Promoting Musical Health, Enhancing Musical Performance: Wellness for Music Students

Abstract

rehearsal, a young viola player puts down her instrument, grabs her shoulder, and begins to cry because it hurts. A high school band director, able to hear only some of the ensemble instruments without pitch distortion, fears he might have to make a career change-at the age of thirtyeight. A high school freshman participating in a junior community music theatre group is told that if she wants to get on Broadway, she needs to forget about head voice and learn to belt out a song. Her regular voice teacher and her school choir director are alarmed, and her parents are confused. A college music major stops playing her cello when it becomes too painful. She continues with her major instrument, piano, until she is diagnosed with fibromyalgia-a syndrome associated with musculoskeletal tenderness and fatigue. She drops out of school but returns a year later, happy and healthy, and finishes her degree. She reveals that, when finally diagnosed with and treated for depression, her other symptoms disappeared. As music educators, we are well aware of the many benefits music involvement brings to children's lives. Though these far outweigh the cost, the above scenarios-all true, and all having taken place within the last five years-demonstrate that there are risks associated wi h music making that have yet to be fully addressed by our profession. Studies reveal that musicians may suffer physical difficulties nearly as often as football players,' though they seldom have to be carried off the stage! Between oneand two-thirds of secondary school students suffer performance aches, pains, and woes, whether or not they study privately.2 Certainly music educators, much like health professionals, need to commit themselves to do no harm. The good news is that risk-reducing, health-inducing strategies are relatively simple, are not time-consuming, and tend to enhance performance. Articles in this special issue will not only identify these risks, but also provide prevention strategies that can be easily implemented by music teachers in the classroom and rehearsal hall.