Hearing, Vocal, Mental, and Musculoskeletal Health

Hearing health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician.

• Noise-­‐induced hearing loss is largely preventable. You must avoid overexposure to loud sounds, especially for long periods of time.
• The closer you are to the source of a loud sound, the greater the risk of damage to your hearing mechanisms.
• Risk of hearing loss is based on a combination of sound or loudness intensity and duration.
• Loudness intensity is measured in decibels (dB).
• Recommended maximum daily exposure times (NIOSH) to sounds at or above 85 dB are as follows:
  • 85 dB (vacuum cleaner, MP3 player at 1/3 volume) – 8 hours90 dB (blender, hair dryer) – 2 hours
  • 94 dB (MP3 player at 1/2 volume) – 1 hour
  • 100 dB (MP3 player at full volume, lawnmower) – 15 minutes
  • 110 dB (rock concert, power tools) – 2 minutes
  • 120 dB (jet planes at take-­‐off) – without ear protection, sound damage is almost immediate
• Sounds over 85 dB (your typical vacuum cleaner) in intensity pose the greatest risk to your hearing.
  Certain behaviors (controlling volume levels in practice and rehearsal, avoiding noisy environments, turning down the volume) reduce your risk of hearing loss. Be mindful of those MP3 earbuds. See chart above.
• According to the most recent research, controlling volume by playing with a variety of dynamic ranges is one of the best ways to protect your hearing in any practice or performance environment, regardless of room size.
• The use of earplugs and earmuffs helps to protect your hearing health in cases where you cannot control volume (e.g., performances of loud music), but is not as effective as.
• Foam earplugs are available in the dean’s assistant’s office for your use in loud situations.
• Brass and percussion players
  may want to invest in custom molded earplugs.
• Day-­‐to-­‐day decisions can impact your hearing health, both now and in the future. Since sound exposure occurs in and out of school, you also need to learn more and take care of your own hearing health on a daily basis. See other resources on this page for more information, and consider enrolling in the Healthy Musicianship course.
• If you are concerned about your personal hearing health, contact Olin Health Center.
• If you are concerned about your hearing health in relationship to your program of study, consult Judy Palac, chair of the Musicians’ Wellness Team- National Association of Schools of Music and the Performing Arts Medicine Association

ed. by Judy Palac

Neuromusculoskeletal health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician. Practicing and performing music is physically demanding, and musicians are susceptible to numerous neuromusculoskeletal disorders. Some musculoskeletal disorders are related to behavior; others are genetic; still others are
the result of trauma or injury. Some genetic conditions can increase a person’s risk of developing certain behavior-­‐related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. However, many of these are preventable or treatable. Following are tips to stay healthy:

• Warm up physically, away from the instrument, as well as musically, before playing. Stretch when taking a break or when finished. Do not stretch when cold.
  Maintain proper body alignment and balance. Your applied teacher, the Healthy Musicianship course, as well as somatic education classes such as yoga, Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Body Mapping can be of aid in this.
• Take regular breaks during practice and rehearsal. 10 minutes out of every hour of practice is recommended for healthy musicians.
• Make sure your equipment fits you. Most instruments can be modified to the player’s needs in some way-­‐-­‐whether by moving a key, adding a thumb pad, etc
• Avoid sudden increases in practice times.
• Know your body and its limits, and avoid “overdoing it.”
• Try to get 7-­‐9 hours of sleep a night, eat a diet of colorful, non-­‐processed foods, and drink 6-­‐8 glasses of water a day.
• If you experience pain from playing or singing that does not go away or get better within 48 hours, you should make an appointment with a medical professional at Olin Health Center.
• If you are concerned about your neuromusculoskeletal health in relationship to your program of study, speak with your applied teacher first. If you are experiencing chronic issues, contact Judy Palac, chair of the Musicians’ Wellness Team, for an appointment at the monthly Consult and Refer clinic held by the team.
• To learn more about protecting and enhancing your musical health over your lifetime, see other resources on this page, or consider enrolling in the Healthy Musicianship class.

National Association of Schools of Music and Performing Arts Medicine
Association edited by Judy Palac

To better ensure a long healthy career-­‐-­‐whether singing or teaching-­‐-­‐ keep your voices healthy. There is no better time to get to know what works for you than while you’re in school. Here are five tips to get you started:

• Speak well. Singers are trained to sing well, not speak well. Often their singing voices are healthier than their speaking voices. All musicians need to speak well, particularly those who teach. Spend 10 minutes or so on vocalises before beginning to speak each day. Sing your favorite and easiest vocalises to warm your speaking voice first thing in the morning. You’ll likely discover that your speaking tessitura will be optimal, have more resonance, and be more resistant to fatigue. Avoid screaming, shouting, and chronic coughing or throat-­‐clearing.
• Warm up to warm up. That is, before exercising the extremes of your voice, begin by vocalizing in your most comfortable octave at a comfortable dynamic. Once the voice feels easy, flexible and “warmed” (perhaps after about 10 minutes), then begin to expand outward into your low and high registers.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol. Consult a laryngologist regarding any medications or supplements you’re taking and how they
  might be affecting your voice.
• Hydrate. Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day, maintain an allergen-­‐free sleeping environment, buy a hygrometer for your bedroom and keep the humidity level around 35-­‐40%.
• See your doctor. Particularly if you are a singer, find the laryngologist nearest you and schedule a wellness visit when your voice is in top form. Ask that he or she take a headshot and video of your vocal folds and request a personal copy. This visual is helpful for comparisons when you’re
  not feeling your best or when travelling and seeing a voice doctor away from home.
• If you are experiencing an acute vocal issue, make an appointment with a health professional at Olin Health Center.
• If you are concerned about your vocal health in relationship to your program of study, consult your applied voice teacher first. If you are experiencing chronic issues, contact Judy Palac, chair
  of the Musicians’ Wellness Team, for an appointment at the monthly Consult and Refer clinic held by the team.
• To learn more, see other resources listed on this page, and considering enrolling in the Healthy Musicianship class.

National Association of Schools of Music and Performing Arts Medicine
Association. By Rachael Gates, edited by Judy Palac