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Relentless Identity Threat: Why Singing Can Feel So Personal (and Risky!)


For many singers, singing is far more than just a skill or job. It is deeply tied to identity, purpose, and even belonging. But with that deep connection comes a relentless, often invisible threat to the singer's sense of self. Unlike many other professions, singing demands the exposure of something deeply personal: your body, your emotions, your sound. And it places that exposure under near-constant scrutiny, it's no wonder that putting ourselves out there can feel risky and and knock- backs are taken personally.

Singers live with a level of vulnerability that is rarely acknowledged. Our instrument is our body, and we carry it with us all day and everywhere - we are inseparable "musical-body-subjects". Any perceived or pointed out imperfection or inconsistency can feel like a personal failure, not just a professional one. And for many of us, these threats are ongoing, cumulative, and internalised.

I want to take a moment to break down just a few of the potential threats that singers face:

  • Job Precarity and Being Under Valued: For many singers, work is inconsistent, underpaid, and often unstable. There’s little security, and with it comes stigma—"Is singing even a real job?" - or who can forget "doing it for exposure!"

  • Body Image and Stigma: Singers are often evaluated on appearance as much as sound. This creates pressure not just to sound good, but to look the part.

  • Illness, Injury, and Ageing: Vocal injuries or changes due to age can severely impact a singer’s career—and with it, their sense of self-worth.

  • Skill Anxiety: There is constant fear of not being "good enough," often tied to the elusive standard of perfectionism.

  • Competition: In a saturated market, singers are constantly measured against one another. The result? Self-doubt, shame, and comparison.

  • Exposure and Vulnerability: Singing is emotionally naked. It’s no wonder many singers fear being seen, even as they crave connection.

These issues can leave marks—often in the form of chronic shame anxiety, performance pressure, and emotional exhaustion. Yet, they are rarely addressed openly, perhaps because the culture around singing still romanticises struggle, silence, and self-sacrifice. I argue that we are among the greatest Stoics!

The impact on mental health can be profound; Gross & Musgrave (2022) conducted extensive research on mental health among musicians, confirming that anxiety and depression are highly prevalent. I want you to consider the pressures listed above as components of the structural and cultural patterns in the world of singing and in western society at large. If you are encountering any of them, know that it is not you - and you are definitely not alone.

As singers, many of us have internalised the idea that we must be exceptional, unbreakable, and endlessly driven to deserve a place in this industry. But what if the problem isn’t our resilience—it’s the relentless and often unavoidable identity threat thats baked into the system?

Naming these threats is the first step. Because when we give language to our experience, we reclaim the right to feel, to question, and to protect our wellbeing.

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