Run For Your Life

By CSU Media | January 10, 2018

The Horton School of Music is offering a seminar designed to teach singers and musicians how to take care of their bodies. Demands are placed on the voice that can produce wear and tear. In addition, musicians must guard against repetitive-use injuries.

“Health and safety for musicians is frequently overlooked,” said HSM Chair, Jennifer Luiken. “We really want to emphasize to our students the importance of musculoskeletal, hearing and mental health.”

Students and faculty who attend the seminar will learn how to prepare for health and safety concerns encountered during intensive music study, as well as into their professional careers. Topics to be presented include voice and hearing protection, vocal health and repetitive use injuries. Dr. Jill Terhaar Lewis, professor of music, explains that “singers must be in tiptop shape to access the full range of their voices. A simple cold can bench a singer for a month, making them unable to perform at full capacity.”

Research continues on the impact of loud sounds on students and teachers. Hearing protection is a new and developing field for musicians.

The Musicians Health and Safety Seminar will be Thursday, Jan. 18 from 2 – 3:20 p.m. in the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership.

For additional information, contact Dr. Lewis at jlewis@csuniv.edu.