In 2016, the music charity HelpMusicians funded the ‘Can Music Make You Sick?’ survey. The outcome of the survey was that 68% of musicians struggled with their mental health, which was more than the general population. Since the survey, there have been a lot of similar studies worldwide, and all have found the same thing: the Music Industry can be a hard place to exist in and can hugely impact mental health.
I became involved in the music industry when I was 17. As a young woman, I wish I’d known what I know now, and I have heard this same statement from friends, family, clients, and colleagues over the years. I went to a music college for a year; the rest of my time in the industry has been lived experience. During that year, not once was I taught anything that would prepare me for a life in music and warn me of the potential pitfalls and how to take care of myself and those around me when it came to my mental health. I struggled massively. I cannot blame the music industry for all of my issues; that would be both inappropriate and untrue, but the rejection, harassment, imposter syndrome, and performance anxiety were catalysts for very poor mental health for a long time.
When things are good, they’re really good. That’s why I am still writing, singing, recording, doing the thing. I am very fortunate to have a creative outlet and a talent that some other people don’t have.
When I qualified as a counsellor, I worked with a lot of different music industry members who were struggling with various issues. There were themes that arose time and time again, and that’s when it occurred to me that people could be educated of the pitfalls, signposted to charities and other organisations with great services on offer, but that people just didn’t seem to know about. I created courses and workshops designed to help people with this, and the demand grew and grew. It wasn’t about warning people and putting them off a career in music, but rather helping them help themselves in making informed decisions and having the knowledge to support and manage their potential careers with self-care.
Change The Tempo is born from the experiences of Alena and me in the music industry. From the thousands of client hours, vocal sessions with students who have been struggling. Born from the years of research I have undertaken, which has accumulated in the development of a code of practice. We are providing CPD-accredited and bespoke training and education to anyone and any organisation involved in the music industry. We are providing a space for people to talk, share, and reflect on what they can do to help themselves and the people around them. Alongside the implementation of a code of practice for mental health, we are going to educate managers, executives, and absolutely everyone, whether a venue owner, bar staff, music producer, lighting tech, absolutely everyone, on how you might feel when you’re struggling with your mental health, where to go when you’re struggling, and how to look after yourself if it happens again.
Our website is a one-stop shop for anyone needing information on music industry provision in all kinds of services supporting both mental health and well-being. We’re tired of people talking the talk, but not making a change for the better. This isn’t about fear of what change means and how people might have to adapt; this is holding people accountable for a wonderful industry that has been in pain for a long, long time and needs a much-needed makeover.
