Ivy League institutions, professions, and sports have been heavily criticized for their toxic culture and atmosphere that creates low self-confidence. These entities above are known for creating people who desire external validation more than they desire anything else. Yet, the world of music, or professional music, is one of the most toxic environments. I have played my violin for eight years but have yet to begin to touch the talent of child prodigies, Juilliard students, and professional musicians.
The emergence of child prodigies is not new, as legends such as Mozart once existed. But, with the addition of social media and highly publicized newspapers and performances, child prodigies within the musical world (namely the string world) have become world-renowned. Chloe Chua was born in 2007, meaning she is a year younger than I am, a senior in high school, yet she has managed more in her life than many adults ever will.
When she was eleven, she won the “joint 1st prize at the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists.” This competition is among the most internationally acclaimed for highly skilled young violinists under sixteen. Yet, she won when she was merely eleven years old. Despite her young age, she has played at the best concert halls on Earth in countries such as the U.S., U.K., Germany, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, and much more. Chua was claimed as “one of the most promising young musicians in the world” by PBS’s Great Performances. Chua was the Artist-in-Residence of the Singapore Symphony orchestra during the 2022-23 and the 2023-24 seasons, and she claimed the title of “youngest ever to be appointed to this role.”
Historically, she began playing the violin at age 4, and this age is quite typical for many professional musicians and child prodigies. She started her studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Young Talents, where she studied under Yin Ke, a world-renowned violinist. Chua’s prized violin is on loan from the Rin Collection and is a Giovanni Battista Guadagninini from Milan(1753). For reference, this sacred violin costs roughly $1.2 million and is one of many prized string instruments in the Rin Collection.
Chloe Chua, a world-renowned child prodigy, embodies the essence of a professional violinist in a fiercely competitive world. Her talent is unparalleled, and adults three times her age struggle to match her skill and dedication. However, the pressure of being a child prodigy can lead to darker consequences. The music industry has invested not just money but also its confidence in Chua, often at the cost of her teenage years.
Within the community, the toxic culture of classical music is known. Music as a foreign entity is praised for soothing and healing those outside the cut-throat community, which requires perfection. A 2016 study by researchers Sally Gross and George Musgrave found that poor mental health is every day in professional musicians. They discovered that “68% [professional musicians] experience depression, while no fewer than 71% suffer anxiety and panic attacks.” In comparison, the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) reports that only “22.5% of the general population experiences mental illness.” Often, mental illness is stigmatized in highly competitive cultures such as Ivy League institutions, sports, or hardcore professions. This is due to the notion that mental illness makes a person weak or unreliable, and this belief can often lead to much higher burn-out rates amongst high-achieving individuals.
Professional musicians (string musicians) practice for five hours or more daily until their fingers are raw and their arms tense in utter solitude. Yet, they rinse and repeat the cycle until they move onto a gig or a rehearsal with a symphony or orchestra where every musician feels in their mind that they are inadequate. Every musician’s mind has a hidden expectation, whether it pertains to themselves or if they feel the weight of expectations of those around them.
While the title of a professional musician or child prodigy may seem alluring, it’s crucial to understand the less glamorous side of this world. Chloe Chua, at not even eighteen, is one of the most accomplished violinists of her generation. Yet, she also represents a standard that many musicians may never reach. The comparison game in the music industry can worsen mental health issues, as feelings of inadequacy can consume a musician’s mind. This is why it’s imperative to prioritize mental health awareness in the music industry and destigmatize the importance of caring for one’s mental health, which is just as crucial as physical health.
Musicians and Mental Health: A Toxic Culture Takes Its Toll on Players’ Well-Being | Strings Magazine. https://stringsmagazine.com/musicians-and-mental-health-a-toxic-culture-takes-its-toll-on-players-well-being/
