Creating together: Musicians’ descriptions of relational aspects of their profession

Abstract

Previous research suggests that making music together has a positive effect on wellbeing. In contrast, research focussed on professional musicians indicates they experience higher than general population average rates of anxiety and depression symptoms. In addition, despite the creative process of ensemble music-making being a joint endeavour, current approaches to addressing mental wellbeing largely focus on self-reported physical and psychological symptoms and suggest individual solutions. In response, the aim of this research is to understand how professional orchestral musicians themselves perceive mental wellbeing (both their own and that of other musicians they know), with a particular focus on relational aspects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 musicians from full-time professional orchestras across Australia and were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. This study contributes to knowledge about wellbeing for professional orchestral musicians by demonstrating a range of relational issues and how they impact the individual wellbeing of musicians both positively and negatively. In particular, the interconnectedness of experience and the impact of close, longstanding work relationships are discussed, as well as the contrast between experiences of secrecy and open communication.

Background

Research suggests that professional musicians experience mental health issues at higher rates than the general population, especially symptoms of anxiety and depression (Aalberg et al., 2019; Kegelaers et al., 2021; Kenny et al., 2014; Musgrave, 2022). For example, a recent international survey of 254 musicians demonstrated that mental wellbeing was worse for musicians who described music-making as their main career compared to those who described it as a recreational activity, with the researchers concluding that working as a professional musician appeared to contribute to low mental wellbeing (Loveday et al., 2022).

In terms of research with orchestral musicians, previous literature has largely focussed on individual elements of wellbeing such as helping to alleviate stressors and enhance performance, particularly in the area of music performance anxiety (MPA) (Kenny et al., 2014; Matei & Ginsborg, 2017; Spahn et al., 2021). Research has also centred around individual aspects of performance including enhancing attentional focus (Buma et al., 2015), learning and employing psychological skills techniques (Hatfield, 2018; Kegelaers & Oudejans, 2020) and improving individual practice strategies (Mornell et al., 2020).

However, playing in an orchestra is a highly interconnected form of performance requiring many musicians to collaborate interdependently to create a cohesive musical experience for the listener (Boerner & von Streit, 2007; Brodsky, 2006). As such, research exploring relational components of wellbeing (e.g., social support) may assist with understanding and improving wellbeing for performing artists – including professional orchestral musicians (Manchester, 2011). Arguably, to better understand the mental wellbeing of orchestral musicians it is important to consider the interconnected nature of their experience.

Aims

This research aims to explore mental wellbeing as experienced by professional orchestral musicians, with a focus on relational aspects of wellbeing associated with playing in a symphony orchestra. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) How do professional orchestral musicians understand and speak about positive wellbeing, particularly relational aspects of wellbeing? (2) With particular reference to their relational experiences, what facilitators and barriers to positive wellbeing do musicians describe?

Conceptual framework

In order to explore relational aspects of wellbeing, the conceptual framework of wellbeing drawn upon in this paper is the biopsychosocial model (BPS) as proposed by Engels (1977). The BPS conceptualises wellbeing as an interaction between three domains: biological, psychological and social. This is in keeping with the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) definition of health as ‘a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity’. Manchester (2011) likewise suggests that to enable performing artists such as musicians to reach their full potential it is important to consider all three domains. Within the BPS, relational components such as relationships and social support are understood to contribute to wellbeing outcomes and therefore must be considered (Engel, 1977; Wade & Halligan, 2017; Wood et al., 2021). A biopsychosocial conceptualisation of positive wellbeing for musicians would therefore include understanding their experiences in the area of relatedness. The importance of relational factors is further supported by the consideration of positive relationships and relatedness as integral components of wellbeing by eudaimonic frameworks such as the PERMA model of flourishing (Seligman, 2018) and self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Literature review

There is strong evidence to suggest that music-making in a group setting is often associated with positive wellbeing outcomes. For example, research shows that communal singing in particular may improve positive affect, cognitive performance and social connectedness (Dingle et al., 2013; Pearce et al., 2017; Weinstein et al., 2016) and even raise oxytocin levels and lower cortisol (Good & Russo, 2022; Harvey, 2020). Similar positive findings in physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual domains were reported from a survey of non-professional brass band musicians in England (Williamson & Bonshor, 2019).

While playing in an orchestra is also a communal music-making endeavour, research that investigates the effect of relational aspects in the orchestra workplace is limited. A recent systematic review investigated known job-related stressors for professional classical musicians across 67 articles (Vervainioti & Alexopoulos, 2015). Much of the research reviewed focussed on individual issues such as stage fright and MPA, work context issues such as job insecurity and financial insecurity, or physical issues such as injury, pain and illness. Regarding relational issues, only one article was included under the sub-category of ‘colleagues interaction’; it refers specifically to personality clashes amongst professional popular rather than classical musicians and is not recent (Wills & Cooper, 1987). Other relational issues mentioned in this review article are social tensions as a potential stressor for musicians, and control or criticism by supervisors as an organisational risk factor. However, the articles quoted are now old, having been published 30 to 40 years ago.

Subsequent studies have explored relational aspects in orchestras in greater detail. Parasuraman and Purohit (2000) found social tensions amongst orchestra colleagues to be a stressor in a survey of 63 orchestral musicians in the United States, and suggested a need to examine organisational as well as individual options to reduce distress. Similarly, a survey study among six Danish orchestras found strong associations between self-reported stress symptoms and issues such as interpersonal relationships, conflicts and leadership (Holst et al., 2012). Comparing musicians’ responses to the general workforce, Holst et al. concluded that orchestras have a difficult psychosocial work environment which cannot easily be compared to other workplaces.

Secrecy and stigma around work-related struggles have also been found to be a stressor for orchestral musicians (Rickert et al., 2014a; Roos et al., 2021). For example, when investigating the role of injury concealment and rehabilitation from injuries, Rickert et al., (2014a) conducted an interview study with musicians and management from an Australian orchestra and concluded that a culture of secrecy and stigma contributed to the progression of player injuries. The role of social support, specifically during rehabilitation from injury, was also explored; positive support from colleagues with similar experiences was helpful to recovery while lack of perceived support from management and colleagues led to feelings of isolation (Rickert et al., 2014a, 2014b). Similarly, Roos et al. (2021) found that perceived norms of secrecy and stigma around injury in orchestral workplace culture could be a deterrent for health promoting activities. Musicians in the study described a desire for change to that culture in order that wellness issues could be better addressed.

Recent research exploring the experience of professional musicians through the lens of eudaimonic wellbeing (living well and fulfilling one’s potential), in particular as framed in the PERMA model of flourishing, include some findings about relational aspects (Ascenso et al., 2018; Cohen & Ginsborg, 2021; Seligman, 2018). For example, Ascenso et al. (2018) found from survey responses that amongst 601 professional musicians (including 236 orchestral musicians), musicians in fact scored more highly on some facets of wellbeing, including relationships, than the general population. Nevertheless, the authors acknowledged that the musicians’ responses did not distinguish whether the coverage of relationships was related to the orchestral context or to personal and family relationships. In an interview study with 24 professional musicians, Cohen and Ginsborg (2021) found that the absence of the social aspect of their profession led musicians to suffer greatly during COVID-19 lockdowns. Despite these valuable contributions, the amount of research concerning relational/social components of wellbeing for professional musicians is relatively small. In response, this study endeavours to further the understanding of wellbeing for orchestral musicians. Specifically, it aims to explore relational aspects of professional orchestral life, as well as how musicians themselves perceive and describe relational wellbeing and its role in their wellbeing overall.

Method

Participants

Participants in this study were current or recently retired members of full-time professional symphony orchestras in Australia. The sample included nine men and nine women from six of Australia’s eight major professional orchestras, their tenure ranging from five to over 40 years. The musicians interviewed played a range of instruments from string (n = 6), woodwind (n = 3) and brass sections (n = 9) and held positions at all levels within the musical hierarchy, including section and principal players. More specific details about participants are not included, following the approach of Saunders et al. (2015) to maximise anonymity.

Procedure

This research adopted a qualitative approach (Braun & Clarke, 2013). The research design initially involved consultation with an informal advisory panel of professional musicians to ensure that the study would adequately capture musicians’ experiences. This advisory process made it clear that the issues raised were likely to be broad in range, and thus helped to inform the scope of interview questions in terms of ensuring broad, open questions.

Initial inclusion criteria required that participants had been employed for more than 5 years or had been retired from their position for less than 5 years so that they would have sufficient current experience to respond to questions. In addition, for ethical reasons, interviewees needed to be at least 18 years old and fluent in English. Recruitment for the interviews was through methods such as word of mouth and social media posts by the research team. As interviews progressed, and to ensure data would represent a diversity of experience, the following four areas were considered, following the approach of Braun and Clarke (2021b): (1) spread of orchestras; (2) number of instruments/instrument groups; (3) gender and (4) length of tenure/experience as professional musicians. At this point snowball sampling became a more prominent method of recruitment in an effort to reach a wider participant pool, with interviewees asked to share the study recruitment materials through their networks.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants, since this allowed sufficient flexibility for the musicians to talk about what was relevant to them. Interview questions aimed to explore the musicians’ experience of wellbeing, including giving musicians the opportunity to reflect on social aspects as part of the biopsychosocial approach (Engel, 1977). This paper focusses specifically on relational topics that were identified as part of the overall data set. The interview schedule can be found in Appendix 1.

Interviews were completed and recorded via Zoom between October 2022 and November 2023 and averaged 43 minutes. During the process of collecting interview data, the researcher continued to reflect on earlier interviews to explore key concepts in future interviews in iterative ways. Recruitment ceased at 18 interviews. Diversity of experience was considered to be important when deciding whether sufficient data had been collected, alongside identifying patterns and richness in the interview data, as per the approach of Braun and Clarke (2021b). The interviews were transcribed and sent to participants to provide an opportunity to redact sections or change wording; no alterations or deletions were requested. Reflexive thematic analysis, as described by Braun and Clarke (2021a), was chosen to fully capture the depth and complexity of the musicians’ reported experiences while also acknowledging the role in meaning-making of the researchers and their backgrounds. The interview data was initially coded both inductively by identifying topics as they were found in the interview data, and also according to the BPS model (i.e., deductively, with particular emphasis given to sections of interviews which focused on social/relational aspects). After a small number of interviews had been coded it was possible to form a comprehensive set of codes which represented the data and reflected the BPS model. Initially the codes were grouped into categories that reflected interconnectedness, relationships and organisational issues. After further refinement, four themes were identified that responded specifically to the research aims and questions, in particular by focussing on relational topics that musicians described in connection to their perceived wellbeing. Gender neutral pseudonyms were assigned and no biographical information is provided either here or in the results section of this paper, following the approach of Saunders et al. (2015) to maximise anonymity. This was particularly important given that the orchestral world in Australia is a small and close-knit community.

In terms of reflexivity, the lead researcher’s previous experience as a professional orchestral musician meant she was in a unique position to understand the musicians’ experiences. It was hoped that interviewees would feel a level of understanding that would enable them to speak freely about their experiences. In addition, the research team also included a male professional musician and academic, a female academic psychologist and a male academic psychologist. Reflexivity and careful consideration within the research team as a whole ensured rigour and integrity throughout the process.

Results

Thematic analysis of the interview data from this study identified four themes related to social/relational aspects of wellbeing: (1) shared experience in performance; (2) wellbeing as a collective; (3) work relationships impact wellbeing and (4) secrecy and openness. These themes are explained and illustrated in the following paragraphs.

Shared experience in performance: ‘The whole orchestra on the one page’

Musicians spoke descriptively about joint or shared experiences of performing or music-making as a key component of their wellbeing. These shared experiences were described as special moments and were mentioned in connection with positive wellbeing in a number of different ways. For example, speaking of connection Alex simply said: ‘So that’s really important to my wellbeing like I said, that shared experience’. Jessie described the feeling of such shared experiences as motivational: ‘You do a concert that just really everything clicks and it’s amazing, when you go – that’s why I do this job!’ In addition, both Flynn and Jin described a sensation that might be associated with positive heightened arousal, with Flynn saying: ‘you got a rush from it [shared performance]’. Jin was lost for words and yet expressed a deeply satisfying experience: ‘It’s like Aaaaah!’

In particular, musicians noted the satisfaction they derived from the feeling of interconnectedness in the moment, the shared sense of accomplishment and the sense of being part of something bigger than oneself. For example, Jamie described a sense of shared accomplishment:

So sometimes I’m just sitting on stage, and I think – Wow! All these people on stage. They all had the long journey that I had all in different places. And all the hours that it must have taken for all those people to end up on stage doing that is something special.

Here, Jamie remembered taking time during music-making to contemplate and appreciate how all the individual musicians’ efforts have to come together in order to perform the music. This is an aspect of music-making that seems particularly important to Jamie in terms of positive aspects of their experience as a musician. Similarly, Jessie described the interconnected experience of group music-making by saying:

Clearly when things work well and it gels, and you know you get that moment where everybody’s just – I think that whole sort of mind-meld thing that almost happens with the whole orchestra on the one page. That’s amazing!

As was the case for Jamie, Jessie’s description here suggests that they find moments of wellbeing in special moments in performance, especially collective ones when it seems as though all the musicians in the orchestra are thinking and feeling together.

Another key aspect of the musicians’ shared experience was the co-creation of musical artworks, which participants described as a particularly enjoyable part of their experience, often leading to the sense of being part of something bigger than oneself. For example, Flynn said: “We’re in an orchestra where so many moving parts mean that we have to all combine together to create something greater than ourselves. When we do that, then it’s like now then, you get happy people!’’

In this extract, Flynn described how people derive a positive emotional benefit of feeling part of something bigger than oneself (‘you get happy people!’). Notably, Flynn emphasised that to achieve this, it is important that the orchestra works together – again highlighting the role of relational aspects of wellbeing in this component of music-making. Jude went further and explicitly described aims and intentions of trying to co-create and their role in wellbeing: “But that consistent working together for the same aim was, that’s probably the greatest contributor to the wellbeing, I think. You’re all there doing something you really care about and trying to find a way to jointly do it.”

In this quote Jude identified the attempt to work together for the same goals both in terms of intrinsic value ‘doing something you really care about’ and as a benefit to wellbeing.

Overall, this theme illustrates how musicians described instances of shared experience in performance, including feeling interconnected in special musical moments. Links between individual and collective wellbeing are further explored in the following theme.

Wellbeing as a collective: ‘It’s easier to be in a happier space when others around you are happy’

Further to their descriptions of shared experiences of music-making in the first theme, musicians’ accounts of their own individual wellbeing tended to be linked to that of other musicians in the orchestra. Specifically, musicians spoke about understanding and identifying with their colleagues’ experiences and of assuming responsibility in a proactive way for the wellbeing of others. For example, Casey described their own wellbeing as interconnected with others:

I feel better when the people around me feel better. I feel that my wellbeing is tied to the wellbeing of those around me. You know, to some extent obviously, like I try not to be a total echo chamber for the others. You try to lift people around you. But you know, generally speaking, [it’s] easier to be in a happier space when others around you are happy, I think.

In this quote, Casey articulated ways in which their own wellbeing is often impacted by that of others in the group, highlighting that they ‘feel better’ and that it is ‘easier’ to experience positive wellbeing if others around you are also feeling positive. Casey highlighted trying to improve wellbeing for others (‘you try to lift people around you’), an aspect of collective wellbeing which was also mentioned by other musicians. For example, Jessie described feeling ‘protective’ of the wellbeing of others in the orchestra: “Yeah, and I think it’s part of the wellbeing thing as well that you do have that sense of belonging, and you do feel protective of your colleagues and things like that, too.”

Here, Jessie linked wellbeing to belonging, highlighting the ways in which wellbeing becomes almost a collective enterprise within the space of the orchestra. This collective aspect of wellbeing in the orchestra was described in more detail by Harper:

Having good relationships with everyone, but also sort of allowing them to be who they are, or whatever, like not trying to force a particular group mentality on anyone. So you just, yeah, I’ve found over, you know, the time people are going through like different stuff and just allowing them to have the space to be them, or whatever, because that’s what I want for myself, seems to create the best place of wellbeing for everyone. It’s on top of each other, and then everyone feels, even if they are going through a tough time, I think makes people feel more comfortable and safe.

Here, Harper ascribed importance to allowing people to preserve their individuality (‘allowing them to be who they are’) by allowing them space, even within the close-knit nature of the orchestra environment which is characterised by Harper as being ‘on top of each other’. Harper’s focus here suggests that they are concerned about protecting people’s individual wellbeing within a collective environment – for example, by ‘not trying to force a particular group mentality’ – and echoes Jessie’s protectiveness by suggesting there should be a focus on helping people to ‘feel more comfortable and safe’.

Alex linked their own sense of wellbeing with positive workplace relationships, saying:

I think what helps me in particular is staying pretty connected with a lot of people at work. I like the fact that I have good relations with my colleagues at work. Sorry that’s really quite basic, but that makes me happy within the workplace.

Here, Alex specifically emphasised the importance of social connection and good relationships within the work environment; a focus which is further explored in the next theme.

Work relationships impact wellbeing: ‘And you know you have to work so closely with them’

Building on wellbeing as a collective, as discussed in the previous theme, musicians also described more specifically how relationships within the workplace could impact their wellbeing. Here it is worth noting that low mobility between jobs and the specific nature of the physical set-up of an orchestra mean that close workplace relationships can last over many years or even decades. For example, Jude described how unusually longstanding workplace relationships in orchestras can affect wellbeing either positively or negatively:

So the obvious positive is, you know, you’re working with the same people and usually sitting next to the same people for decades at a time. When they’re people that you really care for and really love working with that is just magnificent, and you look forward to going in and working with them. And when it’s somebody that’s difficult to work with, obviously, that gets more and more and more difficult the longer you’re with them and you know that there’s no end in sight to that situation. So it splits both ways. And the specific issue with the orchestra, obviously, is the fact that you’re actually sitting next to the same people. There’s no escape, there’s no way of working around it.

In this quote, Jude described the fixed nature of the orchestra set-up, and how that can be a rewarding experience when the relationship is good (‘just magnificent’). However, Jude also described a sense of entrapment when a working relationship becomes increasingly difficult over time ‘and you know that there’s no end in sight’ given the longevity of roles in an orchestra. Jude indicated that the nature of working in an orchestra could lead to significant negative impacts on relationships, having even observed colleagues whose relationship was broken down to the degree that they ‘can’t even bear to look at each other’ yet must still work together towards shared musical goals.

Mackenzie also mentioned the close work environment and how working next to certain people was stressful:

Things that detract, or I let them detract, whatever, from my wellbeing at work is, or are, you know, people I don’t want to sit next to. And you know you have to work so closely with them. So that’s often a huge source of stress.

As in Jude’s description mentioned earlier, Mackenzie also described how their wellbeing can be directly affected (a ‘huge source of stress’) by relationships with others in the orchestra – particularly who they sit next to.

In addition to relationships between orchestral members, musicians also specifically noted that the relationship with management had a key impact on wellbeing for a range of reasons, including feeling valued, supported and involved in decision-making. Importantly, musicians often indicated that there were communication difficulties between players and management that could preclude positive relationships:

We’re [musicians] not so good at articulating what our needs are or why we need certain things. And it’s the same on the flip side of that, so management – they’re not, they can’t frame things, I suppose, in a way that makes sense to musicians a lot of the time. So there seems to be a gap there, I think. (Casey)

Other musicians also discussed tensions between musicians and management, noting that these tensions were often a source of stress. Kai gave an example of relationship with management negatively impacting wellbeing for musicians:

In our orchestra, just from what I observe, like probably the biggest kind of impact on the wellbeing of the musicians, has been their relationship with the management of the orchestra. I feel like you can really tangibly sort of see just what it means for them to come into a workplace where they don’t necessarily feel like what they’re doing is being, I guess, valued by the people that are managing them.

Here, Kai observed that the wellbeing of musicians in the orchestra had been badly affected by feeling their work was not valued by those in management roles. Rowan made a similar connection between musicians’ wellbeing and their relationship with management:

I think when the players feel like they’re actually, well, being listened to is one aspect, but being included in decision-making, I think that’s really important. Or even advised, you know, if you feel like, and I think this is probably true in every workplace, if you feel like decisions have always been made behind your back, and you don’t understand why a decision being made, and of course some decisions are confidential, I’m not talking about things which can’t be discussed. But I think when there’s good transparency from management, so in this case with the players, that really helps with the wellbeing. And conversely, when there’s that feeling that everything’s being kept secret, that really impacts people’s lives at work and at home.

Rowan linked a perception of secrecy and lack of transparency as having a negative impact on wellbeing for orchestral musicians. Conversely, and as also noted by Kai, Rowan felt that a transparent relationship between management and musicians, where musicians felt listened to and informed about key decisions, was more likely to create an environment which impacted positively on wellbeing.

Overall, whether positive or negative, how people relate to one another in the orchestra setting affects the individual wellbeing of the musicians. In this theme, participants discussed the impact of the close-knit nature of the orchestra as well as the importance of feeling valued by management as key aspects of work relationship that affected wellbeing.

Secrecy and openness: ‘Just opening the door to a conversation’

The fourth and final theme contrasts the negative impacts of stigma and secrecy with the more beneficial effects of open and honest communication. Some of the musicians spoke about perceptions of a culture of secrecy and stigma associated with physical and psychological struggles. For example, Jessie described how they felt musicians cover up their feelings of anxiety:

I know I get affected by anxiety, but I think it’s sort of a bit of a secret with orchestral musicians . . . Yeah, I feel there’s a lot of hidden anxiety in a group of performers, and we cover it. You know we’re all loud or talkative, or you know we just keep to ourselves and come into work and go out again. Things like that.

Here Jessie discussed feeling anxious and suggested that fellow musicians feel the same, also noting that there is ‘hidden anxiety’ in orchestras; a perception that other participants shared. For example, Flynn also described hiding anxiety and linked this specifically to a perception that disclosing anxiety would be seen as weak: “You do not mention nerves and anxiety, because that’s seen as a weakness, or being fearful of making a mistake or anything like that, it’s you just don’t go there because it’s like ‘oh, gee you’re weak!’”

Similarly, Kerry mentioned some musicians hide signs of ‘weakness’ with regard to physical injuries, even to the extent of playing while injured in order to maintain secrecy:

And they carry an injury because they’re afraid that if they announce to the world that they’ve got one suddenly, there’s a black mark against them, and people watch them . . .. Fear of showing weakness. Fear of being put out to grass.

Here Kerry described how secrecy can be motivated by fear of suffering negative consequences such as being monitored (‘people watch them’) or possibly losing their job (‘fear of being put out to grass’).

While perceived stigma attached to disclosing poor mental or physical health was a clear pattern in the data, some musicians described the benefits that came with talking about wellbeing. Mackenzie described finding it helpful to communicate with trusted colleagues:

Oh, conversations with colleagues which make me feel oh, I’m not alone in feeling this. Yeah, because–I don’t know, sometimes you just, you don’t talk openly about it. But with the few people I would, it’s just it, yeah, it helps my mental state to feel that other people are in this, too . . . Yeah, I think well, you know, of course close conversation where you don’t have to feel guarded is vital to, you know, mental health.

Here, Mackenzie linked improved mental wellbeing to communicating and connection with others, and to knowing that colleagues have faced similar challenges. It is worth noting that Mackenzie described only sharing challenges with a small group of people and in a safe context, and specifically echoed earlier musicians’ discussions around secrecy (‘you don’t talk openly about it’).

Alex also described a culture of openness and sharing, which enable discussion of helpful strategies:

I feel like more than other sections that I’ve played with, we talk about it [wellbeing] quite openly, which is a good thing . . . I’ve mentioned beta blockers is one thing. But I’ve talked to colleagues, like I’ve tried various things myself like hypnotherapy, and mindfulness, meditation things like that, and beta blockers and other drugs and we talk about that kind of stuff at work. Yeah. . . It’s not a taboo subject is what I’m saying.

Overall, participants noted that an overall approach to wellbeing that facilitated and encouraged sharing challenges was beneficial to musicians: As Flynn said ‘I think definitely to help overall wellbeing with everyone is open dialogue about challenges that we all have’. In addition to sharing challenges between select groups, participants also noted that ideally orchestras would have a culture that encouraged discussion of wellbeing, together with actual strategies to address concerns:

You know just opening the door to a conversation, like not every orchestra is going to fix those problems in the same way, but just opening a door to say this is something that’s deeply felt, or this is something that exists. What can we be doing in a workplace situation to actually help people through that? That’s one aspect of it, I think, for the industry to actually see it. (Casey)

In this theme musicians have described an awareness that feeling able communicate openly and honestly about challenges such as anxiety and injuries can lead to wellbeing benefits. However for some there is also a persistent sense of fear and secrecy that is linked to showing vulnerability or weakness.

Discussion

Overall, this research aimed to explore mental wellbeing as experienced by professional orchestral musicians, with a focus on relational aspects of wellbeing. In addition, the study explored facilitators and barriers to positive wellbeing as described by members of symphony orchestras. Key findings include the positive feelings musicians described stemming from joint experiences of performing music together, including the positive impact of feeling part of something bigger than themselves. The study also found that musicians saw their wellbeing as linked to that of others in the orchestra, and correspondingly indicated that they looked for ways to help their colleagues. This approach was also important given that the study found the typically close and long-lasting relationships with other members could have various impacts on wellbeing; this was also true for relationships with management (such as feeling valued). Finally, participants discussed secrecy and stigma around wellbeing that could lead to non-disclosure, and in line with this, participants noted that a key facilitator for positive wellbeing was a culture of openness in the orchestra.

Shared experiences of making music together were seen as a contributor to feelings of happiness and satisfaction. This reflects similar findings from research in other music settings, such as group singing (Pearce et al., 2017; Weinstein et al., 2016). In addition, the musicians’ descriptions of positive feelings associated with sharing the experience of performing aligns with previous research that highlights positive physiological effects of music-making such as raised oxytocin levels and lowering of cortisol (Harvey, 2020). Furthermore, the shared sense of accomplishment and the ability to be part of something greater than oneself were described as positive for wellbeing. In general, the benefits of shared experiences of making music were a key component of wellbeing for musicians, highlighting the importance of consideration of social wellbeing factors.

In discussing their own wellbeing, musicians often focussed on social or relational aspects of wellbeing such as feeling interconnected with other orchestra members. For example, they described an awareness of what other musicians may be experiencing and acknowledged that the close work environment itself can be both rewarding and challenging. The orchestral workplace has been previously characterised as an unusual and difficult psychosocial environment (Holst et al., 2012), and this was reflected in this study across the identified themes. In response to such challenges some of the musicians describe assuming a responsibility for inclusiveness, maintaining positive relationships and helping create a safe environment for others. In the context of the BPS, which includes relational experiences as integral components of wellbeing, it makes sense that the interconnectedness of the orchestra workplace might affect musicians’ perception of wellbeing in this way (Engel, 1977).

Further in terms of the environment of the orchestra, the specific nature of orchestra set-up and low job mobility in the profession mean it would not be unusual for the same two musicians to sit next to each other for years or even decades. Again, this points to the importance of considering social wellbeing for orchestra members; this study found that wellbeing could be negatively impacted by interpersonal conflicts and social tensions amongst orchestra musicians, as mentioned in prior research (Holst et al., 2012; Parasuraman & Purohit, 2000). This study indicates that these negative impacts were exacerbated by perceptions that musicians were under-valued by management, and/or that there was a culture of secrecy in relation to poor wellbeing (Rickert et al., 2014a, 2014b; Roos et al., 2021).

Conversely, this study found that open and honest communication between colleagues about physical or psychological struggles, especially within a broader culture of openness supported by management, was positive for wellbeing. For example, knowing that others had experienced similar wellbeing issues and the ability to share helpful strategies were positive support mechanisms and protective for wellbeing. This is in line with descriptions of social support, in particular from those with direct experiential knowledge, helping to buffer the effects of stress (Thoits, 2011). As such, musicians noted that open conversation from and within performance organisations about wellbeing – including biological, physiological and social elements – could help to move the industry further away from the perceived norm of secrecy and isolation experienced by some musicians.

Limitations

While many aspects of playing in a symphony orchestra would be relevant in any setting, it is acknowledged that the economic and political structures that orchestras operate within will vary to some degree. This study intentionally situates its findings within an Australian context and thus the findings may not fully represent the experiences of musicians in orchestras elsewhere. In addition, the qualitative nature of the study means it is reliant on the self-reported experiences of the interviewees. Although this interview-based study represents a range of different musicians from a number of orchestras, the group of interviewees is limited to those who felt comfortable to talk about this subject matter, representing a potential bias in the findings. To address these limitations, supplementing interviews with anonymous surveys may help to represent orchestra members more generally.

Implications and future research

This study discusses how some relational aspects of playing in a symphony orchestra affect the wellbeing of the musicians. The interconnectedness described suggests that in the case of orchestral musicians, individual wellbeing interventions may not be enough. As such, further research looking at holistic wellbeing would help provide a more complete understanding of musician wellbeing and the interventions required to support musicians. In addition, the study indicates that it is important for orchestras, as workplaces, to look for new ways to help improve musician wellbeing particularly in terms of improving the culture around openness and communication.

The BPS is suggested as an appropriate lens for future research about musician wellbeing. In particular, further investigation is suggested into how positive aspects such as a sense of belonging and shared understanding could be enhanced, and negative aspects such as secrecy and fear of disclosure could be buffered or reduced. The balance between individual and collective (or organisational) responsibility for health and wellbeing for this cohort is an important area that merits further research.

Conclusion

Performing in a symphony orchestra is a complex creative process involving a high degree of interaction and an intimate level of working together. A symphony orchestra is also a workplace where musicians experience long careers, spanning sometimes several decades. In this study musicians described ways in which they perceive their wellbeing to be connected to others, including both positive and negative impacts of their relationships with and connectedness to others within the orchestra workplace. In order to address collective elements of wellbeing such as relationships and communication, more involvement may be needed at the organisational level. To help foster positive relationships and address negative aspects such as stigma and secrecy, orchestras need to find ways to develop and maintain a safe environment that can enable open and honest communication amongst the musicians as well as between musicians and management.