Can Music Make You Sick? Measuring the Price of Musical Ambition book cover
Music · 2020 · English

Can Music Make You Sick? Measuring the Price of Musical Ambition

by Sally Anne Gross and George Musgrave

About this book

Sally Anne Gross and George Musgrave examine the relationship between musicians' working lives and their wellbeing. Drawing on survey findings and interviews with recording and performing artists, they investigate the pressures that can accompany making a career from an activity people love.

The book follows three connected themes: the status of musical work, the ways musicians seek recognition and value, and the personal and professional relationships on which careers depend. It discusses financial insecurity, online visibility, contracts, touring, expectations of success and the difficulty of separating work from private life.

The concluding chapters consider education, support and responsibilities within the music industries. Appendices describe the research methods and interview participants and provide a directory of music and mental-health resources. This is the complete 2020 study, including its bibliography.