My Zen Background I was initially drawn into the idea of Zen when I went to the Toledo [Ohio] Museum of Art in 2017. That was when I saw a collection of ancient miniature statues from Asia. I was particularly drawn to a Tibetan Buddha, with a gorgeous copper-green patina. It took almost three years […]
When she was only four years old, Dr. Tara Rajendran watched as her grandmother suffered from and eventually succumbed to leukemia. While certainly sad at this loss, she was taken, even at such a tender age, by how her grandmother seemed to feel less anxiety and pain whenever Carnatic music, the classical music of her […]
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 […]
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 […]