BY JESSIE WANG, LEAD WRITER (COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS)
Sydney-based musician and charity worker Jessie Wang is a mental health advocate and studies psychology at the University of Sydney.
Trigger warning: This story features in-depth discussion surrounding the topics of mental health and anxiety.
We all know a career in the music sector is challenging. We worry about budgets and income. We adopt perfectionistic tendencies. We experience concert stress. And these are just some of the things that make us vulnerable to mental ill health.
Yet, mental health is still a topic to which judgement and shame are commonly attached. Many musicians feel the need to hide mental ill health, and pretend everything is all okay as they take to the stage or spend another day in the studio.
That’s why, in this series, we want to share artists’ real journeys with mental ill health. We hope these stories will start more conversations about mental health, and that people in the music sector will support each other through these very common yet heavily stigmatised experiences.
In this interview in our series Mental Health Sounds Like… we chat with Jenna Pratt.
About Jenna
Jenna is Sydney film composer and pianist who graduated from the JMC Academy with a Bachelor of Music; and the Australian Film Television and Radio School with a Graduate Certificate in Screen Music. She has been selected as one of 10 artists to participate in the APRA AMCOS Equalise workshop for women composers.
Jenna’s most recent achievements include scoring short film Magnetic, funded by Screenability (Create NSW) and aiming to raise awareness of bipolar disorder; receiving a commission for a work on the Mad Music’s In Harmony program, shedding light on the impacts of institutionalision of Australians; and ongoing short films This River and Toy Boy.
Hi Jenna, thank you for your bravery in sharing your story. Tell us a little about your journey with mental ill health.
Thank you for inviting me to talk about mental health in the arts. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression from a young age, I have always found music to be an outlet. I grew up learning piano and studied music throughout school.
I first decided to seek help for my anxiety in 2015 when I started my Bachelor of Music, and for me the decision to study and make a career of music is what pushed me to get help.
I have since completed university and went on to complete post-graduate studies.
How has your experience with mental ill health affected or been affected by your life in music?
Music has always been an outlet for me; an escape when I’m experiencing difficult emotions or situations. I have also found that when I’m composing music, I’m not thinking about anything else, which helps alleviate my anxiety.
Sometimes, I find I feel anxious when I’m under a tight deadline to get music completed. But I find that recognising my boundaries, and when I need to step away and take a break, is super important in caring for my mental health.
Tell us about your journey to recovery or management of the symptoms you have felt.
I started treatment for my anxiety at the end of 2015, just as I was starting a Bachelor of Music. I was introduced to progressive muscle relaxation and guided meditation, which I did every night. This really helped to calm down the symptoms of anxiety I was feeling.
I also began practicing mindfulness [to help alleviate] the anxiety that I was experiencing. I was constantly thinking about things that had happened years ago, or worrying about things that ‘might’ happen in the future. I was never present. So practising mindfulness helped me be in the moment and feel more grounded.
I also started keeping a diary beside my bed and writing in it every day. I would write five things I was grateful for every day – from being grateful for having my morning coffee to being grateful I had a warm comfortable bed to sleep in. This helped me focus on what I have, rather than what I don’t have, which was paramount in shifting my mindset.
What have you found to be the most positive support networks or systems offered to you?
I believe that surrounding myself with positive people that I care for, and that care for me, has been extremely important in helping my anxiety.
I make sure to exercise, drink water, and have some self-care plans in place. I also find music an excellent way to unwind and de-stress, so I listen to music every day and write music as much as I can. I [also continue to journal] whenever I’m feeling a bit stressed or have a lot on my mind.
What’s a misconception about mental ill health that you would like to destigmatise?
A common misconception is that people are taking anti-depressants as the ‘easy way out’, or using it as a Band-Aid so they don’t have to deal with what they’re feeling, which isn’t the case for everyone. If you can seek help for your mental health without the aid of medication, that’s great – but for some people, medication is necessary in conjunction with therapy.
I would like for there to be more awareness and education about taking medication to help mental health, so that people don’t have to feel alienated or judged over something they cannot control.
What can the music industry do to support those experiencing mental ill health?
I believe in the past few years that there has been increased awareness of the high rates of mental illness in the music industry.
I think that having a website or group for musicians to come together if they’re experience problems would be beneficial in order to show people that they don’t have to go through a difficult time alone. Recently, Support Act launched a telephone hotline for musicians that is available 24/7 and can be used to make contact if you need help or know of someone that is struggling.
I think the music industry could also hold more events and seminars about music and mental health in order to destigmatise and normalise the struggles that musicians go through – from working long hours, being alone in a studio for long periods of time, and the stress of financial instability that often comes along with working in the music industry.
As a musician who has experienced mental ill health, what message would you like to share with other musicians who have experienced or may be experiencing this in their lives?
The message I would like to share is that it is okay to ask for help, which I know from experience can seem like the hardest thing to do.
Find a way to externalise what you are feeling, rather than bottling it up – whether it be through talking to someone, writing stuff down, meditating, or exercising. Not talking to someone about what you’re going through is the least helpful thing you can do.
Also, know that there are other people out there that have or are experiencing something similar to yourself. So, as cliché as it sounds, you aren’t alone.
Visit Jenna Pratt’s website to learn more about her career and life in music.
Say thanks to our writer Jessie Wang for facilitating this conversation
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Disclaimer: This story should not be considered as formal mental health advice or support. Please contact your GP or visit headspace.
