As a musician, how do you survive years of touring?

What does non-stop touring do to your body and brain, and above all: how do you hold up?

By Lotte Juliette 

You are homesick, you follow a schedule set by others every day and you only have superficial conversations with your friends. Your body aches from all the traveling and performing. You haven't slept in your own bed for more than six nights in the past year. Because your friends and family have a completely different life than you, you're afraid they don't fully understand you. The fear that people will think: "You have the best job in the world" also prevents you from sharing your concerns. You want them to know that in addition to the great sides of touring and being a musician, there are also unique and difficult sides. Sides that can even contribute to serious health problems to a greater or lesser extent, or even cause them.

What should the public or the industry know about the difficult aspects of touring?

Previous research: “Popular musicians live up to 25 years shorter.”

There doesn't seem to be much research on the health effects of non-stop touring specifically. An example of an organization that does regularly conduct meaningful surveys is Help Musicians UK, an independent UK musician's charity. One of the non-pandemic related studies (2016, in collaboration with the University of Westminster) covered the entire spectrum of being a musician: 'Can Music Make You Sick?'. Those results showed that those who worked in music may be up to three times more likely to suffer from depression, compared to others (other occupational groups, ed.). 71.1% of respondents reported experiencing panic attacks and/or high levels of anxiety.

Another survey they published two years earlier showed that the main concern of the respondents (84%) was the non-social working hours - with a lot of touring and being away from home. “It is therefore not surprising that depression, loneliness and relationship problems are high on the list of problems experienced”.

A more lurid result came from a study that Professor of Psychology and Music Dianna Kenny (University of Sydney) did in 2014. Over the seven decades studied, the life expectancies of popular musicians were up to 25 years shorter than those of the comparable U.S. population.

Diana Kenny says: “Those who live off these young people should at least learn to recognize early signs of emotional distress, crisis, depression and suicidality”. According to Kenny, musicians receive too little support from the lifestyle (of this job, ed.), for which they are often not yet emotionally mature enough.

 
As a musician, someone close to a musician, or someone in the music industry, what could you ask yourself?

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s necessary within the music industry to mention the common business interest as a motivation to do everything possible to prevent an artist from falling over. In any case, from a moral point of view, no one should want an artist to burn out. That is why it is important for everyone - artists, artists' loved ones, the music industry, the public - to be able to understand whether or how something needs to change. Knowledge is indispensable for this. In my opinion, more knowledge could also ensure that musicians feel more free to stand up for their health. Without fear of negative reactions, which can sometimes arise from ignorance.

That's why I'm highlighting a number of common problems that musicians can encounter. What eight causes can prevent musicians from being able or daring to take enough time for recovery in time? If touring is going well, why should you take breaks? And is there an 'ideal' way to spend your time feeling as good as possible between and after performances? What practical advice can you use to prevent a breaking point?

I also interviewed performance and sports psychologist Dr. Rico Schuijers. Dr. Schuijers explains what can be the health effects of frequent performances, and what advice could possibly help you to keep going while touring.

“Show added. New date! Show added.”: How do I define non-stop touring?

'Show added' will appear with smileys on your management's Instagram page. Show Added. New date! By overwhelming demand, show added.' You miss your father's sixtieth birthday. Another show added. You long for the food from home. Fans respond enthusiastically: “Yes: they take over the world. I am SO proud!’. You have now arrived in New York from Japan. You know that when you're back in New York in four weeks, you've already been to at least Spain, France, Brazil, and Argentina by now. In order not to go crazy, you look at it day by day. After all, you can only tour for a long time in "survival mode", as singer Melanie C (Spice Girls) once described it in the Zach Sang show (2021). In the meantime, there is no prospect of rest. You just put these kinds of thoughts away for a while; because this is exactly what you've always dreamed of, isn't it? Or does it sometimes secretly grab you by the throat?

Non-stop touring; what can you actually understand by that? By 'non-stop touring' I mean touring almost continuously for years between different countries and continents, without a break/interruption of at least several consecutive months; months in which no work-related activities take place.

Another characteristic of 'non-stop touring', I think, is the almost seamless transition from one long tour (e.g. in the US) to the next long tour (e.g. in Europe). A recent and concrete example of a band where this happens time and time again is the Italian rock band Måneskin; a hard-working band where fame increased in a relatively short time.

For example, those few weeks that seemed free between the last tour and the next tour were soon drastically shortened. A departure date of the next tour was brought forward (‘new date!’). The other free weeks were interrupted with all kinds of intensive activities: promotional activities, interviews and rehearsals. In addition, in that period between two major tours, new surprise performances were planned in different countries and continents, with a time difference of up to 9 hours with their home country of Italy. This created a mini-tour between two large tours. In other words: then you tour non-stop.

In the short time 'off' that remains - a few days around the holidays, for example - you still live from concert to concert, and there is hardly any room to recover from the worldwide touring. Or to pay attention to other aspects of life. However, switching back to relaxation after all the adrenaline peaks takes time (more on that later). So the question is how long a band or artist can maintain such a tempo.

With this kind of non-stop touring schedule, I'd call those few days off "recovery time" rather than "free time" for public awareness purposes. It says something about what touring demands of you physically and mentally.

Full day schedules while touring.

What do you do during such a tour? It is sometimes thought that musicians on tour relax in their hotel room all day and come to life in the evening and then play the concert of their lives in top shape. However, this romanticized image is far removed from reality. In addition to travel days (think: waiting, airports, vans, jet lags, etc.) there are daily schedules of musicians who just broke through that could feel like three job interviews in one day. Every day. Such a day can consist of traveling, giving multiple interviews (radio, television, video calling), even more traveling, meetings, waiting, photo shoots, recording promos (promotional videos) for your social media, sitting in your hotel room, traveling again, waiting again, rehearsing, changing clothes, performing and taking lots of pictures with fans (the latter also require attention and energy). Getting acquainted with numerous people every day (production, journalists, local crew, fans), getting used to life in hotel rooms and adapting to a different country also demands something of a musician.

What makes it a really crazy job?

To understand why many musicians experience negative health effects from their work, it is good to list the unique characteristics that make it a complicated and intensive job.

Complex characteristics with a lot of influence on personal life.

The non-stop touring -living in hotel rooms- is beside fame -being recognized day and night- one of the two most influential and complex characteristics of this job.

This is obvious, yet often forgotten or underestimated. You are isolated from friends and family for a long time, and are hardly able to build or maintain deep and meaningful relationships and friendships.

Also dealing with messages on social media, the press, the different people in your team, the very unpredictable and relentless nature of the music industry (every music career has highs and lows), the big role of the luck factor (you have little control) , the enormous pressure to perform (what is your next project), the concern that your voice will stay good (or your hands will stay good), the pressure that comes from having your team around you have a major financial interest in your performances, and getting it done on time recognizing the hyenas (a description once given by a close friend of a musician) in the music industry - many business people work in music - and dealing with jet lag is a complex challenge. When touring non-stop, you have little control over your schedule; you follow a timetable set by others. The degree of control you have or don't have over your schedule can affect your mental health. It's a 'fast life', with potentially constant stress to make it to your next flight, interview or gig on time.

  In addition, many musicians often identify themselves with their success (more on that later), which also entails the necessary risks if the success is somewhat less. Something that is guaranteed to happen one or more times in every music career.

If you are famous, people - journalists, fans - also look at you as a 'musician'. So you are on all day; you are constantly alert and that takes energy. Sometimes every step is recorded by fans, the press or your own team (if you are being followed for a documentary). Everything you say and do can be put under a magnifying glass. So dealing with fame is perhaps the most complex aspect and the biggest difference from other professions. And the most lonely, because it's difficult for those around you to really understand what that feels like.

Some of these occupational aspects have played a role in musicians who have not fared well. Often there was a combination of performance pressure, fame, an unrealistically busy tour schedule (where they were constantly following a schedule set by others), too little rest, people around who don’t have integrity and the use of addictive substances to deal with these aspects. Often in combination with a sensitive personality (which is why the most beautiful lyrics are written).

You could imagine from the aforementioned studies and stories from musicians that this lifestyle (literally spending years in hotel rooms) can have a worsening effect on all kinds of complaints such as anxiety, stage fright or loneliness.

Traveling team.

All previously mentioned daily activities are made possible by a traveling team. A team of an artist or band touring worldwide can contain dozens of employees. The hard work of these 'invisible' disciplines and anonymous employees behind the scenes deserves more attention: it also requires a lot of dedication and adjustment of personal life for them. Although they don’t deal with the most complex factors of 'being an artist' (e.g.: always being recognized / fame / social media / judgmental journalists), they do share with the artist the experience of non-stop touring and sometimes also to a lesser extent the pressure to perform. Hopefully there will be people in the team who, because of that common denominator, can support the band / artist in this 'crazy job'.

One of the major influencing factors on health while touring is the performances. It is therefore useful to see what a performance does to your body and brain.

What happens physically and mentally during a performance.

“Top sport” is what many musicians call a great performance. It is not surprising that years of touring are experienced as top sport, when you consider which processes take place in your body during and after a performance. There are a number of hormones / neurotransmitters that are released in your body with every performance: adrenaline, cortisol and serotonin. “This takes a lot of energy,” says Schuijers. “And you can only handle this temporarily”.

The nerves pee, your gastric juices and your intestines.

Dr. Schuijers explains what happens when you are on stage: “When you’re on stage in front of 50,000 people, everything turns on. You get a high heart rate, sweat and your breathing goes up. There are also a few things going out; e.g. with regard to digestion. You get a dry mouth. Your gastric juices will halve, so you will have less appetite. Or it wants out again; then you're going to throw up from the nerves. Maria Callas used to throw up before singing.

Your intestines will work overtime: if you are nervous you will get diarrhea or constipation. In addition, your bladder works overtime; this is called the 'nerve pee'. One hundred out of one hundred people have to pee just before they go parachuting. We have learned that from evolution: as soon as things start to get exciting, you have to get rid of everything that is of no use to you to fight or flee. And all the blood goes to the muscles.”

Adrenaline.

Do dopamine and adrenaline play a role? Schuijers: “Dopamine doesn't play such a big role, adrenaline does. In any case, adrenaline is released with every performance. It gets worse when something unexpected happens, when you get startled (the string breaks or the box pops). This will take a maximum of two minutes. Then the blood becomes thicker, you feel less pain, and you can continue playing with a wound, for example. Only later, when adrenaline has subsided, does the wound start to hurt.”

Cortisol.

Cortisol is also released with every performance. “The stress hormone cortisol does last longer. If you have had a lot of stress for a long time (burnout), you have a lot of cortisol in your blood.

The adrenal cortex produces cortisol, which has then become a kind of currant instead of a grape. It will then be completely empty.”

Serotonin.

Schuijers: “Another hormone that is released is serotonin; that is the happiness hormone.

That is the euphoric feeling you can have when you have scored or when you receive applause.”

High heart rate.

During a performance you have an increased heart rate. Schuijers explains that, even when the stress is over, your very high heart rate (eg 140 to 200) never immediately drops back to your normal resting heart rate (60). It will therefore remain a bit higher than normal (80/90) after a performance. “If you quickly get that stress again, then you will be over the top within a week.” It is therefore important to recover well physically between 2 performances. “And then use breathing techniques or meditation to go from those 80 or 90 beats per minute back to those 60. You can learn to relax extra, so that you return to your resting heart rate.”

If a musician performs every other day, does this process repeat itself every time? “Yes, every time,” says Schuijers. “In fact, that's the kick. If you ask athletes or artists who are retiring what they miss most, it is the build-up of tension leading up to a tournament or concert. There is a kind of habituation, but the artist will never feel as if he has just come out of the sauna during a performance. You prefer to get a pleasant tension, which we call a 'Sinterklaas tension' (in the Netherlands this means a nice tension; like a child waiting for a present from Sinterklaas, ed.). And therefore rather not a 'dentist tension' (a negative tension, fear, ed.).”

A hangover feeling after a performance.

A common problem is that musicians feel depressed or empty after a performance. An American mental health professional, John C. Buckner (family therapist), wrote about this in 2013. This phenomenon is known as post-performance depression (PPD). “In normal daily life, biochemicals are released, and rest and recovery follow. This causes the typical ups and downs of life. In the case of PPD, the process is more extreme: with higher highs and lower lows.” writes Buckner.

Dr. R. Schuijers calls this the 'hangover feeling': “To explain this, you have to imagine your neutral line. Suppose you stop with the kick (eg a performance). Then you shoot through that neutral line. You then end up in the 'missing-feeling' / hangover feeling. Then it slowly rises again. If you shade that part, that's the part that creates the addiction. Because that’s not a nice feeling: you want to get rid of that feeling as soon as possible. So the addiction is that you want to eliminate that hangover feeling. And you want more of that kick afterwards to get that good feeling again. The musician wants to perform again.”

However, if that’s not possible through a subsequent concert, there may be a risk that you will look for it in other means. Schuijers: “The simplest is paracetamol. The headache can then go away, but if that doesn't work, then you go to other means. Does the urge get bigger then?”

The opposite of the hangover feeling is euphoria. “This is precisely a condition that you want to continue to feel for a longer period of time,” Schuijers thinks.

I will discuss some advice on how to deal with the hangover feeling below: “How can you try to keep feeling as good as possible after a performance or after a long tour?”

Blackout and uncertainty.

“When you're in front of 50,000 people and you're insecure, you switch from your thinking brain to your emotional brain. Thoughts like “oh dear, that audience has an opinion on this” or “I can't make any mistakes” make you switch back. That is a normal stress response. Your blood is supposed to be present in other places, and is then no longer in your brain. Then it may be that you no longer know things that you normally know well. That's called a blackout. As soon as your heart takes over, clear thinking stops,” explains Schuijers.

“At talent shows you often hear candidates say: 'It all sounds right in the bathroom'. But when you sing in front of a jury, the stress system kicks in. This then applies to your breathing and your voice. Then you might think: 'I can't sing'. But that is not correct: you can sing, but you only have to learn to sing when you have to. You can do that with breathing exercises and by learning how to deal with your thoughts.”

What could you think in such a situation? “Instead of ‘Oh dear they might like it’, you might think, ‘I sing. And I sing as I think it sounds beautiful. Tastes differ: one will like my timbre and the other will not. What I'm going to do is: use my breathing properly, and make sure I get into the song. I think it's a nice song to sing. What someone else thinks of that, so be it.’ That is a very tricky one, that last one.”

In music, being able to touch the audience (emotionally) partly determines the 'success'. That’s also the difference with top sport: only the technical actions are important here. In case of uncertainty, it is good to realize that there may be a difference between how you think things are going and how your performance comes across to others.

Schuijers gives an example from practice, when he trained pianist Iris Hond when she graduated. “She had a very nice graduation project. Just before she got her diploma, I saw her briefly. I asked how did it go? ‘Made 10,000 mistakes’, she said. 'It really didn't work at all.' Iris graduated summa cum laude (highest possible distinction) and received the highest grade in decades. So there is a very big difference between how she thought it went, and how it comes across to others. She plays, and it hits.”

Overstimulated brain: “Hi London!” shouts the singer in Accor Arena Paris.

A classic: the musician who is so disoriented by traveling that he no longer knows where he is. In addition to the extensive travel, fatigue also plays a role in this. For example, if you ask former pilots about their experience with jet lag, they mainly remember that they were always tired. Jet lag can be a -not to be underestimated- cause of constantly not feeling fit and 'clear' during a tour.

I give an example of a daily schedule to Dr. Schuijers: can a brain even process so many stimuli in a day if you do this day in and day out? How important is it for your brain to have time to reflect?

Schuijers: “A brain can become overstimulated. In all respects, taking a rest - and then you could reflect - is indeed important.

You do have individual differences. I could imagine that the two extroverted people in a band, e.g. the singer and the guitarist, still like such a daily schedule, but that the introverted bass guitarist and the introverted drummer don't like it so much. I think introverts have even more difficulty with following a schedule set by others and having to go from interview to interview. Extroverts can switch gears more easily and move from interview to interview and performance to performance. They also get energy from that. For introverts, that costs energy. It gives them energy when they can take a break.”

Why you can't put things into perspective: "I can't perform for a month, I'm dying!"

Being able to put things into perspective seems to be a condition for being able to keep up the touring. As well as making sure that you don’t derive your identity from your success. If you start to derive your identity from success, you are only the musician, the artist. In that case, if setbacks come your way during a tour, putting things into perspective can be an extra difficult task.

Crying was closer than laughing recently for a singer who had to cancel a few performances due to a (non-major) temporary health problem. He used big words, and was clearly upset. For musicians whose life is music, it understandably feels like a terrible thing to have to cancel a few gigs. Whatever the cause (fear of public reaction, passion, missed finances, fear of missing out); it could help enormously - save stress - if you know how to put the problem into perspective in such a case.

I ask Dr. Schuijers whether the difficulty in putting things into perspective can be a result of lifestyle (non-stop touring).

Schuijers: “I don't think that necessarily has to be the case. But what you're describing is quite common. And it also occurs in top athletes. I take the following from those remarks of that singer: my value as a person depends on how I perform, so on my performance. If I perform well, I am a good person. If it goes wrong once, I'm a bad person. So I could say (to a musician, ed.): Does it make you a less good son now that you can't sing for a month? Will you then become a less good brother? Then people start thinking: no, my loved ones still love me if I don't sing for once. If a concert goes down a bit, it doesn't detract from your name. Your value as a human being does not depend on your performance, but that is the fallacy that many people can have. If you have that fallacy, you can't really put things into perspective. Some people are more sensitive to that than others.”

Schuijers continues: “Learning to put things into perspective is part of mental training. Together with setting goals, visualizing (so that you know which room you are in and don't make a mistake), energy management (sleeping and eating), attention control (at the moment you are busy with the concert, you really are concerned with the concert and not with its consequences), becoming aware of the thought and converting it. The latter is a difficult process.”

Possible stressors while touring: dealing with fame, fans, your bandmates and homesickness.

Earlier I mentioned several factors that can influence health while touring (“What makes it a very crazy profession?”). I highlight the most common here, because they can contribute to extra stress while touring. How can you try to reduce stress about fame, fans, your bandmates and homesickness while touring?

Fame and fans.

“I am scared”, said Britney Spears (American singer) when she was chased everywhere in America by paparazzi (example from the Linda documentary “Merel investigates #FreeBritney”). It sounded scary, and it probably is. Journalist and Story editor-in-chief Guido den Aantrekker explained in this same documentary that magazines in America are very dependent on newsstand sales. The magazine industry in America therefore benefits greatly from as much news/ gossip as possible. In America, therefore, famous people are constantly 'hunted'.

This kind of extreme examples such as those of Britney Spears appeal to the imagination; it's an image that people might first think of when they hear the word "fame." However, it is a misconception that only world famous artists can experience health problems from the effects of fame. Artists who are less well known - e.g. only in their own country - can certainly experience (drastic) negative effects in daily life. Fame can be a complicated desirable or undesirable side effect of musicianship. It can cause stress, a sense of loss of control and social isolation.

According to some musicians, some familiarity within the national borders may have nice aspects: recognition of your work/creativity. But if you listen to the stories of those who are very stressed by it, great fame seems more like a curse than a blessing. If you're aiming for big or bigger fame, it might be good to think about why that is actually the case. Why do you want to become the best or most famous musician/ artist?

Dutch music manager John van Katwijk once said about this in an interview: “Why would you want it? (..) The profession with the most suicides, depressions, burnouts and misery. Why do you want that?' (...) And then we're not even talking about the world stars who don't make it to fifty. Michael Jackson just on, but Amy Winehouse, Whitney, Elvis…” (Telegraaf, Oct. 2021)

It’s too extensive a subject to cover in full. That’s why in this article I only briefly approach it as an influential factor on health during touring, and only the possible stressful/ negative sides of it. It’s important that these sides are seen, so that artists can talk about them openly.

What are the possible short-term effects of fame while touring?

• Feeling of loss of control.
  Once it gets that far, it doesn't always seem possible to control or dose. It’s sometimes irreversible in the short term, and that can be frightening if you experience it as negative. You can be confronted with this on a daily basis, especially while touring. For some, the opposite can also happen: a feeling of loss of control because fame is declining.
  
• Feeling lonely.
  Fame is perhaps the loneliest aspect of touring: the chance that your loved ones or your fans know exactly what it feels like is not that great. Your life is vastly different from your friends' lives. As a result, you may feel a barrier to broaching this subject (more on this later under “Cause 6: The fear of not being understood, or fear of image damage). This can make you feel even more alone. It is an advantage if you are in a band, because then you can share this experience with each other.
  
• Isolating yourself more than you would like, and the change in your relationship with friends/ acquaintances.
  Fame can also cause you to isolate yourself from the outside world more often. For example, you stay in your hotel room more often than you would like while touring. Normally, if you're not feeling well, you'd take a refreshing walk through the city outside. Now you can already see that despite your headache and fatigue you would like to give attention to fans who are standing there, but that you are simply not able to. That's why you stay in bed.
  
  Not only you can change through fame, but also your environment. The interaction can change: sometimes musicians become an 'attraction' for their environment. A decreasing trust towards your environment can also cause isolation. Perhaps you wrongly turn out to have an unwavering faith in your 'old' friends. Or maybe you wrongly turn out to have an unwavering faith in your 'new' friends. When entering into contacts, there are people who look at what the other has to offer; whether they benefit from interacting with you. That’s unfortunately the reason why homeless people are often ignored. It can be good to think about who would stand next to you if your public "status" dropped to zero, or if you suffered long-term setbacks in the future. "There are hordes of people who swirl around you when things are going well, but they fade into shadows when you really need them" said the late Mies Bouwman -Dutch television presenter- once in an interview (Volkskrant, 2017).
  
  Francis van Broekhuizen (famous Dutch opera singer and television personality) once said in an interview: “Everyone wants to take part in the splendor of that fame. Suddenly there are people who adore you and no one says to you anymore: 'Don't be so crazy.' (..) Fame goes to the head of the people around you rather than to your own head, I noticed. I'm still the same as always." (VARA guide 32).

• Loss of open-mindedness on the street and e.g. while doing everyday activities (shopping during your tour, eating out, etc.)
  Being able to walk down the street or talk to strangers anonymously is very valuable; and you probably won't notice that until you (partially) lose it. You can lose it in more and more places as you become more famous. The loss of open-mindedness can cause stress: 'outside' you are constantly alert, even in your 'free' time. And aware of your profession. This is different from most other jobs. If you feel constantly watched, it can be difficult to relax when you're alone in your hotel room afterwards.
  
• Increasing stress due to social media.
  Fame also ensures that everyone on social media has an opinion about you. Positive, but also negative. You see articles about you with incorrect content; but it would be a day's work if you corrected everything. This can lead to frustration or a sense of injustice.
  Nowadays there is also talk about the stress caused by so-called “haters”: people or “trolls”* who constantly post negative messages about you.
  
  *Trolls are people who post messages on the internet with the aim of eliciting predictable emotional responses.
  
• The pressure of interacting with fans.
  The interaction with fans can also be overwhelming and give you mixed feelings. Fans may understand that their favorite artist/ band also needs to rest, but often on site it's a one-off opportunity for the fan to ask for an autograph or contact moment, for example. Then the desire for a signature often prevails. This makes it a daily recurring component that should be taken into account in terms of energy management.
  The interaction with fans can of course be a very nice part. The support of loyal, heartwarming fans can bring a lot of positive energy or recognition. Or sometimes even emotional support (think of the driven Free Britney movement**).
  However, it can also be accompanied by feelings of guilt. It's humanly impossible to always give fans what they want. For some it won't be enough. That can cause stress. The knowledge that some people you meet along the way have created an ideal image of you in their head and adjust their expectations accordingly, can also cause stress.
  
  **The Free Britney movement was a fan movement that supported Britney Spears for years in her fight to end her father's trusteeship.
  
• High expectations of others, which you cannot always live up to.
  The normal daily schedule already demands a lot from you, but all kinds of extra invitations, questions and special wishes can be added on site. The local press, the local production team or another well-known person may have (high) expectations of you while touring. Are you coming to an after party tonight? Would you like to play a song in addition to the interview? Would you like to have lunch with the local crew (while you have a headache)?
  
  I submit this last aspect to Dr. Schuijers. What can you do if you cannot meet all expectations? Performance and sports psychologist Dr. Schuijers:
  “Dealing with an expectation of others is to leave the expectation with the other. Suppose a top athlete walks to the place where he has to perform. There is a person who says 'win, win!'. Then you can think 'Ooh he thinks I should win'. And then you feel that pressure. You can also think: ‘Okay, that gentleman has every right to expect what he wants about me, but I'm just going to skate, or I'm just going to play football. I leave the expectation that you think I should win with you. I enter circle 1 (this is part of the circle theory that Dr. Schuijers uses: in circle one you don't think about winning or losing, but you observe and execute, ed.)’. It means that you’re busy with your task. Without thinking about the consequences. By being in the here and now.”

A good manager or team member could be of assistance in the above aspects; more about the role of a manager later.

If you find yourself worrying about the effects of fame or the pressures that come with it, never hesitate to seek help from a licensed physician or professional.

Group dynamics while touring: the drummer actually preferred to play guitar.

In order to try to avoid as much stress as possible while touring, in some cases it may be wise to discuss a number of matters in advance. On long-term tours, it can be a challenge to maintain good harmony within the band. Fatigue, jet lag, being constantly close to each other, the pressure, difference of opinion, different characters and different backgrounds can cause unrest. Dr. Schuijers has also coached teams for the Olympic Games. What does he advise to maintain functioning in a team or band? Schuijers mentions a number of things that you could do before you go on tour, and a number of things that can help you understand each other better in difficult moments:

• Role acceptance and role clarity.
  “Does the keyboard player accept that he also sings, or that he does not sing? The singer is usually the one who gets the attention. But if you have a keyboard player who also sings a lot, then the question is: is it clear that we both sing?”
  So role acceptance is: do you know each other's role, but also: are you satisfied with it?
  Schuijers: “Exactly. Do you mind if I just play?"
  
• The use of diversity testing.
  This way you get to know each other better, and in particular you learn how to react under pressure, or when things start to get tense. “There is also that difference between introverts and extroverts. An extroverted person who gets stressed will shout even louder. An introverted person who gets stressed becomes even quieter. If you know (with that knowledge, ed.) that you no longer hear your silent drummer during conversations, then you have to think: "Oh wait a minute, is something wrong?"

Of course you could talk about many more things in advance. What do we do if one of us doesn't feel good about the manager? How do we deal with third parties (boyfriends/ girlfriends) involved? The risk here is that it can all feel a bit forced. I ask Dr Schuijers whether it is not also mainly a matter of mutual chemistry that matches or not. Schuijers agrees that you don't have to discuss everything, but thinks that discussing a few things can prevent misery.

Could you also apply these tips when looking for a new band member (“We already have two extroverts, maybe we should look for an introverted guitarist”)? Schuijers: “I don't think much is known about that in music yet. There are 'ideal' teams in which there is a distribution of types. In football, for example, you should not have eleven Ruud Gullits in a team.”

Homesick on tour: Your band members are having the time of their lives, while you are counting down the days.

During your tour you may feel homesick for your childhood home, the food from your home country, that special dish of your father, your own neighborhood, your own bed, the local supermarket, your friends, your pet, your family or your partner. The problem of homesickness is an influential aspect that is often underestimated (also in the music industry). That is unjustified: it can have a significant impact on someone's performance and well-being.

What is homesickness, and what can you do about it?

Professor of medical and clinical psychology Ad Fingerhoets conducted research into homesickness and previously described a person with homesickness in the FD Personal (of Het Financieele Dagblad) as follows: “The homesick client idealizes the home situation, becomes weepy, lethargic and cannot enjoy anything. Also, there is no desire to do anything, so homesick people do nothing of their own accord; they linger in their pain. Finally, it can lead to not being able to eat or sleep and even to a fever. (….) Homesickness can be compared to mini mourning or heartbreak; people show the same symptoms.” Fingerhoets states that not much can be done against the extreme form, except to return home.

If your fellow band member suffers from homesickness, it might help if you take this problem seriously and lend a listening ear. But is there really nothing else to do? I ask Dr. Schuijers how you could feel a little better while touring if you yourself are homesick.

“First, make sure that you accept that you have a profession that requires you to be away a lot. Accept that you sometimes have a hard time,” says Schuijers. “Use facetime, for example; nowadays it is easier to maintain contact.”

Schuijers states that if you don't want to be away that much, then you shouldn't: “In the beginning of my career, thirty years ago, I worked with the best Dutch tennis star. If she had started playing for the world rankings, she might well have become one of the top fifteen or twenty in the world. But she said, "I don't feel like living out of a suitcase. I will just stay in the Netherlands. I don't know what I'm going to miss, but I already know: that's not for me."

Deciding never to tour again when homesick is perhaps very radical. I can imagine that it could coexist: on the one hand the desire to tour the world, and on the other hand the problem that you feel homesick while touring. I therefore ask Dr. Schuijers whether there are other techniques for dealing with homesickness.

Schuijers: “You can then apply the same techniques again: watch your breathing, change your mind, set goals, visualize -that you see for yourself that you are able to function without your family-, focus and energy management. Then we will look at how the different components of this can influence the feeling of homesickness. You can't take it away, but you can learn to deal with it better."

Why can't, dare not or won't musicians take a break? Eight causes, with advice.

The guitarist who posts an x-ray on social media to explain why he can't perform. The singer who only postpones her tour indefinitely after she is on the drip. The singer who postpones his tour and explains that he can no longer stand the tour life, with the pressure to perform.

Witness the long statements on Instagram, in which musicians extensively justify that things are 'really bad', and 'it really isn't possible anymore', showing how high the threshold is to postpone concerts. To reinforce the statement, all kinds of evidence are shown, or it's said that the postponement of the concert is on doctor's advice. It also shows that a situation often has to come to a breaking point before real action is taken. And how high-threshold it is to make that decision. However, it would be better for everyone if action was taken before that breaking point.

If you look at what happens in your body at every performance, there is no doubt that recovery is necessary to stay healthy.

However, it seems that downshifting is difficult. “That's right,” says Schuijers. “All the (previously) mentioned processes in your body can only be handled temporarily. After that you have to recover. The recovery is actually even more important than the performance itself: to be able to continue to deliver that performance.”

There seems to be a little more focus on mental health in the music industry these days; but in practice you see little of it when you look at the intensive tour schedules.

Why can't, dare not or won't musicians take a break (longer than a few weeks), or only intervene when it's too late? I have identified eight causes that could be at the root of this problem. For each cause I discuss the situation and then what you could do about it.

Perhaps unnecessary, I point out that the reasons given below are of course a simplified representation of reality. That reality is sometimes complicated, because different interests (your father is your manager), complicated relationships (your manager is your childhood best friend) and other personal aspects (shame) can come into play.

• Cause 1:
  The 'now or never' threat.
  “I need and want to take a break, but if I do now I'm afraid it could mean the end of my music career. This is the time."
  
• Cause 2:
  FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
  “No matter what happens, I don't want a break. I don't want to miss a chance to perform at the MTV Awards!”
  
• Cause 3:
  Your team has other interests and persuades you to go for the short term.
  “Hmm, that will be very difficult in the near future…just keep going”, the manager said after you wanted to discuss a break.
  
• Cause 4:
  The assumption/ fear that your team will drop you: you don't feel free to share your concerns.
  “No dude, we really can't ask for a break right now; we can't run the risk that the record company will break with us or become very disappointed in us."
  
• Cause 5:
  The fear of the physical/ mental consequences of sudden rest.
  “I always get sick or restless right away when I get home from a tour; I better just keep going.”
  
• Cause 6:
  Fear of not being understood by fans/ public, or fear of image damage.
  "The public may not take my issues seriously and dismiss it as nonsense."
  
• Cause 7:
  The band does not yet know its own physical and mental limits.
  “We can handle it!”
  
• Cause 8:
  The manager/ team advises the artist with good intentions to take a necessary break, but the artist does not want to.
  "They can talk all they want, but I think it's better to keep going."

Cause 1:

The ‘now or never’ threat.

Situation sketch:

You need a break and want to take it yourself, but you feel like your music career could end if you do. So you don't dare to take it. You think that's impossible at this point in your music career. You are afraid that another artist will "take" your place during your break, and that you will lose fans. Or that your momentum will be over when you come back.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

These kinds of feelings are understandable and human. With great success, artists get great offers, and can fulfill dreams they may never have thought possible. That's when it's hard to say no.

The restless 'now or never' feeling is common among aspiring artists; so at the beginning of the music career. However, a major pitfall of the 'now or never' feeling can be that it persists for years. After all, if Europe knows your music, you can almost start all over again in the United States. There you could again get the feeling that you have to take every opportunity.

Having to take every opportunity for years with the restless feeling that comes with it is unsustainable. It's inevitable that at some point you will reach your physical and mental limits. To get out of that nervous 'now or never' feeling and to stay healthy (to 'dare' to take a break), it's therefore important to find ways to look at it differently.

What can you do?

• Try to keep in mind that 'seizing every opportunity' can have the opposite effect. If you think you really can't take a break, it can help to become aware that if you lose your health, you might actually be out for a long time. Taking every chance now can be the recipe for not being able to take any chances for a long time later. Taking every opportunity that comes your way for a long time does not necessarily have to be the most sensible choice and guarantee of success.
  Try to see recovery as an (essential) part of your work, precisely to be able to continue your work.
  
  
• Try to realize that you can experience disadvantages due to fatigue. For example, because of that fatigue you make a 'wrong' choice that you normally wouldn't make, or you say something in an interview that you didn't want to say. Here too, seizing all opportunities is by no means always the best thing for your career.
  
  
• It's plausible that a sense of control/ direction over your career can also somewhat flatten the 'now or never' feeling. This might diminish your feeling of merely reacting to the delusion of the moment, and that you are building a sustainable music career. Which includes the necessary recovery in between; recovery that will help you move forward instead of putting you at a disadvantage.
  
  Performance and sports psychologist Schuijers also advocates career management: “I think that 'now or never' feeling is a bit panicky. You then need someone nearby who can look beyond the years, who can prevent you from constantly having that 'now or never' feeling”.
  When I asked whether there are any perspectives in the context of career management that could help musicians to sustain a long tour, Dr. Schuijers: “(The science/ acceptance, ed.) that it's very busy during a certain period in the career, and that afterwards there will be a moment to take a break. Making sure (if possible, ed.) that you don't have to worry about financial matters, and then plan accordingly: we then take a break for a year and then we continue.”
  
  
• Also important: a well-thought-out career plan with the necessary breaks also gives you more pleasure and more energy. If you're exhausted, that special performance at Lowlands or Lollapalooza won't come to mind either. It slips through your fingers: you realize later that whole parts of your tour are missing in your memory due to the (over-)fatigue.
  
  
• A break in which you don't do work-related activities can also be useful for your music in another way. The most creative ideas arise precisely when you don't expect it and while relaxing. Lounging is to the mind as is exercise to the body. Another reason why always staying in the restless 'now or never' mode does not necessarily have to be effective (with regard to your music career).
  
  
• Perhaps the most important: hope that you have (or find) a manager with integrity who can and will guide and support you in the above points. Certainly from inexperienced or young artists you can hardly expect that they already have the (life) experience to always make sensible choices and assessments. I therefore think that an important role is reserved for the manager (or artist supervisor; this depends on the composition of your team or wishes).
  
  Although a band or artist decides on a manager for themselves, a manager can hold a powerful position over a career for a long time. An artist manager is someone who coordinates everything around the artist. It's mainly the business supervisor, and the artist's representative. The manager is employed by an artist, and is therefore external (apart from exceptions such as a 360 deal***). Because the manager is external, he can act as a buffer between the artist and other parties, and as a conversation partner who thinks along with you.
  
  If the situation calls for it, I think that a good artist manager should consider good personal guidance to be a logical part of the job in addition to the technical tasks. Unfortunately, this is certainly not self-evident; so you need luck to find such a manager. There is no such thing as a manager who never makes mistakes, but the starting point is that ideally it's someone who wants to put the right interests first. But also especially someone who has the courage and the will to make himself/ herself unpopular on your behalf as an artist (‘Is it allowed a little more/ less in terms of interviews in the third week of December?’). Does he/she dare to do that?
  
  It must be said that it's a condition (and healthy) that the artist manager is relatively independent -completely independent is unfortunately a utopia in reality-. And has little or no personal interests/connections with the label or booking agency.
  In the long term, such an attitude of a manager is also in the interest of a record label or booker: everyone benefits from a healthy and satisfied artist.
  
  Another condition for good guidance is that the manager must feel somewhat personally involved with the artist. The type of managers who see themselves purely as business advisors don' t always find this self-evident or logical. However, I think it's a necessity. Someone who feels personally involved with the artist is (more) able to think in the interests of the artist. If there is no personal involvement from a manager/ artist supervisor, you have a greater chance that you are no more than a product to your manager. A product that should generate as much money as possible as quickly as possible. Even if that is at the expense of your health.
  
  In terms of personal involvement, I don't necessarily mean a friend or family member as a manager/ artist supervisor -we've seen that go wrong so often-. It's about someone who feels involved with the artist, wants to take care of the artist, doesn't consider himself/ herself too important (!) and has a passion for music. Calling, empathy, no hidden agenda, reliability, discretion and integrity are, in my opinion, the keywords here. So don't take the first person with a smooth talk as a manager. Invest enough time in the search for a manager.
  
  ***360 deal: An all-encompassing deal between an artist and a company. That company then becomes responsible for (almost) everything (records, publishing, management, tour management, etc). The manager is then not external, and works on behalf of the same company as all other disciplines.

Cause 2:

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).

Situation sketch:

You have the fear of missing opportunities and special events. No matter what happens and no matter how you feel, you definitely don't want to take a break. So you don't want to take a break yourself, for fear of missing great opportunities. You want to continue touring so badly that you ignore any physical/ mental red flags and think or hope that things will continue to go well.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

FOMO can cause feelings of sadness or depression because it can make you feel like (e.g. through photos of events on social media) you're missing out on a lot of life. It can also make you feel that you have made incorrect decisions in life. The fear of missing out on events or opportunities can lead you to over-plan your schedule.

Realistically, many musicians only experience the consequences of an overfull schedule when it's too late; if they feel unwell or sick for a long time. Only then is it realized that it's simply inevitable that you miss great events and opportunities. You have physical and mental limits and you simply cannot split yourself in two (Oh no… you will miss a performance on the American television show 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Wednesday March 1, because you will already be the opening act for a great artist). Even now it's therefore important that you learn to deal with this; firstly because otherwise you will continue to have the dissatisfaction and unrest that you miss out on everything. That's too bad; because then you run the risk that that dissatisfaction will continue to overshadow the great opportunities that you cán seize. Secondly, because otherwise you run the risk of not taking any breaks and continuing until you get sick.

What can you do?

• It's human, but try not to focus on what you might be missing. That might be a bit easier if you realize that what could have resulted from that missed opportunity is probably just a romanticized fantasy anyway. You think: 'I could have had the time of my life there'. You probably aren't thinking: "Oh well, I might have been sick, I might have tripped over my feet and landed on Jimmy Fallon's lap." While the latter scenario could of course be just as realistic.
  
  Don't look up the event you 'missed' on social media; with that you feed your unfounded fantasy with 'how it could have been'. The saying 'what doesn't know doesn't hurt' may be applicable here. Hopefully you can focus on the fun opportunities that you cán grab.
• Trying to realize that you shouldn't wánt to seize all the opportunities, for the same reason as described in cause 1. If you lose your health, you may be out for a long time and then your FOMO will be rampant.
  Francis van Broekhuizen (famous Dutch opera singer and television personality) used a striking metaphor in the television show 'Christmas in Rome' for numerous great invitations she received. She said, "A kid in a candy store eats way too much and gets sick." Francis realized after a very busy year that she can't eat everything anymore (take every chance). “I have to learn to really enjoy a few sweets”.

Cause 3.

Your team has other interests.

Situation sketch:

You and your band get (increasingly) the impression that your team considers other interests more important than your health. This is also evident in practice. The team wants to get as much out of it as possible in the shortest possible time. You think it's good if your team or label encourages you to persevere every now and then. But this time you have really serious problems and you feel like you are being talked into going anyway. It's not a matter of them not taking you seriously; for reasons unknown, it is a conscious choice of your team to urge you to continue. So you have mustered the courage to share concerns, but due to, for example, certain interests (or 'wrong' people in the neighbourhood) the situation remains unchanged for too long.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

Especially artists who suddenly get great success (a breakthrough) can end up in this situation. In that phase, artists can (perhaps wrongly) feel very dependent on their team. The team lives from the artist or band; that can influence their decision-making.
If there is a breach of trust, you run the risk of not getting proper guidance as the pressure and fame mount even more.

What can you do?

Little, you probably have a problem. In the event of a difference of opinion, you could still come to terms with a conversation. But if you think your team doesn't have the right interests or other ideas about what's responsible, it could have far-reaching consequences as the pressure and fame mount even more in the future. You can mention the business importance of a break (better for everyone in the long run), but do you want a manager who will give you a break for that business reason only? From a moral point of view, a manager should not want to manage an artist who is in danger of succumbing due to a too heavy touring life.

Trust is very important: are you comfortable with the people who have so much influence on your life and music career? Does anything actually happen when you ask for change?

Try to find a confidant in your area to spar with. Preferably someone who has little to do with the status of musicians. Someone who works in a library or animal shelter eg (/HJ-half joke) ****. It could help you put things into perspective and think about a solution. Try to do the opposite of what you did on tour: lead a regular and quiet life for a while; so that you have room to think about your future. If the team has different interests than you, change manager if necessary.

Cause 4.

The assumption/ fear that your team will drop you: you don't feel free to share your concerns.

Situation sketch:

You don't feel free to share your concerns with the team for several reasons. For example, for fear of business consequences. What if the label wants to break with you?

Or you are afraid to disappoint your team. You are extremely impressed with the people who work at your major label; you look up to your team. You notice that you are people-pleasing. You can't believe that person X or Y from a major label believes in you. Going on tour non-stop is just part of it, you think. This feeling is also given to you by your team. You think you've had some influence on your tour schedule, but deep down you still feel like it's all too much.

Another factor that may influence your decision not to share your concerns is the fear of possible opportunism within your team. You are afraid of being disappointed in a team member (fear: you always had such a good time with her, but if you confide that you are not doing well and you ask her to support you, she responds superficially. It can make you feel that this person prefers to look away and does not want to take risks).

The result of these fears and assumptions is that your team has no way of knowing you're not well because you don't raise it (unless, of course, it's a problem that's physically obvious). In summary, the fear that your team/ label is going to drop you may or may not be well founded; you can't know that yet.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

This cause (why musicians don't dare to ask for a break) often occurs when artists feel (still) dependent on their team. For example, in the initial phase or during a comeback.

The belief or assumption that you can be replaced by someone else may, among other things, have to do with the turbulent nature of the music industry. In the aforementioned large study by Help Musicians UK, the uncertain and unpredictable nature of the music industry was cited as a factor that can influence a musician's mental health. “The precarious nature of the music industry can leave people in a constant state of stress, unable to fully relax or switch back,” the study said.

Incidentally, even highly successful artists cannot feel free to share concerns with their professional team; eg by the knowledge that there are major (financial) interests involved in the tour. They feel the pressure of the large team they have around them on a daily basis; they may even unconsciously feel a responsibility for all their jobs.

As for the risk of opportunism within your team, as in any industry, opportunism also occurs in the music industry. It's indeed relevant to keep in mind as a musician that someone within your team may prefer not to pass on signals ('This tour life is too intensive for him; it's not going well') because of his own career. Out of fear that it won't go down so well if they, as a roadie, starting employee or intern at a major label, say that they think the next tour should be cut in half because of an artist who almost falls over. Hopefully to the disappointment of the more experienced workers; who actually want to receive these signals. Certainly from a moral point of view, and also from the point of view of common interest. What music lover wants an artist who breaks down?

What can you do?

• See if there is someone in your team you can confide in, and who dares to make himself 'unpopular'. There are also really nice, empathetic and honest people working in the music industry.
  Maybe you don't think about it, but it could very well be that the non-stop touring is also hard for your team and that they feel the same fear as you do: that they’re replaceable. There are of course big differences in the job of an artist and a member of the team, but look for each other in the similarities. Shared sorrow is half sorrow. Perhaps you can spar together about a solution.
• Make it known to your manager or label yourself; if that is difficult verbally, you can also write it down. As said before: everyone benefits from a healthy and satisfied artist. There are also people with the right intentions working in the music industry; so maybe it's not too bad. You may find a solution together that you have not thought of before.
• To put things into perspective: remember that even established and very successful artists can get a shock reaction from their management. DJ Armin van Buuren once said: “My management was very shocked when I told them that I wanted to take a trip with my children in August” (RTL Boulevard, June 18, 2022).
  If you really need a break, take the risk of a shock reaction anyway. It is always better than dropping out for a long time due to health problems. That’s also in the interest of your management. Hopefully you have a manager where it’s not necessary to mention that business interest; but that, from an ethical/ moral point of view, your management wants you to keep your health and therefore take a break.
• Remember that there are many artists who take breaks and still have sustainable careers (Adele, The Distillers, Garbage, Rihanna, Rolling Stones, Queens of The Stone Age). Most fans are and remain loyal. And also come back to your performance when you've been away for years. They really don't let you down.
• I present this situation to Performance and Sports Psychologist Dr. R. Schuijers, because he advises top athletes on how to keep your limits under such enormous pressure and how to make good decisions. Schuijers advises mentioning the common interest, and not thinking about all the consequences it could possibly have. “The common interest of the artist and his label is that the artist does well. If the artist stops doing well, the label has a problem. As an artist you can then say: we have a common interest, so it's up to you to make sure I do it right. And if I'm too busy, or you put too much pressure on me or ask too much of me, chances are I'm not doing it right.”
  The pressure of your team's jobs can still feel heavy on your shoulders. How do you deal with that? Schuijers: “I think Elton John had 29 trucks worth of equipment on his last tour. And also about 400 people who worked for him. I use attention circles. If an artist thinks about the consequences of his performance during the performance (for example: 'there are 400 families depending on me'), then he becomes too nervous. So I teach an artist to be in circle one (in circle one you don't think about the consequences of your performance, ed.). That means: observe well, decide well and execute well. We call that 'the flow': you hear everything well, you feel everything well, you also make the right decisions, your performance is beautiful, you touch the audience.”

Cause 5.

The fear of the physical/ mental consequences of sudden rest.

Situation sketch:

You consciously or unconsciously avoid a period of rest, for fear of the physical/ mental consequences of sudden rest. The last few times you got sick within a few days each time after your long tour. You also felt restless and miserable for a long time. You followed a schedule set by others every day on your tour; at home you didn't really know what to do with yourself. So you think it's better to continue in this tour rhythm.

When does this occur and what is the risk? And what can you do?

The subject of this cause deserves extra attention, and the advice some extra explanation. That's why I will discuss this problem in more detail later under the topic: "Weaning off your busy tour life: what to do when you finally have 'free' time?"

Cause 6.

The fear of not being understood by fans/ public, or fear of image damage.

Situation sketch:

You are aware of how the public views the musician's job, and therefore feel a high threshold to say that you find it difficult. According to the media you have a dream life, but it doesn't always feel that way to you. You are thankful that you were able to make your music your job. But you fear that the "societal norm" prescribes you to be grateful, actually means that you shouldn't feel bad. But you do feel bad.

You want to tweet this to your fans today so that the burden is off your shoulders. However, you cannot oversee the reactions of the audience: will they understand you? Do they take you seriously? After all, they don't know what goes on behind the scenes. What if they make wrong assumptions or jump to conclusions? You get tired of the thought that you would then have to correct all that. Your biggest fear is also that the audience thinks "Yes, but I also work very hard" and that you can't argue against that. This way you worry for a long period of time and continue your tour. You don't take a break; the (unhealthy) situation remains unchanged.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

“Of course it's all wonderful and fantastic, a children's book. Only the danger is that you lose yourself. I didn't really know where to draw the line: I was always working, saying 'yes' to everything," said DJ Armin van Buuren recently in an interview for RTL Boulevard. His wife Erika added: "There is still a taboo about it, especially if you have a job like him (Armin van Buuren, ed): in the spotlight."

In this interview, Erika also pointed out precisely the most feared reaction for musicians when they say they don't feel well: “How fantastic do you want it to be, so what do you have to complain about (maybe the audience thinks, ed.)? ”

The fear of such a reaction from the public can also ensure that a musician only sounds the alarm when it is already (almost) too late.

If the public has little idea about the pitfalls of non-stop touring, there is a risk that they will downplay musicians' problems. More knowledge about this could therefore help, but as a musician you have no control over what the other person wants to know about it or what the other person already knows.

What can you do:

• You could choose to share these pitfalls ('behind the scenes'), for more understanding and knowledge. Or your manager/team can share it on your behalf. However, this can also cause stress; not everyone wants that.
  So try to accept that unfortunately you will not always be understood by everyone; as frustrating as it may be. And that some will always judge negatively; no matter what you say or how well you explain it. It can be sobering to remember that it's impossible to be liked by everyone.
• It can also help to keep in mind that there are also people/ fans who do realize the complex sides of your job (I described some factors earlier in 'What makes it a really crazy job?'). Especially after the media attention for artists who died too young. And they also realize that most musicians know that a lot of people work very hard in unattractive jobs. It's good to keep realizing the latter, however, that fact should fall completely outside this question (“can I say that I am sick”).
• Try to keep in mind that whether the job is 'liked or disliked' according to public opinion does not make you less ill. Strangers shouldn't be judging whether you have a "right" to be sick: you are or you aren't. Don't let that fear, ballast and thinking errors factor into the decision whether or not to ask a professional for help and to make it known that you need to recover. Take it seriously: Always consult a licensed physician or professional if you have any concerns or need medical attention.
• Ask someone who is communicative/ empathetic for help in sharing/formulating your message if it costs you too much energy.
• At the time of making this known, don't (yet) think about all the (negative) consequences that your request for help could have; but now focus on your health. I am reminded of the previously described attention circle 1 of Dr. Schuijers.

Cause 7.

The band does not yet know its own physical and mental limits.

Situation sketch:

You are over the moon; you can't believe that you are now very successful as a musician/ band. What a dream. Despite the difficult moments, the adrenaline and your enthusiasm often make you feel like you can take on the world. In a meeting, you have just received schedule for the coming year. Just like last year, next year you will only have a few days off. You often feel bad, but you think that's just part of it or that it will soon pass. You were brought up to believe that hard work never killed anyone (NB: factually untrue). You have always worked hard. What could go wrong? You sleep on the plane every time. You're looking forward to it and you're sure you can handle it.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

This can occur to musicians who have only recently or since a few years become successful and have little touring or work experience (<40 years). Or if musicians have no other life experience in which they were physically or mentally pushed to the limit, so that they have already been able to get to know their limits. The Rolling Stones, for example, will know by now how many performances a year are fun to do, and when they should listen to their body.

Also, musicians may not yet be aware of the possible physical and mental consequences of years of non-stop touring. Or that they underestimate or trivialize them. Only after a visible breaking point (the guitarist who becomes unwell, the singer who takes too many sleeping pills to stay upright, the drummer with strained wrists) a change is forced.

The influence of good music management on the health of the artist can be decisive, but keep in mind that making long tours run smoothly is not completely controllable. If you do assume that, there is a risk that you may (wrongly) get the feeling that it's always your own fault when things go wrong. Or that you fail. While, no matter how hard you try or how good your team is, you also need luck for a good and fun tour. E.g. with your physical and mental health, your environment, the circumstances and the people you meet. So don't underestimate the luck factor, otherwise you'll be way too hard on yourself.

In summary, ignorance and inexperience can play a role.

What can you do:

• Gather a good team around you. In these cases it's necessary that there is someone in your team who is aware of the risks of this tour life, and who is also alert to it. And so can try to avoid a breaking point. The latter is of course not always controllable; but the old 'better safe than sorry' can certainly apply here and prevent misery. I also refer to my earlier position regarding the role of an artist manager. A sensible friend who travels with you and keeps an eye on things can also sometimes help.
• You may consider seeking advice from experienced musicians or bands; if the long tour already overwhelms you in advance.
• Unfortunately, you cannot quickly gain ten years of life experience in preparation for your tour; so it will have to remain with awareness of the risks, taking your body's signals seriously, and a good team around you.

Cause 8.

The manager/ team advises the artist with good intentions to take a necessary break, but the artist himself does not want this.

Situation sketch:

Your manager or someone on your team seems genuinely concerned. She or he has already brought up the subject several times, expressing concern that you run the risk of burnout if you continue like this. Or the manager doesn't really know what to do with it.
You may appreciate these genuine concerns, but think the advice is nonsense. Or maybe you are annoyed by this well-intentioned advice, and you now even see your manager/ team member as a troublemaker that can get in the way of your success. You just want to continue touring, and ignore the advice.

When does this occur and what is the risk:

There can be roughly three problems here: Your manager/ team has a point. Either your manager/ team sees it wrong (according to you or others), or there are other motivations why you get this advice.

If your manager is right, you run the risk that you may drop out in the long term and that your team/ manager will feel powerless. Sometimes musicians don't realize that they lead an unhealthy (too intensive) life. Then someone else, for example a manager, has to try to get them out.

If your manager/ team does have a point and you know this too, then the question is why you want to continue touring. All the aforementioned causes may then apply: The 'now or never threat', 'Fear Of Missing Out', the assumption/ fear that your team will drop you, the fear of the physical/ mental consequences of sudden calm, the fear of not being understood by the public or you don't know your own physical and mental limits yet.

Upbringing can also have formed you: you can come from a Calvinist family where you never worked hard enough, and which still makes you experience a high threshold to take a rest. In this article, however, I mainly focus on occupation-related causes.

If you and your manager/ team have a different vision about what is best for you, this can lead to mutual tensions or distrust. Something that’s the last thing you need as an artist. Tour life is already stressful enough.

What can you do:

All previously given advice for causes 1 to 7 may help. Above all, talk to someone you trust and who prefers to be completely independent of your career. Think about why your team is advising you to take a break. From their experience, do they perhaps see a development (e.g. deteriorating health) that you still underestimate yourself? Sometimes it's only after a while that you feel how exhausted you actually were while touring.

Or do you feel pressure from someone close to you, from your partner or from a parent, to continue? What interests do they have? Or are you afraid that delay will lead to termination; and your team is actually saying goodbye to you in this way? Try to clarify whether that fear is well-founded. Discuss your team's motivations with someone you trust.

But sometimes it pays not to give up too quickly. If this is not done with too much tension and stress, also talk to your team: where does this difference of opinion come from? Perhaps this will clarify things, or you will arrive at a solution. Be aware that there are always business-minded music managers ready to welcome you with open arms and tell you what you want to hear (“No, don’t take a break now”). The question then is: do they have your best interests at heart or do they want to take advantage of the situation between you and your current team?

Sometimes talking doesn't help, or there is a breach of trust. In some cases it's better to separate (in good harmony).

How can you try to keep feeling as good as possible after a performance or after a long tour?

Now that you know what can happen physically and mentally during non-stop touring, the question is of course whether you can have any influence on how you feel after a performance or tour. You see in many artists, athletes and political leaders that, even after a tour or work, they also look for the same adrenaline peaks in their spare time that they had during their tour or work. Some, for example, try to suppress the hangover feeling after a long tour, with all kinds of substance. Others remarkably plan their time immediately after a tour completely full of activities outside the home. How can this be explained logically, and what advice can be given to try to keep feeling as good as possible after a performance or tour?

There is no prospect of a real break in the near future: here's what you can do to recharge.

Above all, I suppose it's not advisable at all to have no prospect of a break with this job. Not only because you need to recover, but also as a reassuring view when you are having a hard time. Touring non-stop can give you the scary feeling of being on a moving train that rumbles on and on, with no stop in sight. So I see the point in knowing that your long tour is coming to an end.

Some control over your tour schedules therefore seems nice. Some artists seem to be in complete control of their careers and tour schedules. Singer Rihanna and singer Adele are known to have taken a break for years and then came back (with success). Adele recently revealed during a performance that she doesn't tour often because "there's something about performing live that really terrifies me."

However, this seems to be the exception to the rule; unfortunately many artists are not in a position to do this.

What can you do if you can't take a real break in the short term?

Microbreaks and Heart Math.

“If you can't take a long break, so really a holiday, it's sometimes suggested to have 'micro-breaks'. They can ensure that you can last a little longer (touring, ed.),” says Dr. Schuijers.

“These micro-breaks can be a few seconds or a few minutes. For example, you could use the time you have to wait at an airport for a mini-break.”

I ask Dr. Schuijers what that looks like in concrete terms. Do you have to sit on a chair? Should you close your eyes?

Schuijers: “You can, but you don't have to. You really consciously shift your attention. You will regulate your breathing properly and ensure that you end up in a very calm state. So your heart rate goes down a bit anyway and more of a rhythm comes in. Then your body is charging again. The technique used for this, by both athletes and the police, is called Heart-Math. Heart-Math says it's nice when your heart and brain are in balance. That's called ‘coherent’.”

He gives an example in which the heart and brain are not in balance: “Suppose you are in a relationship. Your heart says after a week: mistake, I shouldn't have done this. But your head says: I can't break off the relationship, because of the nice parents etc. You then feel awkward/ not comfortable, because your heart and brain don't agree. Then you break up after a month. What do you feel then? Relief. Because then those systems will be in balance again.”

You can even measure whether you are 'coherent': “You then get a device attached to your ear. You can then go towards your heart with your attention and breathing; you make yourself 'neutral' for a while. You're not in your head too much. If you are 'coherent', it will be shown in green. If you are thinking and feeling too much, then you are red. When you're green, you're really refueling. That's a microbreak.”

What advice could help an artist to feel as good as possible after a performance?

To relieve the previously discussed hangover feeling after a performance, according to Dr. Schuijers a temptation to anesthetize yourself with certain substances can occur. For example with alcohol. In my search for an 'ideal' way to spend your time in the evening/ day after a performance, I ask Dr. Schuijers whether he has any advice on how you can try to keep feeling as good as possible at those moments.

Learn how to 'plus' (energize) and 'minus' (relax).

Schuijers: “When you showed me examples of tour schedules and daily schedules, I already thought: the whole setting is of course almost a license for the use of substances. You could almost say, you can't keep that up without uppers. I don't know about the alcohol intake of bands, but I don't think there are teetotalers among artists. Alcohol is not conducive to recovery. If you don't want to resort to substances then the big advice is to learn very well what's happening to you, and how you can use pluses and minuses. I think it's not wrong for artists to learn the pluses and minuses very well.”

Situation 1:

Schuijers: "You have the umpteenth concert and you have thoughts like: 'Well, I've had it, I don't feel like it anymore.

Then you start to 'plus': learn to boost yourself. Otherwise you will make mistakes related to carelessness, or the fact that you don't feel like it.”

Situation 2:

“Your performance is very important. The tension is too high.

Then you get to work with 'minuses': teaching yourself to relax. There are all sorts of ways to do that.”

How can you learn that? “Through breathing techniques in particular (which are always important for singers anyway) and muscle relaxation techniques. There are apps for that too. But the key is that you breathe properly,” says Schuijers.

Siesta and rest days.

Because I want to know how a musician can best try to survive while touring, I ask Dr. Schuijers whether there might be an ideal minimum time frame to be able to recover optimally between two performances. Can an ideal minimum time be determined to allow the aforementioned hormones / neurotransmitters to drop back to 'normal' values? For example: always plan at least one rest day between two performances?

After some thought, Dr. Schuijers says that you should then (for an individual) take into account the hormone levels, the sugar level and the sleep-wake rhythm. Setting a standard time frame is not possible, that would be a gamble. Schuijers notes that travel days are also hard days. “You could say that if you have a block of performances, you take a rest day either before or after the trip.”

  “If you sleep eight hours a night and are awake for sixteen hours, you can recover well in itself. But artists, by definition, play at night. I think almost no artist gets eight hours of sleep after a performance. So that means they have to refuel somewhere else during the day. I would advise taking a siesta. Then you do nothing between 13:00 and 16:00, so that you can recover,” says Schuijers.

Weaning off your busy tour life: what to do when you finally have 'free' time?

When you finally get home after a tour, you naturally hope that you continue to feel as good as possible. You see that everyone deals differently with the little time that they have 'free'.

Some musicians want or can only rest/ recover after returning home, and have cleared their agenda. They take time to land at home.

Remarkably enough, others plan their days at home completely full of (social) activities outside the home. It seems illogical, but there could be several reasons for this use of free time. For example, you may feel rushed to make up for time with friends or family, because otherwise you would hardly ever see them. Or you just feel relatively good. Or you are 'afraid' to fall into a hole after the heavy daily schedules, or to experience restlessness (see cause 5: you avoid rest due to fear of the physical/mental consequences of sudden rest). This last motive I explain here; because it poses a health risk.

Fear of restlessness or becoming ill upon returning home: what's the (major) risk of avoiding rest?

“That restlessness is part of the transition (from the busy tour to the quiet home, ed.)”, thinks Dr. Schuijers. “If you go cold turkey in one go and you don't do anything at home, it's not good for your body and mind. You're on a 'high' (during touring, ed.) And then you really have to go through that (restless) period. If you are suddenly free, after those daily schedules, your body suddenly has to get used to the fact that there is nothing for a while. Body and mind don't really like change that much. Humans are born adaptors, so those performers' bodies really adapt to the demands that are made. You can also keep that up for a long time. But when you take a rest, the body says: what is this? Then everything that has been a bit covered (during touring ed.) or what has not come out, comes out. Often in the form of being sick, sore throat, etc. After that you enter a more stable period.” Is it something you have to go through? “Yes, you can't prevent that. Wanting to keep going to avoid this unpleasant feeling is the addiction: trying to prevent pain and discomfort, that's the addiction," says Schuijers, who refers to the previously discussed 'hangover feeling'.

So you have to endure the pain and discomfort during the first days of rest. Continuing is not an option anyway. What could happen if you just keep going?

Schuijers: “In sports terms you are overtrained. Artists can burn out. It could be that, for example, a drummer can no longer move his arms properly because he is overstrained. Your whole system is messed up. The ratio of red and white platelets changes; like you have constant inflammation. You also have less oxygen transport. So people who are overtrained or burned out, they really can't do anything anymore.

It takes a year or two for athletes to recover from it. And some don't come back at all. Marianne Vos (Dutch cyclist) trained a lot. At a certain point you heard nothing more about it. She has been out for 1.5 to 2 years. She really had a burnout.”

So it can have major consequences if you become overtrained and constantly under pressure. In summary, it's important that you rest/ recover, in order to be able to continue to perform at all.

How can you do that if you are the type who prefers to plan a lot of activities (outside the house) after returning home?

Do things alone at home too, and rest without worrying.

“You would have to do your time management in a different way at home,” says Dr. Schuijers. Then I would suggest that you plan me-time, and, for example, don't plan anything from 10-14 o'clock. By me-time I mean that you don't do activities like visiting all your friends. That you do things on your own for a while, and not something social.”

Why is it important to do things alone?

“Then you have the counterpart with that very busy tour schedule. When I hear those tour schedules and daily schedules, I think the common denominator of artists is that they have no control over their agenda.

It's known from psychology that if people have no control, all kinds of things such as stress, autonomy and performance come under pressure. The fact that you (if you have 'free' time/ are at home, ed.) can have control over your days and your weeks, gives you a lot of energy again.”

Dr. Schuijers emphasizes that if you want to rest, you should really rest. “If you do nothing but worry in the meantime, that's not very useful”.

How else could you try to wean yourself off the extreme daily schedules?

• If you have any concerns or medical problems: always consult a qualified doctor or professional; after all, every situation can be different.
• After a stage in the Tour de France you see that cyclists first phase out cycling until they stop. To make the transition after a tour perhaps a bit less big, you could take a walk every day from the first days after a tour. According to the Dutch Brain Foundation, walking helps you slow down and improves your creativity. Twenty minutes of walking a day would be enough. If you struggle with that, it can be encouraging to know that some exercise is better than none. Thuisarts.nl also states that by moving you can relax better, you suffer less from stress and it can work well with gloom, depression and anxiety.
• If music is your life and you have few or no other interests or hobbies, you are more likely to fall into a hole after a tour. After all, everything is planned for you on a tour. If you have little to do at home, you can start to feel empty. I think it's therefore important to make sure that, if you don't have any plans yet, you find a fun activity that you can look forward to. Find out what else matters to you. A sport, an activity with family, decorating your home; look forward to it but watch out that you don't see it again as an achievement or energy-consuming task.

Finally: Better safe than sorry.

As a musician, how do you survive years of touring? Hopefully mainly because you don't have to survive, but just have a great time.

In any case, you may wonder whether it's desirable that you only 'try to keep going' while touring, instead of being busy with your job in a fun and healthy way. If you are constantly busy with 'persistence', it can do no harm, under the guise of 'better safe than sorry', to at least try to prevent a breaking point by making adjustments and seeking professional help. Instead of acting when it's already too late.

Knowledge is essential for this, I said earlier. Hopefully you now know which processes take place in your body during performances, which complaints can explain them and how you can deal with them. Moreover, you have got an idea of what you can do if you think you're stuck in a situation, so that you can't, dare not or won't take a necessary break. Finally, the attention to these difficult sides of touring will hopefully contribute to a more realistic image among the public. Then you can feel a little more free to share any concerns, without fear of negative reactions.

Maybe one day your management's Instagram page will say 'recovery week added!' instead of 'show added, new date!'.

With lots of smileys.

Accountability.

This article is based on my interview with Dr. R. Schuijers, my (educational) background and my own findings (research, observations, experiences).

Source reference.

• https://www.musicmindsmatter.org.uk/can-music-make-you-sick
• Help Musicians UK Health and Wellbeing Survey 2014, published on Aug 15, 2014
• https://theconversation.com/stairway-to-hell-life-and-death-in-the-pop-music-industry-32735
• https://forgingfortitude.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/postperfdepbuckner.pdf
• https://fd.nl/fd-persoonlijk/1163856/waarom-er-niets-mis-is-met-heimwee
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563213000800
• https://www.hersenstichting.nl/ommetje/#:~:text=Ommetje%20maakt%20van%20wandelen%20een,en%20verbetert%20het%20je%20creativiteit.
• https://www.thuisarts.nl/gezonde-levensstijl/ik-wil-gezond-bewegen
• Linda documentary “Merel onderzoekt #FreeBritney”