For many years, I’ve been exploring one of the most under-discussed but deeply human aspects of the music industry: mental health.

Through my work at the intersection of marketing, creativity and wellbeing, I’ve seen how artists, professionals and companies alike can thrive when we start to take care of the minds behind the music.

Berlin Music Night of Reflection: A Safe Space for Honest Conversations

In May 2023, I co-created and hosted the Berlin Music Night of Reflection at the House of Music together with MusicHub, Music Pool Berlin and Mittelgrün Reisen.

The event was designed to open up an honest conversation about mental health, community empowerment and setbacks in the music industry and create a space to look beyond the glossy surface of “making it” and speak candidly about the challenges behind creative success.

Alongside incredible guests and artists, we asked:

• What does success really mean? And do all musicians have to “make it”?

• How can we deal with perfectionism, comparison, and burnout in a healthy way?

• What structures can we build to make our creative ecosystem more supportive and sustainable?

As a panelist and moderator, I discussed how community and openness can help musicians and industry professionals redefine success and build resilience.

Our shared mission was to make it normal to talk about failure, pressure and mental health as an opportunity for growth and not as a weakness.

More info on the Berlin Music Night of Reflection that happened in May 2023 at House of Music in Berlin here.

The Bigger Picture: Musicians’ Mental Health and Community Empowerment

This conversation started long before that night. In previous articles, videos and talks, I’ve written and spoken about the psychological cost of creativity and how musicians often carry the weight of independence, perfectionism, and comparison.

The DIY era has given artists freedom, but also responsibility. Many now juggle multiple roles: songwriter, producer, promoter, accountant and social media manager. This multi-tasking, combined with the constant visibility and pressure of social media, often leads to burnout, self-doubt and isolation.

I believe that talking openly about these challenges is not only an act of self-care but a form of community empowerment. When artists share their struggles and experiences, they remind each other that no one is truly alone. Every story shared helps break the stigma and replaces unhealthy competition with collaboration and empathy.

From Stigma to Strategy

Mental health is still too often treated as a taboo or a “personal issue” rather than a structural one. But in my work and public speaking, I’ve seen how companies and artists benefit when wellbeing becomes part of their growth strategy.

At events such as Reeperbahn Festival, Most Wanted: Music, and through projects with MusicHub, GEMA, pop rlp and BIMM University and others, I’ve continued to advocate for a new mindset in the music and creative industries: that mental health and business are not opposites. If well intertwined they can be two sides of the same coin.

If we want creativity to thrive, we need to build cultures that balance ambition with awareness, and performance with purpose. That’s how we can make the music industry not only more successful but more human.

A Personal Note

For me, this work is both professional and deeply personal. I’ve seen too many brilliant creatives burn out chasing a dream that stopped feeling like theirs.

That’s why I’m dedicated to helping artists, companies, and leaders build strategies that combine clarity, growth, and care, and create sustainable success that doesn’t come at the cost of wellbeing. Because in the end, the most powerful sound in our industry isn’t just the music we make. It’s the conversations that remind us we’re all in this together.

More about my stance on mental health here.

Photo Credit: Jana Nita Raker