The Athletic Musician - a guide to playing without pain

Author: Barbara Paull & Christine Harrison
Publishing Details: Publisher, year
ISBN: 0810833565

This is not, as the title might suggest, a book for musicians who are also fine athletes! The title is largely based upon physiotherapist Barbara Paull's opinion that in many ways the physical and psychological demands of the musician and athlete are similar. She states

"Both musicians and athletes place tremendous demands upon their bodies, practicing their skills for many hours and stressing themselves physically and psychologically in competition and in the pursuit of excellence. Discounting athletes engaged in contact or high risk sports, it seems fair to compare musicians with ball players, swimmers or track and field eventers. All are involved in hard, repetitive, physical work and are under constant pressure to perform well."

In conjunction with freelance professional violinist Christine Harrison, Barbara Paull, a highly experienced orthopedic physiotherapist, has written an excellent book on the treatment and prevention of injury in musicians. What we do with our bodies during practice can often be a major contributing factor in the prevention or creation of injury and is of crucial importance to the quality of our performance. Of particular interest, is co-author Christine Harrison's account of her own journey from injury to recovery and her eventual return to playing through the treatment of Barbara Paull. As well as a very useful chapter on anatomy for musicians, areas covered include advice on posture for standing and siting, stretching and strengthening exercises and the important role mental rehearsal can play in reducing the likelihood of injury whilst increasing the productivity of practice. The Athletic Musician - a guide to playing without pain should be on every instrument teacher and musician's book shelf.

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