The End of 'Exhaustion'
Campaigns to help musicians mental health are coming to the fore.
The tortured genius is one of the predominant archetypes when it comes to the musicians we love. The problem is that while the audience gets to revel in the high drama of these artists’ struggles, the literal human who has to live with the illness suffers immensely, often with tragic results.
After decades of celebrating the triumvirate of sex, drugs and rock & roll, the music industry is starting to see the first two for the coping mechanisms that they often are. And more musicians are looking for ways to celebrate the third without its two more detrimental siblings.
This trend is not specific to music alone. More people from all walks of life are addressing their emotional well-being than ever before. But the lifestyle of a musician, with its varying degrees of public displays and intense isolation (often one right after the other) is a highwire act that few other careers require. Add the fact that much of the rollercoaster is being ridden on tour, away from the support of loved ones and without a routine, and it’s easy to see why a subscription to Betterhelp might not be enough for most musicians “lucky” enough to have a career doing the thing they love.
“We are so lucky to be doing this as a job. Therefore we can't say anything bad about it,” says Jed Elliott, bass player for UK rockers The Struts. “I would feel very guilty expressing this woe-is-us attitude. But this job, it comes with sacrifices.”
Those sacrifices have repeatedly threatened to derail Elliott and his band throughout a 15-year career that has seen The Struts tour with the Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses and The Killers. They even scored an early one-off gig opening for The Rolling Stones in Paris, only to return to their middling day jobs the following Monday. This sort of high-low dichotomy is a huge contributor to the mental struggle of working musicians.
“All of us in the band really struggled after that,” Elliott recalls. “It was humbling to then come back to play to our 50 people in a pub in England.”
For years, Elliott tried to figure out why he wasn’t feeling his best. And going through it without the support of his peers. “I had discovered meditation that really helped me. But in the band van, it was easier for me to pretend I was having a nap when I'd just wanna meditate.”
Slowly, Elliott began to realize that he was far from the only person having these difficulties. And as the conversation around mental health evolved, so did his desire to do something about not just his well-being, but other artists. Enter Chelsea Szabo, a personal growth coach whom Elliott met via one of his music industry colleagues. The result of that meeting is The Musicians Journey, an online course that combines Elliott’s real-world experience as a recording and touring musician with Szabo’s expertise in helping people discover a fulfilling path.
“We're calling it proactive mental health. Going from functional to optimal, versus, ‘I've gone so far down that now something's really wrong.’” is how Szabo explains the Musician’s Journey concept and how it differs from crisis intervention, or as it is traditionally called in musician circles — exhaustion.
Exhaustion can be costly, not just for the artists, but also for the many professionals whose income also relies on a musician’s ability to perform. In the past, the conflict between the artist’s best interests and management’s best interests has often not worked out well for the artists. The Musician’s Journey model is designed to ease those conflicts by giving artists the tools to help keep their heads on right to begin with.
And it’s priced at a level that even musicians who can’t afford managers, agents or private jets can still afford to get help before they need help.
“Our goal was to identify what can be the most accessible from a price standpoint, as well as from an, ‘On tour or in the studio, how can people digest it?’ standpoint,” says Szabo.
The Musician’s Journey is one of several campaigns launched in recent years to assist musicians on their mental health mission. Live Nation released a meditation app last year, Mindful Nation aimed at musicians. In the UK, Music Support has been running a confidential helpline for musicians since 2016.
With more of these programs, hopefully the trope of romanticized mental illness can become a thing of the past. Perhaps it will even allow some of our favorite artists to stick around to make one more album.
“[Watching The Beatles doc Get Back] was my first insight into seeing arguably the greatest band of all time and how dysfunctional they could still be within their success,” says Elliott. “I wish I could have just gone in that room and been like, ‘George, my guy, there's a real simple fix.’”
To watch the full conversation with Musician’s Journey co-founders Jed Elliot and Chelsea Szabo, click here.
TAKEAWAYS
Salient statements from this week’s music news.
1. Warner Music to Lay Off 10% of Staff in Effort to ‘Double Down on Core Business’
Rising revenues at the second-largest record label aren’t enough to save 600 jobs in mostly tertiary sectors of the company like media properties Uproxx, HipHopDX, IMGN and Interval Presents.
Takeaway: However it is positioned, the move is coming during an increasingly grim time for the music business and the entertainment sector in general.
2. Universal Music’s War on TikTok: Behind the Battle Plan
In this Goliath vs. Goliath battle, UMG’s mammoth market share in publishing means that its battle with TikTok will demonetize plenty of other major label music as well.
Takeaway: Since antitrust law almost always prevents big companies from negotiating together — the platforms have an advantage. In this case, UMG managed to get more leverage by using publishing rights that by their nature will affect impact a lot of compositions, creating a situation where some small companies can cheer it on.
3. SoundCloud Says Fan-Powered Royalties Are Working
The DIY-friendly streamer offers three case studies that show more money going into the pockets of artists big and small.
Takeaway: The promise of fan-powered royalties is a more sustainable business model for up-and-coming and working-class musicians.
