Musician's Wellness Team at Michigan State University

A research, teaching, and clinical resource for musicians at MSU.

Team Members

Janine Gaboury-Sly, French Horn

David N. Grimshaw, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Peter Lapine, Vocal Care

Michael Largey, Musicology

Judy Palac, Coordinator, Music Education

Larry Rush, Physical Therapy and Ergonomics

Frederick Tims, Music Therapy

Dianne Ulibarri, Kinesiology

Mission Statement

The Musician’s Wellness Team at Michigan State University seeks to address three issues in musician’s health in a multidisciplinary approach:

• Treatment of Musical Injuries 
  The team seeks to provide access matching students’ health needs, whether they be vocal, auditory, neuromusculoskeletal, or psychological, to the right treatment resources on and off campus. A referral form to Larry Rush, musician’s health specialist at Olin Health Center, is available on this web site and through College of Music faculty members.

• Education Toward Healthy Musicianship 
  The team seeks to collaborate with College of Music faculty and other health professionals on and off campus in developing prevention strategies such as exercise classes and informational sessions on specific topics such as stage fright, hearing protection, posture, etc. It aims to be visible and accessible for consultation with students and faculty.

• Research
  The team seeks to develop a research agenda on issues such as the pedagogy of healthy performance on various instruments and voice, access to appropriate health care for musicians, the biomechanics of healthy musicianship, and ethnographic issues in musical wellness. Team members also desire to help graduate music students who wish to develop a concentration in an area of musical wellness find appropriate coursework and research resources.

Current Offerings in Musical Wellness

• The Wellness Hour, a series of occasional talks and hands-on sessions on such topics as exercise, Alexander technique, body-friendly playing technique, and hearing conservation, on Fridays at 1:50 p.m.

• Music 491, section 003, Spring 06—Healthy Musicianship. This course is designed to help music students form and maintain healthy lifestyle habits with particular emphasis on performance and practice. We'll explore the use of nutrition, exercise and body use techniques to prevent musical injury. Pertinent information from the medical and movement sciences will also be presented. We’ll also discuss such topics as stage fright, voice care, and hearing protection. All music majors are welcome! Taught by Judy Palac, team members, and guests.

• Music 891, Fall 06—Graduate Seminar in Healthy Musicianship. This course will focus on research foundations in issues of musicians’ health. Taught by Judy Palac, team members, and guests.

• Team members are available to make presentations to studio classes, ensembles, and other groups.

Contact
Name:  Judy Palac
Phone: (517) 355-7665
Email:  palac@msu.edu

Forms

Referral Form

= Microsoft Word Document