What Is Emotional Processing? (And Why Musicians Can’t Afford to Skip It)

T.L. Mazumdar Author

Sep 21, 2024 |

Learn why processing is crucial for your mental health, and career longevity.

Introduction

Life can get a bit high-octane as a musician.

The spotlight is always on and the next gig is just around the corner.

Traveling regularly, performing to crowds, engaging with audiences and industry professionals.

Living a life that many may fantasize about from behind a desk.

The kind of thing that could feel like such an easy fit to a ‘living-the-dream’ hashtag on that last Instagram post, right?

The reality behind the glamour and excitement though?

A very different story.

Backbreaking tour schedules, lugging gear, recording deadlines, PR campaigns, and teaching gigs with complex student-mentor dynamics. A constant feeling of scrutiny and judgment of very personal form of expression and often a brand of emotional and financial uncertainty that is a very rare and unique professional hazard.

One that brings with it a very specific challenge that musicians face every day, often without realizing the implications and risks involved.

Unprocessed emotions.

What is 'Processing'? A Psychological Perspective

Simply put, processing is like the brain's filing system.

It's how we make sense of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Imagine our brains as a messy room.

(Should be easy enough after a night on a tour bus or a rehearsal that didn’t go as planned).

Processing is when we tidy up the residue that leaves on us. 

Clean up the clutter our minds and hearts will carry after these intense experiences that get trivialized as just another quirk of the artist's lifestyle.

Psychology experts like Daniel Siegel describe processing as our brain's way of managing emotions and memories, helping us react and grow from what we go through.

In therapy or coaching sessions, processing can often be about confronting past hurts and emotions. We work through them to find a sense of peace and understanding on our own terms.

Even the simple act of grasping the gist of this can help. Make it easier for us to handle emotions better. 

And the aid that can be in honing, nurturing, and sustaining our creative voice is crucial to understand.

The Cost of Not Processing

When we don’t take the time to process our experiences, the consequences are a lot more severe than we usually realize.

Without the opportunity to digest what we’ve been through, we risk carrying an accumulation of unresolved events and emotions.

Over time, this can be a leading cause of burnout, anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental health issues.

The toll of not processing extends beyond just our mental health though. 

It actually affects a musician’s career covertly.

Creativity is the lifeblood of any artist and requires a kind of mental clarity and emotional balance that very few educators have taken the time to explain to their mentees.

When these are compromised, a musician will eventually struggle to find inspiration. The result is often the classic creative block or a decline in the quality of our work.

Poor mental health is notoriously famous for forcing musicians to burn out, take extended breaks from their careers, or in the worst case, even lead to a premature exit from the industry altogether.

Nonetheless, it is rare for practitioners to fully understand the importance of building a support system they can rely upon to avoid these situations.

The Gap: Persona vs Personality

The pace of our lifestyles is enough to handle on its own.

But there’s another side-effect it brings with it that requires understanding as well: emotional dissonance.

The persona we project on stage or online is often vastly different from who we show up as in our everyday lives.

So many of us are die-hard introverts. But channel a side to ourselves that has an exclusive relationship to our performing practice. 

An avatar whose only appropriate place might be the stage, recording studio, or a performance occasion in some capacity.

When we are expected to be channeling this side to ourselves 24/7, exhaustion is not just inevitable. It can also lead to a sense of inner disconnect from our introverted selves. 

The self who needs enough ‘me-time’ to replenish the very energy we use and rely upon, to create from a space of authenticity. 

That's a gap.

And that gap is the first step leading to a brand of isolation artists are all too familiar with, but don’t necessarily always understand.

When our emotions aren’t processed appropriately, they ferment, erode self-esteem, and cause long-term harm.

It’s as simple and complex as that.

The Changing Music Industry and Weight of Endless Connection

The need to process has become even more critical in the current landscape of the music industry.

Unlike in the past, where record labels and industry executives acted as gatekeepers, today’s musicians are expected to maintain a direct line of communication with their audience. 

Social media platforms have become essential tools for building and maintaining a direct relationship with our audiences.

This is great for professional autonomy. But comes with an unprecedented set of pressures. 

We are now expected to be constantly accessible, continually engaging with fans, and perpetually producing ‘content’, not all of which is even always directly related to our art.

This shift has fundamentally changed the way musicians interact with the world.

The sheer volume of people that we engage with today is inhumane and an impossible task to sustain on our own.

The pressure to keep our doors open for everyone, to be perpetually available and responsive. These new levels of expectation for incessant visibility and engagement, coupled with the fears of the possible consequences otherwise are absolutely brutal on the psyche.

It places a burden on today’s artists that leaves very little room for one of the most fundamental pieces of the art-making process.

Self-assessment and self-nurture.

The Path Forward: Prioritizing Inner Work

So, how do we navigate these overwhelming waters?

The only solution in my opinion, lies in the importance of inner work. Maintaining an internal compass.

Prioritizing our mental and emotional well-being, and integrating it into our careers needs to be established as a non-negotiable skill for artists. 

Again, it’s as simple and complex as that.

Where to Start

If you’re anything like me, this is where you ask yourself the most important question:

‘‘..but where do I start?’’

Glad you asked.

Needless to say, there is no cookie-cutter 'formula' to implement for your unique artistic journey.

But I do have a pointer that I daresay might help right now.

Ready?

Here goes:

Create space in your life.

Create space in your life for reflection and processing.

This might mean:

• Taking intentional breaks from the whirlwind of touring and performing

• Setting boundaries around your time and energy.

• Seeking support from coaches and therapists who understand the unique challenges of the music industry.

• Integrating mindfulness practices, such as meditation, journaling, or simply taking quiet time alone.

• Cultivating a strong support network of like-minded people who hold space for you and allow you to hold space for your art. People who can be a buffer against the pressures of the industry so you can decompress.

I would never determine the value of my life by something as insignificant as how I play a musical instrument.--Kenny Werner

That quote above is by my beloved teacher Kenny Werner.

It's a LOT easier said than done. But probably still the most essential for tenet musicians to remember at the end of the day.

Our worth is not solely tied to our artistic output or public persona.

On the contrary, in my experience, the minute we start thinking it is, our art turns to S***.

Conclusion

I first came across the whole idea of ‘processing’ the implications of a touring musician's lifestyle when a friend asked me if I ever take a minute to do so over a rushed cup of coffee on a perfectly normal summer afternoon. 

I hadn't seen her in months. And was in one of the most intensely nomadic phases of my life. 

Not just constantly on tour, but also juggling 4 different bases in 4 countries.

A few months later, the pandemic happened. 

The rest as they say is history. So let’s not go there today. 

But I will leave you with this:

The perils of not processing our emotions are real.

And the stakes for us musicians, are particularly high.

Prioritizing inner work and making space for reflection is not just our best chance to safeguard our mental and emotional well-being, but actually sustain our careers.

So in a world constantly pushing us to do more, be more, and give more, this might be a good time to take a step back and question these demands.

And learn to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with ourselves first instead.

So we can do less. And mean more.

References

1. **Touring and Mental Health**
Smith, J. (2020). *The Psychological Impact of Constant Touring on Musicians.* Journal of Music Psychology, 45(3), 215-229. Retrieved from [www.musicpsychjournal.com/tour... href="https://www.musicpsychjournal.com/touring-mental-health" class="redactor-autoparser-object">https://www.musicpsychjournal....)

2. **Processing and Emotional Well-Being**
Johnson, L. (2019). *The Importance of Emotional Processing in Creative Professions.* Creative Minds Quarterly, 12(4), 87-104. Available at [www.creativemindsjournal.org/e... href="https://www.creativemindsjournal.org/emotional-processing" class="redactor-autoparser-object">https://www.creativemindsjourn...)

3. **The Hidden Toll of the Music Industry**
Brown, K. (2018). *Behind the Music: The Hidden Toll of the Musician's Life.* Music Industry Insights, 7(2), 33-48. Retrieved from [www.musicindustryinsights.com/... href="https://www.musicindustryinsights.com/hidden-toll" class="redactor-autoparser-object">https://www.musicindustryinsig...)

4. **Balancing Career and Well-Being**
Green, A. (2021). *Balancing Act: How Musicians Can Protect Their Mental Health.* In *The Musician's Guide to Well-Being* (pp. 134-156). New York, NY: Harmony Press. Available at [www.harmonypress.com/musician-... href="https://www.harmonypress.com/musician-wellbeing" class="redactor-autoparser-object">https://www.harmonypress.com/m...)

Categories: : mental health, music education, self care