Physical Health
Recommended Books
The print Music Collection includes many resources on the physical health of practice and performance, especially under ML 3820 (Physiological aspects of music). Additional books are shelved in the General Collection on the upper floors of Bracken and in the Health Collection of the Health Library, located in the Health Professions Building, Room HB101. The recommended books below are sorted by their call numbers to ease browsing. Hover over the info icon to see a description of the book.
Playing (Less) Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians by
Making music at any level is a powerful gift. While musicians have endless resources for learning the basics of their instruments and the theory of music, few books have explored the other subtleties and complexities that musicians face in their quest to play with ease and skill. The demands of solitary practice, hectic rehearsal schedules, challenging repertoire, performance pressures, awkward postures, and other physical strains have left a trail of injured, hearing-impaired, and frustrated musicians who have had few resources to guide them. Playing Less Hurt addresses this need with specific tools to avoid and alleviate injury. Impressively researched, the book is invaluable not only to musicians, but also to the coaches and medical professionals who work with them. Everyone from dentists to orthopedists, audiologists to neurologists, massage therapists and trainers will benefit from Janet Horvath's coherent account of the physiology and psyche of a practicing musician. Writing with knowledge, sympathetic insight, humor, and aplomb, Horvath has created an essential resource for all musicians who want to play better and feel better.
Call Number: ML3820 .H6 2010Publication Date: 2010
Teaching Healthy Musicianship: The Music Educator's Guide to Injury Prevention and Wellness by
Written by a professional musician who is also a certified occupational therapist, Teaching Healthy Musicianship first and foremost help music educators avoid common injuries that they themselves encounter, and in the process it also equips them with the tools they need to instill healthy musicianship practices in their students. Author Nancy Taylor combines her two unique skill sets to provide a model for injury prevention that is equally cognizant of the needs of music educators and their students. Through practical explanation of body mechanics, ergonomics, and the performance-related health problems and risk factors unique to musicianship, she gives music educators the tools they need to first practice healthy posture, body mechanics, environmental safety, and ergonomics, and then to introduce these same practices to their students. Thoroughly illustrated with 125 photographs, this book is a key resource for preservice and inservice teachers of middle school and high school band, orchestra, choir and general music.
Call Number: ML3820 .T39 2016Publication Date: 2016
The Biology of Musical Performance and Performance-Related Injury by
Music performance requires a high degree of physical skill, yet until recently musical training has paid little attention to the considerable demands made on both mind and body. The Biology of Musical Performance and Performance-Related Injury gives singers and instrumentalists accurate information on the physical processes that underlie their craft. It provides a concise overview of the biological principles associated with performance technique while assuming no prior scientific knowledge, making the information accessible to both musicians and health professionals who treat performance-related medical conditions.
Call Number: ML3820 .W27 2009Publication Date: 2009
The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness by
In The Musician's Way, veteran performer and educator Gerald Klickstein combines the latest research with his 30 years of professional experience to provide aspiring musicians with a roadmap to artistic excellence. Part I, Artful Practice, describes strategies to interpret and memorize compositions, fuel motivation, collaborate, and more. Part II, Fearless Performance, lifts the lid on the hidden causes of nervousness and shows how musicians can become confident performers. Part III, Lifelong Creativity, surveys tactics to prevent music-related injuries and equips musicians to tap their own innate creativity. Written in a conversational style, The Musician's Way presents an inclusive system for all instrumentalists and vocalists to advance their musical abilities and succeed as performing artists.
Call Number: MT75 .K74 2009Publication Date: 2009
The Musician's Breath: The Role of Breathing in Human Expression by
Examining breath in its role as the "delivery system" for ideas in musical performance, this provocative book makes a compelling case for the power of submitting oneself to its miracles. The study is divided into two sections--the first discussing the "why" of breathing and the second providing the "how" with practical applications for singers, instrumentalists, and conductors. Unique perspectives on the practice of yoga and other paradigms help to reveal the breath's potential, ensuring that all musicians--from choral directors to solo instrumentalists--can deepen their understanding of human expression through this simple practice.
Call Number: MT878 .J67 2011Publication Date: 2011
The Voice Book: Caring For, Protecting, and Improving Your Voice by
More than 30 million Americans rely on their voices for their jobs--from teachers, religious leaders, and entertainers to lawyers, executives, salespeople, and doctors. A controlled voice increases self-confidence and enhances charisma, approachability, and trustworthiness. Yet an astounding 30 percent of professionals develop preventable vocal problems that could ruin their careers. And most do not know that both the quality and tone of one's voice can be changed. The Voice Book: Caring For, Protecting, and Improving Your Voice is a one-of-a-kind reference that will save and improve your voice, your job, and your personal life. With dozens of vocal exercises and a detailed guide to the anatomy and physiology of voice, the book covers the full range of vocal health, from protecting against hoarseness and laryngitis to expanding speaking range and enhancing voice tone and quality. Illustrations, photographs, FAQs, and an accompanying CD make The Voice Book the first vocal self-help book of its kind and a must-read for anyone who wants a dependable, strong, and engaging voice.
Call Number: QP306 .D48 2009 (Health Collection)Publication Date: 2009
The Use of the Self: Its Conscious Direction in Relation to Diagnosis Functioning and the Control of Reaction by
The world famous classic by the originator of the Alexander Technique, with a new perspective by Anthony Kingsley. Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. In his twenties, he became a professional reciter of dramatic pieces. After almost completely losing his voice he pioneered a method of improving the 'use' of his body musculature in all positions and movements and cured his vocal problems without medical aid. Alexander then realised that most people stood, sat, and moved in a defective manner and that incorrect 'use of the self' might be the cause of much human suffering. He moved to London and established a school, publishing several books and achieving success, with recommendations from famous contemporaries such as Aldous Huxley and Sir Stafford Cripps. Alexander died in 1955 but his 'principle' lives on through the work of many teachers of his method.
Call Number: RA781.5 .A5 2018 (General Collection)Publication Date: 2018
Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique by
A musician's life is filled with many stressful situations: passing auditions, rehearsing and performing with difficult partners, sitting for long hours in uncomfortable chairs, going on stage to face audiences large and small, who may or may not be receptive to the performance they are presented. And yet many musicians are able to surmount these looming obstacles with grace and balance, to find satisfaction and artistry in their music and build productive and lasting careers. Indirect Procedures will guide you around these obstacles and along that path to becoming a balanced and successful musician. Based on the work of Frederick Matthias Alexander, this book is a thorough and practical approach to the issues of musicians' health and wellbeing. Author Pedro de Alcantara introduces concepts and exercises for musicians to let go of excessive tensions, stay focused, and direct their energies as they handle the challenges of practicing, rehearsing, and performing. Complemented by an extensive, easy-to-use companion website, and working alongside Integrated Practice, this new edition of Indirect Procedures is an invaluable and essential resource for today's musicians to learn to sing, play, and conduct with less effort and stronger results.
Call Number: RC965.P46 A43 2013 (General Collection)Publication Date: 2013
Musicians' Injuries: A Guide to Their Understanding and Prevention by Call Number: RC965.P46 C85 1998 (General Collection)Publication Date: 1998
The Musician's Survival Manual: A Guide to Preventing and Treating Injuries in Instrumentalists by
Contents: Overuse injuries: recognition and prevention * Nonsurgical treatment of upper extremity disorders in instrumentalists * Problems in the neck region * Thoracic outlet syndrome * Back and seating problems in musicians * Shoulder problems * Cubital tunnel syndrome: nerve entrapment at the elbow * Carpal tunnel syndrome * De Quervain's disease: tendinitis at the base of the thumb * Problems of flutists * The "lazy finger" syndrome: tendon variations of the pinkie * Focal dystonia (occupational cramp) * Therapeutic exercise for musicians * Returning to play after injury * Stage fright
Call Number: RC965.P46 N67 1993 (General Collection)Publication Date: 1993
Interlibrary Loan
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.