Orchestrating Healthy Approaches For Musicians In Training

Author(s): Bronwen Ackermann

Source: American Music Teacher , June/July 2015, Vol. 64, No. 6 (June/July 2015), pp.
22-24
Published by: Music Teachers National Association

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43540533

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to American Music Teacher

This content downloaded from

137.122.8.73 on Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:06:36 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 •.■SļļļPļļRIļSK. ..i...,
Ěnurtcta Husle Tntbrn

Musician By Br on wen Ackerman

«s r* : ä-,

" PUreiNfi

Orchestrating Healthy Approaches For

Musicians In Training

Bronwen in young talented music students.2

Ackermann , PhD, ries, for music medicine to emerge During the cur ent early advances of
as a distinct topic of research and music medicine development, musi-
whose interest in clinical interest. The shift from the cians and health profes ionals must
performing arts It as oc asional clinicaolc rasieosn,alhatrseaatisdie sbytincocntcefornredtaken interest. music treatise many topic medicine The years, of by research shift concerned even to from emerge centu- and the work together to find practicable
doctors to the cur ent day proliferation and effective sustainable solutions.
international y of health profes ional Constructive col aborative efforts to
w/t/7 the Sydney organizations focusing on the specific promote healthy musical practice, as
Symphony Orchestra (Australia) health needs of musicians and other per- wel as the es ential growth of research
since 1995. She has worked exten- forming artists is an exciting era. to further refine health management
sively with performing artists since The continuing need for healthcare strategies is neces ary.
the 1990s , with her clinical and by musicians has been clearly indicat- Over the past 20 years of promot-
research work focused on musi- ed by international studies outlining ing healthcare with performers, I
cians' injuries. the dire state of profes ional musi- have been actively col aborating with
cians' health around the world1, even musicians, music educators and music

22 JUNE/JULY 2015

This content downloaded from

137.122.8.73 on Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:06:36 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 JSS*^
administrators. By highlighting some
of the lessons learned along the way, it
will hopefully help illuminate progres-
sive pathways for others.
My initial experiences working clini-
cally with musicians as a physical ther-
apist occurred in a large high-profile
sports medicine center. These predom-
inately clinics focus on the rehabili-
tation of elite athletes, and musicians
of all ages and skill levels frequently
report attending sports medicine clin-
ics in an effort to find someone willing
to view their playing seriously.
The pivotal change for me came in
1995, when I was asked to accompany
the Sydney Symphony Orchestra on
a month-long tour of Europe. For a
professional that engaged in a team
approach to health, I was astounded
Bronwen Ackermann works with violinist Christopher Moore.
that these highly skilled musicians had
only a rudimentary understanding of
health and, worse still, they received I searched literature trying to find same instrument, and it was not my
no formal training in their studies, scientific articles on musicians' injuries job to enter a pedagogical debate but
despite the incredibly challenging and how to best manage them. The to try to fit my health approach to
physical nature of their work. available articles reported the problem the style of the musician seeking help.
Having suffered a soft palate injury of high rates of injury in musicians, Orchestras increasingly began to invite
that prematurely halted any potential but did not outline best practice to me to run health workshops with their
career as a clarinetist, I had assumed manage these injuries. musicians, and every day my skills
that musicians who progressed further The logical step was to approach the were pushed and extended to best
than myself in their studies would be University of Sydney asking how to meet their needs.
educated in physical health as part of progress this field and perhaps write These early collaborations with
their curriculum. an article on my thoughts. Somehow musicians, music educators and health
My enthusiasm was evident, often I left the office with a PhD applica- professionals made it clear to me that
bombarding musicians with politically tion in my pocket! Many of my PhD the only way I could do my job well
incorrect questions such as, "Doesn't research projects were conducted in was to really understand what the
it hurt when you bend your wrist that music colleges, with the support and musicians needed to not only play
much to play the flute?" and "Don't assistance of a few key supportive and pain free, but with the best ease of
you get back pain playing the bass interested music educators. As my movement in a way that optimized the
with that slouched posture?" The instrument-specific health knowledge sound quality.
players' defense, in trying to explain increased, I started receiving invita- In 2002, I was fortunate enough
to me why they did things their way, tions to talk to the students about how to win the prestigious Churchill
engaged and encouraged me to discuss to best manage their health. Teachers Fellowship that allowed me to travel
and understand why that was neces- freely gave me lessons on many internationally to meet colleagues
sary when it might put stress on body different instruments so I could better working in musicians' health around
structures. Exploring alternatives that understand the mechanics and physi- the world. This multidisciplinary and
required small physical adjustments cal demands, and they directed me to international group of clinical and
but markedly reduced the strain were landmark publications in their peda- research health professional colleagues
readily accepted once musicians found gogical area. It was abundantly clear were another important group of col-
this freedom resulted in improved per- that opinions varied greatly between laborators, with our respective skills
formance quality and endurance. musicians and music educators of the able to combine to provide greater

AMERICAN MUSIC TEACHER 23

This content downloaded from

137.122.8.73 on Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:06:36 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
P5 •"
?£ PUY1NG ^
Bronwen Ackermann gives direction to clarinetist Shefali Pryor.
depth and understanding than more
than one person alone could achieve.
This was an invaluable learning experi-
ence; I was able to swap research ideas,
clinical approaches and ultimately
e-mails - all used well in my research
career!
Some examples of collaborative projects
include: developing an online health-
training curriculum for college music
students (www.soundperformers.com) ,
designing and trialling a range of
health assessments and interventions in
a large national work health and safety
project with the major state orchestras
in Australia (Sound Practice); acting
as a key advisor to the Australian
National Academy of Music (ANAM)
in establishing and running a health
and well-being program for elite
musical performers. One of the key
music educators at ANAM involved
in the health and well-being program,
Howard Penny (a professional cellist)
states:
As my awareness of the biomechan- C - Communicate openly. As of
health professional our role is to
ics of playing increased, my playing
24 JUNE/JULY
137.122.8.73 on Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:06:36 UTC
understand what the music student
needs, and to collaborate as a team
with practicable and effective strategies
to reduce the risk of problems while
still enhancing playing.
A - Adapt your approaches to inte-
grate solutions that are specific to the
player.
R - Respect each other. There is a
certain amount of trust in trying new
ideas and collaborations, and this trust
emerges from respect.
E - Encourage each other to contin-
ue to do better in resolving musicians'
health issues. My biggest encouragers
and challengers have been the musi-
cians themselves.
Notes
1 . Bronwen Ackermann, Tim
Driscoll and Dianna T. Kenny (2012),
Musculoskeletal pain and injury in
professional orchestral musicians in
efficiency improved enormously
Australia.
and continues to improve, while my Med. Probi Perform. Art.
27, 183-189; Martin Fishbein, Susan
teaching has become so much more
streamlined and effective. I now
E. Middlestadt, Victor Ottati, Susan
Straus and Allen Ellis (1988), Medical
have both the tools and vocabulary
problems among ICSOM musicians:
to communicate healthy practice
overview of a national survey. Med.
and playing techniques to my stu-
dents and have had extraordinary
Probi. Perform. Art. 3, 1-8; Rachel
Leaver, E. Clare Harris and Keith T.
successes with playing optimisation,
injury prevention and recovery.Palmer (2011), Musculoskeletal pain
in elite professional musicians from
British symphony orchestras. Occup.
There have been many other musi-
Med. 61, 549-555; Helene M. Paarup,
cians' health projects that have been
shaped and developed by understand-Jesper Baelum, Jonas W. Holm, Claus
Manniche and Niels Wedderkopp
ing and discussing the specific require-
ments of the music organization,(201 1), Prevalence and consequenc-
using
scientific and medical knowledgeesto of musculoskeletal symptoms in
underpin approaches. These projectssymphony orchestra musicians vary
by gender: a cross-sectional study.
have reflected a result of a willingness
BMC Musculoskelet. Disord. 12:223
of all stakeholders to be open mind-
ed and work together and has led10.1186/1471-2474-12-223.
to
incredibly satisfying advances. 2. Sonia Ranelli, Leon Straker and
Anne Smith (2008), Prevalence of
Perhaps the best way to summarize
playing-related
the key to successful collaborations is musculoskeletal symp-
to think of the anachronism "CARE"toms and disorders in children learning
of the music student: instrumental music. Medical Problems
a Performing Artists, 23(4), 178.
AMT
2015
This content downloaded from
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms