Musicians' health
9 essays on musicians' health.
- August 19, 2026End Every Practice Session More Relaxed Than You Started
Most of us end practice more tense than we started and call it the price of the work. It isn't — it's a habit. Here's the Magic Pause: a simple method for practicing the ease you actually want to perform with.
- August 12, 2026Your Shoulder Rest Was Never the Problem
A student laid five shoulder rests on the table and was still in pain. A rest can only fit you in one of two states — tense or relaxed — and most players fit theirs while hunching. Here's the test that shows you which one you've been buying for.
- July 25, 2026Your High Notes Aren’t “Up There”
Singers brace before a high note ever arrives — the neck cranes, the throat closes, and the note feels hard. Here’s what a two-second pause, and a little bit of nothing, can do about it.
- July 15, 2026The Tension That Starts Before You Play
The trigger for a musician’s tension often fires before you play a single note — sometimes it’s just a thought. Here’s how to find your “critical moment” and interrupt the pattern at its source.
- July 6, 2026Stop Holding Your Breath When You Play
If you play an instrument, there’s a good chance you hold your breath at the hard parts — and the usual fix (take a deep breath) doesn’t work. Here’s what actually does.
- January 10, 2022A List of 20+ Surprising Benefits of Releasing Excess Muscle Tension for Musicians
Muscle tension affects everything we care about as musicians. Do you want effortless technique? Let go of tension. Do you want a resonant, haunting sound? Let go of tension. Do you want…
- May 20, 2021What Every Musician Should Know About Stretching
You're practicing and you feel tight in your muscles - so you stretch, right? But after 5 more minutes of practicing, the pain and tension is back, and maybe even worse than…
- April 30, 2021What Every Musician Should Know About Numbness & Tingling
Numbness and tingling can be especially challenging for musicians not only because they feel bad and can interfere with your playing, but because the root cause of numbness and tingling is often…
- October 8, 20183 Misconceptions About Stretching, and How The Alexander Technique Can Help
The Three Misconceptions Stretching can be vital to your health, well-being, and performance. As with anything, however, how you stretch is as important as what you stretch. There are three main points…