Archive for the ‘Musicians’ Category

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Testing orchestral musicians

May 8th, 2009 by Sarah

Bronwen Ackermann recently applied for and was granted 5-year ARC linkage grant.
The title of this project is apt:

Sound practice: Supporting sustainable careers in orchestral musicians through occupational health and safety initiatives

The other chief investigators are:

I, along with physios from other capital cities, have recently travelled to both Melbourne and Sydney to help out with this project and work with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

We have begun the task of testing over 600 orchestral musicians to find out what their physical, psychological and health characteristics are. It seems that this will be the largest collection of data about this group of workers in the world. And it will help the chief investigators work out what areas need to be targetted over the next 5 years.

It’s been amazing to spend time in heart of the ABC Southbank Centre and Sydney Opera House.

One day I was allocated a very large Opera House dressing room, usually reserved for stars, which overlooked the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was hard to focus on the work at hand with the view to distract me!!

We were lucky enough to stand on the Sydney Opera House stage and also attend Sense and Sensuality with soloist Alban Gerhardt. Wow, what a cellist!

I’m home for a few days, then off to Brisbane to continue my tour of Australian orchestras.

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Musicians’ Table

April 18th, 2009 by Sarah

Last week one of my clients gave the recently released Masterpieces of the French Baroque – Vol. V The Musicians’ Table (ABC Classics).

She performed as part of the Ensemble Battistin for the recording of this cd. Ensemble Battistin includes Kate Clark (flute), Sophie Gent (violin), Stewart Smith (harpsichord), Suzanne Wijsman (cello), Noeleen Wright (cello), Paul Wright (violin).

I have already enjoyed the first four in the series:

  • Volume I: French Baroque Cantatas
  • Volume II: The Concert Francais
  • Volume III: The Concert Spirituel
  • Volume IV: The Palais Royal

But the Musicians’ Table is my favourite.

I enjoyed how the melodies improved the quality of my movement and brought a smile to my face. I really like the picture on the cover too.

I agree with ABC Classics:

“This is an album guaranteed to delight the senses!”

I understand that all five recordings took place in the Chapel of St Ildephonsus at the Benedictine Community in New Norcia, Western Australia. New Norcia is one of the first places I visited after moving to WA.

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Australian Research Council Grant

April 10th, 2009 by Sarah

Bronwen Ackermann PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, is the chief investigator for an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant

“Sound Practice – Developing OHS policies and practices for orchestral musicians”.

The ARC funds research and researchers under the
National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

I understand that it is the biggest project of its type throughout the world and involves collaboration between eight major orchestras, including the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO).

Browen has asked me to assist with testing and implementation of the project here in WA and also in other Australian capital cities. This will involve some travelling over the next couple of months in order to complete the initial assessments of all orchestra members.

We see this as a very important project for musicians’ health, both at the professional level and for beginning musicians.

The findings will help health professionals and music teachers assist musicians in developing sound practise and performance habits.

I hope that it is possible to prevent some of the common injuries I see in my practice.

Unfortunately, the timing of the beginning of the project, which was largely driven by the availability of the orchestra members for testing, coincides with the beginning of my autumn term of classes.

The changes will be posted in classes and courses soon. Anyone who has already registered will be contacted by email to explain the options available to them.

I am sorry if you are affected by these late changes and hope that you understand why I needed to make this decision.

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Life is like music

April 9th, 2009 by Sarah

A musician client gave me a card yesterday with this quote:

“Life is like music for its own sake.
We are living in an eternal now,
and when we listen to music
we are not listening to the past,
we are not listening to the future,
we are listening to an expanded present.”
Alan Watts

She said that it resonated with her experience of Feldenkrais.

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Your body is your instrument

March 5th, 2009 by Sarah

I have been asked by Dr Susie Wijsman, School of Music, UWA, to run a series of classes at my practice for some of her cello students.

Your body is your instrument will start on Monday 16 March 2009. I will work with body awareness and movement to help the students improve playing efficiency and tone and introduce the fundamentals of bow arm support.

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Speaking at AUSTA conference 2009 (Australian Strings Association)

February 23rd, 2009 by Sarah

I have been invited by AUSTA (Australian Strings Association) to present a workshop on Feldenkrais and Musicians at their national conference this July.

The keynote speaker is Andreas Burzik who is a violinist and psychologist who specialises in Flow Psychology.

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Musical success story

February 23rd, 2009 by Sarah

Uniview Vol. 28 No. 1 Summer 2009 has an article titled

Graduate’s musical success story

I include part of the article below. 

To read the whole article go to Uniview

“Not long after Shaun Lee-Chen graduated with first class Honours from UWA’s School of Music in 2000, health professionals diagnosed an overuse injury in the hand that nestled his violin to his shoulder.

They warned the talented musician that he faced theprospect of being unable to pursue his chosen career.

At the time he was completing postgraduate studies at the National Academy of Music in Melbourne.  Returning to Perth, Shaun abandoned performance to teach at UWA (which he continues to do).  It was a difficult time for the exuberant young musician who began playing the violin aged three and who grew up in a house of musicians – his mother is a violin teacher, his sister, Semra Lee, is now Associate Principal Second Violin with the WA Symphony Orchestra (WASO).

Faced with an uncertain future, Shaun began re-educating his body in terms of posture, using Feldenkrais movement techniques. 

He was helped by Sarah Wiin, a Feldenkrais practitioner and physiotherapist, who has worked with many musicians in Perth, including students and staff from the School of Music.

It was a lengthy process, but it paid off. 

In 2005, Shaun joined his sister in WASO and two years later his career was totally back on track when he became the ABC Young Performer of the Year.

The finals were in the Perth Concert Hall and were attended by Shaun’s family, friends and supporters from UWA. “He really thrashed that fiddle!” confirmed one…..”

Uniview is produced by The University of Western Australia

Public Affairs department.  It is published three times a year go to UWA Publishing for more information.

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