Participants wanted for a study into workplace harassment in the music industry

Sydney musician and PhD candidate Jeff Crabtree is looking for participants from Australia and New Zealand to help in a study into the extent and nature of workplace harassment in the music industry.

Over the last few years, studies have been released that reveal the entertainment industry is a far more toxic environment than many could have anticipated. Of course, the resounding question is; why?

That’s where musician and University of Technology Sydney PhD candidate Jeff Crabtree comes in. Crabtree is attempting to study this phenomenon more in greater depth, attempting to find out what forms of harassment has occurred within the music industry, and as a result, find ways to combat this and stamp it out.

“My research stems from my experience in industry as a musician and producer, as well as my current work in the field of health and wellbeing for creative practitioners,” Jeff Crabtree explained.

“I have personally experienced harassment in the music industry workplace, and in 2011 co-wrote a book called Living With A Creative Mind that explored the unique mental wiring of highly creative thinkers and the ways the working environment either helps or harms them.”

“One of the by-products of the digital revolution is the shift in the burden of risk,” he continues. “People who work in the music industry are exactly like start up entrepreneurs, and carrying all of the financial risk in a rapidly changing environment.”

“Artists now are far more vulnerable in every way, not just financially. The kind of structure and support available to many other workers in this country doesn’t exist in the music industry.”

Now, Jeff Crabtree is looking for participants to take part in an anonymous online survey to help shine a light on this awful phenomenon in the music industry.

The survey is open any Australian or New Zealand citizen (or permanent resident) who works in the music industry in any capacity, features multiple choice questions, and will last between 10-30 minutes in duration.

If you’re worried about anonymity, the survey keeps answers completely separate from where you give consent as a participant, making it it is impossible for you to be identified.

If you wish to participate, or lean more about this survey, be sure to head along to the Music Harassment Research website to find more information, and access the questionnaire.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.