No pain no gain? Idiots only!
Musicians Need to Pay Attention to Their Health Too!
Some Say, “No Pain, No Gain”? I Say, “Only for the Foolish!”
Unfortunately, you hear it every now and then on the news: a young footballer suffers cardiac arrest on the pitch. And then everyone starts shouting like a herd of unhinged buffalo: “Mandatory regular medical check-ups for athletes, now!” They’re right, but hey, apparently no one thinks about musicians? Professional musicians are also top athletes! Not convinced? Read on! Playing music at a professional level is comparable to top sport.
Listen to Your Body: No Pain, No Gain is a Myth
We all say “no pain, no gain” with a laugh, but pain is a signal from your body to tell you that you are going beyond human limits and should stop. Ignoring pain can damage your body in the short and long term. When your body says “stop,” you should stop! Pushing through the pain can result in being out of business for months due to overloading your body. So, say “enough for today,” or “I don’t play music and guitar today.”
The Need for Mandatory Medical Supervision for Music Students
In hindsight, something I missed very much, and I don’t think has changed yet, is mandatory medical supervision for music students. At the Belgian music school, there wasn’t even a word about health and the physical load on a musician’s body, as if this were taboo. In contrast, at Musicians Institute Hollywood in Los Angeles, a lot of attention was paid to this. Say what you will about the Americans, but in many areas, they are 50 years ahead of us!
Learning from Experience
At Musicians Institute, it was not taboo when a music teacher struggled with his health, so the students could see the negative sides of playing music. For example, one of my guitar teachers, Ken Steiger, was “out” for six months because of tingling and reduced sensation in his left hand—a real nightmare for a metal shredder! The result was surgery on pinched spinal nerves and six months out. At Musicians Institute, there was also teaching about which instrument gives which load to the body, and we received specific exercises and two clear messages: 1. Pain is not normal. Stop playing and consult a specialist if you have recurring pain. 2. One hour of guitar practice equals 50 minutes of playing and 10 minutes of physiotherapy exercises.