A six-month therapeutic course aimed at reducing burnout among dance music workers has launched, backed by CAA agent Maria May, and developed by a collective that has supported tours by Radiohead and The Last Dinner Party.
The Music Executive Stress Management Programme, run by the Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC), will provide fully funded support to five professionals, including a 1:1 mentoring session with May.
The scheme is designed as a preventative intervention for those working in an environment defined by long hours, late nights, high pressure, and the expectation to always be “on”. The organisers note that excessive stress is often only recognised when it exceeds an individual’s coping threshold and reaches crisis point.
“This industry is built on passion, but passion on its own is not always enough to protect people from pressure and overload,” May said. “I wanted to support a programme that invests in professionals as whole people, helping them build careers that are ambitious, healthy and sustainable.”
MITC is a clinically led international nonprofit whose practitioners combine therapeutic training with lived experience in the music business. The collective has supported tours including Radiohead, Dua Lipa, and The Last Dinner Party, and works with organisations such as AEG and SJM.
The programme was developed by MITC’s operations director Laura Newton, a former electronic music agent, and MITC founder Tamsin Embleton, previously a venue and festival booker. Newton said: “I’ve seen first-hand how exciting and rewarding this industry can be, but also how easy it is for stress and unhealthy working patterns to become normalised. We designed this programme to support emerging professionals at a critical stage in their careers.”
Participants will receive six weeks of 1:1 performance coaching with psychologist Stu Holliday, four months of psychotherapy with a specialist industry therapist, and Vedic meditation training with Blaise DeAngelo, former general manager of Skrillex’s OWSLA label. The programme also includes expert-led workshops on stress and resilience.
This is a pilot cohort with an evaluation framework. Findings will inform future iterations.
Applications open 23 April and close 1 June, with the programme beginning in September 2026.
Find out more on the MITC website: www.musicindustrytherapists.com
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