Musician’s Health and Safety
All Bradley University students, faculty and staff should be familiar with basic information about the maintenance of health and safety within the contexts of practice, performance, teaching, and listening. It is important to note that musical health and safety depends largely on each individual making informed decisions. The information introduced on this page is largely generic. Anyone who feels they have an injury should consult a medical professional. Musician’s Health and Safety is a lifetime effort and every individual involved in Music at Bradley is urged to stay informed of current research and practice that will contribute to lifelong musical enjoyment.
Musculoskeletal Health and Injury
Anyone who practices, rehearses or performs music has the potential to suffer an injury. Molly Sloter is a certified Andover Educator and available to all students, faculty and staff. “The mission of Andover Educators is to put music training on a secure somatic foundation so that all musicians, amateur and professional alike, may play free of pain and injury with increasing enjoyment and skill.” (1)
Recommended readings include, but are not limited to:
- Body Mapping
- The Role of Rest, by Ralph A. Manchester (pdf)
- A Painful Melody: Repetitive Strain Injury Among Musicians, by Tamara Mitchell (pdf)
Protecting Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a gradual process that may not be noticed for years. The two most common causes of inner ear hearing loss are noise/music exposure and hearing loss associated with aging. While aging is not preventable, hearing loss associated with loud music or loud noise is certainly preventable.
Recommended readings include, but are not limited to:
- Music Induced Hearing Loss and Hearing Protection, by John F. King, Au.D.
- Hear the Music, Hearing Loss Prevention for Musicians (pdf)
- OSHA: Noise/Hearing Conservation
- University College London Hearing Loss Demonstrator
Psychological Health
The Bradley University Wellness Program strives to offer current and accurate health information while encouraging smart and healthy behavioral choices. The Wellness family collaborates to provide current and effective programming for physical and mental wellness in order to promote student success. Bradley University Counseling is a division of Health Services. We believe in the importance of understanding that the mind and body are not mutually exclusive and that health is obtained from addressing the needs of both.
- MusiciansWay.Com
- Performance Anxiety
- Conquering performance anxiety from inside out, by Helen Spielman (pdf)
Recommended Books related to Psychological Health
Green, Barry and W. Timothy Gallwey. The Inner Game of Music. Doubleday, 1986.
Ristad, Eloise. A Soprano on Her Head: Right-Side-Up Reflections on Life and Other Performances. Real People Press, 1981.