For many musicians, taking a break can feel impossible. When your work is your passion, stepping away can bring guilt, anxiety and the fear that everything might stop if you do. But sometimes, a short pause is exactly what’s needed.

That’s why the PRS Members’ Fund’s Reset and Rewind wellbeing breaks are so important — offering members the chance to rest, recharge and reconnect with themselves away from the pressures of everyday life.

For musician Gus, that support came at exactly the right time.

When passion starts to feel like pressure

Music had always been more than a job for Gus. He’d been a PRS member since his teens, signing up early after being told it was one of the first things any working musician should do. Over the years, he built a varied freelance career performing original music, taking on session work, playing weddings and leading song-writing sessions with people living with dementia.

But by the beginning of last year, the pace had caught up with him.

‘I was just exhausted,’ he says. ‘I’d actually started to dislike music. I stopped listening to it, stopped writing, and I knew that wasn’t healthy. This is the thing I’m most passionate about, and suddenly I felt completely burnt out.’

‘I’d actually started to dislike music. I stopped listening to it, stopped writing, and I knew that wasn’t healthy.’

 

Like many freelancers, Gus had been juggling multiple jobs, travelling several times a week and carrying the emotional weight that can come with creative and community-based work. He knew he needed a break, but taking time away simply wasn’t something he could afford.

That’s when he saw the Reset and Rewind initiative from PRS Members’ Fund.

A chance to pause

When Gus saw the Reset and Rewind initiative, he immediately recognised what an opportunity it was.

He found a small Airbnb cottage in Arbroath — chosen for one important reason: it had a piano.

‘I was looking for somewhere with a piano. I used to play just for joy, and I’d stopped doing that. Finding a wee place where I could do that again felt really important.’

Gus spent three nights away on his own. He didn’t set big goals or make plans to be productive. The break wasn’t about productivity. It wasn’t about writing songs, chasing inspiration, or making plans. It was about rest.

Instead, he gave himself permission to do very little at all.

‘If I’m honest, I didn’t do anything – and that’s what I needed,’ he says. ‘I read my books, watched TV, played piano, and just had time without pressure. I didn’t have to be playing for work, learning songs, or doing anything for anyone else.’

That pause made a real difference.

The power of stepping away

The break gave him space to breathe, to appreciate the value of his work again, and to remember that music was still an important part of who he is.

‘Getting away into silence helped me realise how much music matters to me. It reminded me not to take it for granted.’

‘When you’re constantly busy, your head is always buzzing,’ he says. ‘Getting away into silence helped me realise how much music matters to me. It reminded me not to take it for granted.’

Since returning, Gus says he hasn’t magically come back and written an album overnight — but something important has shifted. He feels more patient with himself, more able to take creative work in small steps, and more aware of the need to protect his own wellbeing.

‘It took some of the pressure off,’ he says. ‘Even if I can just do a wee bit at a time, that’s enough. The break helped me reset how I think about music and about work.’

No shame in seeking support

He also wants other musicians to know that there is no shame in asking for support.

‘The musical landscape is tough, and there’s absolutely no shame in getting help, especially if the support is there,’ he says. ‘Get the benefit of the PRS Members’ Fund because you’re entitled to it as a PRS member.’

For PRS members who are feeling overwhelmed, burned out or simply in need of breathing space, Reset and Rewind offers the chance to pause and recharge — because sometimes stepping away is exactly what helps you come back stronger.

Find out more and apply for a Reset & Rewind break, applications are open until 31 October 2026.