Body Mapping for Musicians (2022)

Proper playing habits are not commonly discussed with musicians. As a violin player, I have experienced shoulder pain over the past year. Preliminary research led me to grasp the importance of understanding how our bodies work as a way to promote comfort and ease when playing stringed instruments. One cause of unnecessary injury is mis-mapping, or false information about how we use our bodies. Mis-mapping creates unnecessary tension and long-lasting injuries in many musicians. William Conable, a founder of the science of body mapping, and Jennifer Johnson, author of “Teaching Body Mapping to Children,” both underline the importance of body mapping in changing the way we think of how our bodies move. In this project, I focus on the whole arm (including the shoulder blades and collarbone). As an educator, I want to use these tools in my classroom and avoid injuries that could end musical careers.