Oboe educators’ perspectives on playing-related injury, Part I: Lived experience and perceptions surrounding injury

Abstract

Music students experiencing the potentially debilitating effects of playing-related injury (PRI) often first turn to their music teachers for help. This paper aims to document music instructors’ lived experience and perceptions surrounding PRI and better understand how teachers currently support students’ musculoskeletal health. Using a qualitative description approach, in-depth interviews with 10 oboe teachers (7 male, 3 female) documented their lived experience with or without injury and perceptions of PRI. Self-identified uninjured participants ( n = 5) described PRI-adjacent and non-PRI problems which elicited empathy for injured musicians, and self-reflective practices that contributed to better health. Injured participants described varied relationships to their pain, including pain as a source of guilt, distress, learning, and growth, and described diverse coping mechanisms including physical therapy, medication, mindfulness, and self-experimentation. Participants’ observations and experiences of PRI influenced their teaching, and several described seeking greater efficiency in students’ instrument set-up and body use. Resources for injured musicians were perceived to be difficult to access due to financial constraints, unawareness, jargon-filled language, and misinformation. These results suggest a need for more outreach from performing arts health professionals connecting music teachers, often the first point of contact for injured students, with high-quality resources which support student wellbeing.