George MusgraveFRSA is an academic studying the psychological experiences and working conditions of creative careers, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing in the music industry. He is based at Goldsmiths, University of London.[1] He has previously held positions at the University of Westminster[2] and has been a guest lecturer at New York University.[3]
Musgrave is also a rapper and performs under the stage-name of Context. He released his debut mixtape Dialectics in 2008, Mental Breakdown Music in 2009, the EPs Stealing My Older Brother's Tapes and Hindsight is the Purest Form of Romance in 2014, and the album The England No One Cares About (Soundtrack) in 2024.
He is the co-author of Can Music Make You Sick? alongside Sally Anne Gross. This two-part report published in 2016[6] and 2017,[7] and subsequent book in 2020[8] published by University of Westminster Press, examined the relationship between mental health conditions (principally anxiety and depression) and the nature of working in the music industry. The book draws on survey and interview data, alongside Jodi Dean's concept of communicative capitalism, to explore how digitalisation and a state of abundant musical production has changed the way in which musicians experience building a career. They suggest that musical ambition is based on a series of status' rooted in the nature of music as labour ('the status of work'), how value and reputation is acquired and understood ('the status of value') and the impact this comes to have on musicians' closest relationships ('the status of relationships'), and that each of these status' can come to harm the emotional and mental wellbeing of musicians.
The research - described as "the largest known study into mental health and the music industry"[9] - led directly to the establishment of the first 24/7 mental health helpline for musicians - Music Minds Matter[10] - launched by the charity Help Musicians UK in 2017. The research has informed the work of organisations including Communion (Berlin),[11] NHS Wales[12] and the Music Managers Forum,[13] and was supported by music industry figures including Grant Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, Adam Ficek[14] and Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays.[15] Upon release, the book was an Amazon Number 1 Best Seller in the 'Sociology of Work' category.[16]
His research has been featured by media outlets including BBC News,[17]Pitchfork,[18]GQ,[19]The Financial Times,[20]BBC Music Introducing,[21]The New York Times[22] and more. Musgrave has also written articles on mental health for BBC Three[23] and Crack Magazine,[24] and in 2024 was an invited guest on BBC Radio 4's 'Split Ends'.[25] He has also published research on the ways in which cultural intermediaries create value for musical work,[26] mental health and wellbeing in the gig economy,[27] autoethnography as a qualitative research methodology for arts researchers,[28] the documentary Avicii – True Stories,[29] defining cultural entrepreneurship,[30] ethical decision-making by music managers,[31] and music careers as a form of gambling.[32]
His second book entitled 'The England No One Cares About: Lyrics from Suburbia' was published by Goldsmiths Press/MIT Press in 2024.[33] Upon publication it was named 'Book of the Month' by Crack Magazine,[34] and was a Amazon Top 10 Best Seller in Music and Philosophy.[35]
Music career
Musgrave began his career in music in 2008 under the stage-name Context whilst enrolled as a student. After releasing his debut mixtapes Dialectics in 2008 and Mental Breakdown Music in 2009, he gained some recognition for his 2010 single "Off with their Heads" which featured Vertex of Marvell and a cameo from Ed Sheeran. The video was featured on MTV.[36] He then released the single "Listening to Burial" in 2011 which was featured on BBC Radio 1's national playlist.[37]
In 2012, he was the winner of MTV's Brand New For 2012 unsigned competition, beating Clement Marfo, Charli XCX and Lana Del Rey on the channel's hotly tipped list.[38] Musgrave was recognised as a "brainy rapper" as he was currently studying his PhD whilst pursuing his rap career in 2012.[4] He released a "Fire in the Booth" freestyle with Charlie Sloth on 26 February 2012.[39] In 2013 he signed a worldwide publishing and songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Publishing/EMI Music Publishing.
He released his four-track EP, Stealing My Older Brother's Tapes in 2014 via free download.[40] It was noted for its intricate social commentary with samples from Goldie, Underworld and Altern8.[41] During this time released the song "Small Town Lad Sentiments" which went on to be remixed by Mike Skinner.[42] It was featured on Context's second EP, Hindsight is the Purest Form of Romance released later in 2014.
In 2015, Musgrave took a break from music to focus on his academic career. However, he returned in 2018 to release the single "Better Than This".[43] This was followed by the single "Take Me Back" in 2019 which featured Great Skies. His album 'The England No One Cares About (Soundtrack)' was released in 2024.[44]
Publications
Gross, S & Musgrave, G (2016) Can Music Make You Sick? A Study Into the Incidence of Musicians' Mental Health - Part 1: Pilot Survey Report, Help Musicians UK/MusicTank
Gross, S & Musgrave, G (2017) Can Music Make You Sick? A Study Into the Incidence of Musicians' Mental Health - Part 2: Qualitative Study and Recommendations, Help Musicians UK/MusicTank
Musgrave, G (2017) Collaborating to Compete: The Role of Cultural Intermediaries in Hypercompetition, International Journal of Music Business Research, Vol.6(2), pp. 41–68
Gross, S., Musgrave, G & Janciute, L (2018) Well-Being and Mental Health in the Gig Economy: Policy Perspectives on Precarity, CAMRI Policy Briefs, University of Westminster Press
Musgrave, G (2019) Making Sense of My Creativity: Reflecting On Digital Autoethnography, Journal of Artistic and Creative Education, Vol.13(1), pp. 1–11
Musgrave, G (2020) Avicii: True Stories - Review, Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture, Vol.12(1), pp. 94–97
Gross, S & Musgrave, G (2020) Can Music Make You Sick? Measuring the Price of Musical Ambition, University of Westminster Press
Athanassiou, D & Musgrave, G (2021) Building a Heavy Metal World: Cultural Entrepreneurship in the Polish People's Republic, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, Vol.10(1), pp. 1–19
Chaparro, G & Musgrave, G (2021) Moral Music Management: Ethical Decision-Making After Avicii, International Journal of Music Business Research, Vol.10(1), pp. 1–14
Musgrave, G (2022) Lessons from the Loss of Avicii: Business Ethics, Responsibility, and Mental Wellbeing, SAGE Business Cases, Sage Publications Ltd
Leisewitz, A, Musgrave, G & Franklin, M (2022) SHAPESLewisham and the Shape of Lewisham: Connectivity, Communication and Construction in a Creative Enterprise Zone, Goldsmiths (University of London)/Mayor of London Project Report
Musgrave, G (2022) 'Losing Work, Losing Purpose': Representations of Musicians' Mental Health in Time of Covid-19, in, Morrow, G, Tschmuck, P; Nordgard, D (eds) Rethinking the Music Business: Music Contexts, Rights, Data and COVID-19, Springer, pp. 11-28
Leisewitz, A & Musgrave, G (2022) Does Spotify Create Attachment? Algorithmic Playlists, Intermediation and the Artist-Fan Relationship, Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research, 14(1), pp. 75-100
Musgrave, G (2022) Music and Wellbeing vs Musicians' Wellbeing: Examining the Paradox of Music-Making Positively Impacting Wellbeing, but Musicians Suffering from Poor Mental Health, Cultural Trends
Musgrave, G (2023) Musicians, their Relationships, and their Wellbeing: Creative Labour, Relational Work, Poetics, 96, 101762
Loveday, C, Musgrave, G & Gross, S (2023) Predicting anxiety, depression and wellbeing in professional and non-professional musicians, Psychology of Music, 51(2), pp. 508-522
Musgrave, G, Howard, C, Schofield, A, Silver, E & Tibber, M (2023) Mental health and the music industry: An evolving intervention landscape, The Lancet Psychiatry, 10(5), pp. 311-313
Musgrave, G. Gross, S. & Carney, D. (2024) When Music Speaks: Mental health and next steps in the Danish music industry – Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4, Danish Partnership for Sustainable Development in Music
Clift, S., Bathke, A., Daffern, H., Davies, C., Grebosz-Haring, K., Kaasgaard, M., McCray, M., Musgrave, G. & Thun-Hohnstein, L. (2024) The WHO-Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts, The Lancet, 403(10434), p. 1335
Kaasgaard, M., Grebosz-Haring, K., Davies, C., Musgrave, G., Shriraam, J., McCray, M. & Clift, S. (2024) It is premature to formulate recommendations for policy and practice based on arts and health research? A robust critique of the CultureforHealth (2022) Report, Frontiers in Public Health, 12: 1314070, pp. 1-12
Musgrave, G., Gross, S. & Klein, M. (2024) The dark side of optimism: Musical careers, belief and gambling, Musicae Scientiae, OnlineFirst
Musgrave, G (2024) The England No One Cares About: Lyrics from Suburbia, MIT Press/Goldsmiths Press
Discography
Extended plays
2008: Dialectics
2009: Mental Breakdown Music
2014: Stealing My Older Brother's Tapes
2014: Hindsight is the Purest Form of Romance
Album
2024: The England No One Cares About (Soundtrack)
References
^"Dr George Musgrave". Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
^"Untitled-1"(PDF). Gross, S & Musgrave, G (2016) Can Music Make You Sick? A study into the incidence of musicians’ mental health - Part 1: Pilot Survey Report, Help Musicians UK/MusicTank.
^"Gross & Musgrave (2017) Can Music Make You Sick Pt2.pdf"(PDF). Gross, S & Musgrave, G (2017) Can Music Make You Sick? A study into the incidence of musicians’ mental health - Part 2: Qualitative Study and Recommendations, Help Musicians UK/MusicTank.
^Musgrave, George. "Collaborating to Compete: The role of cultural intermediaries in hypercompetition". International Journal of Music Business Research. 6: 41–68.
