As part of the continuing OMAI talks, we spoke with Francisca Skoogh, classical pianist and licensed psychologist teaching performance under pressure at Malmö Academy of Music. In this conversation we explore how concepts from psychology can impact and influence the lives and careers of performing artists.

You are one of Sweden’s foremost concert pianists, how did you become a licensed psychologist and how does that integrate with your performing career?
I practiced as a part-time psychologist for twelve years while developing my piano career. I didn’t study psychology for use in music initially, but in 2011 was asked by Lund University to discuss psychology in relation to performing artists, which has subsequently grown into a course. The premise of my work is to acknowledge that, despite a lot of theories and concepts, artists don’t always know how put them into practice. We may read self-help books, but do we actually implement what we learn into our personal and professional lives? One of the things I talk about a lot is encouraging artists to use these tools by simply doing a little every day. They don’t have to be big changes. Perhaps there is something you can change in your behaviour or emotional reaction in a small way. Ask yourself, what you can do 5%, 10% or 15% differently to make a positive impact. Trying to change 100% is just not realistic and often means we don’t even start.
Mental health is a particularly relevant issue for performing artists today. Why do you think that is, and how might events over the last five years affected that?
Mental Health is a broad and multi-faceted concept. Research doesn’t necessarily support the premise that performing artists are worse off than other professionals who work in high-performance environments (i.e. elite athletes, police officers, pilots or surgeons). However, we can acknowledge that they come across stress on a regular basis and need to have ways to deal with that. This can be a challenge as artists don’t always talk about issues or even have the same support networks around them that you might find in other professions. Often, they close themselves to talking about those things, worried that agents, companies and promoters will see this as a sign of weakness. However, we all go through ups and downs, experiencing periods in our lives where it may be difficult to perform. Not impossible, but not our top priority. As artists this can be a vulnerable position and not one, we may be comfortable sharing.
Social media can be problematic here, where artists feel lost among the prolific success promoted on socials. Furthermore, not everyone is comfortable posting across platforms and feel overwhelmed at the thought of producing good content. When I was emerging as an artist in the 1990’s I was happily unaware of all that noise and could just focus on my own career progression. Western Classical music has always promoted the fantastic, seeking out the next genius or protégé, but in our social media age this can put too much pressure on artists. As David Taylor discussed in his conversation with OMAI, it is important to be authentic and produce content with meaning. Audiences want to see musicians that are real, with real lives. So, it is important to talk with depth and not just about success. Musicians need to come to terms with the reality that it’s not possible to be at your best all the time; you will have bad concerts and that’s part of being an artist. On the way to achieving a high level you will be mediocre. In sport failure is a part of the process and readily visible to audiences. The resilience required by athletes is therefore an equally important concept for musicians. Resilience is not about being resistant to failure but being able to accept failure when it happens, learn from it and adapt. For a fulfilling and long-lasting career, we must avoid perfectionism and allow ourselves to fail.
Covid was an example of how we embraced resilience. It feels like a long time ago now, but many good lessons were learned. We had to learn how to adapt to new situations quickly and how to get better at digital. Many auditions and competition shortlists are done by recording now, replacing live auditions, at least in the initial stages. We also had to learn how to communicate professionalism in different ways; familiarising with digital platforms, engaging with audiences and promoters and remaining relevant to changing needs. Ultimately though, artists were placed under lots of stress during the pandemic, often losing their identity and security. Not sure what to do, some did other things and we’ve lost a lot of good people from the profession. We just need to remember how resilient we’ve become over the last five years and continue to apply that thinking across our professional lives; evolving as our projects, relationships and industry develop.
What would your advice be to artists who are struggling to deal with the specific demands of a career in the performing arts?
I would ask artists to be formulate what the problem is, encouraging them to break down what they are worried about (auditions/competitions/performance anxiety) into tangible measurable goals. Often artists talk about feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome (“I’m not as good at this as others”, “Why am I here?”, “What if I get found out?”). In these circumstances I would encourage them to remove their stage persona from their own personality – it’s not personal. Ask them to verbalise the problem and to be specific. In what situation do they feel this? Is it every day? What time of day? In what repertoire do they feel this? If they are abstract about what they’re struggling with, they will get vague and generic answers that don’t address the problem. By breaking problems down, they become more manageable. As artists that can be a challenge. We are what we express, that’s the beauty, but that’s also why it can be so difficult for us to discuss these issues.
How might Artist managers help support the mental health of their artists?
Start by asking how their life is routine-wise; sleeping, eating, exposure to daylight etc – do they have healthy habits? They may for example need to see a doctor if they can’t sleep or for more general advice. A healthy body will support a healthy mind.
As an artist manager your professional role with an artist is often intertwined with personal relationships, but don’t let this go too far. You cannot solve everything, and this can sometimes be a fine line. Instead, ask artists what you could do to help as their agent? Whether this is about changing repertoire, work schedules or professional relationships, be clear on your role but also on what you can’t do: “How can I support you through this?”, “I can’t help you with this, but I can help you with this”. Go to areas you feel comfortable supporting them with, otherwise outsource. They will ultimately respect this position and trust your honesty.
It is as important for artist managers to look after themselves while supporting the varied demands of their roster. Here are some things to consider:
- Develop your own healthy routines, it could be anything; cooking, reading, walking and other physical activity to change your environment. Try new things, curiosity is a good quality that keeps us open and creative!
- Set boundaries with your artists and re-evaluate office hours or at least bear these in mind. Sometimes we run after the ball so fast, but things can change and situations evolve over time. Consider whether issues will sort themselves out without you needing to get involved straight away.
- Send a holding email when receiving an emotionally loaded message. Soften your reply by trying to listen, acknowledge and show understanding; “I’ve read that, I see there’s a problem, let me get back to you tomorrow.”, “This is really important, can we discuss tomorrow when I have more time to give it full attention.”
Going back to what I said at the start, experiment with this idea of small, compound changes in how you work and respond, doing things a little differently, every day. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, you just need to take the first step. Over time, the cumulative effect of these changes will form healthy habits and will make a lasting difference to the lives of your artists and your working relationship with them.