James Rhodes Found Safety in Music

Updated: Apr 11, 2020

SANTA CLARITA, CA - British concert pianist James Rhodes often credits music with saving his life. Now residing in Spain, the 45 year-old is outspoken about the sexual abuse he faced as a child and campaigning for laws to protect future abuse victims.

Rhodes attended Arnold House School in North London as a child. The all-boys preparatory school is where his series of abuse began.

Starting at the age of six years old, Rhodes says a physical education teacher repeatedly sexually abused him. He even says “there were times when I was found by other teachers with, you know, blood coming down my legs,” and yet it continued to happen.

He also states that the trauma left him with a damaged spine, as it had literally shattered the base of his back. This resulted in a number of operations and a spiral into self-harm and depression.

However, Rhodes claims music transformed his outlook on life. When he was seven, he found a cassette tape with Bach’s Chaccone on it that forever changed him.

He says “above all, it made me feel like even if it seemed like the world was a really hostile and appalling place, it couldn’t be that bad because something this beautiful existed in it. There are moments of such joy and such heroism in that piece. That got me through a lot of my childhood.”

Rhodes is now the first core classical pianist to be signed with Warner Bros. Records, he has written three books, and he has a culture blog with The Telegraph. One of the most significant things he has done is champion laws protecting child sexual abuse victims in Spain.

Although his abuser could not be put to justice - he died before appearing in court - Rhodes is trying to give others the chance to see their abusers in jail. He has worked with Spain’s Second Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias Turrión to create Rhodes Law.

The child protection law named after the pianist aims to make it easier for children to report their abusers without having to testify in front of a judge multiple times. It also allows victims to bring up charges even after a long period of time has passed. Iglesias states "this law must not only protect boys and girls in our country, but also become a global reference for child protection."

The law was officially announced in February of this year and is expected to be adopted, according to Iglesias. Rhodes continues to advocate for change and carry on his musical passion.