Many of the scions of American piano playing had trouble with alcohol. At school, I remember hidden bottles and little bars inside the official closets.
Piano playing is a solitary occupation, and often makes for a solitary life. As much as writers of fiction, pianists have been plagued by (susceptible to? predisposed to?) alcoholism.
In some way, intoxication may be a goal of music making — but chemicals can be a dangerous consort.
I also remember the hidden (and not so hidden) liquor bottles at Juilliard. Thanks for exposing this problem. I think you’re right — many people talk about the alcohol struggles of American writers. Pianists fight this fight too.