of a bum deal compared to other specialists, and really musicians live to
write & play music, as well as perform it, not to spend their lives on facebook telling everyone how amazing they are,
or spend too much time dwelling in their unpaid 'office jobs' :)

287 Although I have been a musician for years and have developed a thicker skin, when you are performing to an 12/15/2016 8:12 AM
audience of strangers, some find it necessary to be abusive for no reason. This used to really knock my confidence
but it's just part and parcel of the job and I can move past it much more easily now. There is also the issue of
'stalkers'. It's easy to find musicians via social media and there have been a few times where I have felt unsafe at
work and have had to involve the police over men who have followed me or continually harassed me. This had a
massive impact on my health and wellbeing as it's something you generally have to deal with alone when you're self
employed.

288 I would imagine some of it is due to the nature of what we do - we are putting something we create on a platform for 12/15/2016 8:06 AM
people to consume, and not everyone is going to like it. So there are always going to be some times when we
realise that a person / group of people have judged something we made, and decided it's not good enough. This
can be hard to deal with when it's something so personal. (I'm talking mainly about original / improvised music here
I suppose). For all forms of music though, there is a demand to appear accessible to people who come and watch -
there are many times when people have come to talk after a gig, and you might not want to talk, but feel obliged to
or you will damage your reputation. Most of the time it's not a problem, but there is definitely pressure there.

289 Also work as a teacher for a music service. Work is very badly paid and stressful which contributes to general anxiety 12/15/2016 7:55 AM
levels. The level to which musicians depend on their phones for work is also unhealthy.

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290 Pressures of touring are pretty heavy - first things to go are sleep and good diet, relationships suffer. Luckily I am a 12/15/2016 7:49 AM
classical player, don't really tour and limit travel distance to 2 hours. Also eat really well and avoid alcohol most of the
time. At my age it's easier, as children are older. I was a full time head of music. Compared with that, any work is
easier and I really enjoy mine!

291 I enjoyef music so much more before going to a conservatoire. I have never felt so lonely, isolated and unsupported 12/15/2016 7:45 AM
as I did at RNCM. When things got tough with relationships the counselor was so booked up she couldn't see you for
months, doesn't that tell you something? I felt like (and still feel) that the people who run conservatoire's do not care
about your personal well being. Never have I been so double crossed by friends in a place. Never have I felt so
insignificant. They build you up saying you're so wonderful to be here, well done you're one of the lucky few. Apart
from having good teachers (who you could employ privately) it's just a breeding ground for unhealthy relationships.
It's taken me a long time to start playing again after I left and I now work as a music teacher. None of the kids care
where I went, just what I can play, do I play songs they know! I had to take some re takes during my time, at the end
of my degree it was potentially going to effect whether I got one or not depending on if they have me the chance to
actually have a retake. I was treated as if I was in a court of law. It didn't matter that i had gone to every lecture (while
most of top players in my year had gone to barely any- but that's okay apparently) or that I had been a rep for my
year for 3 years running and was on the social fresher's team. This may sound like a bitter rant but there is a huge
amount of people being scared shirtless that if they speak out ( like I did) that they would tarnish their reputation and
no one would employ me. Well I put a big middle finger up to RNCM. You didn't make me who I am, I never felt
appreciated or even whole when I was there until I became a teacher myself because of my amazing horn teacher.
Sorry for the rant, I really am interested in this study. Personally I would only recommend a few of my students to go
on go music college, I would encourage them to go to uni. To live a healthier music life, to meet more open minded
people.

292 Performing is a way of escaping from myself. I get to be someone else who is confident, witty and talented which is 12/15/2016 7:41 AM
not something I feel I have in my 'normal' life. I would imagine it is the same for other people. It's and so a way of
gaining acceptance and approval from other people.

293 Not prepared properly during training for the emotional, physical and mental challenges of the profession 12/15/2016 7:37 AM

294 Being a musician is a very difficult path and you are constantly met with negativity and rejection. As You are more 12/15/2016 7:11 AM
likely to be someone who looks at life differently to lots of your friends and family and so this can put you at odds with
them. For example, I could not possibly work in an office or even any regular place of work where as many of my
friends do. I'm conscious of this and it sometimes bugs me - why am I so different? Also, having a family brings in
more pressure to keep a reasonable income coming in. When you don't have a stable income this can be stressful. I
also think that music has been devalued by both the public and less professional performers. People constantly want
a cheap deal out of you and you don't get that as much as other professions.

295 No 12/15/2016 6:56 AM

296 Lack of structure and stability. 12/15/2016 6:54 AM

297 For me, it's the system. I'm actually totally happy with performing and deal with my personal Critism well. It's the 12/15/2016 6:40 AM
system, I break myself working I want a modest wage despite being extremely educated and very skilled. Then it feel
like the tax man takes any savings I make

298 Musicians often live in dream world Not very organised or good at coping with realities of life Escapism? Want to 12/15/2016 6:11 AM
learn new stuff all the time Takes up much time

299 Speaking from personal experience and talking to others in the profession with mental illness I think as a 'job' music 12/15/2016 5:59 AM
is generally expressive and has sharing emotion/messages with the audience as part of its purpose, so can be very
therapeutic and satisfying as a career. Also other musicians are much more likely to be understanding of mental
illness. I also think that the conditions of work e.g. Long hours, poor sleep patterns, travelling, lack of routine,
expectations to always be there for your audience, working in fits and starts, can be a challenging mental
environment for us and even if we are generally mentally healthy you can get burnout. You're also more likely to be
exposed to drugs and alcohol, and the social rules are much less strict than other professions. It's very competitive
and there are few long term, viable contracts available (especially if you play original music), hiring is usually through
word of mouth or on reputation and there's a lot of pressure to be on form and put on a show every night. But it can
also be good physical exercise and very satisfying when you get good feedback from an audience, especially if you
have a high energy show. I do find when I have a quiet period away from gigging I can get very tense and am not
structured in my days, even just a week off from gigging can make me emotionally disoriented.

300 Because of the above. This survey is very comforting. 12/15/2016 5:52 AM

301 I am also in the middle researching mental health and wellbeing and its relationship with music for my masters 12/15/2016 5:24 AM
degree. I think our musicians ego (which is needed) plays a part in this very complex area. The reasons behind
making music, what leads someone to become a musician. I am also a member of the Help Musicians team that
carried out the study and have also recently become an ambassador for a mental health research charity. Good luck
with your research it's a great subject to cover isn't it!

302 Regarding tours - you can be away from loved ones for extended periods. Music is such an expressive and personal 12/15/2016 5:07 AM
art form, thus leading to heightened emotional states - "what I produced is crap therefore I am crap"

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303 As people see this as"not a real job" they somehow seen to think we don't need to same breaks/holidays etc as other 12/15/2016 5:04 AM
professions. I find myself some days working for 4 hours without even a pee break and people seem to see this as
acceptable.. I also find it difficult to find a work/life balance and find it difficult to keep my relationships with family and
friends exactly where I'd like then to be sure to work commitments.

304 I think normality is a distant reality to those who suffer from a mental illness and so they edge away to a horizon 12/15/2016 4:58 AM
where they can build their own foundations and have the ability to encourage being different as opposed to finding an
affinity in the normal walks of life. Music is an art and with any art its therapeutic as the work comes from the soul.

305 N/a 12/15/2016 3:50 AM

306 Was never told or taught how to deal with the pressures of the profession. There should be more education about 12/15/2016 3:49 AM
this at conservatoire level. In many ways musicians train like athletes, except they have sports psychologists to help
them deal with the mental game of performing. We do not have this and it needs to change.

307 Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in my mid 20's. Also spent 4 years in an abusive relationship (with another musician). 12/15/2016 3:48 AM
On my own and doing well now in spite of it all. Thanks for looking at this issue.

308 There is a lot of pressure to always be at the top of your game when performing - I personally have felt nervous about 12/15/2016 3:42 AM
making even tiny mistakes and beaten myself up emotionally if this has happened. I also feel like I'm always being
judged by other musicians, no matter how informal the performance or rehearsal. I feel constant pressure to never
get anything wrong which does have a negative impact on my life personally outside of music. I imagine this feeling is
probably common among professional musicians, I can't see myself being the only one to feel under this amount of
pressure.

309 Been researching it myself, think to be creative minded ADHD and depression seem to be common. As a drummer I 12/15/2016 3:30 AM
often find i can see ADHD traits in nearly every drummer i have ever meet, no coincidence. Drummers who strike me
as ADHD... Keith Moon - The Who Tre Cool - Green Day Travis Barker - Blink 182

310 Music is not a "real job" 12/15/2016 3:09 AM

311 Normal people don't change sound waves for a living or feel that they deserve to!! Depression etc will always go 12/15/2016 3:00 AM
hand in hand with a creative brain, sadly it seems to be a very common part of what makes us do what we do rather
than persue a more sensible, secure path

312 By nature this job is constantly on the move. Lack of day to day structure and a regular base could lead to a feeling of 12/15/2016 2:49 AM
being "lost" and therefore insecurity.

313 Perhaps question is the wrong way around: why are do many mentally illbpeople drawn to musical performance? 12/15/2016 2:45 AM

314 Industry is in a bad place right now. We all work harder to compensate. 12/15/2016 2:38 AM

315 The slightly different way of thinking that music encourages, as well as being a place for social out-casts to focus 12/15/2016 2:33 AM
energy and share a common ground

316 The deeper the emotion, the stronger the bond with your music. The passion to express yourself is only as powerful 12/15/2016 2:27 AM
as the resonance you feel with your art. It's a symbiotic relationship; have you ever heard evoking music from an
artist who fails to embody their feelings in their work?

317 From experience of mental illness as a working musician I would say that the reason it isn't more common for mental 12/15/2016 2:26 AM
illness to occur in musicians may be because of the extreme highs we can face in the spotlight and the knock on
effect it can have on our serotonin levels once we finish playing and return to 'normality' . Also on tour there is often
not a lot to do when you are driving from venue to venue so drinking can often help pass the time, as well as alcohol
being provided at most venues . As it is a depressant i think drinking on a regular basis has a definite knock on effect
to our mental health. a working musicians life especially as a session player can be particularly lonely from my
experience which can also lead to depression. Sessioning means travelling to different locations often alone and
working with people you usually have never met before, away from home. It's very tiring and the pressure to get your
playing accurate in session situations (depending on who you are working for) can be very strenuous. Getting it
wrong can naturally lead to disappointment in yourself and anxiety towards who you are working for.

318 Maybe people with problems are drawn to working as a musician. 12/15/2016 2:26 AM

319 I think it's a complicated issue, with more than one contributive factor. For me depression was something I 12/15/2016 2:15 AM
experienced at the start of my musical career, when I had to choose between a settled family life or having a career I
was happy with.

320 I think musicians are more likely to live outside the confines of 'polite society'. Live music has a strong connection to 12/15/2016 1:55 AM
night life in general and as such is more likely to involve unsociable hours, drugs and alcohol. In addition to this
musicians are likely to be less traditionally social as the hours and hours of solitary practice involved on their own
take you outside the confines of 'normal' behavior. Musicians have to be self critical in a way that can occasionally
become depressing, I have experienced this myself, being in competition with your friends and peers can be difficult
as well.

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321 For classical musicians, the conservatoire system pretty much guarantees it. 12/15/2016 1:49 AM

322 Financial insecurity, poor lifestyle habits, and insecurity about ones abilities may play a part, also musicians tend to 12/15/2016 1:40 AM
be more sensitive emotionally as they are required to be emotional in their practise, if it is to be , and to be perceived
as sincere,which in turn may make them more vulnerable.

323 Predisposition of those with creative, thought-probing minds, who spend more time reflecting and being more aware 12/15/2016 1:38 AM
of the world, worldly affairs (near and far...seem to be higher % of politically minded amounst my muso friends, and
my artist/thespian ones, than the rest!). We more aware of our culture, heritage, history and society, we see that
reflected in works from past be it music, song, poetry, writing, drama or art. And our own music and choices are
made with our connection to these aspects. We are trad bearers (folk strongly so, but not exclusively), we continue
and add to richness of culture, in future it will help convey to generations to come, what kind of ppl we were or what
we felt strongest about. I have chronic long term illness, while I have bouts of depression, and suffer anxiety,
insomnia as side effects in daily life, music has been my Therapy, without my music (music through dance as a
youngster/teen), my condition has always declined, often to very low places, however, instantaneously music has
relieved the symptoms. I suffer occasional bouts which are linked to my condition, it's prognosis, DLA process, the
attitudes and lack of action of medical professionals, just a general overwhelmingness... never the aspects of music,
touring etc. Again tho, my condion may have adapted my attitude on a professional level, I earn well enough and
tour/gig sufficiently enough, both are choices I have made to achieve a good work/life, rest/play balance.

324 Every day you wake up unemployed and you have to generate your own income. It's like being a warrior. You have to 12/15/2016 1:37 AM
be mentally tough, and it's hard to be like that all the time.

325 Constantly comparing yourself to the "success" of others. 12/15/2016 1:20 AM

326 You could consider that the music industry is largely male dominated and how conventional notions of masculinity 12/15/2016 1:12 AM
contirbute to a culture of mental health stigma within the professional music community. There is lots of existing
literature on this, if you are interested in international feminist theory check out the work of liz bondhi and Gill
valentine.

327 Musicians are very sensitive people 12/15/2016 1:10 AM

328 Lack of stability in performing and relying on more "conventional" work (e.g. Teaching) in order to pay bills. 12/15/2016 1:09 AM
Pressure from outside world to conform, buy a house, have a 9-5 job, have kids etc.

329 I suspect that people 'wired' to be musical (ie. those with musical talent) are inherently highly sensitive, so feel their 12/15/2016 1:07 AM
problems all the more acutely.

330 The industry is one that requires a great deal of good faith and subsequent disappointments. Be it students bailing 12/15/2016 1:01 AM
after 3 lessons into a 12 week course or a promoter cancelling the night before, or even the night of a gig. The
potential is there to be unprepared for pitfalls in a normal average schedule. Financial management is lacking in the
industry and often self employment is murky waters for the average businessman inclusive of self assessment for
tax. Cumulate an average Joe schedule of having a few students and running a band the amount of
organisational skills required is a hard standard to impliment, the financial management is difficult with variances in
month to month income depending on individual schedules. This discussion could last an eternity but essentially the
link seems quite obvious due to the high emotional and mental effort required to maintain a career as a musician.
Most musicians are unprepared for this side of being a musician, the black and white, non musical, business aspect.
The formation of a structured project aimed at educating musicians at a young age preparing them for the
administrative side of being a musician would greatly decrease the target percentage.

331 The constant looming fear of not earning. The rejection that is suffered a long the way. The not feeling good enough 12/15/2016 12:58 AM
at times, then at others feeling on top of the world. Anxiety is common, and can and does kick in when being over
worked and not performing to your best...then berating yourself for not doing the best possible job!

332 The business often attracts those with a flighty, emotional nature like a moth to a flame, and many let ego get the 12/15/2016 12:55 AM
better of them. The job is not conducive to either stable relationships or family life and I think many musicians suffer
when they fail with either or in some cases both.

333 Cos mental people often crave fame & assume this will achieve it? Easy access to excess.? Lack of normal routine or 12/15/2016 12:55 AM
control over what you have to do.?

334 Ignorance about music leading to unrealistic expectations and leading to pressure on musicians and unrealistic 12/15/2016 12:54 AM
budgets to cover work. Scarcity of funding for arts in general due to undervaluing the arts and lack of appreciation of
their benefits as a whole (in my opinion).

335 Mainly due to low pay and inconsistent work days eg.. 1 week 4gigs the next week 2 gigs and so on. No sick pay or 12/15/2016 12:53 AM
holiday pay. I turned up at a booking tonight and there was a notice on the door saying venue closed due to electrical
fault. They hadn't called me to warn me of this. So id spent two hrs driving ect.. For nothing. I only have one more gig
booked in this week and its 150 pounds. I have bills like everybody else but won't be able to pay them this week,
then it gets harder and harder until financial pressure makes me ill. I'm currently involved in an I.V.A which is one
step from bankruptcy!!! So I would say financial pressure is a big part of it. I'm quite resilient when it comes to nerves
before performing but I think that would play a big part too for many others.

336 No 12/15/2016 12:53 AM

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337 Artists, by our very nature, aren't normal. I wouldn't make the music I do were I not mentally unstable, and that music 12/15/2016 12:50 AM
I find works as something of a coping mechanism. Creating helps push the dark clouds back for a time.

338 The hours (antisocial & late), and, as suggested by the questions in the survey, a lot of self-analysis and criticism. 12/15/2016 12:48 AM

339 thanks for asking :) 12/15/2016 12:46 AM

340 Art is looking for the boundaries of the outer self, some people get lost on the way 12/15/2016 12:45 AM

341 I think the statistics are misleading.:) To be serious, it's really hard to comment on that statement without knowing 12/15/2016 12:42 AM
how the survey was made. E.g.: professional session musicians or 'big stars' or self proclaimed musicians have this
result. I think for professional musicians it's just a job like any other so shouldn't be much different, for big stars it can
be the pressure which is not related to music but fame, the third is obviously not really a category. Anyway, good luck
with your research!:)

342 The kind of people who do well in music and thus survive are attention seekers and perfectionists. Neither is a 12/15/2016 12:42 AM
particularly sustainable personality trait. You either have to work really hard to live up to your own standard, which
induces stress, or fail to, which induces self-hatred.

343 Society seems to perceive music as a much less serious profession and personally I find comments from other 12/15/2016 12:38 AM
people really affect my health. I worry about my future and the money I make but I know that I couldn't do anything
else - music keeps me happy.

344 - antisocial hours - being in the 'spotlight' and preparing yourself for performance cultivate an attitude of self 12/15/2016 12:37 AM
consciousness and criticism, as does practicing to a high level for performance. - lack of regular work - related to that
the seasonal 'low points' - high pressure related to performance - if you maintain a 'competitive' mindset with your
peers and rivals, particularly if they are younger!

345 The constant need to broadcast, to compete and to project a perfect version of your ability and career success (or 12/15/2016 12:33 AM
fabricate it) grinds you down! Suffer from overwhelming need to get better and do this and that, play more more, earn
more, gain more respect. This ends up making me stare at the wall for long periods of time...

346 Always only ever one cock up from being permanently unemployed 12/15/2016 12:33 AM

347 - Lack of stability in terms of an income from music / or just don't know where to look, and definitely pressure to find 12/15/2016 12:31 AM
paid work - Always having to be on your guard to make sure you're not getting ripped off (i.e. pay to play gigs / radio
and various contracts) - Could also be lack of inspiration / too much negativity

348 Until I took this study I did not FULLY appreciate just how demanding emotionally and physically this field of work is. 12/15/2016 12:30 AM
Obviously I live and breathe this career as a mucisian but reading the questions out made me realise just how
difficult it is to stay sane in this line of work, there is so much strain! It takes everything from us and is extremely
demanding - something that people who aren't musicians do not fully understand.

349 What a load of rubbish ! Maybe the luvvie leftie need safe space plonkers who cant play bugger off to a new 12/15/2016 12:29 AM
profession.

350 I personally have treated my musicianship as bread and butter whilst performing in the cabaret circuit and now 12/15/2016 12:26 AM
teaching full time and performing less frequently however I can understand in the "quick fix" culture of music these
days i.e. The TV shows.. comes with that is the pressure of finding fame quickly and there's no time to develop into
the culture. This can add to the pressure and cause problems. Everyone is differenct though and where some people
deal with the lifestyle others may not handle it so well.

351 Introspection combined with an inability to do much else? 12/15/2016 12:25 AM

352 Criticism from others and not being supported on your decisions to become a musician. 12/15/2016 12:24 AM

353 I have found that I become more anxious when I am focussing on my music more. This is probably because it means 12/15/2016 12:21 AM
everything I am doing is essentially very self-centred and that's not particularly healthy. It is also because every
moment of creating something or putting out into the world means a great deal to me - it's a privilege that I get to do
something like that, but it also means it's very taxing. A couple of the questions were difficult to answer question 1 for
instance. My music is definitely an enormous part of my life and I'm sure those around me would consider it 'welded
with my identity'. To myself, personally, it is not. I wasn't sure which answer you wanted. Balancing worklife with
relationships - you assume I have relationships (makes the answer an easy 'yes') Question 15 - It's important to me
that I feel I have control over what the public see/don't see. It's not necessarily that I think being smilier will make me
more popular (people are more likely to follow you/talk about you if you've a dramatic story anyway....), I want to put
my music across in a way that does it justice, and bringing in stories about my life that do not relate to the music, in
my opinion would be a bad idea. I'm not sure if that's a yes or a no for your question...?

354 I feel it may have a lot to do with personal criticism, being on 'display' an awful lot for performance, and the fact that 12/15/2016 12:21 AM
as musicians we are very creative and emotional people, perhaps more susceptible to a mental illness.

355 No 12/15/2016 12:19 AM

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356 I think in order to be a musician it requires a lot of sensitivity in the person in order for them to carry on with music as 12/15/2016 12:18 AM
a career. I find that myself and most musicians I know use music as a way to vent their emotions to some extent and
to help deal with their problems. I think if people are very emotionally stable and can deal with their issues in a very
functional way or don't have a huge amount of issues in the first place then they would be less likely to choose a path
in music because they don't require that outlet as much.

357 You open yourself up to a lot of criticism, and even if (like my band) your work is largely well received and you're 12/15/2016 12:13 AM
making a large profit off of it, the few negative comments can really color the entire thing. You forget that you love
making music because you have a passion for it, and it becomes a product or a resource that you feel you need to
tap to continue to make more income.

358 Creativity often requires lonlieness , which in turn isn't healthy . 12/15/2016 12:12 AM

359 Nope 12/15/2016 12:11 AM

360 Question - does the profession Cause illness, or Invite those with a predisposition into it? Someone a little younger 12/15/2016 12:05 AM
than me, but a "pro" musician too, said once that we get into music as a way of expression/life choice rather than
specifically to be creatively wonderful musically - this really resonated - not the sex/drugs/rock n roll - I would have
had more of that being a stock broker, or probably a builder...or teacher. But it was MY life, and allowed me to be
"me" (define...), and music just happened to be the (random?) outlet - could have been an
artist/sculptor/comedian/writer...builder...teacher...I'm not a "great" musician, not always great at being me (define),
but I feel that it is MY life. Maybe if you take that "outsider" thing too far you get mentally ill. I also know a couple
fragile egos - it makes them technically "better" than me, but definitely more self centered, fragile, doubting. Again,
which comes first? I also know a banker (not investment!) who is pretty f***ed up, stressed out teachers...often people
who have less "stress" paying their mortgage than me.

361 Always seems that more creative people are as a result more emotional. They experience emotions to more 12/15/2016 12:05 AM
extremes than normal. Certainly true of me.

362 It can be a very competitive profession. People don't like to show weakness, perceived weakness causes feelings of 12/15/2016 12:01 AM
shame, and shame breeds silence. When we don't talk to each other, we lose connection. We need connection for
emotional and mental wellbeing.

363 I think its creatives in general. I am an artist and musician and there is so much pressure from society to do 12/15/2016 12:00 AM
something 'legitimate' and tangable career wise. There is little financial support for artists and musicians but all the
scrutiny. It also just requires a lot of alone time/reflection time which can be good and bad

364 Perhaps partly because as musicians we have to be able to express real emotions in our playing. It's not really 12/14/2016 11:59 PM
something you can do while 'switched off' emotionally. Pressure is high from within industry to maintain standards,
plus trying to lead personal life outside can be difficult due to demands of job - anti-social long hours etc.
Sometimes I feel like a coiled spring.

365 Many of the top folk musicians are considered national cultural treasures. The processes for seeking financial support 12/14/2016 11:58 PM
(e.g. Creative Scotland) are very complex, rigorous and time-consuming. Individuals in the Scottish music scene
need more financial support from the government level.

366 I suffer from anxiety. Not from or while perfeorming at all. But self doubt etc when not. 12/14/2016 11:56 PM

367 I think the arts attract and reward people whose obsessive sense of focus overwhelms and unbalances other areas of 12/14/2016 11:54 PM
their lives. This makes an inclination towards mental illness almost a requirement for entry and one which is then
exacerbated by the lifestyle. Coupled with this, a successful career in live performance demands a lot of time spent
away from one's support network and routine while a studio recording or composition career demands a lot of time
spent by oneself. Neither of these are conducive towards good mental health.

368 The need to be egotistical to perform confidently and sell yourself as a musician can lead to more self doubt. 12/14/2016 11:48 PM
Performing music can be very personal and it is difficult not to take criticism or lack of response to heart. Being self
employed often means you find yourself never completely tuning out from work but also never feeling like you've put
enough effort in. There is always a temptation to compare yourself and your own career to other musicians such as
those you graduated with and feel negative about your own achievements. So mainly self criticism in short.

369 The extreme competition, financial instability, low pay, and general underfunding and denigration of the arts. 12/14/2016 11:47 PM

370 performing and writing music can be a very cathartic experience for people. This can therefore attract people who 12/14/2016 11:45 PM
have suffered with something in the passed- mentally or physically. Whilst music can be a positive release for some,
it can also have negative affects on people too. Especially after work has finished and everything has died down, or
using music to express something meaningful to the individual.

371 Performance anxiety 12/14/2016 11:45 PM

372 Creativity and mental 'health' go hand in hand..... I wouldn't say that what you might be calling mental illness is 12/14/2016 11:43 PM
actually an illness.... creativity does not fit into a box of 'normality'.. thank goodness for the artists... they tell the truth
not the sanitised lie.

373 Being a musician is an unstable, unpredictable career that attracts the most sensitive people. 12/14/2016 11:43 PM

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374 You get Highs when performing and normally finish late, can be very tiring 12/14/2016 11:37 PM

375 It is a tricky balance to keep between paid work, health and creative time. Most often the health and creativity are 12/14/2016 11:37 PM
hugely comprimised by the nature of touring/ keeping up with admin work etc etc.

376 The combination of absolute financial insecurity and the identity pressure is higher than any other profession. 12/14/2016 11:36 PM

377 I hadn't thought about it until I took this questionnaire! But I think I suffer a little bit with anxiety, especially during busy 12/14/2016 11:33 PM
periods of work, such as December due to work being at 100 miles per hour, with little downtime

378 The combination of factors such as financial instability, competition and lack of support in addition to pressure from 12/14/2016 11:32 PM
society or oneself often results in musicians losing their grip on sanity. We are - in the eyes of the public - either lazy
amateurs or rich superstars... there is no middle ground which is actually where the vast majority reside. So we
berate ourselves for not achieving notable success while our families and friends ask either "When are you going to
get a sensible job?" or "You should go on X-Factor". Add to this the saturated and impenetrable nature of the music
industry and you have a whole load of people struggling to justify their existence on a daily basis. That isn't healthy.

379 To self analyse is what this job requires. The line between work and family/normal life isn't well defined. 12/14/2016 11:31 PM

380 Musicians base their self esteem on their progress (how many hours practise/gigs booked) and there is never 12/14/2016 11:29 PM
'success', the goal posts are always moving. Performing on stage is showing a vulnerable part of yourself to
strangers, making your identity focused on an external locus.

381 I am a full time mum/singer and have suffered from depression and anxiety for a number of years. This resulted in a 12/14/2016 11:29 PM
six month stint in hospital having ect treatments. I think now I am able to say no to things and not be worried that folk
won't employ me again or think ill of me. Bookers have been very accommodating and understanding when
rescheduling or explaing why I can't sing and I think if it were to be talked about more the person suffering would see
that it is not an embarrassment or fault with them but just how their body copes with certain situations. I've been very
open with my depression and I think it helps to talk about it as I've now realised how many musicians I know that
suffer. I never quite know how I will react after high pressure gigs but it seems to be that I will be low and very tired a
few days after performing and I have to take this into account when taking on gigs(not too many in a row) or I know I
will become very ill. I think mental illness is common with creative people in general, it's a personal thing to create
something and to let the world see or hear that can be very intimidating and with that comes insecurity in yourself. As
a self employed person you are always aware of having to be the best and perform your best at all times in order to
make money and get more bookings and if something small goes wrong it is very easy to self criticise and think "if
only I'd done that differently". It's a hard way to make a living but I'm genuinely happy that I can sing and play for
people and they get so much joy from it. Singing makes me happy, it's frustrating that sometimes the very thing that
fulfills me actually can do the very opppsite but it's just my life! I'd rather deal with my depression and make music
than be "normal"(whatever that is!) and never sing again.

382 There is a lot of pressure to deliver at all costs. Also musicians aren't taught to deal with the mental health and the 12/14/2016 11:29 PM
dangers at music college so its unsurprising. People in this in this industry often project their stress and feelings onto
others which is just a breeding ground for things like anxiety. Because music is so linked with your identity its quite a
dangerous one.

383 Pressure of performance - audience judging you 12/14/2016 11:28 PM

384 perhaps the lifestyle and structure of the profession exacerbates mental health issues, but there is also seemingly a 12/14/2016 11:27 PM
naturally high prevalence of mental illness in people who are drawn to music and those with exceptional prowess.

385 Stress, desire to overacheive , competitive nature of the industry 12/14/2016 11:27 PM

386 I wasnt aware that this existed I feel very happy with my profession Of course money worries me but it would on any 12/14/2016 11:25 PM
other job also

387 I'm bipolar 2 and feel I have made my world around music as it is my therapy and can't live without it. Music helps 12/14/2016 11:24 PM
with so many aspects of mental illness but it can also have a detrimental effect- lack of sleep, routine, income,
stability, etc

388 Sylvia Plath Syndrome 12/14/2016 11:22 PM

389 Crippling self doubt, feeling of never being good enough even though thought so, by others 12/14/2016 11:08 PM

390 Main reason would be money worries and always worrying about having work in the diary, -along with never ending 12/14/2016 10:57 PM
schedules

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391 From my perspective I think that a lot of the time people become musician's to fill some kind of void. In the same way 12/14/2016 10:55 PM
that a drug addict uses drugs. You get a high from performing well and gain friends from being in a particular scene,
it becomes addictive. I'm a drug user and so are most of my friends, it compounds the problem and leads to greater
mental health issues. I think this susceptibility to addiction is why people become musicians in the first place and
therefore why a lot of us experience mental health issues. Added to this are all the points raised in the questionnaire,
lack of routine, money worries etc I feel like the emotional nature of most musicians makes these facts of life seem
worse than they are and compounds the problem further

392 I personally think we put so much pressure on ourselves and can be our own worse critic. It's so easy to see why 12/14/2016 10:48 PM
many musicians suffer from depression/ mental illness

393 I think that drugs also have a part to play as consumption of alcohol and other substances are encouraged a lot more 12/14/2016 10:46 PM
within a musician's environment

394 I think the irregular sleeping patterns mixed with the unpredictability of when you'll get work/gigs can put enormous 12/14/2016 10:44 PM
amounts of stress/pressure on musicians, add to that the unhealthy lifestyle that often accompanies it, it's not all that
surprising when you think about it.

395 Society's a bitch and loves to look down on those who don't work in an office from 9-5. 12/14/2016 10:41 PM

396 Possibly has a lot to do with the 'social' aspect of the job, the need to be sociable to network and the levels of alcohol 12/14/2016 10:23 PM
that can be involved. Also the lack of routine and uncertainty of work that can be associated with being a musician/

397 Self-doubt, perfectionists, sensitive... 12/14/2016 10:22 PM

398 Lack of routine/home or base. Constantly is public or social eye. No stability financially. 12/14/2016 10:19 PM

399 It's very difficult to be able to have an 'off day'. Measuring achievement is difficult and it's easy to compare yourself to 12/14/2016 10:11 PM
others. Full-on effort for little financial reward takes its toll. Travelling can be disorientating. Separating the
professional from the personal and knowing who your true friends are can be a challenge. Of course there are lots of
positives but they are not likely to contribute to mental illness, more likely to keep it at bay.

400 The need to constantly seek perfection in my art and the pressure I put on myself to do so actually stops me from 12/14/2016 10:04 PM
taking the small practical steps required.

401 We are trained from the start of learning an instrument to listen to our playing and work out how to improve. This isn't 12/14/2016 10:01 PM
problematic in itself but does bring about the routine of listening to what is WRONG with what you're playing/doing.
This then leads into a punishing cycle where whatever you do, it's not quite good enough. When this is added to the
pressures of making a living and honouring family and social commitments, the cycle can become obsessive and
unhealthy.

402 L 12/14/2016 9:53 PM

403 I think it stems from music as a career being such a battle of crippling self doubt for a lot of people. 12/14/2016 9:44 PM

404 Lack of financial predictability/stability Sense of self/identity as relates to your profession as a musician is key 12/14/2016 9:39 PM
Freelancing/self-employment can mean blurring of boundaries between work and leisure time, and working unusual
hours. If you already have a tendency towards anxiety/depression then things like social media can exacerbate
comparisons to others - through other musicians' (curated) displays of their work on Facebook etc - and having a
need for outside approval to feel good about your work Having, on the whole, to participate in these social channels
to reach people and promote own music whilst simultaneously feeling like a fraud/imposter/about to be found out
High pressure performance/recording situations (either pressure from outside or from yourself)

405 I think being creative is a trait of people who struggle to fit into the parameters and boundaries that society imposes. 12/14/2016 9:36 PM
The society we live in is structured around a core of values that lead you to consider yourself healthy and successful
if you fit in.. and being creative does not allow you to fit in painlessly.. it's perhaps a simple analysis but part of the
root of the problem, I believe.

406 We criticise ourselves (often too much) to train harder to be better, we are stereotyped by most and frowned upon by 12/14/2016 9:22 PM
many. Every second we have spare we feel we should be practicing and our brains never shut off.

407 Feeling like you need to be always contactable, via text, email, social media. Therefore never properly switching off 12/14/2016 9:11 PM
from work. Feeling guilty about planning ahead to put time aside for yourself: holidays, social events, exercise etc.

408 I don't feel guilty about missing out on things with friends. I feel angry. Want to give it up sometimes because I miss 12/14/2016 9:10 PM
out on hogmanay with friends etc.

409 I have other "self employment" and a lot of the questions cross to other self emplpyed situations too. 12/14/2016 9:08 PM

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410 I think social media has been a damaging thing for many people. When you're up it feeds your ego, which feels good 12/14/2016 9:05 PM
but really isn't. When you're down it constantly reminds you how much better everyone else is doing compared to
you.. music isn't a competition, but it can feel like it at times.. Over 15 years of touring I'd reached a point where I
could no longer drink.. i wouldn't describe myself as a big drinker in the music world but in the real world i seriously
was..it was taking over my life. Thankfully I've now been sober for nine months and have toured a lot during that
period.. both my mental and physical health have improved massively and it's had a big effect in this around me...

411 I think that lack of stability, routine and a healthy lifestyle are all factors in this. Also, we rely on the positive attention, 12/14/2016 9:03 PM
interest and reaction of others for validation of our careers and selves (assuming that most participants say their
being a musician is an intrinsic part of themselves). This seems pretty unhealthy.

412 We are the reliable ones, the one with a facade of coping and performing. We often feel passionately about what we 12/14/2016 8:44 PM
do and any criticism is like a dagger to the heart. We work so, so hard and never take time off, often running
ourselves into the ground. It's hard to sit down and think rationally about "if I didn't do this gig would the world stop?"
At the moment I have a temperature of over 38.5 and yet am going to play at a funeral in a couple of days.
Feel so miserable about how rotten I feel and yet don't want to let the family of the deceased down. Can't find a Dep
so will have to somehow manage. I know it will be detrimental to my health to do this but that's life.

413 Pressure of all kinds, shallowness (more focus on social networking, likes, followers, PR, than actual music work), 12/14/2016 8:38 PM
low social recognition, low economic recognition, low cultural recognition.

414 the focus is purely on the art form/music - its probably better to widen your scope to appreciate all walks of life 12/14/2016 8:33 PM

415 I think musicians in this decade are living in a time where we are loaded down with debt (from the recommended post 12/14/2016 8:33 PM
secondary schooling we were all told to secure out of high school), running and maintaining almost every wing of our
own music business (marketing, driving the tour vehicle, booking shows,finances, PR, etc), touring non-stop
(as CD sales are at record lows) and having to rubix-cube our 'craft' to fit the need of today's market: BE everything,
DO everything and never let them see you crack. It is so exhausting, and the amount of work to reward is completely
out of balance. This road is all encompassing. I can't help but feel like the only people who have secured financial
stability in the industry are booking agents/management. They can work from home, secure a consistent percentage
of someone else's sales and they typically call the shots when they send out the contract for the artist to sign. Maybe
I'm jealous, I just feel like I'm the one running around the globe, to try and build a life for myself, and I come home
and feel like I'm stopping and starting my life, over and over again. Not only that, but putting things in place to build a
healthy life/home is discouraged. I just bought my first home, but the meeting at the bank a year ago was humiliating.
I had been with this branch for 16 years, had three accounts (including my corporate account) and I wasn't showing
enough income in one year, and so, they didn't think my career was "stable" enough to secure a mortgage so I had
to go elsewhere to a private lender. They said I would have better luck if I was working a job at a coffee shop in town,
rather than my own corporation. When we were leaving the office, the woman also threw in "you know, as business
owners, you have to realize that you can't just write off every thing. You need to pay taxes, just like everyone else...".
It's comments like those that scar; it can make it so hard to keep your chin high. My mother once told me that in all
work/personal relationships, we need to feel 3 things. Love, Stability & Power: I feel like as an artist, I do feel loved in
my art/career. I feel it at my shows, when I receive loving and propelling encouragement from fans. SO MUCH
LOVE. I feel it when I write songs alone in my home. Love is very much there. It's that spark of creativity, when you're
with fellow musicians. There is little Stability and very little power: In today's market with merch sales being as they
are. It is getting so hard to get people out to shows and to get them to pay for a record. It's hard to get people to care
and put their money down. Also, I have often asked myself "Who is working for who here?!" when dealing with
booking agents and PR folks. I often feel bullied, like I need to impress them and woo them to work for me, because
they could easily kick me off their roster. I feel like mental illness is so associated with the music industry, because
we are encouraged to do our craft, a road that is rocky at the best of times, and yet, it is still seen as not being a
respected career choice. People are fans of our music and our lives, but would not risk their finances to have a
career like ours with no stability. Perhaps that's what it is: fans enjoy our careers and encourage it, because it shows
them a life that they could not delve into because they are scared of financial risk; in a way, they get to experience it
all. Tough things to think about, but worthwhile. I would like to feel more like a person in society. I wish people
respected us as valued members of society more.

416 It's a lonely and difficult thing, being a musician; I earn so little I worry constantly and I have hardly any social life. 12/14/2016 8:32 PM

417 Lack of stability and income, money worries are definitely linked to both mental illness and our profession. feeling 12/14/2016 8:22 PM
excluded from the "normal" people in society due to their lack of respect for music as a profession...if you don't work
9-5 some people don't want to know you. I think the Irish government have poor suport in place for self employed
people and especially in the arts. Not enough funding, etc. Another fear musicians in ireland have is of the tax
man....even though we earn so little there is always that feeling that somebody might be watching you.

418 All of the above and then some.... detachment from reality in a sense...you have to detach to create then you feel out- 12/14/2016 8:21 PM
of-the-loop. I was on a whirlwind two year tour with a 'breakout success' -global phenomenon type thing! it was
serious highs and lows and I can count on my hands the days I was home (Christmas basically) now I've struggled to
adjust back to real life and my own music career, also all my minor solo successes pale in comparison with the
success I was 'part of' but I'm still fairly insecure financially. It's a mad life. Great that you are researching this!
Thanks, Alana

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419 I work a lot with community groups/teach in prisons/with people with very difficult family lives in making art projects 12/14/2016 8:20 PM
through music and feel that if I worked for an organisation I would likely receive support in processing the awful things
I witness/hear about in people's lives and am meant to turn into a positive outcome through my job. As a self
employed person however there is no space for me where I can talk about these things to try and unload them, it's
just expected that I turn up to the next session with an ultra positive attitude.

420 I think some of these are quite leading questions, and I think who ever wrote the questions has a similar view to me 12/14/2016 8:15 PM
on the many reasons that professional musicians experience mental illness. Essentially it is a very challenging path to
take. We see what people have to do to achieve their dreams and we either choose to join in and hope to succeed,
or, in questioning our own life values we choose a different path. I would be delighted if the strength of these
questionnaires can make a difference! Also, remember all those people who suppress their creativity in order to take
a more conventional approach to survival, many of whom are probably driven to mental illness due to the lack of
ability to express themselves creativley.

421 I feel the constant comparison between individual artists and bands (in both formal and informal settings) creates an 12/14/2016 8:14 PM
atmosphere that fosters anxiety and anxiety-related mental health problems.

422 Because we're all driven by our egos, or else we would fail. 12/14/2016 8:03 PM

423 Many musicians focus their whole lives on music, so when their musical career, or their practise, isn't progressing as 12/14/2016 7:52 PM
hoped, or isn't giving them joy, then there is little else to focus on. It can become overwhelming. Having unrelated
hobbies, or a job, can help to give fulfilment, and a sense of achievement when music is failing to do so.

424 It is solely based on you...getting work, performing, personality, organisation skills, management skills, smiling, 12/14/2016 7:48 PM
everything is based on how you are as a person, and there is nothing or no-one else to blame for any problems or
mistakes

425 Mentally ill people are more sensitive than others. Musicians are more sensitive than others. Big crossover here! 12/14/2016 7:47 PM

426 Because musicians are egomaniacs and egos are hard to maintain. 12/14/2016 7:42 PM

427 Lack of empathy from those around you. No routine. Financial strain sometimes 12/14/2016 7:42 PM

428 I believe that there is an extrovert streak in all musicians, which is likely connected to mental health issues. Even if 12/14/2016 7:37 PM
creativity or anything else is cited as the main reason for being a musician, I strongly believe that this is the case
otherwise they would not put themselves on a stage for a living. This then bring about a constant desire to please, be
great craic etc, which will weigh on peoples' minds and have knock on effects.

429 Unpredictability. Hierarchy. Looming pressure. 12/14/2016 7:34 PM

430 pressure, lack of support from others, lack of support from welfare (being self employed), financial instability 12/14/2016 7:34 PM

431 Speaking as an instrumental teacher rather than a regularly performing artist (but still a musician!), whether pupils are 12/14/2016 7:33 PM
short term or long term, will they pay on time the next month and will they suddenly quit/cancel are all issues that
cause a lot of stress. Trying to please pushy parents who don't respect your professionally informed opinions is also
extremely demotivating. But I love teaching and do experience a 'high' after a day of good lessons!

432 I think it's a huge issue due to the highs and lows of touring life and the instability of the financial side of the job. Plus 12/14/2016 7:29 PM
relationships are tough due to the attention you get from people (which can cause jealousy) and hardly ever being at
home. Thanks for acknowledging the issuue!

433 I believe a musician is more self critical because we are taught to reflect and analyse ourselves as performers in 12/14/2016 7:28 PM
order to develop in our practice. I think we are very in touch with our feelings but at the same time, struggle to pin
point how we feel or express that out with the performance setting. Spending so much time on your own gives you
more opportunity to be critical of yourself, your image, your performing abilities... etc. When you leave school or
university and stand on your own two feet in a musicians world - having little or no structure in your life can leave you
feeling totally lost, especially after being so structured for a large part of your life. A musician or creative person often
finds it hard to draw the line between work and recreation... Especially since what we do for our living once started as
a hobby. We very seldom switch off. Even when you're sleeping - I can often hear a tune rattling around in my head.
This, I think is a big part of the problem - we cannot switch off, we cannot detatch ourselves! Our friendships are often
routed within the musicians circle! And chill out time often becomes surrounded by more music. An unhealthy lifestyle
on tour is another contributing factor. Lack of sleep and poor diet doesn't fuel our bodies properly and eventually we
start to run on empty! Also when you are on tour you are often spending a lot of time in each others pockets which is
difficult when you need your own space... This can be so difficult for someone who spends a fair amount of time on
their own - when you desire to be around other people but when the opportunity arises you need your space too! Too
much of a good thing. I think we are over thinkers. We need to take some time to pause. Breathe. Take stock. And
remember why we are creative in the first place.

434 Alcohol is a depressant. Artists are their own worst critic. 1 + 1 = 2 Venues should offer to pay more money instead of 12/14/2016 7:23 PM
giving booze as part of the fee. Living in a completely capitalist society and not having a regular pay check. The fact
that many, especially the younger ipod mp3 generation, think music is free and therefore musicians will play for free
as well. The repetitive nature of being asked will you play for free and also the fact that small talk often revolves
around "So what do you do for your day/real job". This must stop.

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435 Music is such a personal thing, and when you have to adapt your product to suit other people, it is conflicting - are 12/14/2016 7:21 PM
you selling out, or is this sensible? Of course everyone needs to make money, but when you have to compromise
yourself or 'dumb' your music down, I.e play covers in a bar, is it worth it? Is that why your doing it? I think a vast
majority of musicians will have these feelings and just that wee seed can mess with your head no end.

436 I work in a full time job as well as performing as a musician- this results in extreme tiredness and frequent illness- to 12/14/2016 7:14 PM
the point that I had to take weeks off work and cancel gigs. I think the constant pressure to perform, scrutiny of your
work, being vulnerable and the unpredictable nature of earning would contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety

437 There is a constant need to be better and to beat the competition. My drive to be 'good enough' led me to develop 12/14/2016 7:10 PM
anorexia which almost ended my musical career. I now know how to balance my work and leisure better but this is
never discussed at music college. There is an expectation to be like a machine and never take time off even if ill or
injured.

438 Trying to work to the highest standard is easy. Trying to get enough work that allows you to perform that standard is 12/14/2016 7:10 PM
incredibly difficult without touring for long periods which takes you away from family. This leaves the performer with
the reality of financially supporting themselves by doing 'its just a gig' gigs. That's not what we spent decades
working towards. Working in traditional music is unsupported in terms of comparison with classical. Our support is
from our peers. Each of them faced with the same difficult path. To play quality music is to interpret emotion. To do
that one must embrace and open up to the full extremes of the soul. Heartbreak and euphoric joy. That leaves you
forever venerable. While I find every day a struggle, I could not be anyone else but me. I am my music. I am that
emotion. I feed off that emotion. I love through that experience. That is the fuel for my interpretation and ultimately
the reason for every note I chose to play and the way I play every note. When you think of it, living and breathing a
process like that, who could ever be surprised I live on a knife edge. Good luck with this Mischa. Power to you. X

439 i believe the importance of the media/marketing in our scene has caused higher pressures. I also think the need to 12/14/2016 7:10 PM
use social media extensively for promotion means the time spent actually concentrating on the music (the reason you
got into it in the first place) gets less and less and you are constantly aware of what others are doing. This creates a
false environment to try to live up to.

440 I think artists in all creative fields suffer from self doubt over their ability at some point or another, some much more 12/14/2016 7:05 PM
than others. It can be a good thing at times and push you to work harder - but I think the thing of repeated negative
thoughts combined with the lifestyle associated with being a touring musician (I.e. irregular work / hours, lots of time
away from home / friends / family, the 'high & low' nature of performing etc.) makes musicians particularly prone.

441 I answered this as a dancer working as a performer and teacher in the trad music scene. Number 14, 15, 17 and 20 12/14/2016 7:00 PM
particularly struck a chord with me. One of the toughest things is pretending to be happy when you're down, being a
ball of energy when you're exhausted and being lonely despite being surrounded by people. Also there is the added
pressure of the expectation to look a certain way on stage which can have mental health implications if you are
feeling unconfident about your body which I often do. I often run myself down through a combination of late nights
and stress which I put on myself. It's also difficult to adjust to coming home and people don't understand your lifestyle
or that you don't just have one full time address. I think it's really great that you are carrying out this research Mischa!
Xx

442 Creative brains think differently 12/14/2016 7:00 PM

443 The competitiveness causes stress and anxiety, and when your own personality is chanelled through performing. 12/14/2016 6:59 PM
When people judge your ability it's like they are judging your personality and that can have an effect on anyone.

444 Loneliness 12/14/2016 6:58 PM

445 Thanks for bringing this up 12/14/2016 6:56 PM

446 I believe it may have something to do with the type of character that decides to go down a musical path as a career. 12/14/2016 6:52 PM

447 When on tour you are expected to be the 'life & soul' of any festival or gig as they have been looking forward to your 12/14/2016 6:48 PM
performance for a long time. It doesn't matter to them that it may be the 20th night in a row of a 35 night tour - after a
while of constantly 'performing' on and off stage, it becomes depressing and once the tour is over it's difficult to
recreate any high as it has had to be sustained over such a long period

448 It is difficult to maintain a balanced emotional lifestyle due to the highs that attract us to music in the first place. 12/14/2016 6:45 PM

449 Many musicians, myself included, demand high standards in themselves (often unrealistic) and others and when 12/14/2016 6:40 PM
those standards are met the self loathing sets in so you get wasted and start shouting at everyone. That for more
than 1 night in a row leads to a shit tour, more than one tour like that a year makes for a shit year, more than one year
like that in a row....... I don't tour anymore and most likely never will again.

450 It's lonely. Keeping up appearances is what leads to the next piece of work. You go home to an empty house after 12/14/2016 6:40 PM
high adrenalin activity. It's hard to share it with non musicians.

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451 Having come from a musical family it is definitely more apparent in my generation that the stress of the work has 12/14/2016 6:40 PM
become harder due to the lack of work available. I've found it extremely hard to get the performing/teaching balance
right and struggled when having to decided to focus on either my own playing or my pupils. This has made me
extremely low at times. Although the touring lifestyle is strenuos the hardest times mentally are the periods when you
can go weeks without the phone ringing and it makes me consider looking into alternative careers.

452 I think there are a great many reasons for mental illness in musicians. I think personally it's not one but a number of 12/14/2016 6:38 PM
factors that contribute to this. Drinking, competition, self criticism. All of these mount up. I feel that musicians should
be striving for more community rather than competition.

453 Aside from the obvious connection between lack of routine, excessive alcohol/narcotic consumption and the fact that 12/14/2016 6:36 PM
when you're working is a leisure time for everyone else (ie the audience you're playing to are there to enjoy
themselves, you're there to work), I think the fact that music occupies a dual role of hobby and job for many people
can possibly have a negative impact. Personally I feel that I'm part of the 30% but I have experienced
friends/colleagues struggling with these issues. I suspect the issue you allude to in question 15 is a major factor. If
disguising/refusing to tackle mental health issues becomes sensible business practice it is easy to see how people
can not only develop these issues, but feel as if they are unable to seek help. The corollary to that is the image of the
troubled genius which while less pervasive in the trad scene (Gordon Duncan is a possible example of this) is
certainly a powerful trope/ archetype in other musics. This tendency to romanticise mental illness is, to my
knowledge, yet to appear in the trad scene but its alternative, the brushing under the mat of mental health issues is
equally damaging and fairly prevalent in the folk scene. If there's any other ways I can help out with this research give
me a shout and in the mean time I'll share it with Newcastle people.

454 Lack of infrastructure makes freelancers vulnerable to much isolation Confusion of personal identity with professional 12/14/2016 6:36 PM
skills is quite precarious / unhealthy

455 Perhaps people with mental health issues are drawn to music as it gives solace to a troubled heart. 12/14/2016 6:33 PM

456 Severe financial constraints, overwork, inability to draw a clear distinction between work and leisure time, lack of 12/14/2016 6:33 PM
personal life due to touring commitments, burnout immediately following a big tour, as well as a constant nagging
feeling that you need to retrain in order to get a "proper job" with less financial and familial pressure, and... a pension!
:)

457 High pressure, lack of routine, constant criticism, living in the spotlight 12/14/2016 6:26 PM

458 I think that it can be avoided/diminished/prevented by working everything out properly, keeping to-do lists and 12/14/2016 6:26 PM
learning to say no to certain work.

459 Pressure. 12/14/2016 6:24 PM

460 We are giving more of ourselves than people who work in less creative fields. This has to affect us mentally, although 12/14/2016 6:24 PM
it can also be a positive.

461 Expectations of musicians trying to live a "musicians life" Having to deal with with unique pressures of 12/14/2016 6:18 PM
performingadrenaline. Wanting to be part of a group- participating in activities that may be unhealthy because you
want to stay part of the group

462 Music is undervalued in many ways. Socially, economically and has reached distributive saturation. The public 12/14/2016 6:17 PM
therefore can be easily dismissive of a 'product' that has much heart and soul invested in it, this can be hard for
musicians and other creative artists to take. The industry itself is partly to blame for this having openly promoted
cheap, safe, plastic mediocrity for decades. Musicians and composers who aspire to excellence quickly realise that
most of the public have been 'taught' to like 'cheeseburgers', not gourmet cuisine. This can weary the soul.

463 If you're doing a string of gigs, you get used to the regular adrenaline high, and when you finish the tour, you miss it 12/14/2016 6:14 PM
(consciously or not).

464 I wonder if it could be related to the fact that being self employed doesn't just entail the job you chose to do. I.e 12/14/2016 6:09 PM
teaching/gigging is a job in itself, but we also need to constantly self promote, book keep, advertise, build websites,
manage tours etc etc. Self promotion is a huge job now, and a lot of us don't have the money to pay someone to do
it. Online audiences and venues expect a lot of content, and this is time consuming and can be difficult to fit in. Also, I
work a lot of little jobs/projects all of which I love, but they are difficult to manage and still have any 'time off.' ALSO, if
you're not about, in the sessions, doing gigs etc, there is a possibility you'll not be in the forefront of people's minds to
get the work, so I think we end up using time off to achieve this - sorry for the waffle

465 I beleive that the nature of the work, being unstable and unpredictable will have an effect on many people's mental 12/14/2016 6:02 PM
and physical health. The constant competition for work and often being rejected will have a huge effect on
performers. Older musicians will also be in the precarious position of having to support families, mortgages etc and
the music business is traditionally unking to older performers, particularly female. There is a also a feeling of being
unable to have an outlet for your art when you are no longer included in festivals, tv programmes, projects etc and
when younger peroformers are given the gigs because they are often cheaper or more pliable. The frustrations of the
industry definitely affect mental health. Jealousy from other performers, exclusion or bitchiness from competitors also
has a dreadful effect. There can be instances of bullying, in the form of exclusion from events/projects due to one's
face not fitting. I could go on and on and on.

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466 Continuous self pressure to be accepted as a good/successful musician and meet a level which the individual is 12/14/2016 5:59 PM
content with. The day to day pressure (again from within self) to perform well and reach level of regular sustained
work.

467 Instability 12/14/2016 5:58 PM

468 Being a full-time musician requires a sense of humour and a grounded attitude to the highs and lows of performing, 12/14/2016 5:58 PM
travelling and unreliable income. I've heard so many young musicians nowadays say; "I just want to play my music, I
don't want to be bothered with all that other stuff". Well the other stuff comes with the territory unless you're world
famous so you have to be able to deal with it without it affecting the rest of your life. No matter how good you are, if
you can't cope with the crap maybe it's time to find another way of making a living and play for pleasure which I hope
is why we all start out on this rocky road. If it's having a harmful effect on your health, get out.

469 The nature of the job involves constantly putting oneself in a vulnerable position (mentally), in terms of performing in 12/14/2016 5:55 PM
public. This involves a lot of pressure from yourself and expectation to succeed from friends, family and other
musicians. It also involves extremes of high and low emotions, both of these on a regular basis can impact mental
health negatively. Constantly analysing yourself can lead to a negative self opinion and low self esteem, particularly if
a performance does not go well. The constant requirement to socialise in order to network can be difficult for many
musicians who are actually very introverted, who then turn to alcohol as a remedy for social anxiety, causing further
adverse effects on mental health.

470 I think for young musicians there are issues surrounding expectations vs. reality. What is a 'real musician' and how is 12/14/2016 5:53 PM
this defined? If expectations and reality are not well matched I think this can have an effect on mental health.

471 As you have highlighted, worries over an unstable income, going away for long periods and that having an affect on 12/14/2016 5:51 PM
relationships, as well as lack of routine in the day with eating/sleeping. When you're at home after touring you can
quite often feel like you have no purpose and then you feel unproductive and guilty for not using your day to its full
potential. I often forget that it's ok to do nothing for a few days when I've been on a 6 week tour! When you are
working on things like writing, practicing, admin etc thibgs that aren't gigs with other people, it tends to be quite a
lonely existence. Overall, I'm not surprised at the stats in this but know myself that I try to eat/sleep and not drink too
much anymore after getting quite ill from doing the opposite!

472 Lack of structure, routine and stability Unhealthy habbits connected with performing, like drinking too much alcohol, 12/14/2016 5:50 PM
nocturnal sleeping hours...

473 No financial security can make things very difficult; and did when I was younger. Thankfully, I am long in the tooth and 12/14/2016 5:48 PM
have a steady income through music activity.

474 I think England specifically is not such a welcoming place for musicians - compared to the continent, Ireland or 12/14/2016 5:45 PM
canada for example. It's an over saturated market, there is a prevailing attitude that we should be happy to even
have the gig, rather than gratitude that you've come to play- obviously the ideal show has a combination of both
feelings. Talent shows have confused people as to the social function of music. Years of poor pay saps self esteem.
Cuts to funding stifles creative minds. We all spend more time on admin than actually creating things...

475 comparison is an integral part of the work, while this happens in other sectors it's less of a distraction - there are 12/14/2016 5:44 PM
bubbles to hide behind. Social media makes this (and populous opinions) very obvious now.

476 It is an incredibly personal industry. Constant criticism of something that is purely driven by self expression. 12/14/2016 5:31 PM

477 Unpredictability of income. The work you create is emotionally charged/personal. 12/14/2016 5:28 PM

478 Expectations from others, lack of value to others (expectancy to do so much for free as it's not a real job apparently!!), 12/14/2016 5:28 PM
expected to be able to be in many places at once etc

479 I believe that in many ways it's the pay-off for being able to make music and express oneself as an artist - the 12/14/2016 5:26 PM
vulnerability and capacity to experience extremes - of emotion, energy, lots of things - also leaves us open to less
happy outcomes. The 'face' that is so much a part of how we present ourselves in order to function in a world where
constant engagement with the unfamiliar, and to be constantly selling ourselves and our wares is paramount. The
face is a real danger for me personally - it distances me from my 'real' self and can leave me believing that what I
create is equally unreal and worthless, i.e. my evaluation swings to associating with the image rather than the
foundation, and the result is to disregard the worth of what I do. I believe that the imperative forced upon musicians in
the last twenty years or so to become one-person walking mini-businesses is one of the single most detrimental
factors in the whole thing - not everyone is a personality type suited to this (and that's OK - IT'S OK TO BE NOT LIKE
THAT!) and it can be counterproductive in the extreme for 'business support' types to be forcing people down one
particular route, when all this is doing is compounding a problem. Errrr.... that will be all, for now...

480 I think exposing yourself to the extreme highs and lows of touring is a big part of it. Going from playing adrenaline 12/14/2016 5:25 PM
filled shows and being the subject of everyone's attention to quiet, solitary late night drives and cheap hotels. I have
periods, often when I come back from a tour, where I don't want to leave the flat, don't want to reply to emails or pick
up the phone, or speak to anybody. It feels totally irrational, but sometimes I think it's my brain naturally trying to cope
with the abnormality of the whole thing.

481 The type of people that are creative speak through their music and may already have underlying mental illness issues 12/14/2016 5:25 PM
that music helps them to deal with. Lack of sleep and routine and constant worrying about artistic criticism may also
be a factor.

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 the recently revealed statistic that musicians are up to three times more likely to

482 It makes sense why so many people do suffer from mental health in this profession as it seems like there are more 12/14/2016 5:25 PM
things/forces working against you than with you. They're are however a lot of positives I take from working within this
profession. e.g, you have more freedom compared to a conventional office/timetables job, you're your own boss, it's
something you enjoy doing anyway so why not get payed for it as we'll, you can take time off whenever you need to
see family/friends/attend family ceremonies etc. I hope this helps! Ali Levack

483 I feel that we as creatives have a genuine disinterest in many commercial or material distractions fed to us at all 12/14/2016 5:22 PM
angles (especially in western culture) therefore place high core values on our creative existence. We are perhaps
therefore more starkly aware of ourselves and our self-distructive treatment of the world we live in. Focusing on
things that allow us to establish 'identity' , respect from our peers, connections with other human beings/nature and
really feeling the need to be a responsible and 'bonafide' contribution to this world. This hightened awareness and
therefore pressure on oneself, perhaps is a burden that other sections of society might never even consider. (Just a
trail of thought from another over thinking musician ! )

484 High pressure both personally and from others. If you don't have coping mechanisms for dealing with that it is very 12/14/2016 5:22 PM
hard. I struggled at college with the competitive nature of the profession.

485 I think the level of self-scrutiny built into developing musical practice means musicians are more prone to negative 12/14/2016 5:21 PM
self-criticism. The lack of value placed on our profession by society also has a significant impact on income - the
financial worries are caused by people expecting musicians to work for little/no pay, little security in terms of
mortgages and pensions.

486 Just because you body is working in a very irregular pattern and it is hard for your body to adjust to a changing 12/14/2016 5:12 PM
environment every day.

487 Lack of stability and for many, worry over income (stress). Extreme high of performing can also make readjusting to 12/14/2016 5:10 PM
normal life off tour seem extremely mundane, I personally struggle to form strong bonds as I am unsure anyone will
make me feel as happy as I do performing.

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