Picker has Tourette syndrome. He has mentioned that there are "tourettic" elements in his music. Picker appeared in a BBC Horizon television documentary, titled "Mad But Glad", exploring a link between Tourette's syndrome and creativity, and has been involved in mentoring programs for children with Tourette's. Picker has tics which he says disappear when he is composing, playing the piano, or conducting. He has said, "I live my life controlled by Tourette's...but I use music to control it. I have harnessed its energy—I play with it, manipulate it, trick it, mimic it, taunt it, explore it, exploit it, in every possible way."