Raising the subject of mental health within the vocal music community has been the equivalent of lancing a long-hidden, festering boil. It is one of the last, and perhaps the greatest, of closeted issues, with jobs, livelihoods, and lives at stake. To speak out is to risk a great deal; to stay quiet is to take a huge risk of entirely another kind.
Edward Russell White’s untimely death in late November was an outward sign of a problem that went far deeper than simple sadness. Most singers encounter sadness and short-term depression—it is part of our lives as artists, that rejection and lack of tangible success can feel terrible at times. But some of us have true illnesses, and learning about and sharing those problems may be the first step in bringing mental health issues “out of the closet.”
What is artistic temperament? What is the dividing line between that familiar fizz of artistic energy, and mental illness? Can an artist be misdiagnosed? Can the opposite happen, and artists languish in psychological purgatory, often for years, before realizing their situation?
“A good therapist should be able to recognize that an artist with an intense temperament, or one who may have near-religious experiences while performing, is not necessarily ill. The test for illness is based upon whether or not symptoms are causing pain and disruption in someone’s life. When people can’t cope, can’t function, are despairing and unable to live lives the way they would like—then you look at illness.”
Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison is an acknowledged expert on bipolar disorder, and author of Touched With Fire, a study of manic depression and the “artistic temperament.” In this book she discusses the origins of the creative processes—which “…involve, indeed require, a dipping into pre-rational or irrational sources while maintaining ongoing contact with reality and ‘life at the surface.’” In a recent interview with Classical Singer, Dr. Redfield stated, “There is a weeding-out process for performers, who have to be able to ‘show up.’ Writers and poets, on the other hand, may be dysfunctional most of the year, but have a few weeks of productivity sufficient to their needs. My problem is that people in the arts romanticize the notion of artists having ‘quirks,’ which can lead to disastrous results. When illness is present, it is often treatable. There is no need to lose artists to suicide, and no need for artists to lose their creativity to medication. There must be a balance.”
In the following pages, you will find a variety of information on mental health and depression. Lina C. Cotman brings us a detailed look at Ed White’s situation and the surrounding circumstances, including discussions with general managers and fellow singers. Dr. Kenneth Berc gives a medical perspective on depression, and Susan Gregory outlines the Gestalt therapy philosophy, with tips on how to gauge your own situation.
The issues raised by Ed’s death can’t be answered in a few pages of text. This is only a starting point. We’d like to thank everyone who spoke to us, who shared their stories and their insights, and thereby showed us that, despite the many difficulties we encounter as artists and people, courage is alive and well in the singer’s world.
— Emily Brunson
Senior Editor
