Musicians and the Blues
Musicians face many of the same issues in their lives as the general population, but experience many of those issues in unique ways. For instance, if a performing musician experiences relationship or marriage problems, it is as likely to send the performer into a musical down period, or depression, as it is to affect the musician interpersonally.
Of course, the music itself may be part of the musician’s coping and healing process—but there can be a problem affecting the musician’s ability to concentrate and work well that can threaten the musician’s performance opportunities because of missed services, inability to concentrate, and inability to produce. The problem is further complicated if the relationship is between two musicians who play in the same groups.
For symphonic musicians, reports and studies consistently find that they experience a lack of job satisfaction. When this occurs, some of the factors complained of are:
- lack of artistic integrity;
- difficulty with the tasks; and,
- social tension.
In a recent study, Parasuraman (2000) found that these and other stressors caused two types of stress reactions: role overload, and boredom stress reflecting role underload. For those who play in per service ensembles, there is also constant stress due to job insecurity. And in this age of disappearing symphonies, job insecurity is common. Similarly, performance anxiety, or performance apathy reflect pressures to fit the job, sometimes at the expense of some of the musician’s abilities. This may be true for any type of performer.
It is not unusual for musicians to experience depression from these and other factors. Depression is common in the general population and often goes unrecognized. In any one year 9.5% or 18.8 million of the general population has a depressive disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many people remain undiagnosed because of the stigma associated with depression, or because they do not recognize the symptoms.
Depression is not simply a few down days. Depression can cause a person to become so down s/he cannot get out of bed, but it is also manifested by symptoms like restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, weight change, inability to sleep, and withdrawal.
Nowadays depression is regarded as a condition that can affect anyone; it is not a sign of weakness, laziness, or inappropriate attention seeking. It is caused by combinations of genetic vulnerability, stress, big life changes, substance dependency, and a variety of factors in the person’s life. It is treatable, and many people are greatly helped by the combination of medication and psychotherapy, or psychotherapy alone.
The important thing is for anyone who experiences these and other symptoms to be screened for depression by a qualified mental health professional. There are many sources of information on the Web about depression, and one of the best places to start is NIH at www.nih.gov.
Because many musicians have unique sensibilities and emotional sensitivity, if depression strikes it is important to recognize it and seek help, rather than letting it deepen and affect performance. In the case of severe depression, the person should call one of the several hotlines in South Florida like Switchboard of Miami (305-358-HELP), or 211 in Broward or Palm Beach Counties (either dial 211, or 954-537-0211 in Broward and 561-383-1111 in Palm Beach). Taking steps to help oneself can help keep the blues in the music.
Stephanie Haun, M.S.Ed, (CMFT) IMT 758, Florida Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern, 305-274-6277 or 786-348-5711. Stephanie plays violin and viola and has been a member of Local 655 since 1985.
Write reply
Comments must be approved before being published.
