Hey, I'm Rick Beato's Biggest Fan but here's one topic he hasn't covered, but I hope he will: musicians' mental health issues and the epidemic of musician suicides.
Sky-High Suicide Rates for Musicians
Dr. George Musgrave, a sociologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, recently published a study in the journal Frontiers of Public Health. It found that musicians in England have the fourth-highest suicide rate of any occupational group, behind construction workers, building finishing tradespeople, and agricultural workers.
Musgrave said:
The statistics are alarming—shocking. The rates of suicide among musicians that we reveal in this new research paint a picture of a music industry that is demonstrably unsafe. No other industry would tolerate this level of loss of life, and neither should we. The industry needs to get its house in order to confront levels of mortality that are profoundly upsetting and need to be tackled.
OK, this is a UK-only study, but do we really doubt that musicians in the US fare any better? Given the lack of a social safety net in the US compared to the UK, it's probably worse.
I Know the Pressure Firsthand—We All Do!
I remember back in the day—even when I had the cushion of a recording contract—how anxious a time it was, waiting for the big break (that never came). I was young, naive, and yes, stupid—none of which is a crime.
Today, support for musicians is nonexistent from those who should protect them—record companies, streaming platforms, publishers, gigs, promoters. Quite the opposite. The only word that describes it is exploitation. They won’t nurture your career. They admit you have to go viral before they'll even deign to rip you off! As for your welfare? You're on your own. "Pastoral care?" WTF is that?
It's modern-day slavery, and it's taking a terrible toll.
I was fortunate—I had an epiphany. I put my guitar in the attic for 20 years and got a "real job."
Come on Rick - Give us your Support
Rick's unerring nose for issues important to musicians is impressive. He's even beaten me to a blog post so often that I wonder if he has my PC monitored.
Rick still clings to the illusion that there are careers to be had for anyone who wants one in the music business. After all, he wasn't exactly a successful musician or producer, but he's still managed to forge a stellar career as a YouTube influencer. I'm not saying he's forgotten his roots—we know he waited tables once upon a time and must remember the depressing struggle to survive.
This topic is a bit dark for him, but I hope he addresses it at some point. Ignoring it would be a disservice to the majority who don’t have his status (and arguably helped put him where he is today).
What's the answer?
The suicide rate for musicians is a scandal. And it's probably just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to musicians' mental health issues. Depression is through the roof, and in today's post-truth society, it's unlikely anyone in government will do anything about it.
I'm all for "paying your dues" and honing your craft—but you need an income while you do that.
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