As a musician, maintenance of your mental health is vital. Just as it’s important to engage in instrument upkeep, consistent practice, and physical self-care, it’s also important to keep your mind healthy. The music world is rife with rejection, stress, competition, and uncertainty. From auditions to critique to lifestyle stressors, it’s not easy to maintain mental wellness within this environment. Without attending to your mental health, you can fall into traps of self-criticism, self-doubt, and anxiety. You might be struggling with some of these issues already, or you might want to preemptively develop a healthy routine. Whether you are a music student, professional musician, or amateur, therapy can help you identify stressors on your mental health, implement more positive coping mechanisms, and achieve creative balance.

My Background As A Musician

As a member of the music community myself, I am extremely passionate about counseling this population. I find it easy to empathize with many of the struggles my musician clients face, since I have experienced similar things during my career. I was raised in a household of classical musicians and starting playing the violin at age 3, so I have been surrounded by musician culture my entire life. I received my Bachelor in Music degree in Violin Performance from Northwestern University, and have been a performing musician, gig violinist, and violin teacher for over 15 years. My formal training is in classical music, and I have experience participating in orchestras, ensembles, and chamber groups. I also have experience with music conservatory environments, gig culture, pedagogy, and musical theatre. I understand the unique relationships between musician colleagues, conductors, and private instructors, and the interpersonal issues that can arise. I do not use my personal experience as a musician to advise clients, however, my clients often find it helpful talking to a therapist who has shared experiences.

The Professional Musician Lifestyle

The lifestyle of a musician can prompt anxiety, stress, and fatigue. Often professional musicians pay their bills by performing gigs or contracted jobs, which can be unreliable. This lifestyle also requires more time and effort to advertise yourself, network, and find work. The pay is often mediocre, or the conditions of work are unregulated and stressful (both mentally or physically). If you are employed full-time as a musician, you may still encounter stress. You may also struggle with financial stress, or the work you do may not be meaningful to you. You may work odd hours (hello, dinner at 10:30pm!) or weekends. No matter their employment status, many creative professionals find it difficult to balance their work with creative fulfillment. It’s hard to maintain an intimate connection with your creative work while managing the stressors of this lifestyle.

The COVID-19 pandemic also amplified stress for musicians, since performance venues were closed for months, if not years. Many organizations had to cut musicians’ pay or let them go. An already saturated professional market was made even more competitive for those out of work or looking for employment. Musicians have been forced to make difficult decisions about their professional livelihood over the past two years, and it has been a time of grief and loss for many.

Performance Anxiety

Whether you are an amateur musician or professional, you may experience anxiety while performing. Symptoms of performance anxiety include nervousness, ruminating thoughts, nausea, clammy hands, and difficulty concentrating. Some musicians experience this on stage, while others may feel anxious during or leading up to an audition. These symptoms may also arise during rehearsals or when put on the spot by a conductor or instructor. Many interventions that help with generalized anxiety can also help with performance anxiety. I utilize cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavioral, and acceptance and commitment therapy techniques to help clients manage anxiety associated with their musicianship. By building new methods of coping and changing your relationship with your anxious thoughts, you can alleviate much of the distress associated with this type of anxiety.