With October 10th marking World Mental Health Day, award-winning rapper, broadcaster and mental health advocate writes about success and identity in music, the importance of research and tailored support, and the cultural and economic benefits of investing in the wellbeing of people in the music industry.
“As you get older, right? You learn that not all that glitters is gold, and every single person has a different musical journey… at some point I realised, if I don’t get a major record deal, that’s fine. The big turning point, recently, with this album, is just the aim to live honestly being way more important than having this glittering music career.” – Guvna B, Performance Peace podcast.
I’ve reflected a lot over the years on the concept of success in music, and how closely the identity of an artist – and a lot of people working in this ecosystem – is tied to their work. This can lead to an impactful output, and a rewarding feeling that is hard to find elsewhere. But it can also contribute to some of the challenges you might experience during what is a pretty unpredictable career.
I released my debut EP at 17 and won my first MOBO Award at 21, so through my late teens and into adulthood my life and self-worth were influenced significantly by accolades and affirmation. Add to that the way social media fuels comparison – the apparent thief of joy – and you might find the goal posts changing, making your idea of success seemingly unattainable.
Entering a career in music, often people expect a linear trajectory, but the reality, for many, is a lot more meandering. This isn’t necessarily always a negative thing, but if it doesn’t match the expectations you had starting out, it can impact your wellbeing.
After being in this industry for a while, my perspective has changed. Now, to me, success means an honest, steady and sustainable life. With my latest album, ‘This Bed I Made’, I wrote and recorded it at home to try and tap into a level of honesty and vulnerability I hadn’t managed before.
Previously, I was reliant the extreme highs that can come with a life in music to feel successful, which meant that when I faced the lows, it was particularly difficult. I’ve had a long battle with addiction, and I feel like I used big moments like award ceremonies and big shows to distract me from facing myself. Speaking to other artists and music professionals, I’ve discovered how common and prominent these feelings are.
Recently, I had a conversation with Gorillaz bassist, Seye Adelekan, about some of these challenges, and how we can develop practices to combat them, and it left me thinking about how important it is to be able to open up to someone who really understands your experiences and what it means to live a life in music. It also made me think about the role research plays in developing that understanding, in a way that informs how the industry moves forward.
Conversations around mental health in music have undoubtedly progressed, between individuals working in the industry and among organisations who recognise that the success of this sector, which contributes billions to the UK economy, is dependent partly on the health and the wellbeing of the people who work within it.
The Musicians’ Census, for example, found that almost a third of musicians reported negative mental wellbeing, and this group were twice as likely to say it was unlikely they would be working in music in one to five years.
If people are leaving music because of low mental wellbeing – whether that be musicians or professionals behind the scenes – we are at risk of losing diversity and future leaders. With talent regularly stepping away from music, the cultural and economic impact the music industry has in the UK is at risk of being stifled.
This recognition has led to more mental health initiatives, signposting and support, meaning that people are able to reduce the risk of issues arising, from the earlier stages of their career, before they reach crisis point. In music, it feels essential that the resources and the support available are tailored to address the nuanced and specific experiences.
In 2017, the charity noticed a rising need among artists for mental health support and commissioned the research by and called Can Music Make You Sick?. This report showed musicians reported higher rates of anxiety and depression than people generally and that urgent action was needed.
The report also revealed that people in music needed support finding relevant resources, as well as emotional support delivered by people who really understand what it’s like to work in music. So, Help Musicians launched the first music-specific helpline globally, Music Minds Matter, and nearly ten years later the helpline still provides a listening ear and signposting to thousands of people each year. Music Minds Matter is also now its own charity, working alongside Help Musicians to listen and respond to the varying needs of those working in music.
Different parts of the music industry have different working environments and pressures, and after witnessing these nuances, I’ve become more and more aware that a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health support is unlikely to work.
A tour manager might spend months on the road, surrounded by people 24/7, whereas a producer or engineer might find themselves isolated while working, with a lot of their human contact being via WhatsApp or email.
The life of a rapper and a performer involves a mixture of some of these challenges, along with the internal and external pressures of expectation. This is also supported by data from the Census, which found that one in three musicians working in UK rap report low mental wellbeing.
Given the fact that each of these roles face the highs and lows of music, in different ways and at different times, to design support that works there needs to be an understanding of how those experiences and resulting pressures differ and result in varying needs.
In light of this, is conducting research in specific areas of music, individually, starting with live music. They’re working with venues, festivals, artists, promoters and more to generate insights about the reality of working in live music that can lead to real change on the ground. This, ideally, will contribute to working environments in music becoming more steady and sustainable, with talent able to remain.
gives us a moment to take stock and reflect on how things have progressed and where work still needs to be done, and it’s important now that the conversations continue, the research deepens and the data strengthens, and, as a result of all of this, music-specific support is designed informed by evidence.
If we want the music industry to become healthier, we have to make the wellbeing of the people who create it, perform it and bring it to life part of the conversation. I personally have no doubt that UK music is worth investing in, and with the talent I’ve witnessed I know it can continue to have a global impact.
A healthy music industry, to me, is one that considers the wellbeing of its people to be a foundation for success, therefore developing a greater understanding of where and when support is needed has to be the first step.
Words by