A FREE event at St Nicholas Church, Dyke Rd; Brighton.
Saturday May 19th 2012, 4-5pm.
Part of the series, The Musicians Body.
Presented by Music Of Our Time and supported by BAPAM.
Violinists and viola players – would you like to find out more about how to optimise your playing?
Postgraduate student and violinist, Dr Alison Loram, is looking for student, professional and amateur violinists and viola players for her study.
The study, in collaboration with University College London and Manchester Metropolitan University, aims to understand more about the neuromuscular aspects of playing the violin/viola, and the effects that these may have upon musculoskeletal and other playing-related problems.
Alison believes that violinists and viola players taking part will benefit from the insights gained: “You will have the opportunity to see how your neck and shoulder muscles are involved in holding and playing your instrument, the bodily movements you make, and how these may be optimised to enhance your playing and reduce/prevent muscular tension”.
The study is open to any student, professional or experienced amateur (regardless of whether or not you have playing-related problems), and will involve attending one individual 2-hour session during May, July/August or September. The confidential session (to be held at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester City Centre near to the Royal Northern College of Music), will involve standing and playing your instrument for very short periods whilst your muscular activity and movements are recorded and analysed using ultrasound scanning and movement analysis equipment. No preparation is required.
Participation is voluntary and you can leave the research at any time. If you agree to participate in the study, you will be given a detailed information sheet and a consent form.
For further details or to sign up for the study, please contact Dr Alison Loram directly by emailing alison@loram8.freeserve.co.uk
Please share this article amongst any family, friends or colleagues you think may be interested in participating.
Note: This research project is not being conducted by BAPAM. The project has official ethics approval from UCL (University College of London) and is covered by UCL’s data protection protocol.
Friday March 16th: Neurology advisor to BAPAM (and keen musician!), Dr Mark Edwards, will take part in The Performing Brain, a fun, interactive evening presented by the Science team at the British Library and UCL Neuroscience, involving researchers from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and the UCL Institute of Neurology.
Have you ever wondered how a ballerina learns to pirouette? Or how musicians learn their art? Or even what happens to your own brain when you learn a new skill?
Join neuroscientists, musicians and dancers as together we explore how fantastically plastic your brain is, giving you the extraordinary ability to adapt and learn throughout your life.
More information and tickets here.
Click on the image for the event flyer.
The London Cello Society‘s Well-being for Cellists workshop takes place on Sunday 13th March 2011 at the Royal Academy of Music. Expert presenters, Katherine Butler (Preventing Hand Injuries), Selma Gocken (Alexander Technique), Erika Klemperer (Psychodynamic Psychotherapy) and Felicity Vincent (Pilates Method) discuss:
How do we play our instrument in harmony with our design?
How can we take advantage of the wonderful natural coordination we possess as human beings?
How can we pass on to our students the knowledge that will prevent injuries?
What are the emotional challenges of our profession and how do they affect our well-being?
The event costs £50 or just £25 for students/concessions with a 25% discount for LCS members.
Click here for more information and to book your place.
Upper limb and breathing issues for performers.
Take a look at the Draft schedule for our November 13th 2010 Training Day (click link). The event takes place at King’s College, London, and features:
French horn-playing, flautist, ergonomist and neuro-anatomist, Dr. Alan Watson, on structures of breath control and injury prevention for musicians and vocalists.
Alexander Technique teacher and trombonist, Tom Clough considers breath control in a practical session with professional brass player, Nick Wright.
Voice Coach, Ian MacDonald, on voice problems of singers and other professional voice users.
Consultant Rheumatologist, Professor Howard Bird, and Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon, Mr Ian Winspur, share their wealth of knowledge about upper limb injuries and non-specific arm pain in musicians. Later on, Ian Winspur will run a session focusing specifically on musicians’ hand injuries.
The day concludes with workshops focusing on percussion and we’ll be looking at playing technique as well as common problems. Hand Therapists, Joan Warrington and Katherine Butler, will look at the practical aspects of examining the hand.
This event costs £65 (£45 for students). To book your place please contact clare@bapam.org.uk and feel free to call us on 020 7404 5888 if you would like more information.
BAPAM training days may be used as part of your CPD portfolio.
More information about our training events can be found on the Training and Professional Development section of our website.
Want free advice on injury prevention and hearing protection from a world class musician?
Janet Horvath, the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra, author of the book, Playing (Less) Hurt -An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians, and long time member of the Performing Arts Medical Association, contacted BAPAM to tell us about her imminent Playing(Less)Hurt seminar.
The Minnesota Orchestra is performing at the Proms and while in London, Janet will be giving one of her seminars on injury prevention and hearing protection.
The workshop will take place at the Westminster Reference Library of the Performing Arts on Friday August 27th, 2:00 to 4:00 pm, 35 St Martins St. London WC2H 7HP (Leicester Square Tube).
The seminar is pertinent to all instrumentalists in any genre and at any level, and the teachers and health professionals who work with them.
The talk is free and open to the public. For more information please see Janet Horvath’s website.
Want to know how to help keep yourself healthy whether studying, rehearsing for a gig, or performing?
These tips are taken from the BAPAM factsheet, Don’t cramp your style – Warm-up exercises for performers, also available as an A2 poster or pocket-sized concertina version. To order printed versions have a look at our Health Resources page, where you’ll also find a lot more useful information for all performing artists. All our factsheets are produced with financial support from the Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Ten Top Health Tips for Musicians:
1. Don’t suddenly increase the time you spend rehearsing or studying (maximum 10-minute increase per day). You should increase by ten minutes each day for three days and keep at this level for the rest of the week.
2. Leave more difficult passages and pieces for towards the middle of your practice session, when your muscles are ready and not yet tired out. Increase the speed, difficulty and intensity of the pieces you are playing as you progress though the session.
3. Don’t become obsessed with repeating a passage or gesture that you can’t quite get right. Look for alternatives.
4. Take a five-minute break every half-hour.
5. If your muscles feel overloaded, do some stretching.
6. Do as much as you can to optimise your working environment: think about lighting, noise levels, temperature. Make sure your daily routine – eating, sleeping, exercise – works for you.
7. Don’t play at the time of day when you’re most tired.
8. NEVER play if you are experiencing pain. If you feel any pain, stop playing and do some gentle stretching. If such pain does not go away or if it reappears in subsequent sessions, see a specialist in Performing Arts Medicine.
9. Do exercises to stretch your muscles before playing and whenever you feel like or need it.
10. Make sure you find time for warming up and stretching. You know you will enjoy it and it will make you feel great!
