Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
The British Amp Invasion chronicles how a minor offshore industry quickly became a world leader and the choice of British guitar heroes and American arena stars alike. The book features backstage histories, compelling stories, and photographs to tell the story of amps made by Vox, Marshall, Hiwatt, Orange, Watkins, Selmer, Sound City, and more.
The British Amp Invasion: How Marshall, Hiwatt, Vox, and More Changed the Sound of Music, by Dave Hunter, Backbeat Books,
www.backbeatbooks.com.
Playing is all about repetition so overuse can be synonymous with a music career. Proper posture and holding an instrument correctly are key to avoiding strain. And, because certain muscles are used repeatedly when playing, musicians should take care not to overuse those muscles during other daily activities.
If possible, hold joints in a neutral position. For example, to prevent wrist tendonitis, keep your wrist in a straight position when not playing, instead of extremely bent or flexed. This will help alleviate the added stress placed on tendons during a performance. Also, as a preventative exercise, be sure to stretch regularly.
Early intervention means you should not play through the pain. Immediate treatment is essential to prevent long-term injury. Pay attention to your pain, noting changes or increases. Encourage students to tell parents or teachers when they experience pain. Teachers should also be alert to changes in a student’s technique or style.
Naming the pain is important. Tendonitis is inflammation (redness, swelling, heat, soreness) that occurs when the immune system detects an injury and responds. The body increases the flow of blood and infection-fighting substances to the injured tendon.
Tendonosis is a degenerative injury that does not prompt an immune response. It occurs when repetitive stress over time causes the breakdown of collagen, growth of abnormal blood vessels, and thickening of the tendon’s sheath. Research suggests that many injuries diagnosed as tendonitis are actually tendonosis.
Repeated or sustained muscular contraction associated with mastering virtually any musical instrument causes a decrease in blood flow to the working muscles and tendons. In the case of overuse injuries, the body is signaled to repair muscles that are not really damaged. The result is accumulation of scar tissue in otherwise healthy muscles and tendons, which increases stress on the tendons causing them to begin to degenerate.
Scar tissue prevents normal stretching and limits muscle contraction. This can cause decreased range of motion, decreased strength, fatigue, and pain. Physicians say pain is often the last symptom. The involved muscle is then weakened, requiring neighboring muscles to overwork. This cycle of increasing stress, buildup of scar tissue, and degeneration continues until the body can no longer compensate. The result is chronic pain.
If you have an audition, concert, or festival coming up, do not rehearse all night. Spread out practice sessions. Take a break after about 45 minutes, whenever possible. Researchers say the instance of injury goes up dramatically after 45 minutes of continuous activity. Adequate rest reduces muscle tension as do proper posture and body mechanics.
Also, do not dramatically increase playing time. As athletes can attest, this presents high injury risk. An average 5K runner would not suddenly run a marathon. In the off-season, athletes cross-train. So, when not at festivals, concerts, or auditions, take time to do other activities and exercises.
Cardiovascular exercise and moving in general are important, especially for musicians who spend a lot of time sitting. Critical to handling, moving, and supporting instruments is strengthening other muscles: the core, upper back, and shoulders all support areas of your body used when playing.
Back pain and pain of the upper extremities are common, whether it’s shoulder pain for high string and flute players or elbow strain for violinists. Bowing techniques put strain on the right shoulder and elbow. Brass players may have back pain, consistent with having to support heavy instruments. The list goes on.
Watch a video of your performance or practice to critically review your stance and playing position. Ask yourself: Do I seem to have excessive tension? Where is that tension showing up? Is it one-sided? Does it appear in my shoulders, in my hands? Do I make any extraneous movements? Do I move too much or too little?
Remember, to avoid injuries and recover from minor pains: use proper posture and body mechanics, stretch often, build your muscle strength and endurance through exercise, ramp up your playing gradually, and take frequent breaks. Always consult a physician at the first indication of pain or injury.
What are mental hygiene hacks? Just a simple behavior that keeps your creative mind working at its very best. We list ten below.
1) Exercise 30 minutes per day to boost mood, reduce stress, sharpen your mind, and increase energy.
2) Get six to eight hours of sleep in every 24-hour period. Don’t stay in bed too long (10-plus hours dampens energy).
3) Eat healthy to boost your mood.
4) Limit substance use. Alcohol is a depressant. If you use recreational drugs or binge drink, ask yourself: Have you experienced negative consequences of your use? Are you using more drugs/alcohol or more frequently? Have you tried to stop and just keep using? Do you have cravings and withdrawal symptoms? Any positive answer is a sign you may need help.
5) Build a support system of live, face-to-face contact. Limit social media.
6) Challenge your negative thoughts. Negative bias can become a habit.
7) Self-soothe with a daily dose of sunlight. Take a walk; keep a routine.
8) Instead of listening to upsetting news, listen to music to soothe your mind. Create playlists of songs that make you happy.
9) Show compassion; practice generosity. Volunteer to help someone or care for a pet.
10) Know when and where to reach out for help. Create a core group of trusted supporters and develop a written safety plan to cope with stress.
The US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For Canada, visit the website: suicideprevention.ca/need-help/ for a list of crisis centers by province.
In the US, there are more deaths by suicide than homicide; someone takes their own life every 15 seconds. About 60% of suicides are linked to severe depression. Studies reveal that creatives, such as musicians, are more likely than the general population to suffer from depression and anxiety.
Suicide is preventable with early intervention, but those struggling with depression often withdraw. If you know someone who might be depressed, talk to them. Verbalize your concern and willingness to provide support, while encouraging them to seek professional help. Help them set up a proactive support system should they feel imminent risk of harming themselves.
How can you recognize if a friend or loved one needs help? Symptoms to look for include changes in sleep patterns or appetite, social withdrawal or alienation, mood swings, distorted self-perception, increased sensitivity, impulsivity or recklessness, and decreased coping and problem-solving skills.
Having meaningful human contact with a trusted friend can make a huge difference to someone suffering from depression. Reach out to them, making it clear that it is safe for them to tell you how they feel without fearing judgment, pity, or guilt.
“Hey, how are you? I mean, how are you, really?”
“I noticed you’ve been a little distant lately. Is there something you’d like to share? Would you be willing to talk about it with me?”
“I see you are hurting, and I’m here for you. I know there’s nothing I can say to fix your hurt, and I might not understand it, but I’m so grateful that you are allowing me to listen.”
“If you try, you’ll feel better” or “You’re too focused on your (insert mental health ailment), you should focus on the future.”
“What’s the matter with you? Why haven’t you been (going out/calling/responding to texts/meeting up with friends)?”
“It could be worse,” and “At least you aren’t (insert bad situation)”
The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic’s “You Got This” program provided much of the information found in this article.“You Got This” is funded by Broadway Cares.
In the symphonic world, a crescendo makes for a dramatic finale, but it can have serious consequences for musicians. Recently, in an unprecedented court ruling, British viola player Chris Goldscheider, 40, won a landmark High Court judgment against Royal Opera House when he suffered career ending hearing loss from a rehearsal of Wagner’s Die Walkure. Seated directly in front of the brass section, he suffered acoustic shock, the result of sound that exceeded 130 decibels.
It’s a story that cellist Janet Horvath knows too well. The former associate principal cello for the Minnesota Orchestra, sustained an acoustic-shock injury to her left ear in 2006 after a one-time concert.
That night, the drum set, piano, electric guitars, keyboard, and conductor were positioned directly in front of her for a pops concert that included Broadway singers. Horvath was wearing musician’s earplugs, but one speaker was no more than two feet from her left ear. Eight speakers blasted music back toward the musicians. She says, “I felt it instantly; it was excruciating. When the concert was over, I took out my earplugs and could not bear to hear anyone talking. It never subsided.” She took a few months off to heal, but she needed to wear her left earplug. She compensated, relying on her right ear, and continued to be exposed to high decibels.
By 2009, her right ear, like the left, could no longer tolerate normal sound. After several doctors, she was diagnosed with hyperacusis, an auditory injury caused by repeated exposure to high decibels or a single acoustic shock. In 2010, she had to leave the orchestra that was her home for nearly 34 years.
She says, “It was characterized by abnormal sensitivity—the total breakdown of tolerance to all sound. I couldn’t leave the house. There was pain in my ear, teeth, tongue, it radiated down my neck. You actually fear sound. Many people with hyperacusis become hermits.”
The problem is prevalent, especially among woodwind players, Horvath says. “There is more awareness of the condition and I was lucky to have found physicians who helped me retrain my brain. I was fitted with special hearing aids, which turned sound down.”
“It was painstaking training that took more than two years of slowly increasing sound. I am aware of limits and decibels,” she says. Today she is mostly cured, but avoids loud restaurants and sports events. She can finally attend concerts and plays chamber music.
Noise-induced hearing loss is a combination of exposure time, noise level, peak level, and proximity to the sound. Being aware of decibel levels is important. Horvath explains, “If you know you will be playing Mahler, it’s not a day to mow your lawn.” Horvath maintains that silence is as critical to musicians as making sound. “It would be smart to have rooms where musicians can go to have silence.”
Minnesota Orchestra has an audiologist come in to offer hearing tests and fit musicians for earplugs. According to Horvath, this could be precedent-setting. No one wants to get sued so they’re now willing to take further steps to protect their musicians’ hearing. She hopes, too, that conductors will begin to alternate the repertoire to give musicians a break.
OSHA limits the number of decibels one can be exposed to per day. The decibel level of an average two-hour concert generally exceeds OSHA’s recommendations. And there are no regulations for intermittent loud blasts. Horvath adds that OSHA only talks about hearing loss as a disability when you can no longer hear speech.
In the hall where the Minnesota Orchestra regularly performs, they have made modifications. “Our orchestra has always been on the cutting edge, partly because of my work. Their stage manager was one of the first to build a Plexiglass shield,” she says.
Horvath has written a number of books, including Playing Less Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians. She is a recognized authority in the area of medical problems of musicians and a recipient of the Richard J. Lederman Lecture Award presented by the Performing Arts Medicine Association. She conducts seminars across the country and regularly appears on national radio and television.
A semi-modular analog synthesizer with built-in arpeggiator, sequencer, and spring reverb tank, Grandmother harks back to Moog’s modular roots. While capable of highly complex sounds and modulation, it requires no patching. The endlessly reconfigurable front panel provides an infinite sonic playground. Grandmother is also an ideal analog audio processor for external sound sources, and a powerful keyboard front end for expanding a Mother-32, DFAM, or Eurorack modular system.
Kalmen Opperman is remembered for his dedication to teaching. This biography explores his story, from self-taught musician to a 50-year career playing in orchestra pits for Broadway musicals and ballets. The book includes interviews with former students and reflections from those closest to Opperman. Author Denise Gainey, his longtime student and research colleague, explores his pedagogy and countless contributions to the clarinet’s canon.
Kalmen Opperman: A Legacy of Excellence, Passing on the Flame,
by Denise A. Gainey, Carl Fischer, www.carlfischer.com.
Taken from the blogs of the renowned jazz composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator, Local 802 (New York City) member David Berger tells readers what it’s like to be a jazz musician and arranger. He describes his work from how he transcribes jazz recordings to triumphs with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to success with his own big band.
Life in Db: A Jazz Journal, by David Berger, Such Sweet Thunder,
www.suchsweetthundermusic.com.
Through extensive and unprecedented analyses of original concert scores, Scoring the Screen offers aspiring composers, music educators, and media content creators a view from inside the actual process of scoring to picture. Written by Grammy Award-winning producer Andy Hill, the book follows the core thesis that music for motion pictures is a language developed to communicate ideas and emotions to the audience.
Scoring the Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music, by Andy Hall,
Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonardbooks.com.
Mackie’s MP Series high-performance in-ear monitors are meticulously tuned to offer exceptional clarity, bass, and headroom surpassing more expensive models. They feature comfortable ergonomically molded enclosures with three different ear tips. The detachable, audiophile-grade cables are shielded and internally braided and equipped with MMCX connectors for easy, flexible wearing. The MP Series is available in three models: single dynamic driver MP-120, dual dynamic driver MP-220, and dual hybrid driver MP-240.
