The Silent Struggle of Being a Musician

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The musician’s mind can be hard to explain.
To outsiders, it might seem like we speak a language all our own—abstract, emotional, full of metaphors that leave others scratching their heads.

I remember sitting in the passenger seat of a car with my high school music teacher. She used the image of falling leaves to describe dramatic modulations in a Bach Partita—key changes, tension, and release.

As she spoke, the music came alive. I could see it, as if the leaves really were swirling and drifting in front of me.

Two hours later, I tried to describe the same thing to a friend.
I failed.
They just stared back at me, confused.

That’s the thing about musicians—we’re seen as otherworldly creatures.
The way we speak.
The way we feel things.
The way our brains turn life into symphonies, crescendos, and fleeting notes.

But here’s the truth no one tells you:
We’re not all that different.

Beneath the metaphors and music, we face the same struggles as everyone else.
We lie awake worrying about bills, job stability, finding time for family, and building a career that feels fulfilling.

We just chose a different path.
One that’s not your typical 9–5.

Picture this:

You’re at a dinner table. Your friends are doctors, accountants, IT engineers, and business managers. They’re talking about mortgages, promotions, and settling into stable lives after a few tough post-uni years.

Then there’s you.

The “struggling musician.”
The one who’s been battling for nearly 10 years.
The one who can’t shake the heavy feeling of depression.

Almost every musician I know has been in this exact moment.
And when they try to open up—when they finally let down their walls and say how much they’re struggling—what do they hear?

“Maybe it’s time for a Plan B.”
“Why not get a real job?”
“Have you thought about doing something else?”

Let me make this clear:

• We don’t have a Plan B.

• Being a musician is a real job.

• And you can’t ask us to abandon our livelihoods—just like you wouldn’t quit a well-paid office job overnight.

On the surface, it seems simple.
To some people, it looks like we sit around, practice a few hours, and then play concerts.

But under the surface?
We’re paddling as fast as we can to keep our heads above water.

If we stop for even a second, it all collapses.
Our careers, our livelihoods, our identities.

Before the pandemic, this was the stuff of nightmares.
Then the pandemic turned that nightmare into reality.

Not every musician gets to be Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, or Adele.

Most of us just want to do what we love:
To share our music with the world without wondering where our next paycheck is coming from.
To live without sleepless nights spent worrying about our future.

Most of us just want to be understood.

To know that people see us—that what we do is real.
That our struggles, anxieties, and battles with stress or depression are every bit as valid as anyone else’s.

Because they are.

If this resonated with you, share it with a friend who needs to hear this today.

Every referral helps me keep writing these newsletters and supporting musicians who feel misunderstood, unheard, or uncertain about their path.

Before we finish today, I want to leave you something to think about:

What’s one moment in your career as a musician where you felt completely unseen—or completely understood?

Hit reply and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear your story, and it might inspire a future newsletter or community discussion.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

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