Musicians, ADHD and Mental Health Issues
I'd like to write on a topic that is deeply personal, yet so important to many musicians because its touched so many.
There is an old saying that there's a fine line between artistry and insanity. --In my opinion, there is both truth and exaggeration to this.
The list of legendary Jazz musicians with "mental health" issues, and lifestyles indicative of deep inner turmoil, as well as social conflict indicative of various underlying causes, psycho-social, as well as psychobiological, are indeed extensive.
At the height of the "Jazz" era, modern mental health was in its infancy, and even today, biographical information that has survived describing the turbulent lives of many of the masters are far from sound clinical documentation worthy of diagnostic merit. Surviving psychiatric records from eras when so little was known about many mental disorders easily treatable today offer virtually little clue as to what was really going on at the time many famous musicians had their hospitalizations.
A good example are musicians who were said to have eccentric behavior, undergo phases of depression, engage in risky lifestyles and who were said to have undergone "breakdowns" and "institutionalizations". --Speculation as to the possible psychological causes appear in biographies and on websites. Was Monk, for example, a sufferer of schizophrenia? Was he manic depressive? Did he suffer from a neurological disorder brought on as a result of brain damage from abusive prescription of first generation anti-psychotics? --In one film, "The Tic Code" it is even fictionally speculated the possibility that some of his strange quirks and movements could be attributed to Tourette's Syndrome. --The truth is, whatever one speculates, "diagnosis by biography" is not scientifically valid... The art of "differential diagnosis" (distinguishing between orders that, on the surface, appear almost identical) in itself, requires a complicated mixture of testing, observation, interview technique and collection of other data that simply can not be made through simply observing snippets of a person's life as told via biographical anecdotes.
This leads to the tragic story of Charlie Parker -- Well known is that he suffered from alcoholism, severe drug addiction, had "breakdowns" and a whole slew of symptoms that are often found to be co-morbid with a wide variety of mental illnesses. (Of note, the term "breakdown" itself, is not a word that psychologists use as a clinical diagnosis. Its simply a lay term for what amounts to a psychiatric crisis.) --His tragic story, was eloquently dramtisized in Eastwood's 1988 bio-pic "BIRD" as well as an early dramatization of the novel "NIGHT SONG" in a movie with Dick Gregory called "LOVE SWEET BITTER".
One other famous example is that of Jazz saxophonist Art Pepper, who's life story is brutally told in his own biography "Straight Life".
Which leads to the question, why are incidences of mental illness and substance abuse so high in the Jazz community (and other questions such as, does mental illness drive, or ultimately destroy the creative process.)
One paper by a British researcher ("40 Lives in the Bebop Business") argues that Jazz musicians were 8 times more likely to suffer from the rest of the population from drug addiction, and four times mood disorders. --The catch is that the study was limited to that of 40 Jazz musicians who were active in the music from 1945-1960, a very limited sample at the peak of a very turbulent era in American history, Jazz itself being a highly countercultural form of personal expression, and closely linked to cultures where drugs and alcohol simply were readily available and part of a lifestyle that many people got pulled into, and destroyed by. --As a result of shock from the death of Charlie Parker and a slew of legends who barely made it into their thirties, the thinking of many Jazz musicians towards hard core drugs changed. Some died, yet others went clean... and preceded to lead normal and highly productive lives.
Stories are also told of high degrees of history of family abuse in legendary musicians -- as well as high degrees of psychotic disorder. But the question arises, within the same socio-demographic population that the musicians came from, what were the correlations between the general population and prevalence of abuse, addiction and mental illness as well?
In the end, a complete analysis of the relationship between "mental illness" and creative vision is not easily explainable...
My own theory is that there are two types of musicians. Artists and Craftsmen.
Craftsmen are musicians who's main job is not to be creative, different or visionary, but rather be able to perform jobs just like any other professional. At one time these were the guys who played in orchestra pits, in wedding orchestra and worked "on the card" studio jobs, but today, they also make up the bulk of musicians in the Jazz world, and other forms of music where the job of the musician is to show up prepared and played -- and expectations of reinventing the book are significantly lower than playing it. Nothing is wrong with this. Its music, and there's nothing wrong with people playing the music that others come to hear. Being a professional musician encompasses this, and skills requires include being organized enough to be able to meet whatever the job demands, including issues related to scheduling and interpersonal relations. Related to this type of situation, mental health issues can be devastating. No bandleader wants to hire a sideman who's behavior is going to predictable and who has a reputation for being unreliable. --Such a musician will quickly be unable to function as a professional, and will find it difficult to get jobs as he or she engages in career sabotaging jobs.
But then, there is the artist.
It is indicative upon the artist to have vision and create and to see things differently and not have social inhibitions which prevent him or her from expressing these ideas.
It is also indicative upon the artist to have the appropriate craft, social and business skills not only to realize these creations, but get them out to the public, and be able to survive while doing so.
This is where "balance" becomes essential. A person who's mind functions differently than his or her peers, and understands his or her craft can very will become an influential figure, but if the person's mental issues sabotage the ability to realize, start, finish and promote projects, the person may become unable to function within the "art" -- the person may also find it difficulty to make a living, and in experiencing frustration between wanting to exist as an artist but needing the ability to connect with people, yet lacking the ability to do so on a healthy professional level, may experience severe stress, if not utter failure. It is at this stage that the person may exist on a plane ranging from non-functionality to dysfunctionality. Furthermore, even if the person has an adequate network of support, if his or her mental issues result in self destructive behavior, eventually the "craftsman" within the artist will become destroyed... and at the point that both the "body" and "craftsman" are gone, the artist too, will cease to exist... be it through death or inability to function.
This leads to the question of what the solution to the problem is? I think, in theory, it is a simple one, though in practice, quite complex.
A true artist must embrace that which makes him or her different, but understand that which potentially sabotages his or her abilities to to realize his or her vision as a functioning member of the society as it is... as well as those elements which sabotage his or her ability to simply survive as a human being with a bearable quality of life. To do this, the artist may need to seek help. The purpose of the help; however, is to enable the artist... not to destroy that which makes him or her different.
A particular example relates to people such as myself with ADD or cyclothymia... People with ADHD as well as cyclothymia (a very mild form of bi-polar disorder) can have high levels of mental energy that enable for exceptional creativity, but as we become mentally hyperactive, the ability to finish, as well as organize projects can be difficult. Likewise, during low or depressive stages, ability to create and perform can be robbed.
Therapy, to an extent can help, but where therapy fails, medications can potentially offer help -- with the help; however, can be an impact on both creative productivity and other elements of life.. Finding the right chemical balance to be able to create, yet not self-destruct or self neutralize is where the challenge arises.
While, I truly wish there was a black and white solution to the matter, the truth is, there isn't. Just as growing as an artist is a life imperative, so too is the battle Its a life struggle of mine, and probably countless other artists who are reading this. The starting point; however, I believe is that one's gifts can very well be tied in to one's own darker side... and in the end, both must be tamed. The gifts must be turned into realizable crafts. The dark side, must be managed. And it is here that the true challenge of the artist is best understand.
The challenge of the normal person, or regular craftsman is simply to "be" and "be good at it" -- The challenge of the artist (which all humans to a degree are) is different... it is to be, to change, to grow, and to learn how to deal with one's own growing pains within the context of what one is becoming and the context from which one is. The issue to the extent that medication and traditional forms of treatment fall into play within these goals are ones that require deep thought, and it is at this is the point where at times various forms of psychotherapy, even psycho-pharmaceutical mood management come in.
There is an old saying that there's a fine line between artistry and insanity. --In my opinion, there is both truth and exaggeration to this.
The list of legendary Jazz musicians with "mental health" issues, and lifestyles indicative of deep inner turmoil, as well as social conflict indicative of various underlying causes, psycho-social, as well as psychobiological, are indeed extensive.
At the height of the "Jazz" era, modern mental health was in its infancy, and even today, biographical information that has survived describing the turbulent lives of many of the masters are far from sound clinical documentation worthy of diagnostic merit. Surviving psychiatric records from eras when so little was known about many mental disorders easily treatable today offer virtually little clue as to what was really going on at the time many famous musicians had their hospitalizations.
A good example are musicians who were said to have eccentric behavior, undergo phases of depression, engage in risky lifestyles and who were said to have undergone "breakdowns" and "institutionalizations". --Speculation as to the possible psychological causes appear in biographies and on websites. Was Monk, for example, a sufferer of schizophrenia? Was he manic depressive? Did he suffer from a neurological disorder brought on as a result of brain damage from abusive prescription of first generation anti-psychotics? --In one film, "The Tic Code" it is even fictionally speculated the possibility that some of his strange quirks and movements could be attributed to Tourette's Syndrome. --The truth is, whatever one speculates, "diagnosis by biography" is not scientifically valid... The art of "differential diagnosis" (distinguishing between orders that, on the surface, appear almost identical) in itself, requires a complicated mixture of testing, observation, interview technique and collection of other data that simply can not be made through simply observing snippets of a person's life as told via biographical anecdotes.
This leads to the tragic story of Charlie Parker -- Well known is that he suffered from alcoholism, severe drug addiction, had "breakdowns" and a whole slew of symptoms that are often found to be co-morbid with a wide variety of mental illnesses. (Of note, the term "breakdown" itself, is not a word that psychologists use as a clinical diagnosis. Its simply a lay term for what amounts to a psychiatric crisis.) --His tragic story, was eloquently dramtisized in Eastwood's 1988 bio-pic "BIRD" as well as an early dramatization of the novel "NIGHT SONG" in a movie with Dick Gregory called "LOVE SWEET BITTER".
One other famous example is that of Jazz saxophonist Art Pepper, who's life story is brutally told in his own biography "Straight Life".
Which leads to the question, why are incidences of mental illness and substance abuse so high in the Jazz community (and other questions such as, does mental illness drive, or ultimately destroy the creative process.)
One paper by a British researcher ("40 Lives in the Bebop Business") argues that Jazz musicians were 8 times more likely to suffer from the rest of the population from drug addiction, and four times mood disorders. --The catch is that the study was limited to that of 40 Jazz musicians who were active in the music from 1945-1960, a very limited sample at the peak of a very turbulent era in American history, Jazz itself being a highly countercultural form of personal expression, and closely linked to cultures where drugs and alcohol simply were readily available and part of a lifestyle that many people got pulled into, and destroyed by. --As a result of shock from the death of Charlie Parker and a slew of legends who barely made it into their thirties, the thinking of many Jazz musicians towards hard core drugs changed. Some died, yet others went clean... and preceded to lead normal and highly productive lives.
Stories are also told of high degrees of history of family abuse in legendary musicians -- as well as high degrees of psychotic disorder. But the question arises, within the same socio-demographic population that the musicians came from, what were the correlations between the general population and prevalence of abuse, addiction and mental illness as well?
In the end, a complete analysis of the relationship between "mental illness" and creative vision is not easily explainable...
My own theory is that there are two types of musicians. Artists and Craftsmen.
Craftsmen are musicians who's main job is not to be creative, different or visionary, but rather be able to perform jobs just like any other professional. At one time these were the guys who played in orchestra pits, in wedding orchestra and worked "on the card" studio jobs, but today, they also make up the bulk of musicians in the Jazz world, and other forms of music where the job of the musician is to show up prepared and played -- and expectations of reinventing the book are significantly lower than playing it. Nothing is wrong with this. Its music, and there's nothing wrong with people playing the music that others come to hear. Being a professional musician encompasses this, and skills requires include being organized enough to be able to meet whatever the job demands, including issues related to scheduling and interpersonal relations. Related to this type of situation, mental health issues can be devastating. No bandleader wants to hire a sideman who's behavior is going to predictable and who has a reputation for being unreliable. --Such a musician will quickly be unable to function as a professional, and will find it difficult to get jobs as he or she engages in career sabotaging jobs.
But then, there is the artist.
It is indicative upon the artist to have vision and create and to see things differently and not have social inhibitions which prevent him or her from expressing these ideas.
It is also indicative upon the artist to have the appropriate craft, social and business skills not only to realize these creations, but get them out to the public, and be able to survive while doing so.
This is where "balance" becomes essential. A person who's mind functions differently than his or her peers, and understands his or her craft can very will become an influential figure, but if the person's mental issues sabotage the ability to realize, start, finish and promote projects, the person may become unable to function within the "art" -- the person may also find it difficulty to make a living, and in experiencing frustration between wanting to exist as an artist but needing the ability to connect with people, yet lacking the ability to do so on a healthy professional level, may experience severe stress, if not utter failure. It is at this stage that the person may exist on a plane ranging from non-functionality to dysfunctionality. Furthermore, even if the person has an adequate network of support, if his or her mental issues result in self destructive behavior, eventually the "craftsman" within the artist will become destroyed... and at the point that both the "body" and "craftsman" are gone, the artist too, will cease to exist... be it through death or inability to function.
This leads to the question of what the solution to the problem is? I think, in theory, it is a simple one, though in practice, quite complex.
A true artist must embrace that which makes him or her different, but understand that which potentially sabotages his or her abilities to to realize his or her vision as a functioning member of the society as it is... as well as those elements which sabotage his or her ability to simply survive as a human being with a bearable quality of life. To do this, the artist may need to seek help. The purpose of the help; however, is to enable the artist... not to destroy that which makes him or her different.
A particular example relates to people such as myself with ADD or cyclothymia... People with ADHD as well as cyclothymia (a very mild form of bi-polar disorder) can have high levels of mental energy that enable for exceptional creativity, but as we become mentally hyperactive, the ability to finish, as well as organize projects can be difficult. Likewise, during low or depressive stages, ability to create and perform can be robbed.
Therapy, to an extent can help, but where therapy fails, medications can potentially offer help -- with the help; however, can be an impact on both creative productivity and other elements of life.. Finding the right chemical balance to be able to create, yet not self-destruct or self neutralize is where the challenge arises.
While, I truly wish there was a black and white solution to the matter, the truth is, there isn't. Just as growing as an artist is a life imperative, so too is the battle Its a life struggle of mine, and probably countless other artists who are reading this. The starting point; however, I believe is that one's gifts can very well be tied in to one's own darker side... and in the end, both must be tamed. The gifts must be turned into realizable crafts. The dark side, must be managed. And it is here that the true challenge of the artist is best understand.
The challenge of the normal person, or regular craftsman is simply to "be" and "be good at it" -- The challenge of the artist (which all humans to a degree are) is different... it is to be, to change, to grow, and to learn how to deal with one's own growing pains within the context of what one is becoming and the context from which one is. The issue to the extent that medication and traditional forms of treatment fall into play within these goals are ones that require deep thought, and it is at this is the point where at times various forms of psychotherapy, even psycho-pharmaceutical mood management come in.