The Mental Musician

Hey, it’s Brian welcome to The Mental Musician Podcast.This show is about breaking the mental health stigma in the music industry and having the conversations most musicians avoid once the stage lights turn off.Chapters(00:00) Introduction: Welcome Michael and Michelle(6:39) Starting a conversation about mental health(12:09) Discussing why musicians struggling with their mental health(15:07) Why do musicians have low self-esteem(17:34) The pressure of success(21:19) How the pressure became too much for Brian(25:23) Michelle's experience with anxiety(30:14) Small things that can help you manage performance anxiety(32:18) The lack of support in previous generations(34:25) How musicians used to view mental health(35:09) How Brian overcame his stage fright(38:44) Ways to manage anxiety on stage(46:56) Alcoholism and addiction in the music industry (49:41) The need for a more holistic approach to mental health support(52:47) Being part of a supportive community(56:52) Advice for young artists(59:00) Being vulnerable on social media(1:00:52) Normalising conversations about mental health in music(1:04:18) Breaking the stigma (1:05:38) Taking pressure off young musicians(1:08:19) Being genuine and honest(1:11:36) Getting rid of the tortured artist trope (1:15:52) Brian's butchered attempt at whistling The Girl from IpanemaToday, I’m joined by two guests who care deeply about changing that.Michael Wright — bass guitar guru and returning for his third appearance.(Michael's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwrightmusic/)And Michelle Ann — founder and CEO of The Space Between, an organisation helping artists build sustainable careers without sacrificing their mental health.(Michelle's linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-ann-tsbcic/ Check out The Space Between - https://www.thespace-between.co.uk/)Not only are Michael and Michelle two people who care deeply about ensuring young artists and musicians are given proper support, but they have experienced their fair share of mental health struggles, and are not afraid to be open up and be vulnerable.In this episode, we talk about:Why mental health support for musicians has been so lackingHow to deal with anxiety, pressure, and burnout in a music careerAnd what it really looks like to open up in an industry that often tells you not toThere’s also the usual chaos, banter, and a bit of shit talking (mostly from me), because these conversations don’t always have to be heavy to be real.I hope after listening to this, you realise you’re not alone, there are people like you out there who have found ways to get through, and you have more strength and courage than you think. If you did, as we’re a new show, I’d really appreciate it if you shared today’s episode with a friend who you know is struggling. It really does help the show grow.P.S. I apologise for the audio quality at some points throughout this episode. We were all calling in from different parts of the world and had a few latency issues. But I hope it doesn't take away from the importance of what we talked about. And if you want to follow me for more mental health content: 🎗️ You can subscribe to my newsletter, where I share stories about my mental health journey to encourage artists, musicians and creators to talk about their struggles without being judged ⁠⁠https://thementalmusician.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠More videos on my YouTube channel:→ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BrianZhangMusic⁠⁠Reach out on: → Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/brianzhangmusic/⁠⁠→ LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-zhang-a14806146/⁠⁠→ Substack:⁠⁠ https://thementalmusician.substack.com/⁠

Talking about suicide isn’t normal in society — let alone in the music industry. But sometimes what we call normal is the very thing that’s hurting us. At some point, you have to choose to create a new kind of normal. And for musicians, that can mean doing the unthinkable: putting your dreams aside to take care of yourself. My guest today, Michael Wright — bass guru and teacher from the UK — firmly believes in challenging tradition and breaking unhealthy norms in the music industry. He’s shown real courage by openly sharing his experiences with suicidal ideation, an eating disorder, and depression.Michael has also been a huge inspiration to me personally. He helped me come to terms with my decision to step away from music at the end of 2025 so I can focus on getting my health right.I hope this conversation supports you in your own mental health journey — and if you’re a musician, reminds you that it’s okay to take time off to heal.Along the way, there’s our usual banter, a few digs, some commentary on the state of the world, and an honest admission: we don’t mind our partners gossiping. The women in our lives have been our saviours, and we genuinely don’t know where we’d be without them.Chapters(00:00) Introduction - Welcoming Michael back (4:19) Addressing the male suicide crisis (7:42) Normalising conversations about suicide(11:37) Why we say "die by suicide" not "committed suicide"(17:41) Michael opens up about his eating disorder(23:11) Finding exercise as a coping mechanism (26:26) Brian talks about his struggles throughout high school(31:32) How Michael sought help for his eating disorder(35:40) Finding people with similar experiences to you(37:47) Stepping away from music to take care of yourself(40:59) How Brian's girlfriend taught him to open up(42:53) How important Mike's wife is to him(46:43) Realising there's more to life than music(48:50) Experience suicidal thoughts for the first time(58:18) The opportunity to start again and reset(1:04:01) Pursuing a dream from a healthy place(1:05:44) Finding the courage to speak up(1:06:33) Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi as role models(1:07:35) Putting your family and friends first (1:09:55) The brutal truth about being a professional musician(1:15:19) Seeking help and going to therapy(1:26:25) Finding hope for the future(1:34:56) Twanging the clanger - questions for Michael(1:36:29) Misunderstood attitudes toward mental health(1:40:24) The power of listening and checking in with friends(1:44:09) What Michael is doing now to manage his mental health (1:50:41) Wrapping up - Thanks Michael You can follow Mike on his handles and website below:⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwrightmusic/⁠⁠https://mwrightmusic-education.com/⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mwrightmusic_ed/⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/mikewrightbass⁠And if you want to follow me for more mental health content: 🎗️ You can subscribe to my newsletter, where I share stories about my mental health journey to encourage artists, musicians and creators to talk about their struggles without being judged ⁠https://thementalmusician.beehiiv.com/⁠More videos on my YouTube channel:→ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BrianZhangMusic⁠Reach out to me:→ Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/brianzhangmusic/⁠→ LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-zhang-a14806146/⁠→ Substack:⁠ https://thementalmusician.substack.com/

After a long period of suicidal ideation, a complete breakdown, and two seizures, I spent most of 2025 rebuilding my life. I know many of you listening to this are artists and musicians trying to do the same thing. So in this episode, I share three things I changed to get my life back on track. These lessons may or may not work for you, but I hope they give you inspiration knowing that I was able to find ways to get through one of the darkest periods of my life.Chapters(00:00) Introduction: Happy New Year! (03:28) How I broke down after two seizures in 2024/25(10:18) Learning how to take care of my lessons and other lessons(14:16) Lesson one: Reaching out to friends and not being afraid to show a bit of manlove(20:22) Lesson two: A new way to journal(25:50) Lesson three: Embracing therapy as a part of my routine(31:24) Wrap up: Keep trying and accept that there will be good and bad daysAnd if you want more support and mental health awareness content:🎗️ You can subscribe to my newsletter, where I share stories about my mental health journey to encourage artists, musicians and creators to talk about their struggles without being judged https://thementalmusician.beehiiv.com/More videos on my YouTube channel:→ https://www.youtube.com/@BrianZhangMusicReach out to me:→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianzhangmusic/→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-zhang-a14806146/→ Substack: https://thementalmusician.substack.com/

Being a musician can be lonely.Being a musician living with depression and mental illness can be even lonelier.My first guest today, Michael Wright, knows that reality firsthand — and instead of staying silent, he’s dedicated his career to breaking the stigma and opening up in an industry that has long discouraged people from doing exactly that.With the bass and guitar in hand, he is one of the smoothest players in the UK jazz scene, and in the classroom, he is an incredibly thoughtful and caring teacher. But away from the music, he’s had his fair share of mental health struggles which, he talks about very candidly in our chat.At the time of recording this, Mike, kind of like me, was in a crossroads in his career, where he’d gone through a prolonged period of heavy burnout.But even though things haven’t gone his way recently, personally and professionally, he’s done some incredible work when it comes to mental health awareness, not just for musicians, but for men’s mental health, and I just admire Mike’s willingness to keep going, take the mickey out of himself, even when things have been tough. So I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mike, there’s going to be laughs, some deep and emotional moments, and a bit of hope in the end. If you did, please leave a 5 star rating and review, as that'll help us not only grow, but help build more mental health awareness for artists are around the world.Chapters(00:00) Introduction(5:40) Michael's early childhood and music influences(20:22) Realising love for music(32:12) Deciding to go professional(37:51) Noticing mental health struggles(1:05:16) Breaking traditional advice and norms(1:20:18) Setting an example for the next generation(1:39:48) Rapid fire questions "spanking the plank"You can follow Mike on his handles and website below:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwrightmusic/https://mwrightmusic-education.com/https://www.instagram.com/mwrightmusic_ed/https://www.youtube.com/user/mikewrightbassAnd if you want to follow me:🎗️ You can subscribe to my newsletter, where I share stories about my mental health journey to encourage artists, musicians and creators to talk about their struggles without being judged along with exclusive subscriber-only content→ https://thementalmusician.beehiiv.com/More content on YouTube: → https://www.youtube.com/@BrianZhangMusicReach out to me: → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianzhangmusic/→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-zhang-a14806146/→ Substack: https://thementalmusician.substack.com/