music related injuries

BassDad
Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:17:08 +0000

There are a number of things that you can do to prevent permanent injuries. Never omit warming up before and cooling down after a practice session or performance. Learn to use your body in such a way as to avoid tension, tightness and pressure. If you play an instrument, learn to let it do most of the work. Don’t try to push your limits too quickly; it takes a while to build your muscles up to peak condition. Learn to read the signals your body sends when it has had enough and respect those signals. Build some break time into practice sessions. Structure rehearsals to avoid prolonged overuse of the same body parts. Don’t try to perform physically demanding pieces before you are ready for them. Don’t schedule performances of those pieces too closely together once you are ready for them. Consider taking classes in Alexander Technique and yoga. Get enough sleep (he says at 2:15 AM.)