Kyra Finner
Staff Writer
I’m a music education major here at Idaho State University and I know a little bit about anxiety, exhaustion, and most importantly- burnout. The mental health of college students has been studied and discussed in depth, but the distress of music majors and what becomes of them after school is over is not as recognizable.
Burnout is a common problem for college music majors and music teachers today; people need to be more aware of it because it can become a barrier for artists.
Many different problems present themselves for all students and that includes stress, anxiety, depression and more that are caused by the immense pressures of new adulthood.
More specifically though, it has been discovered that undergraduate students in the music program experience burnout on a much harsher level. Music students, whether they are majoring in music performance or music education, are put under a lot of pressure. Besides the normal stressors for young adults, music students have to endure the troubles of finding time to practice for a variety of ensembles, taking abstract classes like music theory and aural skills, and performing music through the weekends.
Practicing alone can put a huge dent in a music student’s day, and how large depends on how many responsibilities they have. Practicing for an hour a day is never enough for a music undergrad, which means that much of their life can be absorbed by it. Music students might feel a sense of insistence to perfect their craft but are unable to provide that time and mental effort when there are other things going on in their lives. I know for me personally it can be very difficult to get myself in a practice room when I am already buried in unpaid bills, homework, and loneliness.
Although they enjoy it, music students put immense pressure on themselves to be perfect. The struggle to create perfect pieces of art and perform to the best of their ability is a huge reason why music major burnout exists.
“A major league ballplayer with a .300 batting average may be a star; however, no audience would tolerate a musician who missed 7 out of every 10 notes,” Marilee Teasley (2016) said in the NACADA Journal.
Christian Bernhard (2007) reports on a few of the studies done to research this ongoing problem. It is interesting to note that in his survey there were no significant differences among primary instruments except for percussionists who had the highest mean scores for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization along with the lowest scores for personal accomplishment. While this survey was done in 2005, another was done in 1985 by Hamann and Daugherty that reported that percussionists had the lowest amount of symptoms for burnout.
This increase could be caused by any number of things, but it is likely linked to the fact that percussion has grown exponentially in the last couple of decades, and with that growth has developed the pressures of creating contemporary music in a completely new environment. As a percussionist myself, I can see in my peers the differences in burnout between us although it is important to note that everyone reacts in their own ways.
What almost every music major undergraduate has to look forward to in their future is to teach. Whether a student is going into music education, performance, or another music-related degree, it’s likely that they will eventually use their skills to teach others.
Music teachers have some of the most unique struggles when it comes to their careers and the burnout they experience is negatively affecting schools everywhere today. Music teachers are forced to give out writing assignments and irrelevant homework to demonstrate the achievements of their students. This adds stress to the already heavy responsibilities that come with music and teaching it.
Worrying about student performances, festivals, concerts, and more, these teachers are evaluated based on physical merit rather than musical development. These are the type of stressors that cause music teachers to experience burnout and ultimately leave their beloved careers.
In “Philosophy of Music Education and the Burnout Syndrome,” Alexandra Kertz-Welzel compares the effects of burnout on male and female music educators. “According to statistics of the U.S. Office of Education, six thousand music teachers quit their job each year in the US, 40% of them list dissatisfaction with their job as their main reason,” (Kertz-Welzel 145). This problem is prevalent in America today, and without action, it will decline to dangerous levels.
It can be difficult for women to encounter musical burnout, especially when they start a job where men are already experiencing it. Music is supposed to be a safe haven that releases stress and assists in mental health, but to the people who take it seriously and professionally, it can cause burnout.
Being a musician is hard enough as it is, but we choose to pursue a career in music because we have such a strong passion for it. I voluntarily suffer through bouts of burnout throughout the year to get the privilege to feel good about my musicianship for any small amount of time, and that’s important to my happiness. I think that burnout in any college degree has become normalized and it’s to be expected at this point, but it shouldn’t be.
Finding healthy ways to handle music-related anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and perfectionism is very important in today’s world. The first step to eliminating this burnout would be to spread awareness to everyone involved. Students need to understand these risks before entering the program and professors need to be able to effectively coach them through their trials.
By spreading the knowledge of this growing problem, people can be more proactive about helping all musician’s mental health. Although it may feel hopeless for some musicians, it can be beneficial to know that this is a universal feeling- that they aren’t alone and that it can be helped.
Even if it’s just on the ISU campus, let’s all be a little more compassionate to each other and aim towards good mental health for those with a lot on their shoulders- even if it’s in music.
