Stage fright is the bane of all performers – musicians, actors, lecturers, even professional athletes can all experience bouts of nervousness or even sheer terror before getting up in front of their respective audiences. The ability to get past stage fright (sometimes called “performance anxiety”), its causes, how to overcome it and climb up on […]
More evidence of the power and usefulness of music as a therapeutic tool recently came to light. During its June 25 broadcast, the program “Science Friday,” aired on National Public Radio, discussed a recent scientific study revealing that among people showing early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) “playing musical instruments, singing, or otherwise participating in […]
Music therapy is certainly one of those professions that can be considered a “calling.” Indeed, it is a field requiring the skill and training of a musician, combined with the clinical instincts of a medical professional, two very different sets of attributes. Tracy Wanamaker, MSEd, MT-BC, has some two decades of experience as both a […]
Q: How did you first get into music therapy? Julie: “I found out about music therapy back in high school band class when my teacher had us present a project featuring a music career other than performance or teaching. I found music therapy just searching through the internet and I immediately fell in love! I […]
Music is often described as “powerful.” A musical passage can rouse up and inspire a stadium full of people or bring a single person to tears. It can inspire, it can disappoint, and it can conjure up any human emotion from rage to joy. But can music provide therapeutic relief to people who are suffering […]
In his newest video, Dr. Randy Kertz discusses how to return to playing your instrument after an injury. If you want to get back to playing without risking re-injury, this month’s column is for you. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how musicians can avoid injury, how they can identify things they may do to cause […]
Written by a bass player for bass players, The Bassist’s Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health, in two volumes, is designed to point out common and not-so-common problems that the musician may encounter during practice or performing situations. These books, written by Dr. Randy Kertz, a regular contributor to Making Music and creator […]
It’s vocal month at Making Music, and in his newest video, Dr. Randy Kertz discusses the importance of good posture and breathing techniques for vocalists, and if you should find an expert to work on your intercostal muscles. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how musicians can avoid injury, how they can identify things they may […]
It’s the start of a new year, and Dr. Kertz reminds you this month of the basics of good posture habits to help prevent potential injuries and problems caused by tension from things like hunching over the laptop, holding the cell phone too often, or holding your instrument incorrectly. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how […]
Singing utlilizes contractions and muscle movements in the mouth, voice box, and diaphragm in a highly controlled way. The movements are on a smaller scale than if you were doing push-ups or running, but you still have to take care of your mind and body in order to sing properly. We all know that our […]