104. The Break Down: Depression, donors and misogyny
From Things Musicians Don't Talk About by Hattie Butterworth & Rebecca Toal
November 8, 2025 · 38 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the ethical implications of donor influence in music, personal experiences with depression, and the ongoing issue of misogyny in orchestral settings.
Trigger Warning: suicidal ideation from 13:50 to 18:00 Is it ethical that musicians feels 'owned' or controlled by their donors? Today in The Break Down, we are discussing philanthropy in classical music and opera, Hattie's recent experience of depression and the strife of misogyny, sadly still in some of Rebecca's orchestral experiences Watch this episode on Youtube here. ------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to ABRSM for sponsoring this episode. Explore the drum kit exams and syllabus here ------------------------------------------------------------- Things Musicians Don't Talk About is supported by the Royal Society of Musicians ! Follow RSM on Instagram , X and Facebook . ------------------------------------------------------------- Support TMDTA Want to support us on a regular basis? Consider joining our Patreon from £1 a month: https://www.patreon.com/tmdta Feeling generous? Help us raise funds for the podcast: https://www.gofundme.com/f/v9jgf-things-musicians-dont-talk-about Find TMDTA on all the socials at @tmdtapodcast ------------------------------------------------------------- Hosts: Hattie…
People in this episode
Hosts: Hattie Butterworth, Rebecca Toal
Topics covered
- philanthropy
- classical music
- opera
- depression
- misogyny
Keywords
- depression
- misogyny
- classical music
- philanthropy
- orchestral experiences
Sponsors
ABRSM
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Royal Society of Musicians
More episodes of Things Musicians Don't Talk About
- 111. Jessica Duchen: activism, power and politics · May 18, 2026 · 55 min
- 110. The future of TMDTA · April 14, 2026 · 46 min
- 109. Surviving ballet: Louise Bennett on change in the industry · March 13, 2026 · 1h 8m
- 108. The Break Down: predicting, reflecting, replying. · February 18, 2026 · 42 min
- 107. Thangam Debbonaire & Eleanor Turner: The Political Musician | Live at RSM · February 3, 2026 · 57 min
- 106. Lizzie Ball: Classical Music for Contemporary Society · January 9, 2026 · 37 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Things Musicians Don't Talk About podcast page.