EP39 - MUSIC MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE - Jeordie Shenton

Jeordie is the Programmes Lead at the charity Tonic Music providing mental health support to the music industry and music fans. School and Jeordie didn’t get on - except for Mr.Harris the sociology teacher who encouraged his path into sociology. His psychology and sociology dissertation at uni was inspired by the death of Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots - why do these entertainers that give us so much enjoyment struggle with mental health? He’s since published a book chapter on mental health in the music business, and gone on to a pHD. And this led him to a job at Tonic Music. They started with music workshops for the local community in Portsmouth in 2012, and gig buddy programmes. Now it's a national charity. Tonic Rider now provides support to musicians via an online support service. They are supported by artists like Libertines, Amy Beesting (OMG It’s The Church), Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols), and Terry Hall from The Specials. The charity is for anyone from buskers to bands playing stadiums. Musicians need support because they have to create and perform their art which brings unique stresses - regular negative feedback, performance anxiety, hyper-competition among other things. Even Sir Paul McCartney still gets performance anxiety! What is it that makes musician’s susceptible to substance use? Tonic have been providing support to venues around the country, backstage, for staff, and the audience, with posters with links for support. Cradle of Filth and Ed Sheeran - will it happen? Big up the new Essex bands - Monumental, Myopia, Pet Needs, Meffs, Gasoline Green, Bridget, She’s In Parties, Fraser Morgan, Monster Florence, Rad Pitt, Slay Duggee. Musical history suffers from rockism, where other genres like bhangra and drill are overlooked in their cultural importance. Pick up some Tonic Music merch at a gig and help to fund them, and also meet them and get talking about mental health. 

Tonic Music
Tonic Music on Insta

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK