Seeking help is usually a personal choice but music creators do not feel particularly encouraged by their employers, clients, sectoral federations or public authorities to deal with medical or psychological issues. Professional musicians are likely to travel extensively and do not usually know where to turn for guidance, treatment and support in different environments. Research also shows that there are opportunities in the music industry to consume and abuse substances, such as alcohol or drugs, more than in many other working environments

Although the working conditions of artists is a topic that is high on the EU’s cooperation on culture policy agenda, neither the EU nor most Member States have an explicit, coherent and sector–specific policy regarding the health and wellbeing of music creators.

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The digital revolution and technology are a double–edged sword for music creators. Increased visibility through streaming and social media also translates into pressure to maintain an online presence and say yes to all requests.

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One societal problem exacerbated by the pandemic is that many music creators feel unappreciated by the general public and policymakers; they feel their work is undervalued and underpaid.

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Musicians with mental or physical problems are seeking professional help earlier than they used to, but they still perceive medical or psychological guidance and treatment to be inaccessible, expensive, and rarely geared to music–related professions.

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There is a lot to learn from the professional sports sector, also in terms of how to organise guidance and treatment.

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Music creators generally lack a collective voice to signal their grievances to policymakers and society in general. This fragmented representation means that professional music creators are not equally covered, supported or heard.

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In this new landscape, if music creators wish to make a living from music today, they need a range of other skills, additional to their musical talent and proficiency, which is no longer enough on its own. Most often this means additional pressure and stress.

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Neuroticism is observed in all kinds of musicians, but especially in vocalists and bowed string musicians. The impact of neuroticism is worth noting because it is a predictor for health impairment, being associated as it is with psychological distress, emotional instability, depresssion and anxiety, i.e. negatively associated with mental wellbeing and resilience.

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Despite the obvious need for social support, musicians tend to receive little of it from their colleagues.

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Another negative aspect is the often–undervalued social status of musicians, which is rarely a reflection of their intense studies or corresponds to their professional capacities. In practice, this can translate into lower remuneration than other professionals with similar capacities and educational time investments.

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Another cause of stress and insecurity is the heightened sense of competition among musicians. The constant need to perform better than peers in order to secure an orchestra job, soloist recital or position in a band can be challenging for a musician’s mental health. Furthermore, some evidence states that overt competition in creative practice is counter–productive for the evolution of an artist’s unique identity. Due to their competitive lifestyle, injuries are often ignored and therefore aggravated out of a fear of appearing weak or incapable of performing the job in hand.

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Musicians often take on more work than they can manage, at the cost of their personal or family life.

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Very few musicians are prepared for the lifestyle that goes with the job and the effect it can have on their social life and environment, even though the top four sources of stress musicians report are separation from family, irregular working hours, the monotony of rehearsals, and travelling. The reason there is little or no preparation for this is simple: musical training does not usually include any health promotion and is certainly not related to any social emotions or to the prevention of a poor social life. The same applies to music teachers, for whom the isolation of a studio can be a constraint on the development of their professional identity. Since music teachers themselves are not educated in prevention, and teach from their own experience, the problem can be self–perpetuating.

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However, for many interviewees the recent health crisis has demonstrated that society generally is unaware or even dismissive of music creators as working members of society. Several interviewees believe that in the eyes of the general public, music creation and performing music is not really a proper profession. This in turn leads to a common lack of interest and/or willingness to improve the working and employment conditions of professional music creators.

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Several interviewees felt that they now needed to work and combine more tasks for the same or even less income than before. [about digitalisation within the sector]