Music Support, the charity that helps anyone who works in the UK Music Industry experiencing challenges with substance use, addiction and/or mental health, is currently supporting the highest number of beneficiaries since we established, with a 51% increase in demand to our Helpline in the last year alone. We are proud to partner with he Royal Society of Musicians, the charity that supports music professionals unable to work due to physical or mental ill-health, to invite you to this special session on understanding addiction and embracing recovery.
Music Support Trustee, Rachael Lander (cello), will have an open and honest discussion with fellow musician, Abbie Burrows (flute), on their personal journeys into recovery, highlighting specific addiction challenges within the classical music world. We will also be joined by Music Support’s Senior Learning and Development Specialist, Norman Beecher, who will lead a workshop on the neuroscience of addiction and pathways to recovery. This online event is free to attend and suitable for anyone who works in the UK music industry (and their family and friends) interested in learning more about one of the biggest challenges facing musicians today. We also endeavour to inspire and empower you with the knowledge and confidence to challenge stigmas and break down barriers, joining our shared vision of making a meaningful difference to our UK music industry community; saving careers and changing lives.
Sign up for free below.
Please note we will be recording this session to share on our website and social media channels for anyone who is unable to attend. It will be running as a Zoom webinar which means your camera will not be switched on. If you would like to remain anonymous please feel free to enter your name as ‘anon’ when prompted to do so.
Norman Beecher
Norman has extensive experience in working with addictions and in the training and supervision of counsellors in the field, having graduated from the world renowned Hazelden Foundation School for Addiction Studies counsellor training programme in 1997. At the heart of the work Norman does is Person-Centred Therapy, supported by various approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Twelve Step Facilitation. He has worked internationally in Bermuda, the USA, and the Caribbean.
Prior to Music Support Norman worked as a learning development specialist at Forward Trust, a leading UK addiction charity, for the last 10+ years. He also runs his own private counselling practice and has helped to develop Music Support’s volunteer training and supervision for the last two years on an ad hoc basis.
Norman is an approved MHFA England instructor and certified recovery specialists. He is in recovery from his own addiction and is resolute in his belief that every individual has the ability to heal and grow with the appropriate guidance and support.
Rachael Lander
Rachael Lander is a session cellist based in London. She can be found most days performing in one of several theatre pits in the West End or in recording studios scoring music for albums, TV and film. She’s performed live backing for artists such as George Michael, Beyonce and Elbow, and is also a regular player in the London Chamber Orchestra. Rachael began her career in Raven String Quartet who enjoyed several highlights including performing with Madness in the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, and touring the Far East and South America.
Rachael is a recovering alcoholic. She got sober at 23 when crippling performance anxiety led her to abuse alcohol and beta blockers to the point where she could no longer perform. She has been very open about her relationship with alcohol and her experience of performance anxiety in the press. She has taken part in three documentaries about her experience of alcoholism and recovery and as a result is inundated with correspondence from fellow classically trained musicians who are struggling with the same issues she did, which is why Rachael is a passionate member of the Music Support team.
Abbie Burrows
UK based flautist Abigail Burrows enjoys a varied music career working as a freelancer in orchestras, sessions and west-end shows. She is also passionate about music education; teaching, running outreach projects, and organising live and online events. Abbie is a Haynes Flutes Artist and teaches at the Royal Academy of Music junior department. Find out more about Abbie here.
About Music Support
Music Support is a registered UK charity that helps peers who work in the UK Music Industry experiencing substance use, addiction and/or mental health challenges. Founded in 2016 by people from within the music industry, our team have all been impacted personally by these issues and seen friends, colleagues and heroes lose their careers, families and even their lives. Our core services include training in Mental Health First Aid to empower individuals to look after the wellbeing of their colleagues (and themselves), Support Services to include a confidential Helpline and provision of assessments and treatment, ‘Safe Hubs’ backstage at festivals, providing a space for artists and crew to take time out and speak to Mental Health First Aid trained staff and our new Family and Friends Service, designed to help loved ones (including colleagues) of those supporting someone with mental ill-health, problematic drinking, drug use or other addictions. For further information visit www.musicsupport.org