the music you create is integral to your sense of self .
Remember how inseparable music is to your emotions ? Defining yourself through the communication of your music is inevitable . Not only do you find yourself reflective and self-critical , the music community is firing constant feedback , often critical .
Several different gigs at a time can have music feeling like hard work , non-stop , 24 / 7 , and who has time to take a break ? Or maybe it ’ s several different jobs in addition to a music career , and the conflicting hours make sleep an elusive pastime . And how about that carpal tunnel in your right wrist that always flares up right before you head into the studio ? Or the crippling fear and anxiety that seems to grab you by the throat when the lights come up and all eyes are on you ? You haven ’ t been able to find your creative voice in months and that deadline is looming . This career is amazing , but at what cost ? What if you decide to start searching for a counsellor , a professional to talk to , but they just don ’ t seem to understand or get you ? Let ’ s examine four areas where a music therapist can provide treatment that could be beneficial for you : mental health , music related issues / your relationship with music , injury / pain management , and addiction / substance abuse .
How do we do make it all happen ? We map out an optimal journey for you , and assist with directions along the way . A musical guide .
Imagine a road trip from Town A , a place that is undesirable , uncomfortable , and harmful to your health , to Town B , which has the same layout as Town A , but is desirable , comfortable , and an environment for optimal health . It all works like this :
• Your body is the vehicle travelling from Town A to Town B
• The anatomical and physiological parts of your body are the car engine
• New neural pathways or potential spaces waiting to be activated are the road we ’ re driving on
• And the driver is music .
How does a music therapist know what directions to take ? We scrutinize :
• How your emotional health impacts your physical well-being and vice versa
• How music can effectively fit into your body ’ s functioning to allow for entrainment , accommodation , and adaptation
• How music can best serve you in a therapeutic way , i . e . which music intervention , in the correct dose-response relationship , will most efficiently “ drive that car ” to its destination
THE MUSICIAN ’ S LIFE
You choose a life as a musician – or maybe it chooses you – and when it ’ s good , it ’ s so very good . But throughout this journey , you are acutely aware of what others think of you and your music because , well , achieving success depends heavily on whether the general public likes you and your music or not . Your relationship to
MENTAL HEALTH Take a moment to consider these next questions : How does it make you feel when you hear that a musician has taken his or her own life ? If the subsequent news discloses that it was related to a mental health issue , do you find yourself relating ?
In 2016 , the leading independent music charity in the U . K . took on a new working name , Help Musicians UK ( HMUK ), after it experienced a 22 per cent increase in requests for help . This led to the world ’ s largest known study of musicians ’ mental health , asking , “ Can music make you sick ?”
Of the over 2,000 musicians and music professionals who took part , 71.1 per cent said they had experienced panic attacks and / or high levels of anxiety , 68.5 per cent reported they had experienced depression , and 55 per cent felt there were gaps in the provision of services for musicians .
Comments from survey respondents included : “ I think the fantasy needs to be taken away from the so-called rock and roll lifestyle of famous musicians , and it needs to be exposed for what it is . People need to know the truth . To be successful in music , you have to be so many things . Physically , mentally , emotionally , psychologically , you need to be in peak condition to survive …”
Another musician was quoted as saying : “ I feel musicians are a breed of their own , often misunderstood by doctors and professionals . There needs to be more services offered by people who understand the work we do is not leading a normal life by any standards .”
After Chester Bennington ’ s death , HMUK launched a new 24 / 7 mental health service , # MusicMindsMatter , which offers advice , signposting , emotional support , clinical pathways and professional therapeutic services , counseling , and cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) to musicians and people within the music industry suffering from mental health issues .
In 2017 , the National Music Centre in Calgary hosted a full day of programming for Bell ’ s Let ’ s Talk Day , which featured musician Séan McCann , formerly of Great Big Sea , who has dealt with both
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