Grace Meadows, the new head of charity Music Minds Matter, has called on people across the music industry to “widen the mental health provision” across the full spectrum of roles.
Evolving out of the charity Help Musicians, Music Minds Matter began in 2017 as a 24-hour helpline for music industry workers to call for support and help. While this helpline is still a key part of the offering, it is now a charity in its own right, with big plans for expansion. Music Week is proud to have Music Minds Matter as the charity partner for this year’s Music Week Awards.
Back in 2022, the Music Minds Matter helpline saw a 30% increase in calls. Speaking in our latest issue, Meadows opens up about the shared pressures that come with any role in the music industry.
“There’s so much that is precarious about a life in music,” Meadows told Music Week. “Many people are freelancers, so you have to be everything that you might otherwise get from a team and that’s exhausting and takes a toll. Then there are the hours the industry demands. A lot of it is night-time orientated and that’s a big thing. We know there are lifestyle factors involved in nurturing mental health and sleep is one of them, as are good nutrition and exercise. But when you’re caught up in an industry that works at pace and you’re constantly trying to find your relevance, stay on top or be ahead of the curve, it’s an intricate balance. I feel very strongly that we have a duty of care as an industry to look after the talent that we have. And in terms of attracting new talent, we want this industry to be an absolute beacon for positive mental health.”
Meadows went on to isolate some of the areas of the music industry that seem particularly lacking in terms of mental health provision.
“Last year, Help Musicians conducted a census with the Musicians’ Union, from that, we saw that there are certain areas that are not as seen as others,” she said. “Live crews are a good example. The amount of work they do is astonishing. It’s physical, it’s late nights and when a show is on, the show is on and has to happen. There are so many components that go into making those magical musical experiences happen for people, but is mental health being considered? We need to look at various different communities across the industry and make sure we are reaching them.”
Managers, when you’re putting a touring plan in place, what are you thinking about in terms of mental health? What does that schedule look like? Where is the downtime? What’s the diet like? What’s the sleep schedule like? All of that preventative stuff builds up good mental wellbeing
Grace Meadows, Music Minds Matter
Nor was the live sector alone in needing to make strides in the move towards better mental health.
“The 2023 Musicians’ Census was such a rich data set," continued Meadows. "We know that both financial and work pressures are really prevalent. Almost a third of musicians reported experiencing negative mental wellbeing. And then there were specific groups within the industry that reported lower mental wellbeing. They included studio and mastering engineers, live sound engineers, producers and musicians working in dance, rock and alternative rap. In dance music, there were higher rates of musicians within that genre reporting low mental wellbeing. They earn less and I think it wouldn’t be unfair to assume that working anti-social hours, and the effect that has on fatigue and maintaining relationships, would also feed into it. Then 41% of students studying music reported negative wellbeing. There’s something there around supporting that early career and merging into the industry. We can’t say for certain why that’s happening for students, but perhaps one of the contributing factors is that it is not necessarily a clear career progression route and that’s combined with a very competitive environment.”
In the wake of a spate of artists speaking up about mental health in recent years – with many cancelling tours to to address it – Meadows also had advice for managers and labels about protecting their artists.
“We need to get to that point where we’re much more preventative in our mindset,” said Meadows. “So, thinking about managers and especially around touring, when you’re putting that touring plan in place, what are you thinking about in terms of mental health? What does that schedule look like? Where is the downtime? How’s that downtime being used? What’s the diet like? What’s the sleep schedule like? All of that preventative stuff goes into building up good mental wellbeing. It’s about working out how we make the touring experience invigorating and inspiring, beyond the endorphin rush you get in front of your audience.”
Meadows also advised about potential warning signs people should look out for if they are wondering how to tell if someone needs support.
“It’s really about not taking the first answer at face value,” she stressed. “We are great at saying, ‘I’m fine,’ but that is a mask for a multitude of feelings. We all have off days, we’re humans. But, you know, if somebody is uncharacteristically quiet, if somebody is uncharacteristically snappy or is coming to work bringing a different feeling... Sometimes non-verbal expression can say the most as opposed to what somebody might be saying. It’s picking up on and noticing those changes that can seem quite subtle. Sometimes the concern is something obvious and there will be a physical indicator in terms of someone’s appearance. But it’s taking the time to go beyond, ‘I’m fine.’ It doesn’t have to be a huge lengthy conversation, but it’s about asking some of the right questions.”
Subcribers can read the full interview with Grace Meadows here.
If you work in music and are struggling to cope, Music Minds Matter’s helpline is open 24/7 and is free – call 0808 802 8008
