Who are we?
Photo by Olivia Da Costa
Meet the team
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Founder
she/her
Hello! My name is Hattie Butterworth and I am a cellist and journalist. I studied at the Royal College of Music in London and throughout my undergrad struggled with mental health issues, such as OCD, anxiety and depression. I found the classical music profession lacking in the kind of support I desperately needed - peer support. It lacked a means of connecting with the many others that experience and experienced similar issues to me.
I launched the Things Musicians Don’t Talk About podcast in 2020 and subsequent blog to ensure no one musician feels alone in their suffering, in whatever capacity that might be. I hope you find it resonates with you and don’t hesitate to get in contact if you want to share your own story.
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Email: hattiebutterworth@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/justabigviolin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hattie.butterworth/
Website: https://hattiebutterworth.co.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hattie-butterworth-01b87b70/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY30ywoySpjLnj6wVVxFD0w
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Co-host
she/her
Hi hi hi! I’m Becca and I’m the other co-host of TMDTA!
I’ve struggled with my own mental health issues and eating disorders for over a decade, and having the chance to join the podcast with Hattie and cultivating discussion on MH is an absolute honour. I am passionate about helping people not feel alone, being frank about how we’re feeling, and ending the stigma surrounding mental health.
It means the world that you’re here, you’re listening, and you’re willing to look behind the flawless façade of the music industry. Let’s smash down these traditions that are no longer serving us!
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Email: rebecca_toal@yahoo.com
Website: www.rebeccatoal.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_toal/
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Editor
she/her
Hi! I’ve been working as a freelance musician in London for the last 7 years since graduating with a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music in 2015. When the pandemic hit, and all of my performing and workshop gigs were cancelled, I realised that I needed to prioritise my health and happiness over the pursuit of winning an orchestral job. For me, this meant stepping away from the flute and reshaping my skills to work in music and audio post-production for film, TV and podcasts. Working in the music industry is tough and I’m passionate about sharing the ups and downs so that we can build a more supportive and inclusive space to create and collaborate.
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thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout@gmail.com
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Likes & Dislikes
Hattie: I am not serious about all that much, but am definitely serious about ending the stigma of mental illness and lower income disadvantage within classical music. I love going on lonely walks, finding a new coffee shop, Labradors and violin sonatas. I have become more fussy about food with age, so to the long list of hated food goes tuna, mayonnaise and most cheese. Further dislikes include oil companies and their sponsorship of the arts, gardening and the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines.
Rebecca: so much of my mental health journey has been about finding who I am and what I actually want from life. It’s also meant that I’ve discovered that I can be highly opinionated and feel much more strongly about things than I realised…
I love having a day to myself at home getting all my to-dos ticked off and chain-drinking an absurd array of drinks. I love catching up on my favourite podcasts on my commutes around the city (Hey Riddle Riddle come through). I love feeling like I’m making a difference, perhaps through TMDTA, climate justice or generally trying to do good in my corner of the world. I cannot resist a secondhand shop, a massage, macaroni cheese, Instagram reels of cats, watching true crime whilst I practise, and starting a new hobby and being really good at it.
Things I don’t like: surprise socialising, picking up the phone, airports, music analysis, the stress induced by “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, and the Slipped Disc "news outlet”.
Aside from TMDTA, what do we do?
Hattie:
I am currently working as the Editor of Opera Now Magazine and Choir & Organ Magazine and still play the cello, though mostly for fun. I have a special interest in contemporary and 20th Century music and regularly write for the ‘Contemporary Composers’ feature in Gramophone Magazine. Alongside this, I have written for publications and organisations such as Classical Music UK, Evening Standard and the English National Opera. I’m also fascinated in psychology and philosophy, always thinking about the ways in which my brain has been wired as a musician. I have come to realise that our focus as musicians needs to shift from hours of practice, constant pressure and comparison, as these can lead to severe burn out and are a strangely numerical way to create art.
Rebecca:
I’m primarily a classically-trained trumpet player with an ever-broadening interest in all genres of music. Alongside performing I also teach, both privately and through various organisations, and absolutely adore any and every outreach opportunity that comes my way. I am also currently training to be a therapeutic counsellor with the aim of running a dual career as musician & therapist in the future. Separately from my studies, I currently volunteer with the crisis text line, Shout which has been a stark reminder of just how rife mental health issues are in all communities. When I get a spare moment, I appreciate writing and speaking work as an extension of my creative practice, occasionally writing for magazines and speaking at events and workshops.