Abbie — ​“Without that support, I really don’t know how I would have kept working”

Abbie is a jazz drummer whose career has been built on versatility, collaboration and a deep commitment to her craft. After studying jazz at Leeds Conservatoire and completing a master’s at Trinity Laban, she has developed a busy portfolio career – leading her own projects, co-leading ensembles, and supporting other artists.

“I’m mostly a jazz musician… drums are the main thing that I do,” she explains. ​“I lead some projects, co-lead others, and I back a lot of other musicians as well.”

But like many musicians, Abbie’s career depends entirely on her physical ability to perform. When that was suddenly put at risk, it had immediate consequences.

“I’d overdone it at the gym and ended up with a wrist issue,” she says. ​“For a drummer, that’s less than ideal.”

The injury quickly became serious, affecting her ability to play and even carry out basic day-to-day tasks.

“I could barely pick anything up with my left hand because my wrist was so weak,” she explains. ​“If my wrist isn’t good, I can’t work at all.”

Facing long NHS waiting times and uncertainty around recovery, Abbie reached out to Help Musicians. Through funded support, she was able to access specialist care quickly, including treatment via BAPAM.

“That was super helpful,” she says. ​“If I hadn’t been seen as quickly as I was, I could have been out of work for months.”

That early intervention made a critical difference – not just physically, but financially and emotionally too, giving her the confidence and stability to continue working.

Alongside this, Help Musicians also supported Abbie with further health funding for surgery and recovery, ensuring she could access care when she needed it most.

“I’d never have been able to fund that myself,” she says. ​“Being able to get things done quickly, rather than waiting years, was incredible.”

Beyond health, support from Help Musicians has also enabled Abbie to develop her creative work. Funding for her trio’s second album, On Pink Lane, covered recording, production and release – culminating in a launch at PizzaExpress Jazz Club in Soho.

“That was a huge deal for us,” she says. ​“Being able to say we’d played there has opened up more opportunities.”

Reflecting on her experience, Abbie highlights the importance of having accessible, responsive support in an industry that can often feel unstable.

“Everything was really easy to access,” she says. ​“People got back to me quickly, sometimes within an hour. That makes such a difference when you’re dealing with something urgent.”

For Abbie, the support has been both practical and reassuring – a reminder that help is there when it’s needed.

“It’s made an absolutely huge difference,” she says.

As she continues to perform, record and develop new projects – including a new regular radio show with husband and fellow Help Musicians-supported artist Harry – that foundation of support has enabled her to keep moving forward, even through the most challenging moments.