1 Protecting the Hearing of Performing Artists

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Ralph A Manchester
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Time Loss ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Controversial Topic ◽  
Loss Of Hearing

While there are many causes of hearing loss, many of which have nothing to do with exposure to loud noises, noise (or music)-induced hearing loss is theoretically preventable 100% of the time. Loss of hearing is typically a major problem if it happens to dancers and actors, but it is catastrophic for musicians. Thus, it is not surprising that this topic has been covered extensively in Medical Problems of Performing Artists, starting with “The Musician and Occupational Sound Hazards” by Hart et al. in volume 2, over 20 years ago. Without duplicating the content of those articles, this editorial will try to determine why this remains a somewhat controversial topic in the performing arts and what can be done to move us forward.

Performing Arts Medicine-–A Bibliographic Retrospective of the Early Literature: An Historical Examination of Bibliographic References Pre-1975

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Numerous Type ◽  
Dermatological Disorders ◽  
Historical Examination ◽  
Current Database

Performing arts medicine (PAM) emerged as a medical specialty around 1985. Prior to this time, relatively few publications addressed the identification and concerns of musicians’ and dancers’ medical problems. To determine what number and types of publications occurred prior to the actual beginnings of PAM as a discipline, and to determine how these original topics compared with present-day publications, a retrospective review of the current bibliographic database of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) was undertaken. Out of a total of 12,600 entries to date, 489 references were found published from 1798 through 1974, which represent only 3.9% of the current database listings. One-sixth of the references were originally written in a language other than English. Journal articles were by far the most numerous type of publication. Topics with the highest number of entries included the neurobiology of music (n=77), dental/orofacial matters (71), and biographical accounts of composers or musicians and their illnesses (59). Other frequently published topics included hearing loss, physiology of playing instruments, and instrumental technique and teaching. Early topics with multiple publications included composers’ biographies, dystonias, and surgery to improve finger independence for playing piano. Subjects whose publications occurred principally in the last two decades of this review included dermatological disorders, hearing loss, and ballet physiology, teaching, and technique. Those which remain popular to the present day include hearing loss, performance anxiety, focal dystonia, and dental/orofacial problems.

Research in Performing Arts Medicine

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph A Manchester
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Know How ◽  
Dance Medicine ◽  
Artistic Performance

The field of performing arts medicine has grown significantly over the last few decades. While we still have a long way to go before we can confidently state that we know how to prevent and treat the maladies that interfere with artistic performance, we are making progress on several fronts. In preparation for giving one of the keynote addresses at the 2015 University of South Florida--Performing Arts Medicine Association Conference titled Caring for Artists and Arts that Heal, I reviewed the types of articles that have been published in Medical Problems of Performing Artists over the last 10 years. I also did a comparison of those articles to articles published in the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science and in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. In this editorial, I will present my findings.

Progress in Performing Arts Medicine

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-94
Author(s):  
Ralph A Manchester
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Founding Editor ◽  
Important Development

The announcement last month that Medical Problems of Performing Artists will now be indexed in Medline/PubMed is truly an important development for the field of performing arts medicine. While many of us wish that this had happened sooner, we should all be proud of our combined efforts that made it possible. In addition to the publisher Mike Bokulich, who has labored tirelessly to reach this goal, I also want to publicly thank (again) Alice Brandfonbrener, the founding editor of MPPA. Without her 20 year labor of love, we would not have been in a position to be included in Medline now.

An Inquiry from an Amateur Pianist

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-64
Author(s):  
Ralph A Manchester
Keyword(s):  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Piano Technique ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Letter To The Editor

The Letter to the Editor from Matthew Arthur in this issue of Medical Problems of Performing Artists asks an important question for performing arts medicine professionals: why haven’t we used the scientific method to determine optimal piano technique? More broadly framed, why is technique in most of the performing arts based much more on tradition and expert opinion than on the results of carefully designed scientific studies?

Alice G. Brandfonbrener, MD--A Personal Remembrance

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J Lederman
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Founding Member ◽  
Founding Editor ◽  
At Home

Alice Brandfonbrener died peacefully at home on May 31, 2014, after a protracted illness. For all of us involved in performing arts medicine, she was the inspiration and guiding spirit. She will be missed. [Alice Brandfonbrener was one of the founding members of the field of performing arts medicine, perhaps the most critical founding member. In addition to organizing the first “Conference on the Medical Problems of Musicians” in Aspen, Colorado, in 1983 (which led to the formation of the Performing Arts Medicine Association), she was the founding editor of this journal, Medical Problems of Performing Artists--where she served as Editor for 20 years.]

scholarly journals Performing arts medicine: A research model for South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karendra Devroop
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Research Studies

Performing Arts Medicine has developed into a highly specialised field over the past three decades. The Performing Arts Medical Association (PAMA) has been the leading proponent of this unique and innovative field with ground-breaking research studies, symposia, conferences and journals dedicated specifically to the medical problems of performing artists. Similar to sports medicine, performing arts medicine caters specifically for the medical problems of performing artists including musicians and dancers. In South Africa there is a tremendous lack of knowledge of the field and unlike our international counterparts, we do not have specialised clinical settings that cater for the medical problems of performing artists. There is also a tremendous lack of research on performance-related medical problems of performing artists in South Africa. Accordingly the purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the field of performing arts medicine, highlight some of the significant findings from recent research studies and present a model for conducting research into the field of performing arts medicine. It is hoped that this research model will lead to increased research on the medical problems of performing artists in South Africa.

Broken Embouchures, response to a book review

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-103
Author(s):  
Lucinda Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Brass Players ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Better Than

I was quite surprised when I learned that there was interest in reviewing my book, Broken Embouchures, in Medical Problems of Performing Artists. The book was written for professional brass players who have encountered performance-related embouchure problems and lip injuries and uses terminology unique to music and brass technique. Although I suspected that a non¿brass player would have difficulty fully understanding our peculiar lingo, I had hoped that a review of the book might offer the performing arts medical community a new insight into how brass players suffer overuse. Dr. David M. Steinhorn reviewed Broken Embouchures. Although he understood its message better than I would have expected from a musical layperson, I would like to respond to a few of his observations.

Hearing Loss: A Primer for the Performing Arts

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
Douglas T Owens
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Protective Strategies

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major health problem that affects an estimated 16.1% of American adults, but for musicians, the onset of noise-induced, or any type of hearing loss, can be a career-changing event. The potential for dangerous sound pressure levels in musical environments has been documented in numerous studies, with exposures in both short and long durations shown to be harmful. Yet, in theory, NIHL is completely preventable. This review discusses basic information concerning the hearing mechanism and NIHL, audiometry, standards, protective strategies, and terminology. It aims to provide a general understanding of these processes as they relate to musicians and other performing artists.

Genees & Kunst 10--Tenth Symposium on Medical Problems of Dancers & Musicians, Universitair Medisch Centrum, Utrecht, March 27, 2010.

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-61
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Medical Centre ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Medical Specialists ◽  
The University ◽  
Dutch Family

On Saturday, March 27th, 2010, the Dutch Performing Arts Medicine Association (NVDMG) organized a scientific and artistic Jubilee symposium “Genees & Kunst 10” for its 5th anniversary and 10th member assembly, at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), The Netherlands. During his opening speech, dr. Rietveld, president of NVDMG, mentioned the successful first 5 years and the vitality of the NVDMG, and he emphasized the importance of performing arts medicine, given the large proportion of performing artists (at least 14% of all patients) in an average Dutch family physician’s practice. Scientific presentations, interspersed with dance and music performances, were given by several medical specialists. Abstracts of these presentations are published here as the symposium proceedings

From Stats to Stage—Translational Research in Performing Arts Medicine

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-247
Author(s):  
Bronwen J Ackermann
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Research ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Clinical Expertise ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Patient Beliefs ◽  
Institutional Challenges ◽  
Based Medicine

Medical Problems of Performing Artists, since its inception under the legendary Alice Brandfonbrener’s guidance and vision, has always recognized the need for voices to be heard from the clinic, stage, and experimental research. This has been important in a relatively young field like performing arts medicine, where there is not yet a robust base of evidence to draw from for the complex range of physical, psychological, and institutional challenges that can affect performer health. Evidence-based medicine has long been described as using the best available research in conjunction with clinical expertise, while considering patient beliefs, characteristics, and circumstances.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document