Suicide Prevention Month: Why Checking In Matters in the Music Industry
September is Suicide Prevention Month, an opportunity to raise awareness, encourage honest conversations and remind people that support is available.
For those of us working across the music industry, this conversation is particularly important.
Music can bring enormous joy, connection and purpose. But behind the performances, releases, festivals, studio sessions and social media posts are real people navigating the pressures of life.
DJs, musicians, producers, songwriters, promoters, managers, crew and other music professionals can experience stress, anxiety, loneliness, financial uncertainty, relationship difficulties, burnout and other challenges.
Sometimes these struggles are visible. Often, they aren’t.
At Soundcheck, our message this September is simple:
You are not alone.
Whether you’re struggling yourself, supporting somebody else, grieving someone lost to suicide, have survived an attempt, or simply don’t know who to talk to, there are people who care and are prepared to listen.
1. Check in with people
One of the simplest things we can do is genuinely ask:
“How are you doing?”
And then make enough space to hear the answer.
The music industry can be incredibly social while sometimes being surprisingly lonely.
You might spend the weekend surrounded by hundreds or thousands of people and then return home to an empty room.
Artists may appear confident on stage while struggling privately. DJs can perform to packed dancefloors without anyone knowing what is happening behind the scenes.
Managers and promoters can be surrounded by people constantly while carrying enormous responsibility themselves.
This is why checking in matters.
Don’t assume that because somebody looks successful, busy or happy online that everything is okay.
Sometimes a simple message saying, “Just checking in. How are you really doing?” can open the door to an important conversation.
2. Listen without trying to fix everything
When somebody tells us they are struggling, our natural instinct can be to find a solution.
But we don’t always need to fix the situation.
Sometimes people simply need to be heard.
Listening means allowing someone to talk without judgement, interruption or immediately telling them what they should do.
You don’t need to be a counsellor or mental health professional to care about someone.
You can listen.
You can stay present.
You can encourage them to seek appropriate professional support where necessary.
Most importantly, you can remind them that they don’t have to carry everything alone.
3. Make it easier to speak up
There can still be pressure within parts of the music industry to appear strong, confident and constantly successful.
People may worry that admitting they’re struggling will make them appear unreliable, difficult or unable to cope.
We need to challenge that culture.
Talking about your mental health should not be viewed as weakness.
If someone tells you they’re struggling, how you respond matters.
Instead of dismissing what they’re experiencing, give them permission to talk.
A compassionate response might simply be:
“I’m glad you told me. I’m here to listen.”
Creating environments where people feel safe enough to have honest conversations can make a significant difference.
4. Look beyond the performance
One of the unique challenges within music is the difference between the public person and the private person.
Someone can walk onto a stage, perform brilliantly, make thousands of people happy and still be experiencing significant difficulties privately.
The applause eventually stops.
The lights go down.
The venue empties.
The tour finishes.
And everyone goes home.
The transition from highly stimulating environments to being alone can sometimes be difficult.
That’s why our care for people cannot end when the performance finishes.
We should be interested in the person behind the artist, DJ, producer, manager or promoter.
At Soundcheck, we believe that people matter beyond their professional role.
5. Remember that you are not alone
If you’re struggling at the moment, please remember that asking for support is an option.
You don’t have to wait until everything becomes overwhelming before talking to someone.
Reach out to somebody you trust.
That could be a friend, family member, colleague, GP, counsellor, mental health professional, chaplain or another appropriate support service.
And if someone reaches out to you, don’t underestimate the importance of simply being there.
A conversation can matter.
A message can matter.
Listening can matter.
Human connection matters.
What is Soundcheck?
Soundcheck exists to support the people behind the music.
We provide confidential, non-judgemental pastoral and emotional support for people working throughout the music industry, including DJs, musicians, artists, producers, songwriters, managers, promoters and others working behind the scenes.
Some of our chaplains have direct experience of the music industry, including backgrounds as DJs and promoters, while others bring valuable experience supporting people through difficult circumstances.
Our team includes people trained in areas such as Mental Health First Aid, active listening and safeguarding.
Soundcheck isn’t about replacing doctors, counsellors, therapists or emergency mental health services.
Instead, we can provide another layer of human support.
Sometimes somebody simply needs a safe person outside their management team, workplace, friendship group or family with whom they can speak openly.
That is where chaplaincy can be incredibly valuable.
What are the benefits of chaplaincy in the music industry?
The word chaplaincy may traditionally be associated with hospitals, prisons, the military or places of worship, but chaplaincy can work anywhere people need support.
Music industry chaplaincy is about presence, listening, care and relationship.
A chaplain can provide someone with a confidential and non-judgemental space to talk about whatever is happening in their life.
That might include stress, relationships, loneliness, touring, addiction and recovery, career pressures, bereavement, anxiety, faith, identity, burnout or simply feeling overwhelmed.
You don’t need to be religious to speak to a Soundcheck chaplain.
One of the greatest benefits of chaplaincy is that there doesn’t always need to be an agenda.
We’re not there to manage your career.
We’re not there to judge your performance.
We’re not there to tell you what decisions to make.
We’re there for you as a person.
Chaplaincy can provide consistency in an industry where relationships, locations, schedules and circumstances can change very quickly. Having somebody who listens, remembers what you’re going through and continues walking alongside you can be incredibly valuable.
Sometimes support begins with nothing more complicated than a cup of coffee and an honest conversation.
Building a healthier music industry together
Suicide prevention isn’t something we should talk about only during September.
It requires us to build cultures where people feel valued throughout the year.
That means checking in.
It means listening.
It means noticing when somebody isn’t themselves.
It means taking people’s struggles seriously.
It means knowing when professional help is required.
And it means creating a music industry where asking for support is normal.
At Soundcheck, our vision is for a healthier, happier and stronger music industry where the people behind the music know that their wellbeing matters.
So this Suicide Prevention Month, consider reaching out to somebody.
Send the message.
Make the call.
Have the coffee.
Ask the question.
And most importantly, listen to the answer.
If you or someone you know needs urgent support
If someone is in immediate danger or there is an immediate risk to life in the UK, call 999 or go to A&E.
You can also contact Samaritans free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, or use NHS 111 and select the mental health option for urgent mental health support in England.
And within our music community, Soundcheck will continue doing what we believe matters enormously: