Musician Health and Wellness

Owned by Hannah Hein
Last updated: May 21, 2024 by Mikayla Heiss
3 min read

Your health is very important. The university provides a number of services to support student health and wellness. It is also important to note that musicians should be aware of particular health concerns that can be a part of the study, performance, listening, teaching, and other areas of music education and the industry.

These concerns can include vocal, hearing, repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal issues, respiratory issues, and anxiety and mental health issues. Preventative care, such as ear protection,  proper practice techniques, self-care, and medical and mental healthcare can be of great help. For more information, talk with your applied teacher, department chairs, or the music school director. For easy access, ear plugs are available for students in Crouse College room 204 between 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday for $10.

Although many of these issues are discussed in lessons, classes, and ensembles, it is important to seek medical or counseling advice for any concerns.

This is a partial listing of resources available.

Resources on Campus

Syracuse University Health Services

  • The Barnes Center at The Arch health and wellness team's staff of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care professionals provides a wide array of confidential general medical care for our students.

Counseling at Syracuse University

  • The counseling center supports and enhances student health and wellness by providing comprehensive and holistic mental health, substance abuse, and sexual assault and relationship violence-related services. Operating within a multicultural framework and with a social justice orientation, the counseling center strives to assist students by providing support during times of crisis, providing advocacy when needed, facilitating problem resolution, enhancing coping skills, promoting personal growth, and supporting academic success.

Crisis Help

  • If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency or you are in immediate danger call 911 or the Department of Public Safety 24/7, 365 at 315-443-2224. You can also reach DPS by dialing #78 (#SU) from your cell phone, or by dialing 711 from a campus landline.
  • The DPS office on Main Campus is located at 005 Sims Hall, and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year.
  • Counseling Center 24/7 Crisis Services 24 Hour Crisis Services:  315.443.8000

Syracuse University Gebbie Clinic

  • The Gebbie Clinic is a state-of-the-art educational, clinical and research facility. It includes a number of speech therapy rooms, two large group therapy rooms, two sound booths for hearing testing, a hearing aid fitting room that can simulate everyday listening environments, and an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) and vestibular testing room. Music faculty and students have visited the clinic for hearing and vocal testing.
  • Presentation for Music Students on Hearing Health from Joe Pelligrino, SU Gebbie Hearing Clinic Hearing Health for Musicians (002)

Syracuse University Faculty and Staff Wellness Initiative

  • Wellness programs, information and events for faculty and staff; including nutrition, physical activity, gratitude, positivity, Carebridge, Tobacco Cessation and more.

Resources Specifically for Musicians

Some resources are available specifically for the special concerns of musicians and people in the music industry. A brief example of these options is below, along with links to a number of helpful articles and texts. These should not replace medical attention, but are provided as an additional source of information.

  • MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly influence the health and welfare of the music community.
  • There are several links to articles on the Musicians Way wellness page on the companion website for "The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness" by Gerald Klickstein.
  • Alexander Technique has been used to help instrumentalists and singers to perform with less stress, minimizing the likelihood of injury.

Musician's Health Resources from NASM

Musician's Health - Resources Researched by Fellow Music Students

Protective Hearing

Vocal Health

Sleep

Practicing

Muscular/Tendonitis

Performance Anxiety