Preventing Musician Injuries in Ensembles After COVID
As orchestras, schools, and summer festivals begin to plan concerts, seasons, and programs for the next year, one issue has come up with my friends and colleagues (and recently addressed in Drew McManus’ Adaptistration podcast)- how will musicians’ health be affected by a year off from ensemble playingr? While traditional ensemble programming doesn’t typically consider the musician’s body in creating artistic choices, it’s something that is coming up as musicians start rehearsing 2-5 hours a day after an extended hiatus.
Every orchestra is handling this (or not addressing this) differently. Some orchestras have announced big splashy program openers- full Mahler and Beethoven symphonies, celebration concerts, and gala concerts, while many have been more conservative in their planning, careful not to book something costly that would have significant ramifications if cancelled. With this in mind, we have to consider the bodies of the musicians (and conductors) who have not played in rehearsal for months, or by September, a year and a half. While many musicians have been practicing at home, others have been busy parenting, working other jobs, and teaching online. All of us will have an adjustment period, especially those of us who have barely rehearsed with others for a year or more. While we won’t have forgotten how to play our instruments (most likely), we may not be as used to listening to other players, making quick adjustments, and maintaining energy and stamina for 3-6 hours of rehearsal. We may also need a sharpening of our focus and attention skills. More than that, musicians are incredibly at risk for performance related injuries, both in the steep increase of rehearsal hours, the increase in sitting, the challenge of preparing music every week, but also in the rigors of the repertoire themselves.
Historically, the considerations of repertoire on musicians haven’t been a big enough concern for conductors and artistic teams, in my opinion. I’ve played Rite of Spring two days before a John Williams scored movie, both which are physically demanding for string players with extensive passagework. Programming is a puzzle based on conductor/soloist availability, coupled with movie rights and availability, meaning that even the most conscientious artistic team will run into struggles. What is easier for one group of instruments is more taxing for others- while a Mozart festival gives brass players a few light weeks of barely playing, the string players are playing everything without relief. Conversely, Richard Strauss works are a challenge for every instrument, and I’ve played Strauss festivals where musician injuries were not uncommon.
As we move forward with programming after COVID, we have an opportunity to actually pay attention to musician health, both at the educational institution level and in professional ensembles. Few orchestras have a wellness committee or have consistent offerings geared towards musician health. Conductors may be completely oblivious to how their rehearsal style affects musicians and their bodies- some conductors want full volume and passion in rehearsals, others take every repeat in a symphony on the day of a concert. Some don’t give musicians enough time to setup and start after talking, forcing musicians to jam their instruments into their faces quickly to start. Others insist on running whole pieces over and over in a rehearsal.
This is a time for ensembles and administration teams to change this and bring attention to where musician health can be prioritized, beyond making sure that musicians have access to quality custom earplugs and chairs appropriate for their height, to making sure that the trumpet bell isn’t 2 feet away from a string player in a Copland symphony (which are still important issues). We have an opportunity to look at how programming and scheduling affects musicians, within one single program, and over the course of weeks and months. For orchestras with smaller cores, this is essential because musicians are less likely to be given “relief” or weeks off from rigorous programming. At the school level, we need to think of young musicians who may not have a great strategy for “getting back into shape” and may be launched into rigorous schedules with little transition. Both colleges and youth orchestras need to address these issues in their programming and schedules.
As we program our upcoming seasons and years, we have an opportunity to change the status quo for musician health in ensembles, and hopefully make better choices in programming for years to come.