Does your musical instrument have any negative effects on your health?

My dear Hafwen, to be scrupulously honest, I could never ascribe my frailties fairly to the instrument in any way. Outside the occasional 'bad landing' from an ill-judged high-speed flight of the hand -- a hazard we're all heir to as keyboardists -- I've always been injury free.

[Takes leave a moment, ritually to search out unvarnished wood, in the manner of an actor having unwisely invoked the Scottish Play by name.]

However, having taken to the stage professionally from age 17, I have become heir to a number of actors' diseases born from parts of the autonomous nervous system becoming a little deregulated as the result of the endless and ever-repeating adrenaline surges that are part and parcel of 'living on stage' for too large a proportion of our working lives as soloist, i.e. bearing the focus, and having to carry an audience's expectations for a night of 3 hours end to end, or the even more heightened exposure in the more 'combative' concerto setting, where in a way even more is at stake for 'the stage' and audience alike.

So, for the last 25 years or so, modern medical science keeps my beta-nervous system 'playing nicely' by the daily ingestion of one compound, and my digestive tract from spasming out of control by means of another. And with both of those properly in place, I'm 'good as new'. :-)

(Do I like such medical dependencies? No. But I know which side my bread is buttered on. Have done, for too long. And I accept the price.)

I do know it could all be much, much worse, judging by some colleagues' experiences. So I count myself lucky.

Warmly, as ever,

Um..first you named some folks from at least 20 years ago. LOTS of modern musicians aren't going the party route b/c either that's not their thing or they don't want to end up choking on their own vomit. Regardless the industry tends to attract those who make their money from other people's vices. So someone who has a small 'preference' will end up with a big 'problem' from being around people who can give them what they crave. Second, there are PLENTY of acts that have done well with only a few vices. You might be aware of those who have big addictions b/c that stuff sells magazines better than word that so & so is strictly vegetarian or is addicted to their Wii gaming console. Whining that 'is it not about the music anymore?" shows that you're not aware that, duh! it is not! Musicians have had a tradition of being ripped off by their own music company, etc. As a result, musicians are becoming not only musical acts but also, in some cases, their own music company, public relations firm, etc. Deciding to be 'just an artist' & leave the business side to others means you might end up yet another burn out who made millions but never saw a penny b/c they signed the wrong type of contract. A rock chick is basically the modern term for a female who either is a fan of rock music or plays it. Its hilarious you're concerned about all this then turn around & want to know a way to be a part of it. :)

I could only say that sometimes practicing the piano for upwards of 3-5 hours straight, my posture cannot help but slowly deteriorate over the hours... I rarely practice this long in one chunk anyway... A stick neck and back can result from this...

Also, whenever I have a cold or sinus problem I get headaches from the oboe... But that is a special thing and only when I have a horribly stuffed up head... Also, like piano, the upwards of 2-3 hours of practicing at a time can make my right thumb-rest thumb somewhat tiered... Of course, I don't really use the thumb rest anyway... Nothing major and it usually fades after an hour...

Also, I've broken a number nails on the piano... And like Nemisis said, have had an occasional slam into something the wrong way... Most memorably, I made my nail bleed once when (I'm pretty sure it was the cadenza to Grieg's Piano concerto...) my 5th fingernail caught instead on the wood "block" at the end of the piano instead hitting the low A in one of those tempestuous passages. It hurt a rather lot. But the chances of the wood snagging your nail is very minimal... It must have been Friday the thirteenth or just an unlucky day...

I don't think playing an instrument should get in the way of your health...

Of course in elementary school band the fad was flavored reeds. Single most idiotic idea to ever grace the minds of reed-maker companies. After about 3 weeks of use--I'm sure you know how....hostile...the insides of a teenager's band instrument can get---the sugar from the reeds molded in their mouthpieces and instruments... Good thing nobody got pneumonia...

Have a most splendid day, Hafwen!

Schumiszt

As a member of a high school marching band, I've witnessed many different band related injuries. One year we had a girl taken to the hospital, but that wasn't instrument related, that was lunch break stupidity related.

During the hot summer days of band camp, an instrument sitting out in the sun becomes a hazard to your lips, especially for those brass instruments. Plus, just the whole playing and marching idea poses a danger too. I know some mellophone players complain that when they hold their instruments up as they were taught, they can't see the drum major. Now add girls twirling long sticks and a bunch of of pot holes on the field and it's a wonder my band director doesn't have 911 on speed dial. (though I wouldn't be surprised if she did.)

Some of the higher pitches instruments (*cough* flutes! Pics! *cough*) can be very hard on your ears when out of tune. My friend and I will take our flutes and fool with the headjoints so that one of us is super sharp and the other is completely flat. Then we play our fight song until Koopa (our band director, pretty spiffy nickname, huh?) or our section leader comes and threatens us with torture. One time the principal was in the band hallway when we were making our beautiful noise. Koopa and the principal came in to find me sitting in the swivel chair with my head on the seat of the chair, my butt hanging off, and my legs propped up on a nearby desk, all while playing our fight song.

I guess bad posture might be the death of me!

I haven't had any major health problems caused by playing my instruments or singing. Though I am convinced that I am going to get myself in one if my ensemble conductor does not back off on his demands.

For the past two weeks, I've been averaging about 3-5 hours a day of continuous piano practice. Sometimes I go up to 7 hours. Reason: 40-minute solo recital coming up next week + a ridiculously demanding 'new music' part AND conductor. Add that to the fact that there are hundreds of big octave, 9th, 10th stretches, most of which are in my right hand - which can only stretch a 9th at most. Oh yeah, and going at an insane tempo.

My new music ensemble conductor is a percussionist, and he seems to not be able to realise that it is impossible to go at concert tempo at this point in time, and still be note-perfect. He is just completely obsessed with playing everything that's written in the score exactly as they are written, no matter how impossible it is. Honestly, you cannot drill pianists the same way that you drill your percussion studio! I get scolded for playing rapid grace notes together with the main note, and I get scolded if I only play a few notes wrong in insanely fast passages with millions of notes. He would drill us over and over again until he's happy with what he hears - which often means a continuous 20-30 minutes of lightning-fast fingerwork with random accidentals inserted by the composer at random places. It's extremely taxing on my hands and my brain.

So I am forced to drill my new music part intensively on top of practising intensively for my own solo recital. My right hand is now constantly sore with lactic acid build-up, and often times I feel as if my 5th finger is going to just drop off with the constant octaves and 9ths that I'm trying to drill into it. I really hope I don't kill my hands before my recital.

I don't think I'll ever stop playing the piano, but I am definitely never going to play under this ensemble conductor ever again.

I think the worst I've got is a sore back from schlepping keyboards around. I'm not convinced that my old Rhodes suitcase piano wasn't better to carry around because it had built in handles and road case. It may have been 120 pounds, but was in two fairly equally sized cases.

The newer digital keyboards are lighter, but aren't anywhere near as easy to carry.

... Rarely do I play above the SPLs of an acoustic piano, so I don't think my hearing is going any faster than just the natural aging process.

At one point I suffered a serious wrist injury after practicing piano 3-4 hours a day, 7 days a week. Super intense piece with ridiculous octave jumps most of the time. Ended up having to wear a brace for a month. I am more careful now, and actually warm up and stretch before practicing.

So far... none!

Well, I've only been a light player on my instrument for about 10 years.

And although I enjoy playing, I do not fall under the category of those passionate, obsessive perfectionists who practice all day to provide joy to the world through their sacrifice of their health.

To those people, I doff my hat ;D

Wow!, What interesting answers! Pianists uniformly seem to suffer the least from playing their instruments--probably because they don't have to hold or support them as other musicians do. Anyone sitting a long time in their work may be prone to back problems.

Orchestra musicians, especially those sitting near winds and brasses may be prone to hearing problems and many wear plugs.

String players, especially violists often suffer from supporting their instruments. Having played years in pro orchestras as a violist, I have problems with my left arm, left eye and left ear. I don't think this is coincidental.

To Hannah who plays the 17" viola, I admire your courage!

I started playing flute when I was 9 years old. I practiced a lot and got really good. As I grew, my fingers "grew" to fit the flute playing. The result... my fingers are bent and curved when my hands are flat and my fingers are extended. However, they align perfectly with my flute. It's not a health problem and they don't hurt; they just look weird. A curved headjoint can now be purchased with beginner flutes to alleviate this type of problem. It is most likely in response to our litigious society.