Musician's well-being includes the whole body
Musician's well-being includes the whole body
As part of the CCA Wellness Week, guest clinician Dr. Jason Gross led an engaging whole-body workshop for students in the Music department this past Thursday. Dr. Gross is a local chiropractor, owner of Peak Performance Chiropractic, and has worked with performers of all kinds for over 20 years.
Performers on any instrument often ignore their kinesthetic sense, which can lead to debilitating performance problems and shorten their careers. The typical curriculum for performance majors includes little to no training in human anatomy and healthy ergonomic movement. This workshop was initiated in order to begin to address this glaring deficit.
While we watch the Olympics and see the support that often surrounds these elite athletes, a musician is most likely alone, dealing with all the same emotional and physical outcomes of their performance. Just like other athletes, we move to make our living.
Dr. Gross’s workshop addressed the whole body. He offered exercises that one could do easily in the practice room to release stored tension in both the upper and lower body. Students were eager to interact with Dr. Gross, many having already experienced physical limitations that are affecting their performance. We hope to bring him back to address many of the specific issues that were introduced during this valuable interaction. Special thanks go to the Focus program, which is highlighting Health and Well-being this year. This workshop was funded with their support.