Peabody’s commitment to excellence in the art and craft of musical performance has always been predicated upon music-making at the highest level and for a lifetime. Injury prevention education and movement training are integrated into studio and ensemble coursework and provided through somatic courses in Alexander Technique and Pilates.
Educational opportunities include:
In addition, an interdisciplinary team from across Johns Hopkins and the field of performing arts medicine has developed co-curricular as well as publicly available professional development programs and curricula focusing on injury prevention education.
Peak Performance Fundamentals offers a series of presentations and interactive workshops to Conservatory students during their first week on campus. The sessions are designed to give students the foundational tools they need to monitor, protect, and enhance their own mental and physical health as performers. The programming also effectively establishes the conversation about performer wellness and injury, de-stigmatizing the topic and connecting students to important resources and expertise.
For a deeper dive available to both Peabody students and others, Peabody Online offers both credit-bearing and non-credit formats of a groundbreaking new curriculum called Playing Well. Playing Well introduces a range of occupational health issues specific to the needs of instrumental musicians and provides practical, scientifically grounded approaches to peak performance. As athletes of the “small muscles,” musicians need knowledge of anatomy and principles of movement; common performance-related injuries and their treatments; and rehabilitation and prevention strategies. Additionally, all performing artists need strategies for mental fitness and peak performance. This body of critical occupational health information provides musicians with “operating instructions” for their own bodies, introduces core principles of wellness and injury prevention, and fosters the development of awareness and self-study for lifelong performance health.
A curated list of reading and resources on subjects including performance anxiety, hearing protection, injury prevention for instrumentalists, voice care, and healthy computer use allows students, alumni, and others to access additional information specific to their interests and concerns.
Additional community and continuing education opportunities include a Sports Medicine/Performing Arts Medicine Grand Rounds series, an annual Sports Medicine/Performing Arts Medicine conference, and community health promotion events for Baltimore performing arts students.
Are you interested in developing your skills as a performing arts health professional or would you like consultation on program development? Together with Johns Hopkins Performing Arts Physical Therapy, Peabody offers tailor-made workshops for individuals and organizations, as well as internships, post-doctoral fellowships, and graduate assistantships for clinicians, researchers, and performing artists. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Our online programs provide students with the tools to have healthy careers.