Why do musicians seem to use drugs so much?
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2013
- A short exposition of my ideas on why drug use among artists, particularly musicians, seems to prevalent. Feel free to leave any comments here or on my channel.
Also feel free to visit my Facebook at davidvandykestewart 
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Not only that but most "real" artists are introverted/depressed when they were kids and more than likely were drawn to music because of this.
Greetings from Arkansas they drink and use all kinds of drugs because their family and so-called friends and their management allow it this destructive behavior and such a selfish thing to do in many ways instead of helping other,,,,they allow it to go on it all about money.
Not just as kids but as adults too.
Proof?
@@ImWithMe lmfao... study 768c from oxford [1934] clearly shows kurt Cobain and miley cyrus would more than likely suffer severe depression when born due to region and proximity to nuclear power plants. If you reference the 'encyclopedia britanica' circa 1833 it clearly cites you are a moron. Wtf
@@ImWithMelmao the majority or songs especially nowadays
Very reasonable point! Indeed most artists are introvert.
I totally agree. I would add to that that choosing to make music your career is an extremely risky and stressful choice to make and once you're in it, it's really difficult to deal with all the stress and pressure that comes with it and losing yourself in drugs and alcohol sometimes seems like the only way to deal with all this.
+Stéphanie Morris Thanks for watching! This has become a rather highly debated topic with those in my circle, mostly because there never seems to be a shortage of people who claim that they use drugs for aesthetic reasons. There may be attempts to use psychoactive drugs aesthetically, but the vast majority of my experience with those in the entertainment industry points toward self-medication of stress, anxiety, and depression. I'll make a third video soon that responds to more of these claims and talks about the merits and dangers of the three types of psychoactive drug use: medicinal, aesthetic, and psychiatric. Addiction usually happens as a result of these motivations and isn't one itself.
Very kind of you to do such a video. It was not recommended to me.I searched for it.
i think a big part is also touring. again not necessarily sex drugs and rock n roll, but mores the sadness / being drained / being alienated / and it translates into after tour life where you're always in a limbo of never really being home.
Yes. It takes a massive toll on mental health. Drugs take away the pain for a while.
Drugs allow me to break out my head and drop some of my pretentions on what my music my sound SHOULD be and just play what sounds good what feels right. Now I'll be the first to admit I'm probably not a very good musician, but most of my favorite songs and the ones I connect with the most I wrote while high or drunk. Maybe I'm chilling with some friends and we just had a good conversation and that made me feel a certain type of way and I just start riffing. Then the next day I take all those great Ideas I had the previous night, if I can remember them, and structure them into a real song. It's a really fun and satisfying process, because it usually involves me combing techniques and rhythms that I probably wouldn't organically try to combine and I often percieve a significant improvement of my general ability after these sorts of sessions.
I make music out of creativity and have never used or plan to use drugs.but hey each to his own
you really don't need drugs and you are lying to yourself due to the drugs you are taking. if you can bring yourself to the moment when you are about to create something then you will think the same as when you are on drugs. trust me dude the drugs are lying to you. i used to think the same way but then when i got sober and meditated before playing guitar, i made even better music and could actually remember what i was playing. wish you the best my man
so true bro i usually needed alcohol or opiates to get up on stage but that cost much playing/performing to the effect of a bad show and then addiction, leading to homelessness.
I found for me that just the support from another on stage helps me get in front of people.
I was just searching for information on the subject but your delivery was so well on the industry and how it affects artists and the ways I think I might subscribe. as well as I believe you should do another video as far as why does mainstream artists have so many problems with getting strong out and coming back on to the scene
Bro what an amazing video. This is exactly how I've been feeling lately playing at bars. I have been gigging a lot at bars lately, and I've noticed how alcohol is so prevalent among fellow musicians. Among those who gig every night, it seems the norm to smoke and drink at least 3 beers nightly. To be honest, the stress is getting to me, and I've been backing out of the bar scene lately, and focus more on guitar teaching. I also hope to gig more at restaurants and lounges. Again, awesome video.
So interesting!!! Makes me think about the fact that rehab will never simulate the reality of being a well-known person. You can go through rehab and then go home and be faced with harsh comments from thousands of people it’s probably very taxing!
Thanks! I wish I had a consistent set of advice for my fellow musicians. Being well-practiced will reduce anxiety. You can also take breaks away from the crowd if possible. That can sometimes be hard because a lot of people that come to rock and blues shows really like to talk to the performers; I usually try to sit outside the backdoor between sets. Playing the restaurant scene is nice, but you still have people wanting to buy you drinks all the time. Good luck!
Finally someone who talks about the REAL problem! Thank u so much for this video!!!
Hey man, I'd just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your discussion into the connection between musicality and drug use as it also especially applied for me. I was a mainly jazz drummer studying music at university when my heroin use took over. After two and a half years I'm finally back to playing and sober. So I completely sympathize with you. Liked and Subbed
Thanks for watching, and I'm so glad to hear you have recovered!
so fucking proud of you bro. how are you doing now?
Totally genius perspective and true.
Thanks so much for watching!
Great video david, do you think different artists across different genres face different personal struggles such as drummer vs a lead guitar player? I'm a drummer myself my dad's an established drummer and taught me from childhood the farthest he got was about to take lessons from the father of the drummer from toto but he died before he could because he was spraying insecticide in his garden and inhaled it before he could give my dad any lessons
I'll just say it. Getting high and playing guitar is a very intense feeling and one hell of a rush. I've played all my life and choose to play sober now however I can say there's a inticeing uneqe feeling when mixing the drugs with the rock and roll. That being said other than that feeling you also obtain a fuck ton of shit that will weigh you down.
Thanx now i know why im like this. When im drunk i worry less about my neighbors and also i get more aggressive with my guitar.
iavor hristov whisky in the jar
Drugs also help writing music they sort of connect you to a world of illusion where you can draw inspiration from. Drugs will impair the analytical side of the mind so that the subconscious mind can be accessed. However being high will probably make it harder to structure a song. I have noticed this when I drink a beer or two I write like 10 guitar riffs that sound cool but then find it hard to stay focused on one thing only . You only need a beer or 2 you don't need to overdose. Lack of sleep can generate a similar effect because the conscious mind will not work so well, but it's a drag and playing an instrument requires focus and discipline
Btw check my channel ty
+joão ferreira Hey, thanks for watching. In my experience most people highly overrate the effects of drugs on their creativity. Usually, people who think they are more creative when they are high are creating things which seem more appealing because the drug *makes them seem* more appealing. I've recorded people trying to write or improvise whilst high and played it back for them the next day only to have them puzzle at how banal their playing actually was. Of course, I'm talking about aesthetic drug use in this instance and anesthetic drug use in the video.
I do agree though that using substances can harm focus and drive, which will in turn negatively impact the final product. Usually you need that edge to really push out a good product and work consistently for long periods to perfect what you have begun.
In my case, painful/dysfunctional childhood, painfully shy, family chemical dependency. Then, as a working musician, regardless of how you feel, what is happening in your personal life, you go to work when everyone else is going to party and have a good time. You have to be "on". You have to be an extrovert as part of your job requirement. Plus, other than when you ARE playing on stage, it's an often tedious, uncomfortable existence. And musicians and drugs, by their own nature's, are often in close proximity to each other, so there's that. My frame of reference is opiates, as that was my yoke for 20 years and it becomes a vocation in itself. I honestly assumed that, were I to get clean, I would have to give up the guitar, as I hadn't played, straight, since I was a 13 year old student and I was sure I wouldn't be able to 'unassisted'. I was very surprised to find out how much better I could play, sober, and, how much more passion for music I had. I recognize that it's all been a part of my journey, but there are a lot of memories I wish I hadn't created.
So glad to hear you were able to give it up. I get it. God bless you.
Thank you!
this video helped me thank you!
Very insightful. I gigged for 11 years and remember a bandmate who had such a good repertoire with the audiences and I was always a bit jealous becasue he was not a good musician...lol
Sex, drugs and music activate the same parts of the brain. If you enjoy drugs, you probably enjoy how music changes your level of conciousness as well :)
I think point blank it’s mental health. No one indulges in drugs/alcohol for fun.
I felt this ❤ well said so true 🔥
Thank you very much for this. Not only did you put my own thoughts into words, I’ve learned about myself
Thanks for watching!
Mmmm as a musician i do drugs just to change the vibe in the music and give the users a different feeling cus a user all u wanna do is feel something and taking drugs and rapping ur able to feel it more while high
Greetings good information. many people especially here in the US are spoiled and do not care nor help others...so it causes a self-indulgent behaviors and mind sets. we are in the last days folks will be more and more self-absorbed ..... thank you. God bless you and yours
I play for a church and our musician is like blue and rock. I don't do drugs, but I get it. When you play life makes sense. I feel a high. Is it because Music is the sound of math and math makes sense? I drop my shyness and because something that transcends into them. When this is over. it is such a downer or crash. I get pissed if someone speaks small to me. My attitude like "didn't see what I did out there?" Not that i am great, but I give my all I have, trying to reach the extremely of my ability. I have to hide until I come down. I get it. I would be an addict very easily. If I did go into a bathroom and come down from the high.
thank you for this video
Thanks for watching!
Good advice man
It's all about how some peoples brains are wired, it's all about figuring out how to hit that pleasure button, they experience the world in a way that is fundamentally different from a normal person
As 'Philthy Animal' Taylor mockingly said in an interview 'I'm an artiste-I'm sensitive as shit!"
because most humans have an addictive personality
Great pov.
U can feel THAT vibe at live events all that angst holy shit lol.
What live events to you go to?
Thanks ❤
Good point
Couldn't agree more. its also that in the process if creating music or playing while on some substance like for example marijuana, it opens the artist's vision more to create and hear sounds with much sensitivity ..its a double edged sword kind of thing..you can do light stuff and survive or end up on hard drugs and die. so controlling self or letting others around to help is always before anything. IG @midoart88_
Thanks,this video is realy helpful because as a neutral guy it's hard to think when you're out of the box.
Ahhh another question I'v got is,do singers are the least hard workers in a band?
+nfsrf Depends on the band. I imagine Daniel Heiman worked pretty hard in Lost Horizon. George Fischer? Harder to say.
Can relate!
David, thanks for your articulate explanation of why so many talented musicians feel the need to do drugs. It seems to come with the territory, and I'd wondered why for a long time. I was wondering if you were talking about a single performer or someone who performs as part of a group. I still wonder about musicians who are not asked to carry the show, so to speak. I understand how a vocalist in a band could feel under a lot of pressure to entertain and connect to the audience. But why would the drummer or keyboardist feel the need for confidence enhancement in the form of chemicals? I've known a few who have. Or, where there is no vocalist, and all the members share the burden of carrying the show. Wouldn't that make it easier on them? However, they, too, succumb to the crutch of drugs. Why do you think that is?
I don't believe vocalists carry the show in most instances. Viewers focus on much more than the "front man" at most rock shows, though you could definitely make that point about pop musicians where everybody else is literally in the background. However, even if you are playing in the pit at an opera you can have performance anxiety because of judgement (another part of extroversion I didn't talk much about). Solo performance (what I do) is on another level anxiety-wise since there is nobody to cover up any mistakes; you are literally alone, but that is part of why I like it. To your point about drummers - I see a whole lot less of them on drugs. Even the pros I know who like to party a lot don't self-medicate, which is what this video is really about.
Thank you for this video. I am a counselor--artist--and recovering addict and I have always been curious about the relationship between the brain and musicians, specifically the "27" club. Do you have any thoughts on any chemical changes within the brain at that age that could potentially be a cause of the overdoses and deaths of amazing musicians?
I've heard that the brain isn't fully mature until the late 20s, but I don't know much beyond that. For someone like Cobain, he was likely using for over 10 years, starting as a teenager, so it could be that addiction cycles, uninterrupted, follow a certain 10 year path, and the age is incidental. Layne Staley became a full addict in the early 90s and died 10 years later.
@@DVSPress This is actually something I have been discussing with my own psychologist. I do a lot of expressive therapy and I actually showed this clip to my IOP class. Great conversation and insightful comments came from the patients after watching your video.
It is not even The Artist It's The drugs Only. The Good Feeling in Drugs is the same As The Good Feeling in music. They cannot create without it. True Art is created by a higher power.
The same fact is true in Sports. Being The Fast Cycling you have to be the best doping user.
James Taylor was a drug addict. Heroin, meth. He did those things. He eventually got clean and sober in the 80's. He claims he's lucky to still be alive today.
Bro thank you i would not have known why they do all of that🙃🙃
I think it is lil' more complicated then that...At least few books can be written on the subject.
There is little way to talk about substance use and abuse in a thorough manner in a 5 minute off-the-cuff youtube video. This is my perspective and personal experience with self-medication using illicit drugs (not addiction, which I consider something distinct). Thanks for watching!
Good explanation!
But you never mentioned the really harmful drugs,, the legal drugs the Tax lucrative drugs
like synthetic opioids and SSRIs which kills many times more than street drugs!
Did you say the opera singer smoked Pop or Pot?
pleximanic Pot! Aka Cannabis. SSRIs are an entirely different discussion, one which more knowledgeable people than me have already weighed in. I would recommend "There is no such thing as mental illness" by Stephan Molyneux (here on youtube) if you want to see a clear and detailed argument against the use psychiatric drugs. Given that they are prescribed for depression and one of their most profound side-effects is suicide, I would indeed say that they are harmful, and as Molyneux argues, they do not "cure" mental illness. I don't know if they are MORE harmful or kill MORE people than street drugs, but generally I hold to my caution is against medicating mood in general, whether that is done by oneself or through the oversight of a psychiatrist. I am probably due to make a third video about this - clarifying my opinion on both "self-medication" among musicians and "aesthetic" drug use by the same. Thanks for watching!
I cannot imagine smoking pot as a way to feel confident before going onstage.....lol
It's like a security blanket for a lot of people.
I do alcohol. A lot.
pathetic_toaster stop
I personally love making marijuana infused music I dont do drugs any other time though as life is fine without I just like what I make high its always more creative layered and unique
Let’s not outsource power.
Agree
Tell me I'm conspiracy theorist, but I think that most musicians don't abuse drugs, only that drug abusers are more pushed toward the top by musical industry machinery, which had especially in the past a big influence on music market as they could filter which ones can be famous and which ones not. And this drug thingie looks some subtle drug propaganda, as people see their idols drugging themselves, they'd start drug them too. And drug trafficking is an enormous business, with many in government having their hands in it. Same as musicians goes also with actors. Yeah I know few people will accept this.
+Janshevik First of all, I see drug abuse happen at high and low levels of the business - this is my experience, not hard data, but I see a lot of working musicians using for the reasons I talk about in the video.
A less "conspiracy"-y explanation would be that most of the "big" stars you see are highly manufactured through clever marketing and experts in producing simple and easily accessible music. Part of that marketing is the personality. People respond to big, over-the-top personalities: people who live wild, do more drugs, drink more, screw more people than everybody else. So, the drugs play into this image.
MIley Cyrus is in reality a low-talent youngster using autotune, has at best average looks, but behaves erratically and in a way no normal human EVER would, which generates the attention the industry wants. Maybe I'm thinking of a conspiracy of a different kind, but that's how I see it.
I noticed the nails. Do U play classical guitar?
+David Jason Steiner Yes, I do! I played guitar as my profession for quite awhile, and have also taught the guitar for about 12 years. The majority of my channel is geared toward classical and Flamenco technique.
Nice!
i was thinking the same thing lol
bro am eager to learn how to play guitar
My question is not polite but does anyone know how many famous artists manage to live their whole life even though they do all the drugs possible plus alchol and cigarettes??
Lemmy died at 70.
According to the Bible that's a full life.
My idea was that the artist need the drugs to kick start the feelings and creativity to write the music...
I'm my opinion we feel so hard, literally feel what were singing, sometimes it feels like when I'm performing It takes a piece of you sometimes, they need to shut it off eventually
Greetings from the great state of Arkansas this drinking and drug marijuana using ect is allowed to go on then also perhaps due to pressures on the tours on the road ect...having money all of a sudden and no Godly guidence from family od friends ...most are all strung out as well and shame on their managers and the evil music industry who could care less for the most part...it is all about making money...the Georgia band who broke through big in the 1990s THE BLACK CROWES.....The Brothers ROBINSON CHRIS AND RICH from what I have heard from people who had back stage passes they especially CHRIS WAS RUDE AND IGNORNED THE FANS .....they grew up in poverty but many folks forget where they came from...These musicians are just PEOPLE like the rest of us...STOP putting them on pedestals..........God bless yall
Please find the on fb. I would like to talk.
What if they Only use for one reason??? To Tap into the DEMONIC realm!! Satan was the Chief of music!
Miley Cyrus buukkake 😂😂😂😂
Do you think using drugs helps out creativity?
You're going to find people that fall on either side. My experience when observing externally says "No," however, aesthetic drugs can make the user FEEL more creative, or feel that the act of creation is more enjoyable. I think this is part of the aesthetic effects of some drugs (especially cannabis), they make you feel better and whatever you are experiencing may be enhanced. I don't think this makes the musical (or whatever art) output better as an observer, but it is hard to quantify such things. I do feel, in addition, that using certain drugs can inhibit the drive toward completion of projects and make someone less prolific, but that's an anecdote and I'm not aware of any good studies that support that. I covered some of this in a follow up video called "I'm more creative when I'm high, and other illusions." Generally, my advice is to avoid drugs when you are intending to create solid artistic output. It's better to experience reality as it is and know where you stand as an artist than be lured into a false sense of artistic quality by the positive vibes of a drug. TL;DR: I don't think drugs help someone be more creative.
AllHailAMANI It's an experience providing content for you to yield into expression, like any. Can certain molecules trigger a gust of inspiration for you to channel into your creative capacities, you bet you. That is the simple truth of the matter. Stigma this, stigma that, but substances, altered states, demand their dues.
Dean Disneyland and being raped are both experiences that can inspire, but one of those I wouldn't really recommend to anyone. Likewise LSD isn't always a pleasant experience, but who am I to say that it cannot inspire? My point (not necessarily in this video) is that the inspiration part of creation is highly overrated. People tend to think that if they only have some sort of substance feeding their psyche they can create original art magically, but what they do not understand at the outset is that creation is a long, grueling process. Someone might read my books and wonder what inspired them, but they really ought to wonder how I managed to spend all the many hours necessary to write and re-write them. It's the same with music. With that in mind, lots of substances can actively stand in the way of getting that work done, depending on how you use them. I will not say that people cannot use drugs responsibly.
As far as stigma, it is highly relative to the social situation in which one finds himself. I've been in plenty of situations where abstaining from a drug (including alcohol) upset people.
Lastly, I'd like to remind that this video isn't really about this particular use of drugs at all - it's about addiction and self-medication, which usually involves depressants and stimulants, not psychedelics. Most of the continuous drug use I have witnessed or experienced has been about self-soothing. I think music can contribute to this need by making competing demands on a person: be introverted AND extroverted. That's rather difficult for most people, and infinitely harder if you have emotional trauma going into the endeavor.
Thanks for watching and commenting, and of course for reading my long ramblings, if you did so! Cheers!
David Stewart That's fair. Drugs is that funny term because it has to do with such a broad range of effects. I definitely see authentic musicians, seekers, artists, humans as having a fascination and love affair with the psychedelics and am entirely convinced of their potential, given that it is the human conjuring what is roaming in the lakes of his mind. But also the shamanic link that these substances carry, and the shamanic figure as the poet, the artist, the musician, and voyager, and introvert, it is no surprise that this thread appears in our modern culture as a semblance and yearning for the themes in which our art is calling back towards with ancient sacraments leading the way....sureee
Try creating new music or practicing for hours and hours everyday without something besides sheer will... Introverts.. schizoid personalities etc.
drugs rule
+Dean Good luck on your novel and opera!
David Stewart I don't get it. Drugs are like people who provide systems of support. Or a wild time, or an engaging drama, and beautiful music. I don't get all this chemical poo pooing. Medicine, recreation, exploration. Mind your ps and qs and enjoy/ingulge.
David Stewart but I'm done entertaining ambiguous ducks. The topic of drugs was solved. Good day. Live long and prosper.
David Stewart yes there are. And with a host of experiences with all sorts of chemicals, the one that has me through the ringer is masturbation. The symptoms and drug dependence come about through a shoddy cultural system. You just find your vice manifest in something recognizable and willfully stigmatitized. There is a perfect analogy to sexuality. It ain't all fucking pretty, are we ready to abandon holy matrimony because it can be entirely used against us. No you educate you're dumb fucking mind. I don't come where you come from. My life has been strewn with love coming from odd places. My lords were McKenna, Bill Hicks. Trying to fucking villainize everything we found special. Read a book and come chat. Not everyone is fucking Charlie Parker. I hate you.
David Stewart video games are evil, heavy metal is evil, hip hop music is loud and boisterous. Geez, dude. No more. Wah wah wah. We are done.
bro am eager to learn how to play guitar