Qualitative Study on Playing-related Injury of College Student Pianists

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate student pianists' playing-related musculoskeletal disorder (PRMD) from the perspective of qualitative research. This study used a transcendental phenomenological approach to collect data through one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions. Four themes emerged in these data: experiencing memories of PRMD, pianist's self-awareness, social support, and deal with injury. The findings are highly relevant regarding self-awareness, social relationships, education, and healthcare and provide educators and healthcare personnel with an experienced way to understand the PRMD of student pianists. The results show that maintaining student pianists' playing careers and coping with PRMD requires joint efforts from multiple fields, including the pianists themselves to establish good self-awareness, social relations to provide support and help, higher education institutions to provide and strengthen health education, and health care personnel to develop tailored ways to deal with injury for pianists. The study suggests that more research in the future could focus on the experiences of musicians and the group of tertiary music students. The study also hopes that this kind of research can be paid attention to and valued by music education, health education, and medical care to develop suitable PRMD intervention and treatment strategies for different types of musicians.