Aside from the musical and technical pursuit of excellence, one of my duties is to encourage myself and others around me – students and colleagues alike – to engage in healthy habits for complementing music playing skills and promoting mental and physical longevity. Musicians may not be athletes, but our skills are still a form of physical activity; in some cases, requiring immense physical and mental endurance. This is especially true when we have to perform at a high level under pressure.

Continue reading “New Musician’s Wellness and Fitness Resources”

Sometimes orchestra rehearsals and concerts are not held in the most ideal spaces. Have you ever sat in a section with so little room that you had to contort your body and hold your instrument in the weirdest and most uncomfortable ways to make room for your bow and the musicians around you? Now imagine playing in a 3-hour rehearsal like this. To make things worse, the chairs are terrible and don’t allow both sit bones to distribute your weight evenly to align the back properly. Oh yea, and you also have to make sure that you can see your music and the conductor reliably.

 

Continue reading “Self-Maintenance and Recovery After Orchestra Rehearsals”