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Health and wellness reading and resources

The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM)

BAPAM is a unique medical charity. Their mission is to enable student and professional performing artists throughout the UK to achieve and maintain optimal health for performing their art and participating in cultural life. They do this through direct provision of health assessments and information to individual performers in clinics and through broader education, training and dissemination of knowledge about best practice in performing arts medicine.

For more information:

PAM healthcare specialists in the UK

The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) hosts a directory of Performing Arts medicine health practitioners and specialists who have received training relating to the needs of performing artists. Find more information on the BAPAM website.

If you have contact with any healthcare practitioners who work in York or surrounding areas and who has proven to be helpful when working with musicians it would be valuable to establish contact with them. If you would like to forward contact details for relevant individuals or organisations please ask their permission first then contact Naomi with relevant information (naomi.norton@york.ac.uk). 

Other organisations, projects and websites

General health and wellbeing resources for musicians

Books

  • Music, health, and wellbeing (MacDonald et al., 2012)
  • Musical excellence: Strategies and techniques to enhance performance (Williamon, 2004) 
  • The musician’s body: A maintenance manual for peak performance (Rosset i Llobet, J. & Odam, G., 2007)
  • The psychology of music performance anxiety (Kenny, 2011)
  • Playing (less) hurt: An injury prevention guide for musicians (Horvath, 2010)
  • The biology of musical performance and performance-related injury (Watson, 2009)
  • The athletic musician: A guide to playing without pain (Paull & Harrison, 1997) 
  • The voice: A medical guide for achieving and maintaining a healthy voice (Heman-Ackah et al., 2013)
  • The musician’s way: A guide to practice, performance, and wellness (Klickstein, 2009)
  • Secrets of performing confidence: For musicians, singers, actors and dancers (Evans & Evans, 2013)
  • Singing and teaching singing (Chapman, 2011)
  • The Alexander Technique for musicians (Kleinman & Buckoke, 2013)
  • What every singer needs to know about the body (Malde, Allen, & Zeller, 2013) 

Webinars and online videos

Resources relating to specific topics

Benefits of music education

Music Education Works is an accessible webpage that compiles information about the benefits of music education.

Psychological

Vocal

Musculoskeletal:

Hearing:

Covid-19

Advice, guidance, research and support relating to Covid-19 is fast changing, and it is challenging to keep up with developments. There is also currently an absence of peer-reviewed published texts focusing on the effects of Covid-19 on musicians’ health and wellness, though those are likely to follow as research projects are finished and submitted for publication.

In this section we have gathered together some of the resources relating to Covid-19 that may be of interest, but are aware that there may be many more. If you know of useful resources that could be added to this list, please contact Naomi (naomi.norton@york.ac.uk). 

  • Wearing masks has become a part of our lives in 2020 and 2021, but they come with challenges alongside the benefits that they have for reducing the spread of Covid-19. 
    • Masks can cause anxiety either in the wearer or for those seeing others wearing masks. Mind have put together some resources and support on their webpage. 
    • Not all disabilities are visible and some people may have reasons for accessing certain facilities or not wearing a mask during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hidden Disabilities provide sunflower lanyards that are a way of signalling that someone has a hidden disability. Be aware of those around you and look out for these lanyards, and see the webpage if you think you or someone else you know may be eligible for and benefit from having one.
    • For those who wear glasses ‘fogging up’ can be a real issue. Josie from Allegro Optical has shared some tips for dealing with this frustrating challenge.
    • Some people rely on lip-reading for communication and people wearing masks therefore presents a serious barrier to their ability to interact with those around them. Friendly face masks have been developed to help with this, though you may need to follow the guidance on ‘fogging up’ in the bullet point above to keep them clear.  
  • In March 2020 BAPAM drew together a list of support for performing arts workers and organisations, many of which are still relevant and available. 
  • Covid-19 Risk Assessment Guidelines by the Healthy Conservatoires Network.
  • BAPAM have also published a risk assessment for freelance workers returning to work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The PERFORM Study taking place at the University of Bristol investigating the risk of speaking, shouting, and singing in terms of spreading Covid-19.
  • Risk assessment for music making during the Covid-19 pandemic from renowned Performing Arts Medicine researchers in Germany.
  • A report from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra based on research with their musicians which concluded that 'there was no increased risk for musicians playing together in an orchestra as long as they observed at least a metre's distance from each other'.
  • A report published in the Journal of Voice entitled Safer Singing During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: What We Know and What We Don't.