Things Musicians Don't Talk About

Morning! Today was a struggle to wake up but we did. I am walking and talking about the difficulties of mindfulness, why screen time isn’t always a bad thing, letting go of labels and thinking about humility. Hope this week is going well for you so far! Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com TMDTA Twitter Facebook Instagram If you would like to supp...

Welcome to the first of five walks to raise awareness this Mental Health Awareness Week! Today I am out in rural Oxfordshire talking about how the current situation is impacting our mental health, my fears for the future, how I have overcome disordered work and practice and the similarities between restrictive eating disorders and practice obsession. Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: http...

Today I am talking to the wonderful soprano Channa Malkin about her upcoming CD launch, inspired by the issues, stigmas and graces of motherhood. We talk about Channa’s journey to becoming a mother and the misconceptions many performers have about motherhood and working alongside it. Channa's headshot is by photographer Brendon Heinst ‍ While growing up in a family of classical musicians, soprano...

How often do we really think about our hearing health as musicians? Do we realise how great the risks to hearing damage actually are and how to protect ourselves adequately? How might we navigate a change in career path within, or outside of the music profession and how can we discern and communicate our desire to diversify? Today I am speaking with trainee audiologist and percussionist, Matt Fros...

 "Opera is queer af". Yet is is seated within the classical music profession- one dominated by a white, straight, middle-class and privileged persona. Musicians have never fitted this rigidity. The abundance of creativity and expression needed to connect with audiences requires a mind that thinks outside of the binary mentality. We also naturally have sexual and gender expressions that m...

Today I am talking to the co-founder and director of Alternative Classical, Hannah Fiddy. I talk to Hannah about her journey with music and studying music at Cambridge and how this subsequently lead to a passion for diversifying and expanding the often narrow view of classical music and how it is presented.  Hannah is a creative entrepreneur, classical music consultant and content creator bas...

Today we are talking all things OCD. I speak to my wonderful friend and fellow OCD advocate, Anglo-Armenian soprano Nikita Bazil. Nikita is currently studying a Postrgraduate Classical Vocal course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of John Evans. Her passion for music and classical singing emerged during her school years, where she developed skills in both piano and cla...

Joining me today is trumpet player, Rebecca Toal. We speak about Rebecca's musical journey, her struggles with anorexia and bulimia at school and how she has curated an instagram platform to speak about body image and eating disorders. We also talk about how Rebecca manages her depression and the journey to becoming an authentic musician, even if that means following an undiscovered and non-typica...

Welcome to a new season of the podcast! I am starting this new year with a bit of an update of what I've been up to and why it was important for me to take a break. We are back with new creativity and passion to connect, so join me in the coming weeks and months for new inspiring conversations. Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com TMDTA Twitter Fa...

In this final episode I interview Maria! Maria Nikitidou is a Greek pianist and music educator who believes that music is for everyone and can change an individual's life as well as society as a whole.  Maria is a classically trained soloist, accompanist and chamber musician; interested in classical as well as contemporary music.  With a strong background in education, Maria holds a Mast...

The second episode in a three-part series, exploring the issues surrounding low incomes and the classical music world. Does our upbringing hold us back in the profession or propel us to push and subsequently work harder? Today I am speaking with Emily Adams. Emily is currently studying for her Masters in Musicology at the University of Oxford, where she recently completed her undergraduate studies...

This episode marks the start of a new series, Classical Music and Low Incomes- Do They Match?, exploring issues around money and financial background in the classical music world. I speak to three musicians with very different experiences of the music education system within the UK. We speak about the ways in which their financial background has been both a barrier between and an aid towards their...

In this episode I speak to composer, pianist and organist, Matt Geer about his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Matt has recently graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has started his PhD at Queen's University Belfast. Matt talks to me about the process of writing his opera, Sane and Sound, and about how making his disorder and symptoms come to life on stage was a comfor...

In this episode I talk to pianist and composer, Richard Adam Lewis, about his move from the world of business and maths to the music world. Passionate about creativity, Richard is an improvising pianist, writer and coach. After studying maths and following five years as a consultant in London, he’s building a community connecting artists with creative people working in the business world.  We...

International and award-winning violin soloist and chamber musician Elena Urioste talks to me about her journey with yoga, dealing with an injury whilst in college and about why it is that musicians struggle to be vulnerable. Transcript of this show Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com TMDTA Twitter Facebook Instagram If you would like to support...

Today I am all on my own, talking openly about my recent struggles with OCD, the ways in which I often worry I'm oversharing and how to tell the difference between oversharing and authenticity. At the moment, many people are struggling to find work, see a future in the arts and stay positive. I feel you, we are allowed to be angry! Toxic positivity is real and it can diminish the way we really fee...

Today I am talking to the pianist Laura Serra about her research whilst on the BSc in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music. She has since set up the initiative Coaching Musicians, which looks to support musicians psychologically. We talk about performance anxiety, what the concept of coaching actually is, the relationship between sports performance and music performance and the idea o...

Frequently, it can feel like our creative worlds are tightly wrapped around success and the next big project. But what do we do when something unimaginable happens? When our ability to play music and interact with the music world is altered? Today I talk to cellist Laura Armstrong who last October was involved in an accident and has subsequently had to learn to play the cello slowly all over again...

Today I am joined by my dear friend and duo partner, Jasmin Allpress, as we admit our biggest failures and talk about what they've taught us. Jasmin is a pianist studying with Helen Krizos at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Jasmin and I have known each other since we joined Chethams for sixth form. I've always been so inspired and uplifted by Jasmin's infectious joy and compassi...

In this episode I talk to pianist and composer, Frank Horvat. We spoke about Frank's journey with depression and how he's managed it alongside his career. We speak about how powerful and healing it can be, just to admit to yourself that you have a problem. We also talk about his work as an activist and why he thinks musicians should be bold in speaking out about social injustice. Transcript of thi...

Welcome to Things Musicians Don't Talk About. A new podcast and a new way of talking! I've spent many years feeling in the dark about many issues in the classical music profession. So often it can feel like you're the only person struggling. This week I am on my own, talking about my own experiences with having low and no motivation due to mental health issues. I have had to teach myself a new way...