Wellness for Musicians: An Introduction

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The modern performer has many challenges in the modern world of the arts. Pressures to win auditions and jobs are compounded by pressures to ensure that arts programs and organizations continue and thrive. Modern technology, while advancing many aspects of the performing arts, also seem to cut into daily lives and habits, while concern mounts in the United States about rising obesity rates and the concurrent diseases and conditions that follow upon them. Musicians are urged to perform “higher, faster, louder” to match the exacting standards of a paying public, while university curricula pack more and more items in to meet the challenges of training the twenty first-century performer.

Daunting as the trappings may be, the pursuit of creative performance is one that many before and after us will continue to follow. It is increasingly obvious that some of the former expectations about the life of a performer are being challenged; some of the predictions about what must happen to a performer’s health and wellness are not only unfounded but changeable. It is increasingly important for young artists entering the performing fields to learn about the ways in which their craft can be pursued in ways that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and that they learn to guard against injury and promote a life-long expression of musical wellness.

Wellness for Musicians: An Introduction provides an introduction to several topics, some of which have been pointed out as areas of concern by various accrediting bodies, including the National Association of Schools of Music. Of especial concern are the health and safety issues inherent in preventing hearing loss and other performance-related injuries. This publication also offers exclusive student access to the KHQ study app. In addition, chapters relevant to a collegiate musician, including nutrition, general wellness, performance anxiety, and drug abuse are included.