Skip to content

Touring and Mental Health w/ Tamsin Embelton

Summary

  • Touring and mental health in the music industry. 0:00
  • Tamsin Hamilton, music industry psychotherapist, discusses touring and mental health in a special podcast episode.
  • Mental health support for musicians. 3:52
  • Practitioners with music industry experience offer mental health support through therapy, workshops, and a book.
  • Tamsin realized the stress of being on the road after experiencing it firsthand.
  • Touring life’s stresses and relationships. 7:03
  • Tamsin discusses how stress on tour can impact relationships with bandmates and crew, leading to differences in coping mechanisms and conflict management strategies.
  • Brent shares their personal experience of struggling with addiction while touring and the challenges of forming one-day friendships versus long-term relationships.
  • Tamsin discusses the challenges of maintaining relationships while on tour, including the impact of tool use on those relationships.
  • Tamsin references an article by Chris Loose on exit friction and entry friction in romantic relationships, which provides a concise description of the tension between anticipatory anxiety and separation.
  • Prioritizing mental and physical health while touring. 14:14
  • The importance of setting off on a tour with healthy habits, such as prioritizing self-care and staying in a growth mindset.
  • Prioritize sleep and trust that you can perform well despite fatigue, as it’s a reasonable expectation on tour.
  • Mental health and burnout in the touring industry. 21:33
  • Tamsin discusses the need for a mind shift in the industry, including empowering people and building trust, as well as providing training and support for mental health.
  • Brent discusses stress, burnout, and anxiety among crew musicians on tour, citing COVID-19 as a factor in the increased prevalence of these issues.
  • Mental health challenges in the music industry. 27:41
  • Tamsin discusses the mental health challenges faced by musicians on tour, including stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction.
  • Brent asks how Speaker 2 assembled a team and published a book on the topic, and Speaker 2 explains that it took several years of research and involved a large team.
  • Mental health in the music industry. 30:38
  • The book covers topics such as mental health, mental illness, neurodiversity, and relationships, with contributions from 80 industry professionals and artists, including Phillip Phillips and Katie Melua.
  • Lewis Capaldi and Shawn Mendes have recently taken breaks from touring due to burnout and exhaustion.
  • Touring stress and its impact on performers and crew. 39:27
  • Tamsin discusses how being on stage can affect cortisol levels and overall stress accumulation during a tour.
  • A firefighter friend of Brent compares touring and performing to firefighting, highlighting the need for checks and balances to manage adrenaline hits.
  • Mental health support for touring industry professionals. 42:59
  • Brent highlights the importance of promoters and industry professionals providing support for mental health and wellness, particularly for those away from home and families.
  • Tamsin discusses various organizations and resources available for touring professionals, including helplines, grants, and safe hubs, as well as organizations like Music Support and Safe Tour, which offer support for recovery and harassment training.
  • Adjusting to life after touring with a band. 49:11
  • Tamsin mentions a chapter in their book called “Post Tour Recovery,” which goes into detail about adjusting to life after touring.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *