Mental illness and music.... Are they connected?
I was reading this article on The Stacksreader about one of the greatest musicians ever lived (in my humble opinion), Jaco Pastorius. Jaco was , for me and many others, the greatest bassplayer ever. In his compositions, timing and technique there has been no other I suppose.
The article was about the question "Who killed Jaco Pastorius". To give you a background. Jaco was beaten to death in Wilton Manors, Florida at a club by a bouncer.
Jaco wanted to enter a club in a toxicated state, but the bouncer refused him. When Jaco start kicking the door the bouncer chased him and beat him up. Jaco died of the effects of the beating... A very sad story, he turned 35.....
Jaco had a long history of bipolar disorder and manic depression, something his daughter Mary on later age also had a struggle with.
Besides that Jaco (only in his 35 years of life) dealt with alchoholism and drug abuse . I guess it is not the perfect combination. When you read his history I tend to believe that his alcohol and drugs abuse in combination with his stressfull urge to play and create triggerd his manic depressive illness. Although the doctors said it's genetic, the following up of circumstances gives (at least me) a relation between those evils.
Fame brings pressure
In the case of Jaco there is 'proof' of a mental illness, although that is what his wife wrote. The same for Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. He had a history of deppression and mental instability.
My opinion is (although in nuance) that a true musician a'la Cobain, Pastorius or Jim Morrison for instance are true artists who weren't busy with becomming famous in the first place. I think it is a side-effect of their 'being genius'. For instance, as far as known of Kurt Cobain he even didn't want all the fame that came with his music. And then being famous it opens doors in an easy way to numb the fear and pressure by taking other things like drugs an alcohol..
I have written a post a while ago about the tragic death of many of great artists which were in one or the other way related to depression and/or drug and alcohol. I think the one (drug's and alcohol) strengthens the other (mental illness). And as long as the music industry is putting this much pressure on artists I won't think it will get any better. I saw the documentary about Amy Winehouse, and I personally think that in her case the press and the recordcompanies (and her father btw) are for a great deal responsible for what happened to her...It's a sad story...
How do you see the relation between music and mental illnesses... ? Is there any, are they connected?
I do think they are connected but not conditional
Two links to articles regarding pressure in the music business
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-24/slum-sociable-singer-speaks-about-pressure-on-musicians/9186438
https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/dec/17/musicians-depression
Have a great day
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I am a Jaco devotee!! I think "mental illness" is assuming we are healthy. He and so many musicians have a different view of what is normal and healthy and are simply on a different measuring scale. Arguably they are healthier than all of us, but simply don't function in "our" world very well. Nice post.
Thank you, and I think you made a good point. It is not for nothing that 'they' accelerate in their art. It's a different mindset, way of life and way of looking at things... Thinking about it, the assumption that 'we' are healthy is a good thing to think about......thanks !!
I think one of the biggest things we can take away from this is that mental illness impacts all walks of life. A lot of us look at famous people and think wow, they have it made, but we don't realize that all of the fame and fortune are not filling the gap that they need. I think you are right as well, there is a lot of pressure on famous musicians to always be "on" and it is hard to maintain that even if you are mentally healthy.
No exactly, the satisfaction for artists isn't (often) the fame n'or fortune. Kurt Cobain for instance only wanted to write songs and make music, not all the hassle arround it...
Sorry, I was saying our impression is that they should be happy because of the fame and fortune, not that is why they do it.
No I got you right :)
Drugs and creativity seem to correlate as do heavy use of drugs and mental illness. Mark Devlin has recently done quite a few very interesting presentations about the world of fame in the music industry. I would recommend checking out his work on youtube.
Ok, thanks, I will check it out for sure..
Yes, I do think there is a relationship. I am a poet and within that genre there are also many who suffer mental pain and depression. I read once that there are more suicides amongst writers than any other art form.
Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath to name a couple.
Could it be of creative kind, that poet's , artist in general are (could be) more sensitive, creative?
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