Zuko Komisa
Unpacking mental illness within the music industry.
Point of View with Phemelo Motene had an important conversation with musicologist, singer and songwriter Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal about the music industry and mental illness.
LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE:
One of the main factors contributing to musicians’ mental illness has been identified as money problems, along with the unpredictable nature of their profession.
Leal spoke about artist who have been publicly seen have mental breakdowns and noted how they are very different from the rest of society.
“This is an important thing to reflect on, I was actually think about this the other day, the story was triggered by an interview with David Letterman and Kanye West… as the interview progressed you can see that Kanye was saying that he had not been on his medication… You just see the disintegration of his mental state.”
That triggered a whole thought process about how, we have seen Britney Spears who also been on the rocker, and I was thinking that we as creatives have to be alternate thinkers, that is our function within society.”
Additionally problematic is the irregular work schedules and late evenings, which had an effect on friendships, relationships, and family life.
He also noted how in order to make ends meet, many musicians worked multiple jobs, frequently without breaks, which contributed to burnout on both a mental and physical level.
“When they have weird behaviors’, it is to be expected, as that is their function is to be alternate thinkers.”
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