RESOURCES

General  Resource Books

The Alexander Technique for Musicians, by Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke.  A new and comprehensive guide specifically geared towards musicians by instructors at the Royal College of Music in London.

The Art of Practicing, by Madeline Bruser.  With a special focus on pianists' injuries, Bruser's book looks at different ergonomic setup improvements for instrumentalists, while also addressing practicing as a whole.

How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students, by Barbara Conable.  This was one of the textbooks for my initial Alexander technique class.  She has an initial book which I have not read, called "What Every Musicians Needs to Know About the Body."

The Musician's Way, by Gerald Klickstein.  This has numerous useful tips on effective practicing and more general injury management and prevention.

Playing Less Hurt, by Janet Horvath, an excellent resource all-around.

The Musician's Body, by Jaume Rosset I Llobet.  This is a user-friendly illustrated guide which is also great for young musicians.

The Athletic Musician, by Barbara Paull.

The Biology of Musical Performance and Performance-Related Injury, by Alan H.D. Watson.  This is a very detailed and dense survey of performance health issues.

General Multimedia

Athletes and the Arts.  This is another great resource from a more medical perspective.

American Society for the Alexander Technique: learn more about Alexander Technique or find a class/teacher near you.

Body Mapping- Learn more about body mapping and find a class or teacher near you.

Feldenkrais- Learn more about the method and find a class or teacher near you.

Healthcare for Artists.  This site acts as an outreach/advocacy toolfor musicians.

National Hearing Conservation Association.

New Orleans Musicians Clinic.  Since 1998, the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic (NOMC) has been dedicated to keeping New Orleans' performers alive in body, mind, and spirit by providing comprehensive health care and mental health/social services"

Performing Arts Medical Association.  This is a great resource for a more medical and technical focus on performing arts health issues, and moves beyond musicians to include dancers and actors.

Composed- A documentary by John Beder addressing performance anxiety, perfection, and beta blocker use in professional classical musicians.

Brass Playing

Broken Emboucheres, by Lucinda Lewis.  An excellent book detailing many of the common symptoms and causes of overuse syndrome in brass playing. 

Embouchere Rehabilitation, by Lucinda Lewis.  A follow-up work suggesting pathways to strengthening and returning to brass performance after embouchere issues.

The Balanced Embouchere, by Jeff Smiley.  Another perspective on finding balance between tension, release, resistance, and flow, from the perspective of a trumpeter.

FaceCharger, by Matthew Evans.  Bass trombonist Matthew Evans has done some interesting research on embouchure issues and ways to keep healthy supple tissues.

Blogs and Podcasts

Katy Says Alignment Matters, by Katy Bowman.  This fabulous and funny blog by Katy Bowman is a great go to on understanding some of the intricacies of our tissues, our patterning, and how we can change our less than optimal habits.  Katy also has a new podcast with some interesting musings.

Connecting Up the Dots, with John Austin.  An Alexander Teacher and musician explores the connections between music and AT.

Harmonious Bodies Podcast, with Diana Rumrill.  Diana is a physical therapist specializing in musicians working around the Washington, DC area.

MobilityWod, with Kelly Starrett.  This blog/vlog examines issues in athletic performance, injury, and pain in an often hilarious way.  Starrett is a PT, crossfit trainer, and coach, amongst other things, and has great insights on both athletic and anatomical issues.

The Corewalking Blog, with Jonathan FitzGordon.  Jonathan runs a program (both digital and classes) that looks at how we walk and how we can walk better.  As a basic human movement, walking is often neglected, and Jonathan's work and blog aims to correct our poor alignment and painful habits.

The Liberated Body, with Brooke Thomas.  This is a blog/podcast/ebook endeavor from rolfer, Yoga Tune Up® teacher, and huge awesome body nerd Brooke Thomas.  Her podcasts are awesome, and cover everything from natural movement to yoga injuries to postpartum issues. 

The Wholehearted Musician with Dana Fonteneau.  Dana is a cellist and somatic psychotherapist specializing in working with musicians.

The Yoga Tune Up® blog.  As a teacher of YTU®, I love reading muscle essays and ways to target specific issues in the body.  There are ball sequences, anatomy pointers, and tips for daily living pain-free.

Voice

The Singer's Guide to Complete Health, edited by Anthony F. Jahn.  Longtime NYC-based otolaryngologist compiles a series of chapters addressing a wide range of issues for singers, including sleep, hormones, pregnancy, obesity, and stress reduction, amongst others. 

The Owner's Manual to the Voice: A Guide for Singers and Other Professional Voice Users, by Rachel Gates. This comprehensive guide survey many of the common ailments and treatments for voice conditions, as understanding basic anatomy and function of the body as related to singing.

Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers, by Richard Miller.   An excellent resource for understanding issues with breath technique, resonance, posture, and more.