Musicians all over the world are suffering from pain and limitations in their performing, many to the point of losing their careers. Recent research quoted in the Washington Post (March 25, 2003) shows that professional musicians are just as likely to be permanently sidelined by an injury as professional football players. And amateur musicians are not immune from pain and injury either. Most of these musicians hurt because they misuse their bodies, not because of disease or structural anomalies. Incorrect body usage accounts for a staggering number and variety of injuries in musicians, and is at the root of many frustrating technical limitations too. While music medicine is relevant for a minority of suffering musicians, most only require information and retraining.

      For generations music teachers have had to teach without an effective way of conveying accurate information about the most significant of all instruments – the body. Most taught information about movement intuitively – many with inbuilt patterns of misuse.

      Body Mapping! The conscious correcting and refining of one’s body map to produce efficient, graceful, coordinated, and effective movement. When our physical self-representation is adequate and accurate, then our movement is effective and safe. As musicians recover the integrity of their body maps, the quality of their musical performance significantly improves.

      Musicians who embrace the principles of Body Mapping by acquiring knowledge and insights from this revolutionary pedagogy enjoy freedom of movement that enhances their ability for musical expression, and avoid placing themselves at risk of injury.

1.       Body Mapping is the easiest way to train free, efficient, effective, beautiful movement is to help your students to an absolutely adequate, accurate body map.

2.       Body Mapping is the fastest, most effective way you can correct a student’s tense or inefficient movement is by correcting the body map that is producing the movement.

3.       Students just naturally develop, refine, and correct their body maps as they practice if they maintain a lively, integrated awareness of their movement as they play. You can teach and model effective body awareness.

• Body Mapping workshops can be tailored to meet the needs of your participants. The minimum workshop duration is 1½ hours, during which time a basic overview of Body Mapping would be presented.

• Organizations interested in covering a range of topics would need to schedule 1 ½ - 2 hours each for the areas of interest.

• Body Mapping workshops can be taught to audiences of any size – from one person to a large lecture hall. The style of delivery is tailored to the type of venue and audience, i.e. conference interest session, teacher education professional development, professional association lecture, etc. 

• All workshops are presented with PowerPoint slides, anatomical models, anatomical charts, and practical demonstrations/modeling by the instructor. A comprehensive listing of resources is also provided, including text books, DVD’s, videos and other resources.

Putting music training on a secure somatic foundation; training musicians’ movement by cultivating an accurate and adequate body map; training sensory discernment and responsiveness; training inclusive, fluid attention.

The spine (structure, function & size); “posture” vs “poise”; How should I sit?; How should I stand?; the balance of the head on the spine; the balance of the head and thorax on the lumbar vertebrae; the balance of the torso on the legs; balance at the knees; balance at the ankles; balance on the arches of the feet; balance of the arm structure.

The four arm joints; the organization from the tip of the little finger to the tip of the shoulder blade; support for arm movement by a dynamic, lengthening and gathering core.

Breathe with Ease! Confronting and eradicating the ‘great urban myths’ of breathing by accurately mapping the structures and movement of breathing; the importance of a dynamic lengthening and gathering core; defining ‘breath-support’?

The three leg joints; the organization of the musculature; support for leg movement by a dynamic, lengthening and gathering core; How am I walking?: the reflex that gives us a spring in our step!

Critiquing the practical applications of Body Mapping for musicians – individual performance work with instructor and class critiquing (20-25 minutes per student each day); focusing on the ‘how to?’ issues, i.e. using your nervous system to train or retrain movement; how to cultivate sensory discernment and responsiveness in yourself and others; how to train or retrain inclusive, fluid attention; what is ‘appropriate effort’?; Constructive Rest.