Interdisciplinary sociologist of music, researching musicians' psychosocial working lives
George is an interdisciplinary sociologist of music, researching musicians' psychosocial working lives. His specialism concerns the psychological experiences and working conditions of creative careers, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing in the music industry. He has collaboratively undertaken two major funded research projects - 'Can Music Make You Sick?' (UK) and ‘When Music Speaks’ (Denmark) - on mental health and the music industry. The book of the former was an Amazon Number 1 Best Seller in the Sociology of Work. His research has been published in world-leading journals including The Lancet, The Lancet Psychiatry, Poetics, Cultural Trends, Musicae Scientiae, and Psychology of Music, and he is regularly invited to speak internationally on the subject.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and a Committee Member of the Royal Musical Association (RMA) Music and Mental Health Group. He is ICCE's Chair of Examinations
Academic qualifications
PhD: ESRC funded - The Centre for Competition Policy (UEA) 2014
MA: Politics, Philosophy and Economics 2010
MA (Cantab): Social and Political Science, University of Cambridge 2009
Teaching and supervision
PhDs supervised to completion:
Dr. Steven Sparling (2021) (now Head of Department for Creative and Cultural Industries, Kingston University)
George welcomes PhD proposals from students who wish to combine a focus on psychology, sociology and/or economics in relation to creative markets. He currently supervises doctoral work on musicians' wellbeing and identity.
George has previously Chaired ICCE's Undergraduate Learning and Teaching Committee.
George's research concerns the psychological experiences & working conditions of creative careers, with a focus on mental health & wellbeing in the music industry.
His work led directly to the establishment of a 24/7 mental health helpline for musicians - Music Minds Matter - in 2017. His research has been featured by media outlets including BBC News, The New York Times, Pitchfork, Mixmag, GQ, The Financial Times, The Grammys, Billboard & more. His work has been cited as informing the development of global therapeutic & public health interventions as well by the UK Government's Department for Culture Media and Sport as part of the 'Creative Industries Sector Vision'. He appears regularly for media outlets including BBC Radio 4.
His research has been awarded funding by a range of stakeholders including UKRI (ESRC), Government (Mayor of London) the third sector (Help Musicians UK), and the international music industries (Danish Partnership for Sustainable Development in Music). His findings have formed the basis of evidence which has been cited by the UK House of Commons Women and Equalities Commission, and the House of Lords.
His second book, a sociological examination of music-making as a practice of narrative identity construction entitled 'The England No One Cares About: Lyrics from Suburbia' (MIT Press / Goldsmiths Press) will be published in summer 2024.
He is also a musician who has signed both major recording & publishing deals with EMI/Sony/ATV. His music has earned support from the likes of Mike Skinner, Plan B, Ellie Goulding & Ed Sheeran, and he has been labelled 'Middle England's Poet Laureate' by BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra DJ MistaJam. Prior to signing to his record deal, he was the first ever unsigned artist to win a place on the MTV 'Brand New' list, and has played at festivals including Reading, Leeds, Wireless and BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. He has MC'd for global acts including Andy C, Shy FX, Rusko, SpectraSoul, Plastician & Benga.
Grants and awards
2020:
Needs and Challenges in the Lewisham Creative Enterprise Zone Funding awarded by Lewisham Council and Creative Enterprise Zone (Mayor of London) to explore the lives of local creative practitioners and make recommendations for the development of the CEZ
Clift, Stephen; Daffern, Helena; Davies, Christina; Grebosz-Haring, Katarzyna; Kaasgaard, Mette; McCrary, J. Matt and Musgrave, George. 2022. Culture for Health? Arts Professional,
