Bridget — ​“support meant I could keep going – not just physically, but emotionally as well”

For Bridget, support came at a critical point in her career, alongside wider support and signposting to ongoing care.

Originally from New Zealand, Bridget has built her career in the UK from the ground up. Starting out by saying yes to every opportunity – backing vocals, sessions, teaching and touring – she gradually established herself as a performer and artist before starting her own project, 10:32, and stepping into her identity as a bandleader.

“I basically just said yes to everything,” she says. ​“That’s how I built my career here.”

Over the years, she has toured extensively and developed a sound that blends jazz, soul, hip hop and electronic influences. But like many musicians, her career has come with significant physical and emotional demands.

Bridget lives with hypermobility, which means she experiences recurring injuries, maladjusted joints and ongoing physical strain. As a singer and pianist, the realities of her work – long drives, carrying equipment, and performing under pressure – can take a cumulative toll on her body.

“It’s a lot,” she explains. ​“You go through busy periods where you’re just asking so much of your body, and the tension builds up without you even realising.”

During her recent masters study at Guildhall, that pressure reached a critical point. Moving from performing two to three times a week, to the intensity of full-time study and rehearsals alongside her performance work, Bridget lost her voice.

“I was burning myself out… and my voice just stopped working,” she says.

It was a frightening moment – both professionally and personally. Singing is central to her identity and work as an artist, and without it, everything felt uncertain.

With support from Help Musicians, Bridget was able to access the specialist care she needed. Funding enabled her to receive an expert ENT assessment, then work closely with a vocal rehabilitation coach and a specialist performance physiotherapist, helping her understand not just what had gone wrong, but how to rebuild safely and prevent more injury.

“The upshot is that my hypermobility affects everything,” she explains. ​“My breath control, my posture, my wonky larynx – it’s all connected.”

Crucially, the support didn’t stop there. When further care was needed, Help Musicians also helped Bridget connect with additional organisations to continue her treatment.

That guidance helped Bridget continue accessing physiotherapy and osteopathy beyond the initial support, giving her the consistency she needed to recover and rehabilitate.

For Bridget, the experience highlighted something deeper about working in music: how difficult it can be to ask for help.

“We’re not always very good at asking for help,” she says. ​“So having someone point you in the right direction really matters.”

The impact has been significant. Not only was Bridget able to recover physically, but she also felt supported emotionally during an intense period of her life – returning to study later than most of her peers at a time she was navigating a significant personal loss.

“With uni, I needed something to throw myself into,” she says. ​“It was important for my mental health, but also to back myself.” 

Today, she has finished her studies and is regularly performing again and looking ahead to the next stage of her career with renewed clarity and resilience.

“I look back and think, how did I do that? But the support definitely helped me get through it.”

Beyond the practical outcomes, Bridget emphasises the importance of having a wider support network within such a challenging industry.

“This career path is really hard,” she says. ​“So having somewhere to go – a community that can support you, guide you, and help you access the right care – makes a huge difference.”

For Bridget, the support came at exactly the right time, enabling her to continue building the career she has worked so hard to create.