Opening Up About Our Mental Health
We’re not experts in mental health, but as musicians who have experienced mental health issues, we hope by making this video, we can help encourage people to talk about this topic more openly, and remove the social stigma associated with mental illnesses.
If you’re struggling with anything we mentioned, please reach out to friends or family members that you trust, or seek professional help.
Here are some resources that might help you:
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
https://mhaustralia.org/
_______________________________________
Practice Apparel!: https://www.twosetapparel.com
Follow TwoSet Apparel: https://www.instagram.com/twosetapparel/
Submit your music memes: http://www.reddit.com/r/lingling40hrs
***Passionate about Classical Music? Join our team! Go to this link: https://www.twosetviolin.com/apply
_______________________________________
S H O P: https://www.twosetapparel.com
W E B S I T E: http://www.twosetviolin.com
F A C E B O O K: http://www.facebook.com/twosetviolin
I N S T A G R A M: http://www.instagram.com/twosetviolin
W E I B O: https://www.weibo.com/twosetviolinofficial
T W I T T E R: http://www.twitter.com/twosetviolin
S N A P C H A T: Brettybang | Eddy.Chen
25 Comments
Thank you all so much for the kind comments and for sharing all your stories. Also, we wanted to make a small correction. It's easy to become psychologically reliant on beta blockers, but they're not physically addictive. Thanks a lot to those who pointed this out in the comments!
Respect for going through all this so honestly! I have long enjoyed the channel, but now I really empathize with it.
My hope is that one day all schools, and especially high schools and universities will be designed purposefully to help students reach and maintain their healthiest selves, with emphasis on longevity. Because it is what is best for students, and humanity in general, but it is also what is best for human performance. And what makes humans the healthiest and reach higher achievement levels for longer periods of time, (you know so people can have a sustainable career until their 60s). This can elevate humans to progress and prosperity we have never seen before as a species. Societies need to create schools, that will have super healthy and delicious foods in the cafeterias, plus teach healthy cooking classes to all students, they also need to integrate a lot of nature, art and music in campuses. They also need to have more health and wellness classes, healthy relationship classes, and they need to teach everyone both how to prevent stress, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic illness ect. take them seriously and how to treat these things once they come up. I would also like to see all schools have students do daily meditation classes, and also have students have classes just for free-time for fun and play. People also NEED to have fun, we often think fun is not essential but it absolutely is, because we cannot be healthy or happy if we don’t have fun, or don’t know how to have fun, or feel safe enough to have fun. Thanks for sharing this. I think this is probably million dollar advice right here.
I was playing Ode To Joy between Irish Song sets. I was a micro tone out of tune on the first note and I got upset
I guess…this is 1 of d highlights of ur vloggs…ur sooo honest n truthful of what musicians are going through…that's why u both deserve …BILLIONS of views! we luv u …world class musicians!
I watched this when I was a depressed teenager with social anxiety and was really self-deprecating and was just in a really bad place in general. I’m nota musician, I’m a writer. But i could relate to this so much. Especially the parts about it being a vicious cycle and also the bit about just accepting your feelings—when I beat myself up over my writing, i wrote worse, which made me even more depressed, and so on and so forth… i viewed it as a competition and an industry, not an art form where i could freely express myself. My writing became so restrictive until i could not write at all. I was so burnt out from trying to be better. I demanded perfection of myself, which I obviously couldn’t reach… this made me depressed.
This was so true for me regarding my social life, as well. My anxiety was so bad that i couldn’t make any friends at my school, i couldn’t go over to my old friends’ houses because i thought i wasn’t worthy enough and they’d get bored of me, i didn’t show up to extracurriculars and didn’t participate in group activities. This was a vicious cycle much like with writing/music—it didn’t help that I criticised myself for having these feelings, and this shame was further perpetuated by my family who were not a good support system. I had tried opening up about this issue to my mother, but she just said it was all in my head and i would get over it eventually—which was trie, like eddy said, but not helpful in how she worded it.
Eventually she exploded on my and told me I should just better myself instead of coming to whine to her every week. And i was like, she’s right, it’s all in my head, no one has felt this so I’m terrible for feeling it. But in reality loads of people felt this way but they just avoid talking about it and suppress it like i did out of shame.
Life was worthless to me at this point because I believed i was worthless. I was bad at writing, the only thing i cared about, at socialising, and the woman who birthed me thought i was ridiculous who wasted my days being a dead fish instead of studying or ‘getting over’ my feelings. It was an endless, vicious cycle…
But fast forward through a very rocky road to… ‘recovery’, involving a lot of challenges and mental roadblocks i finally managed to overcome, one of them was what eddy mentioned: the day i truly accepted my emotions and stopped caring so much what others thought was the day i was freed.
I kept coming back to this video trying to figure everything out. Eventually i did. It gave me self awareness and i related to it so much. Thank you so much twoset for continuing to change lives. You also got me into playing the violin although i wouldn’t call myself a musician, it is really therapeutic! After severely panicking about joining an orchestra I tried to apply this mindset and it really helped.
I have been watching your videos with great pleasure for quite a while now, and I really appreciated both you and your work since I have lot quite a lot doing so. But today I really admire and love you for being able to address such a difficult topic with transparence and sincerity. I hope and I think this video will be helpfull for a lot of people, whether they are musicians or not.
Sorry yall had to go through these things. It may sound ridiculous but… honestly the best thing you could do is go to the one who set your life in motion. The Lord has given me rest beyond compare when I struggle with stress and burn out. I believe that Jesus came to save the world and that he rose fr the dead. He has given me something to live for, something to believe. I know why im here, I know where Ive come from, and I know where Im going. And that is why I can get through life with HOPE and LOVE! Never feeling worthless. Doesnt that just sound amazing!!??
WTF, you guys! How did you make SUCH a great video om mental health that basically just sums EVERYTHING up, including the best advice! The level of awareness at that age, man!! xD I didn't have it, and I'm an Anthropologist and consider myself a pretty emotionally intelligent person! xD This is going to help a lot of people – AMAZING! <3 (also, what Eddy went through is termed "TMS" by Dr. John Sarno, and that's spot on as well!!)
Hey, great video. I am someone who has experienced long term depression and anxiety and am a guitarist. Through meditation I learned not to identify with emotions. Like you said, that is a very important realization. I also wanted to add that when one does not identify with the feeling, it is also easier to remember that the feelings are generally temporary experiences. I remember feeling so scared of feeling certain ways and the thoughts that accompanied them, that I would just do my best to ride it out. Thank you so much for the video, I really related to what you were saying.
This was a very important topic that opened up a lot for me, these things I’ve been trying to overcome but I don’t know how, I cried watching this video cause of how much this relates to me and I know others can relate but this video really helped me prepare for things like having shaky bow, and playing in front of the ochestra but it’s like these things will still haunt me and cause me damage. I’m not sure if this makes sense for anyone but I hope anyone who has depression or has anxiety like me can find a way to help and overcome part of it. I’m glad twoset opened up and talked about this cause these things are usually known as “bad” or people want to hide it like I do, but it’s a very serious topic and some people don’t realize that. ❤
Thx so much for this vid. I’m only 13 yrs old and this is my 10th year of being a classical musician. Cello is my main instrument, I’ve hated it for years and I’m learning slowly to love it. Classical music heals me so much, (I ❤ Hilary Hahn) I’ve also been an elite gymnast for 9 years and I recently quit (thankfully) I hate it and almost took my life….. at the age of 11. I love twoset, they make me laugh and temporarily forget about my troubles. So for me, music has been a pro and a con but I hope I’ll love it for years to come.
This is such an important topic, not only for musicians, I would say, same is true with art and creative careers (theatre, writing, …) I was an artist, I studied illustration, and burned out sooo fast, after one semester I could not touch a pencil or a brush without feeling sick. I had to take a break, go to a clinic, started to study something else, to come back to art and design… To burn out again.
I thought that just doing it self employed would cure it.
But then, a year ago I had to turn my dream job down (would have been an illustration job, a book about a musical topic, with an important professor as the author, and a well known publisher, but I lost trust in my ability and had to turn it down).
Now I start to draw and paint for fun again, and maybe for the first time, as I don't plan to do it as a career anymore.
Maybe that would have been preventable with better knowledge about mental health and how to care for oneself.
(Once, I started classical singing, and thought of becoming a teacher, but am glad I did not do it, as the voice is such a fragile instrument, and especially when it comes to the psyche)
Grateful for this long but very useful and worthwhile video. Love this channel and this episode. Great respect for brett and eddy to be so selfless and courageous to share their experiences, thoughts, coping measures and advices to bring about awareness, acceptance and getting help. These lads are wise beyond their age. Their existance is a blessing to others, musicians and non musicians.
Thank you SO MUCH, guys!
Speaking from personal experience, I can say that if you put your focus on truly sharing the love of Christ which motivates us to serve Him and others from whence cometh our self-worth, you will always be enough. I've fallen into that dissatisfied mindset that tells me that what I have – what God has blessed me with – isn't enough. I practiced piano (quite literally making that my God by practicing) for hours on end. My only goal in life at that point was to prove my self-worth to others- my potential superiority. I tried using the gift God gave me for my own personal gain though Christ, every Christ ians role model, was always selfless, and seeking to show others to Christ. Many warnings about pride I read past in the book of Jeremiah, and one embarrassing turnout later, I regained sight of what was really important; serving God. The standards of greatness in this world can never, ultimately be met; they are ever changing, each more unrealistic than the last. By the end such a man who tries to meet the standards of greatness in this world will have wasted all their life for a matter of such minor importance. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 8:36) "Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (37) Honor and glory? Every earnest 'performance' that is given to the Lord is always blessed by Him, and when you play to serve Him you are always enough; whatever you lack to do His work He will equip you with. Pray to God if you doubt He has plans for you, and follow the BIBLE for more updates.
Gosh, where were you guys when I was studying applied flute in college? My "office" before any sort of performance, jury, or even aural comprehension test was the last stall in the girl's bathroom, where I would religiously go to puke my guts out from nerves! Quit after getting my Associate's Degree, and now I play more for fun and love of flute than anything else. Best decision ever.
Also, as someone who is depressed, I have to say that it resonated with me when you shared about the study that said depression lowers musical ability. I can't play when I feel low. If I try, thinking that it might help, I alternate between rage and tears because I can't get the sound I want to get, can't keep the intonation, can't enjoy practicing at all. I really don't understand people who play music to help themselves feel better, but I am glad that it works for them…
Hi, although not a music major, this resonates deeply. Thanks for bringing this up in a serious and sincere way, really hope to see more content like this on your channel, that means a lot to a lot of people
Thanks for that honest and real video….I know the situation, had to stop piano for a while. The brain wasnt fast enough to connect body, soul and heart, and there was also a physical reaction like blocked shoulders and little finger pain. in that time i couldnt imagine that there'll be better times back soon. But I have my love and passion for the piano and music back, more than that, now i am more careful and better condition than ever before. So I want to give hope to all people especially musicians: find a good therapy, give yourself time and be nice to yourself, you dont need to be perfect, there is a time for everything!
11:35 This part is so typical and the negative spiral is soo shitty. but believe in the positive spiral when you get healthy and see how easy same things can be and realise that all that negative clouds where the depression disease and not your fault. 12:29 😥feel you
Helloo just gonna say this! Soo i dont have any disorders or anything but almost all musicians must overcome like performance anxiety and as a beginner violinist who hasn't performed onstage except for school activies, my stage fright has gone worser than before i thought it was all ok and i thought i overcomed my fear well nope, i know what you guys feel and you must take a rest and also im a new fan i know this is an old vid Thank you.
I fully expected to click on this video and for it to be the normal exciting intro and for me to get mad because of that and the topic, but I am so glad it wasn't. I do like the joking manner that some have, including TwoSet, but sometimes it does get frustrating and causes me to get mad and upset about somethings. An example is the Viola jokes, while yes, they can be funny, Viola can still be a needed instrument in the orchestra, and although it is different, it uses a clef no other instruments really use, it is just a scaled violin in a way, it still takes skill to learn. And in a way, every orchestral string instruments is just a scaled version of another. Saying Viola is useless is like saying instruments in other keys are useless, instruments such as the Eb clarinet (and other keys but Eb is the most common) as well as the Alto Clarinet, the Alto Flute, and other instruments. Didn't mean for this to be a Viola defense. Though I'm not a viola player, any common orchestral instrument is not useless and does take skill.
I really appreciate the more serious tone of the video and I think too many try to ignore mental health and act like it's a joke, I've done it before where you joke about a topic in a way where it seems like you don't think the topic is serious or a real thing without meaning to. Mental health is such a real thing that everyone has dealt with in some way.
I like the normal tone of TwoSet videos but having one that's more serious is great. There's times where I can't deal with the normal tone that TwoSet has and aren't able to watch something as chaotic and loud.
As an animal rights activist I would be failing in my duty to the other creatures on the planet if I didn't ask the following question.
How many animals were wrongly tortured and wrongly murdered in the research of ALL the pharmaceutical drugs? Julie Gill, Glasgow Scotland.
I played the cello in a small concert when in 5th or 6th grade. I didn't have a shaky bow, but a shaky left hand which resulted in extreme vibrato. Later I got complimented for my vibrato haha.
A very mature video, well done