Don't Give Up: How To Thrive As a Musician With Chronic Pain

Image Source: Pexels

Being a musician is an enriching experience. Whether you pursue it as a career or as a hobby, it is an invaluable creative outlet and technical activity. However, you may find yourself experiencing challenges that disrupt your progress. One of the most common of these is chronic pain.

One study of professional musicians found that 66% of respondents reported experiencing chronic pain. While there can be various influencers of this, the outcome tends to be a reduced ability and joy in pursuing the craft. Yet, this doesn’t mean you should give up. There are options to mitigate these negative experiences effectively. 

Let’s dive a little deeper into how to thrive as a musician with chronic pain. 

Get to Know the Triggers

As with so many other areas of life, knowledge is a powerful tool. The more you can understand chronic pain, the better able you’re likely to be to manage it and pinpoint the right solutions. Remember that experiences of chronic pain can be relatively subjective. As such, your approach to learning needs to take into account both your personal perspectives as well as information from external sources.

One area that many people struggle with here is recognizing what influences their symptoms. Take some time to review the common contributors to chronic pain, including both lifestyle elements and illnesses. Excess weight can put additional pressure on joints, which can influence osteoarthritis. In some cases, poor posture can contribute to muscular strain and digestive issues. Compare these elements to your personal experiences. When you play your instrument, do you tend to have a stooped posture? Have you experienced traumatic injuries that impact your fingering technique in certain circumstances? 

If you’re still unclear, it can be worth looking to key figures in your musical field that experience similar challenges to yours. Many top musicians have started to talk about their experiences. Max Weinberg — drummer for the E-Street Band — discovered his hand pain was not from drumming too hard but from drumming with poor technique. Searching out such anecdotes can point you in the right direction for information. However, it’s also worth reaching out within your musical circle. Many musicians face chronic pain issues and some of your connections may be able to share solutions.

Develop Tailored Practice Routines

The last thing you want is for your chronic pain to put a dent in your musical development. Therefore, once you have a good understanding of your triggers and symptoms, it’s important to develop practice routines that consider your pain. Take what you know about the condition and tailor your activities and schedule to both account for and better manage it.  

This could include specific practice exercises to strengthen your body against the symptoms. In some cases, targeted physical training can relieve the pressure that triggers or exacerbates your pain. Many musicians utilize the Alexander Technique to gain a mindful awareness of the body. Some people find this helps them adopt healthier habits while enhancing their musicianship. If you’re a string musician, it may be helpful to review your technique to establish where you can reduce strain, alongside performing strength-building exercises.

However, it’s also vital not to overextend yourself during your tailored practice routines. Part of your approach here is to be aware of your limits and schedule around these. Indeed, if you’re taking lessons, you may find traveling to the practice itself to exacerbate elements of pain.  Taking virtual lessons can provide you with the flexibility to navigate your symptoms while improving your skills. However, getting the most out of online classes still requires focus and dedication. Be fully engaged with the process and ensure you’re well prepared for your lessons. Make sure you have an environment both free of distractions and comfortable enough not to trigger pain symptoms early.

Identify Sources of Support

Living with chronic pain as a musician is a very personal challenge. However, this doesn’t mean you only need to rely on your personal reserves to navigate it. It’s vital to identify key sources of support that can help you through it. This is not just important for the physical experience, but also to maintain your mental wellness. 

Firstly, it’s important to identify those in your circle that can be genuine figures of support. If you’re in a band or orchestra, open up to your colleagues about your experiences. Of course, you may gain some empathy and moral support here, but that’s not the only advantage. It also serves the practical purpose of being able to plan studio time and practice sessions to mitigate any negative effects. 

Identifying key sources of treatment and therapy is also a vital support system. This doesn’t necessarily mean relying on medication alone. Physiotherapy, psychological counseling, and potentially alternative therapies may be helpful. Remember to plan for this if you’re going on tour in an unfamiliar location, too. Take the time beforehand to search for and note professionals and facilities you can utilize if you need them on the road. Remember that traveling for long periods may exacerbate your symptoms, too, so identify exercise facilities on your route.

Conclusion

Chronic pain can certainly be a difficult hurdle to overcome as a musician. It’s important to gain a better understanding of both the common causes of pain and those specific to your circumstances. You can then develop more mindful practice routines and seek out appropriate treatment resources. With some knowledge, focus, and planning, you can ensure you thrive as a musician in spite of these health challenges.

Don't Give Up: How To Thrive As a Musician With Chronic Pain

Hitting the Road Again? 3 Tips to Remember for Your Tour

Image Source: Pexels

For the last two years, concerts and festivals have been at a halt thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more artists and venues feel comfortable enough to get back to “normal” and start playing shows again. If you’re a musician, you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief, and you also probably have a lot of excitement rushing through your veins at the idea of hitting the road again!

However, after some time away from touring, it may be beneficial to recalibrate your checklists. It might be just like riding a bicycle, but it never hurts to make sure you and your band are as prepared as possible. 

The music will always come first, and you probably don’t have to worry about putting on a killer show. But, staying safe, healthy, and comfortable while on tour should be a top priority so you can continue to hit the road for years to come. 

With that, let’s cover a few tips you should keep in mind for your upcoming tour. The more you focus on the importance of behind-the-scenes issues, the better your shows and your tour experience will be. 

1. Keep Yourself Safe

As much as we’d all like to think we’re suddenly living in a COVID-free world, that isn’t the case. 

While we’re entering a post-pandemic society, the threat of the virus is still very real. If you or someone in your group is immuno-compromised, you might be at an even greater risk of catching COVID or another virus while on the road. So, instead of going on a traditional full-fledged tour, you might consider dipping your toe back into the lifestyle by only performing outdoor shows or keeping your performances limited to small venues. 

It’s also important to remember that COVID isn’t the only threat. When you’re on tour, it’s common to share a van or bus with several other people. You’re also interacting with fans every day, visiting local facilities, restaurants, and more. It’s easy to “catch” something, from a common cold to more serious viruses. 

And, as much as you don’t want to “jinx” anything, accidents can happen. Whether someone trips and falls over a cord or ends up with a broken toe from heavy equipment, the last things you want to worry about are illnesses and injuries. 

Keeping a first aid kit in your van or bus is a good start, but it’s also essential to make sure you know where local medical facilities are, or how to find them wherever you’re staying. 

2. Consider a Side Hustle

If you haven’t been touring in a while, you also may not have been making as much money as you used to. While touring isn’t necessarily a cash cow, it’s the lifeblood of many musicians’ careers. 

You might have taken on a part-time job or side hustle to make ends meet throughout the last couple of years. There’s no reason that has to stop when you hit the road. 

Remote work has become more popular than ever over the last few years, with over 4.7 million people working from home at least half the time. If you have a strong Wi-Fi connection and a few hours to kill each day, you can earn extra money while on tour, which can sustain you and your band and help you to stay on the road longer. Some of the best options for remote work for musicians include

• Graphic design

• Freelance writing

• English tutoring

• Coding

• Marketing

Remote work isn’t for everyone. Some jobs require you to be present during specific hours of the day, and that might not be feasible with your lifestyle. However, if you can find something with flexibility and something you enjoy, you can improve your financial well-being while on the road. 

3. Maintain Your Health

There’s a difference between having safety precautions in place and practicing preventative healthcare. 

Tours are notorious for long stretches of being sedentary, eating a lot of fast food, and not getting enough sleep. No matter how rock-and-roll it sounds, that’s not exactly the “healthy lifestyle” anyone should maintain for too long. 

Make sure you and your bandmates are prioritizing your physical and mental health while you’re on the road. That includes basic things like

• Exercising

• Eating healthy

• Getting enough sleep

• Avoiding alcohol

If anyone has any underlying conditions, such as GERD or other digestive issues, managing diet is extremely important. It’s worth it to pack your own healthy snacks, rather than relying on fast food and convenience stores that could trigger symptoms, and you should always have antacids or other medications on hand to help with symptoms. 

Managing your mental health is just as crucial. It’s not always easy to be away from home, no matter how much you love the lifestyle. To combat the feelings of stress and loneliness, consider things like mindfulness, meditation, or journaling. If you’re feeling anxious or depressed while on the road, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Remote work has seen a rise in recent years, but so has teletherapy, allowing you to talk to a counselor or therapist anywhere in the country. 

By focusing on physical, mental, and financial well-being, you’ll be better prepared for your upcoming tour, and you can enjoy every moment on stage that much more. No matter how ready you are to hit the road, don’t forget about this important “checklist” for a better experience no matter where you are.

Hitting the Road Again? 3 Tips to Remember for Your Tour

Creative Fitness Ideas For Musicians

Regular exercise can benefit everyone. As a musician, working out keeps you in shape for playing shows and touring. But, it can also help to boost your creativity and focus. It can also boost your self-confidence and improve your overall mental health. As a result, you can make better music and put on better shows. 

Click to read more ...

How Music Can Help Veterans

It’s no secret that music brings us pleasure and can improve our mood. Scientifically speaking, music has a profound effect on the limbic system, which helps control our drives, moods, and basic emotions. The therapeutic effects of music are so well known, in fact, that music has been used as a therapy tool for hundreds of years.

Click to read more ...

Accessing Greater Creativity Through Sleep And Dreams

Whether you’re a songwriter, guitarist in a rock band, sound technician, or music educator, there’s a high likelihood that you’re not exactly a morning person. Night owls are rampant within the music industry, especially among touring musicians who typically book gigs at nightclubs, bars, and theatres. Research indicates that this backward sleep-wake schedule can make it difficult to maintain relationships and balance obligations outside of the industry.

Click to read more ...