Annotated Bibliography on Musician Wellness.

Introduction

The annual Annotated Bibliography on Musician Wellness has been researched and compiled annually for more than 15 years now, first for the National Keyboard Pedagogy Conference and the last 10 years for MTNA. The publication of new wellness resources for musicians is currently slowing down a bit; therefore, this year's review will also devote a portion to discussing and recapitulating the most useful resources out there for the purpose of giving readers a list of what they might really utilize and want to own in their own personal libraries. New updates will also be included as well as websites.

Included for each annotation is a brief description of the content of the resource and the intended audience. Publishing information is included. Most books can be bought directly from the publisher, through amazon.com or can be obtained at a university library or inter-library loan service. Books go quickly out of print these days.

Selections are chosen that are specifically useful to musicians, even if it does not specifically address the musician. Materials are screened to include only items that are relevant to specific musicians with regard to wellness issues. Topics include prevention of medical problems, meditation, performance anxiety, performance preparation, healthy practicing techniques, learning theories and physiological and psychological issues related to overall musicianship.

Update

* Smith, Brenda, and Robert T. Sataloff. (2006) Choral Pedagogy, 2nd edition. Plural Publishing, 5521 Ruffin Rd., San Diego, CA 92123; [e-mail]; www.pluralpublishing.com. 246 pp. ISBN 1-59756-043-X.

As stated in the preface, this text provides a solid overview of the vocal education of a choral conductor. It is also useful to voice teachers, church musicians, solo and choral singers. Medical professionals involved in treating vocalists will also find a useful manual.

This second edition has updated all 12 chapters published in the first edition and added several new chapters: "The Aging Voice," "Performing Arts Medicine" and "The Professional Voice: Risks of Non-voice Performance," "Voice Disorders Among Choral Music Educators" and "Choral Singing and Children."

Audience: Choral conductors and singers

Most Recent Books

* Chapman, Janice L. (2006) Singing and Teaching Singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice. Plural Publishing, Inc., 49 Bath St., Abington, Oxfordshire OX14 1EA; phone: [phone]; [e-mail]. 322 pp. ISBN: 13:9781597560153

Chapman invites contributing authors from different disciplines to write with her, thus giving it a multidisciplinary approach. The style of the book is conversational as she unfolds her pedagogical views on teaching singing. She combines three main facets: holistic, physiological and incremental. On the holistic side, Chapman views the body, mind, spirit, emotion and voice. On the physiological part, she stresses a teaching method that is based upon the anatomy, muscular function and the effects of muscular interactions. She examines the functional workings of the torso, larynx and the vocal tract in relation to singing. On the incremental side, she advocates breaking down components into manageable segments for study and performance.

The 15 chapters are self-explanatory with references listed at the end of each chapter. In Chapter 1, "Pedagogical Philosophy," Chapman reviews her philosophy of teaching and examines the three facets mentioned above: holistic, physiological and incremental. Chapter 2, "Primal Sound," discusses the awareness of primal sounds and the way emotional triggers can stimulate the commands to the brain to produce a holistic sound. Chapter 3 is titled "Postural Alignment" and explains why posture matters. Chapter 4, "Breathing and Support," Chapter 5, "Phonation and the Speaking Voice," and Chapter 6, "Resonance" are co-authored with Ron Morris, a speech and hearing therapist. Chapter 7, "Articulation," is also written with Morris and examines the articulatory system and its uses. Chapter 8, "Artistry and Performance," examines the pedagogical side of coaching one to performance level. Here she examines the seven stages of a singer's journey to become a performer.

Chapter 9, "The Teaching and Learning Partnership Part 1. The Singer's Journey: A Case Study of Eleven Singers Associated with the Studio," and Chapter 10, "The Teaching and Learning Partnership Part 2. The H-Factor--Working Holistically Within the Teaching and Learning Partnership," are written by Marilyn McCarthy. The purpose of these chapters is to present a case study that explores the meaning some singers attribute to their art and craft.

Chapter 11, "Vocal and Respiratory Anatomy and Physiology," by John Rubin, M.D., reviews the various parts of the body responsible for the creation of sound in a very basic way that acts as an introduction to the study of voice production. He breaks down the chapter into three large sections: bellows, vibrating units and resonators. Chapter 12, "Voice and the Brain," is written by a neuroscientist, Pamela Davis, and examines the complexity of human motor skills and singing. It reviews the neural control of the voice, the voluntary and involuntary or emotional control of the various systems that are principal in producing sounds.

Chapter 13, "Hearing and Singing," by Adrian Forcin gives a brief overview of the ways in which hearing and singing might interact. Hearing the pitch of the singing and speaking voices, hearing oneself, singing and the brain, and singing and language are examined. Chapter 14, "Working with the Professional Singer," examines the three types of professional singers Chapman works with and how vulnerable they are to the lifestyle they must have. Chapter 15, "From Performer to Pedagogue--a Multidisciplinary Route," explains her purpose for writing the book and is about changing from a performer to a pedagogue but taking into account the challenges facing today's world. She gives an overview of imagery, the Estill System, science and technology, and summarizes her goals in writing this book very effectively.

There are two appendices: "Exercises" and "Core Capabilities for Singers and Teachers." References included at the end of each chapter.

Audience: singers and vocal pedagogues

* Dayme, Meribeth Bunch. (2005) The Performer's Voice: Realizing Your Vocal Potential W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10110. www.wwnorton.com. 234 pp. ISBN: 0-393-06136-1 (hardcover)

The Performer's Voice is addressed to singers, actors and teachers, but also addresses people who use their voice in other professions such as radio announcers, trial lawyers, ministers and so forth. What makes this book unique compared to other books on this topic is that Dayme takes a fresh look at the elements of performance; coordinating both the mind and body with technical proficiency and musicality. Her purpose is to bring together the understanding of the anatomy and function of the voice with some practical suggestions for keeping a healthy voice for optimum performance.

There are three main sections in the text designed to allow the reader to observe and examine the physiological, musical, psychological and performance aspects of the voice. The book begins with an introduction titled "Discovering Your Voice," where the author tells the reader how to learn about the voice and how to assess it and how to use this book.

Part One, "Making Sense of Vocal Mechanics," discusses the logic of the body and encourages readers to examine the function of the voice, how the voice works and suggestions on how to critique and improve technique. There are six chapters: "The Logic and Wisdom of the Body," "Physical Alignment and Balance," "Breathing," "Making Sound," "The Structures of Resonance and Voice Quality," and "Articulation."

Part Two, "The Art of Vocal Expression and Presentation," has two chapters: "Vocal Color and Expression," and "The Art of Presentation." Part Three, "The Art of Performing," has four chapters: "The Ingredients of Performance," "Defining Presence," "Preparation and Performance," and "Vocal Health."

Each of the three parts begins with an introduction to the sections and ends with a summary. The layout is extremely clear with wonderful diagrams throughout. There are two appendices: Appendix A "Summary of Anatomical Terminology," and Appendix B "Working with Rhythm." A section on "Further Reading" is also included. Maribeth Bunch Dayme is also the author of The Singing Book, Dynamics of the Singing Voice, and Creating Confidence.

Audience: singers

* Gerig, Reginald. (2007) Famous Pianists and Their Technique, 2nd revised edtion. Indiana University Press, 601 North Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404-3797; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; [e-mail]. www.iupress.indiana.edu. 608 pp. ISBN: 978-0-253-34855-5

This "classic" text, originally published more than 30 years ago, has been updated. The laws of pianistic nature are explained here in both an interesting and historical way that not only instructs the reader, but tells a great story about the history of the piano, it's most notable performers and their technique. Gerig deals with the physiological aspects of the development of the keyboard along with the complicated task of explaining how piano technique developed; but, not always in a healthy way that kept up with the many physical changes in the piano that certainly would have affected piano technique during the last 300 years.

The 20 chapters consist off "The Meaning of Technique"; "The Early Clavier Methods, The Beginnings of the Piano"; "Mozart and the Early Piano Technique"; "Czerny: Technique Personified"; "The Early Methodology"; "The Lyricism of Chopin"; "Liszt and Virtuoso Technique"; "The Schumann Circle"; "The Beginnings of Modern Technical Methods"; "The Leschetizky Influence"; "Russian Nationalism"; "The French School"; "Breithaupt and Weight Technique"; "The English School: Matthay"; "His Pupils and Colleagues"; "Ortmann: Piano technique Comes of Age"; "Contemporary Technical Thought"; and "The Perspectives of an Enlightened Piano Technique."

The text contains 11 appendices that are added to this new edition. They include: "The Aesthetic Imperative," "Mental and Psychological Control," "An Intellectual Grasp of Basic Technical Knowledge," "Isolated Movements," "Coordinated Movements," "Muscular Coordination," "The Kinesthetic Sense," "Posture; Means for Specific Technical Development," "Historical Concepts and Perspectives of Piano Technical Thought" and a supplementary bibliography. Included in the last section is an annotated list of wellness resources.

Audience: pianists

* Gordon, Stewart. (2006) Mastering the Art of Performance: A Primer for Musicians. Oxford University Press, Inc., 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. 210 pp. ISBN: 13978-019-517743-5

Mastering the Art of Performance is a unique manual that examines the challenges of performing and offers some sound advice on solving them. The material in this book concerning performance goals, setting individual life-long goals as a musician and learning to use one's abilities to the fullest is research concerning performance anxiety that is unique.

The text is divided into 11 chapters prefaced by an introductory section titled "Prelude," and ending with a concluding chapter titled "Postlude." In the "Prelude" section, Gordon defines the word performance and gives his intention for the volume, which is to give a series of thought-provoking exercises for those who strive to perform. Here he gives a list of items one must consider while stretching one's individual performance abilities: self-exploration to build esteem, training preparation, psychological exercises to practice for improving one's attitude toward performing, feedback needed to improve and strengthen performances, realizations that help one re-evaluate long-range goals and spiritual insights that may happen to each of us.

Chapter 1, "Assessing Yourself, the Performer: Achieving a Positive Mind-Set Toward Performance," basically examines ways to develop alternative thinking techniques and balancing our emotional well-being in a positive way along with operating honestly around our own individual world we live in. Chapter 2, "Why We Perform: Forging a Performance Philosophy" examines what motivates each of us to perform in our environment and offers advice about how to create your own philosophical performance foundation. Response to challenge, desire for reward, the love for our specific field of human endeavor and service for an ideal or greater cause are evaluated by the author. Chapter 3, "Physical Support for Performance," is about setting and maintaining overall standards of physical well-being to support your musical performance. This chapter reviews several basic concepts about physical well-being. Chapter 4, "Conceptualizing and Scheduling Goals," reviews long-range goals, short-term goals, how to establish a game plan and how to structure your time. Gordon encourages the reader to then forge ahead but reevaluate them as necessary. Chapter 5, "Keeping Preparation Freshand Focused," explores techniques for sustaining one's energy and focus. Chapter 6, "Dealing with Repetition and Drill," examines ways to vary the discipline of repetition and drill while practicing. The following techniques are reviewed: varying the speed of repetition, varying repetition patterns, practicing intermittent repetition, creating easier versions, assessing security and how to get unstuck in repetition. Chapter 7, "Techniques to Develop Secure Memorization," examines the four characteristics that are present when memorizing for performance: complexity of material, anticipated level of precision, time issues and anxiety. The author's purpose is to offer techniques for giving more secure memorized performances on a regular basis. Chapter 8, "Ensuring Quality," gives suggestions on how to evaluate the quality of one's work. Following through, stepping back and measuring security are discussed so the reader gains an understanding of his or her own awareness of how each performs. Chapter 9, "Self-Regard at the Time of Performance," reviews how one needs to deal with the actual performance and how to manage your psychological state at the time. Chapter 10, "Managing Stage Fright," addresses the excitement, tension, nervousness, stage fright or trauma everyone faces to some degree during actual performance. Chapter 11 "Dynamics During Performance," discusses learning how to pace yourself, how to refresh yourself during performance and examines how to be creative during performance. Gordon realistically notes the self-awareness one experiences while performing and how perfection in reality almost never completely happens in performance. Chapter 12, "Evaluation after Performance," suggests positive ways one can evaluate performance and how developing one's skill and experience in self-evaluation is equally important in the performing process. Chapter 13, "Performance and Human Interaction," examines how one can use performance skills to give to others the happiness they experience in their performance skill. Chapter 14, "The Career Challenge," discusses ways one may broaden his or her skills, and recapitulates some real-life profiles used in the beginning of this manual to show how some individuals have used their performing skills in a positive way that incorporated their own lifestyle and music into a significant place in society. Chapter 15, "Physical Challenge and Performance," summarizes a musician's musical career with the old folk-rhyme: "I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-have-been has never been, and a has-been was once a star." Chapter 16, "Performance Careers in Retrospect," re-evaluates our careers and the influences that pull things together during our life as a musician; plateaus, burnouts and changing self-imagines are examined with fresh ideas on how to deal with these different stages throughout our life.

The author ends with a Postlude, "Performance and Your Spiritual Life" where he analyzes how one's own energy is created, one's inner peace and the way an individual is nurtured in life. This is an effective ending to his topic: Mastering the Art of Performance. Although addressed to all musicians and is an excellent resource about performance anxiety and how to resolve anxiety issues, it is obvious the author is a seasoned artist and teacher of piano. Selected bibliography included.

Audience: all musicians

Kertz, Randall. (2005) The Bassist's Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Randall Kertz, 8034 N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, IL 60714; [e-mail]. www.drkertz.com. 88 pp.

Written by a man who is a licensed chiropractic physician, an acupuncturist and a musician, this book is addressed to bass players and its intent is to guide bassists through injury management and prevention, and to point out common and not so common problems that a musician may encounter during practice or performing situations. Injuries and conditions are described with treatment options. There are a total of six chapters in the manual prefaced by a "quick symptom reference guide" designed to put the player with pain in touch with the pertinent information. The guide includes six sections about the arm, hand, neck, low back, shoulder and upper back. Each section gives page numbers where you can find information about each of these parts of the body with regard to: stiffness and pain, treatment and prevention, and exercises and stretches.

Chapter 1, "Hurts So Bad," examines pain, repetitive strain injury and stress. Chapter 2, "What Condition My Condition Was In," reviews 14 common conditions, defines each and explains what it is and what to do, including treatment options. The conditions explained are: tendonitis, nerve impingement or pinched nerve, muscle tightness, carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve, medial epicodylitis, cubital tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, trigger finger, blisters, bursitis, ganglion cyst, low back pain, rotator cuff tear and arthritis. Chapter 3, "The Way You Do the Things You Do," examines technique with regard to: the electric bass, the shoulder strap, posture, left hand, right hand, the upright bass, prevention and warm-ups. Chapter 4, "On the Road Again," gives travel tips to musicians including proper lifting techniques for carrying gear, proper rest, nutrition and exercise and doing yoga and meditation while on the road. Chapter 5, "Inspiration Information," has known people in the field such as Steve Bailey and Chris Clemente answer questions about such things as the kind of strap to use, practice exercises and so forth. Chapter 6, "Feels So Good," defines the most common treatment methods used to help conditions previously described in the manual. Acupressure, acupuncture, anti-inflammatories, auriculotherapy, chiropractice, corticosteroids, electrotherapy, heat and cold therapy, light therapy, massage, orthotics, splinting, stretching, trigger point therapy and ultrasound are discussed. The manual ends with one appendix "Exercises and Stretches" and a short resource list, including websites.

Audience: bassists

Lewis, Lucinda (2005) Broken Embouchures: An Embouchure Handbook and Repair Guide for Brass Players Suffering from Embouchure Problems Caused by Overuse, Injury, Medical/Dental Conditions, or Damaged Mechanics, revised edition. Oscar's House Press, Embouchures.com, Inc., P.O. Box 20384, Greeley Square Station, New York, NY 10001. www.Embouchures.com. 145 pp. ISBN: 0-9741007-0-6

This book offers practice advice for the ailing musician, focusing on what the problem might be and when and where to seek help. The author discusses the medical problems typically encountered by brass and woodwind players. It is addressed to professional players, as well as students and amateur players who are interested in embouchure problems. Lewis is a professional horn player herself and consulted medical professionals who reviewed her book before publication.

There are a total of 18 chapters divided into two sections. Chapter titles include: "Just Having a Bad Day, Or Is it Really a Chop Problem?" "Playing Mechanics Piece by Piece," "Air Control and a Peek at the Internal Embouchure Structure," "Embouchure Speak: A Translation of the Most Common Physical and Playing Symptoms," "Barking Up the Wrong Tree," "Pucker and Buzz," "In the Buzz," "A Generic Embouchure," "A 'Cupple' of Boring Details about Mouthpieces and Horns," "Lip Service," "Horns a Plenty," "A Word about Mouthpiece Repositioning," "Tearing Your Hair," and "It's Mind over Matter," "It Hurts. What is it," "Natural and Herbal Remedies" and "In Your Own Words."

Section 1 gives an overview of performance and overuse-related, embouchure, lip and general playing problems: physical overuse of the embouchure, embouchure overuse syndrome, lip swelling and bruising, cardboard (numb) lips, loss of endurance, embouchure weakness, high range problems, minor lip discomforts, air control, excessive mouthpiece pressure, pressure-point abrasions, air-induced abrasions, lip injuries hot spots, stretched lip muscles, torn lip muscles (Satchmo's syndrome), rehabilitation exercises for embouchure overuse syndrome and relaxation and hypnotherapy.

Section 2 gives an overview of the medical and dental condition and disorders that can make playing absolutely miserable: acid reflux disease and excessive salivation (water brash), allergies (food and skin), Bell's palsy, beta blockers (for performance anxiety), burning mouth syndrome, burning lips syndrome, canker sores, cold sores, cracked or chapped lips, dry mouth, embouchure dystonia, facial neuralgias (glossopharyngeal and trigeminal), non-playing related lip swelling, sleep apnea (surgical treatment for), temporal mandibular joint disorder (TMJ), traumatic lip injuries, dental conditions and procedures, adult orthodontia, bone abuses, dental bonding and dental overlays, gum disease, wisdom teeth, traumatic loss of teeth, natural and herbal remedies. No bibliography included but web-sites included.

Audience: brass and woodwind players

* Lehmann, Andreas C., John A. Sloboda and Robert H. Woody. (2007) Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills. Oxford University Press, Inc., 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. www.oup.com. 268 pp. ISBN: 13 978-0-19-514610-3

Although this text was initially written for a classroom teaching situation, there is a wealth of information here that can be used as a reference tool for any musician interested in the formative psychology of teaching, the learning process and performing music. Each chapter contains innovative self-study exercises and study questions and examines music within different cultural situations. The text is divided into three Parts: Part 1 "Music Learning," Part 2 "Musical Skills" and Part 3 "Musical Roles."

Part 1, "Music Learning," begins with an introductory chapter, "Science and Musical Skills," that explains the different ways of learning about and discussing important issues in music psychology and music education. How musical skills are culture-specific and vary, how music making and listening skills require mental and cognitive adaptations is explained. Chapter 2, "Development," examines child and adult musical development in the context of innate talent versus culture and environment. Chapter 3, "Motivation," examines the psychology of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Chapter 4, "Practice," is about the fact that practicing is a multi-faced behavior and the goal of practicing is not to just learn music but is about the development of complex mental and physical adaptation that enables long-term skill learning to take place. Although every musician practices differently, there are some common practice techniques used by most musicians that constitute a good practice and there are phases of practice.

Part 2, "Musical Skills," begins with Chapter 5, "Expression and Interpretation," which summarizes scientific research about how performers learn to perform musically. In part, many musical performances are rooted in expressive experiences performers have outside of playing music. Each performer develops their own "bag of tricks and tools" that makes their interpretation unique and beyond the mere page developed by the composer. Chapter 6, "Reading or Listening and Remembering," discusses sight reading, playing by ear and playing by memory and how all three skills rely on our ability to store and retrieve information, particularly with sight reading where recall happens in a different way. The authors compare the sight reading of music as an "online" kind of skill, one that cues via pattern recognition, while memorized performances rely extensively on "offline" skills, successful cueing via retrieval. Reading notes versus playing by ear, long-term memory and reading versus memory are skills that can be improved with training. Chapter 7, "Composition and Improvisation," discusses the generative musical processes that underlie these skills and compares their similarities and differences as they compared and contrasted sight reading versus memory skill. Chapter 8, "Managing Performance Anxiety," discusses the fact that it is much easier to identify it than write a definition. Common symptoms are discussed; the person, the situation and the musical task are examined in the context of each performer finding the right balance.

Part 3, "Musical Roles," begins with Chapter 9, "The Performer," which is about successful performing musicians who possess certain skills that fall outside the core of musical abilities. It examines the many skills acquired by performing musicians that have little to do with music making but make an important difference in performance presentation. Such things as a performer's physical appearance, stage behavior, bodily movements, gestures and the ability to adapt to the unexpected pressures of live performances are reviewed. Chapter 10, "The Teacher," is about the special qualities music teachers possess--their function, behaviors, and personal attributes that are unique for musicians to succeed in a musical career. Chapter 11 "The Listener," is about the art of listening as a highly complicated process that requires different types of skills depending upon the type of listening one is doing. Chapter 12, "The User," is about the different ways musicians think about music and the different functions of music. The current research on the work-focused versus the person-focused approach to music is examined.

Each chapter is clearly outlined in a similar way, beginning with a brief chapter overview, a short list of references at the end of each chapter and some discussion questions for each chapter. A bibliography is included.

Audience: all musicians

Maisel, Eric. (2005) Coaching the Artist Within: Advice for Writers, Actors, Visual Artists & Musicians from America's Foremost Creativity Coach. New World Library, 14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]. www.newworldlibrary.com. 226 pp. ISBN: 1-57731-464-6

This book explains the techniques that creativity coaches use to help their clients survive and thrive in the arts. It is designed to help any person become more creative and offers a complete program for developing the habits that make creativity an everyday routine. Maisel has experience working with all kinds of creative artists, including writers, visual artists, actors, musicians and others.

There are 12 chapters. Each chapter is titled Skill One, Skill Two and so on, and concentrates on one skill per chapter. All the chapters end with a section titled from a town or city and state such as: "Rising Sun, Indiana," and gives a personal experience of the author giving a creativity workshop to a group of people or working with a particular individual he met in a particular place that best exemplifies the skills he discusses in that chapter.

Skill One, "Becoming A Self-Coach," examines two exercises--Chatting with Yourself and Deciding to Matter. Skill Two, "Passionately Making Meaning," is about arriving at your life purpose statement and holding the intention to fulfill your life purposes. Skill Three," Getting a Grip on Your Mind," is about anxious self-talk and using affirmations as thought substitutes. Skill Four, "Eliminating Dualistic Thinking," discusses how to embrace and eliminate dualities. Skill Five, "Generating Mental Energy" examines mental energy and how to cultivate positive obsessions. Skill Six: "Creating in the Middle of Things," is about how to be creative around the rest of one's world and how to drop everything when necessary. Skill Seven, "Achieving a Centered Presence," is about breathing, thinking and centering during a creative process. Skill Eight, "Committing to Goal-Oriented Process," reviews the process of thinking clearly during creativity and honoring one's goal-oriented process. Skill Nine, "Becoming an Anxiety Expert," is about how one can grow through one's own anxiety by being aware of its individual nature and also appreciating the tao of your anxiety. Skill Ten, "Planning and Doing," is about finding one's everyday plan for creativity and being aware of one's long-term plan while growing. Skill Eleven, "Upholding Dreams and Testing Reality," is about achieving one's individual dreams. Skill Twelve, "Maintaining A Creative Life," is about becoming an expert with one's own creativity and perhaps sharing it with others. This text ends with an appendix and a list of resources.

Audience: all musicians

Maran, Arnold. (2005) The Voice Doctor: The Story of Singing. The Book Guild Ltd, Pavilion View, 19 New Rd., Brighton BN1 1UF. 185 pp. ISBN: 1-857769155

Arnold Maran, primarily a head and neck cancer surgeon, became interested in the voice while beginning to treat vocalists in the later part of his surgical career. In this book he provides a guide to the larynx and examines how the voice has changed over the past 1,000 years. Maran examines how the voice is produced, why women's voices sound different than men and other such interesting questions anyone would have about the voice.

There are a total of 17 chapters; most of the titles of the chapters clearly explain the chapter's content. Chapter 1, "In Space No One Can Hear You Scream," reviews where the voice comes from, the way sound is transferred, how the ear works, why we need resonance and harmonics. Chapter 2, "How Voice is Produced," examines the skeleton of the larynx, the muscles and ligaments of the larynx, the resonating chambers, muscle control, why men and women sound differently, how the vocal chords produce a sound, how the mucosa vibrates, what the laryngeal muscles do, muscle control and what the lungs do. Chapter 3, "The Animal Voice," takes a look at how and why voice evolved, beginning with animals. Chapter 4, "The Operatic Voice," explains the different types of female and male voices and what decides voice type. Brief sections on resonance, the passagio and vibrato are also discussed. Chapter 5 is about "The Music Theatre Voice." Chapter 6 is about "The Popular Voice" and Chapter 7 gives a historical overview of "The Earliest Pop Idol." Chapter 8, "Will Young Wasn't the First Manufactured Star," gives a brief history of castration, the first castrati and the surgery; the physical effects of castration and the effect of castration on the voice, castrati and boy tenors in society. Chapter 9 is titled "The Classical Pop Stars," where Maran examines the affects of amplification on the voice, big band singers, singing the standards, rock'n'roll and so on. Chapter 10, "Opera: The Long Road to Big Rewards," reviews the life leading up to the adult opera singer and beyond. Chapter 11, "Pop and Rock: The Road of Dreams," reviews the life leading up to the pop and rock singer and beyond. Chapter 12 is about "The Injured Voice," why and how it happens and lesions on the mucosa. Basically, this chapter discusses temporary voice loss and those caused by many simple conditions, such as a common cold. Chapter 13, "The Lost Voice," examines more serious problems that can lead to permanent voice lost. Chapter 14, "Lifestyle Problems" reviews health risks related to smoking and drinking, traveling and the wear and tear on the body, sleep, allergies, reflux, weight gain and aging.

Chapter 15 is titled "Recording Techniques" and gives a historical overview of the different recording techniques used since wax cylinders. The benefits of recording and recording environments are also examined. Chapter 16, "Marketing the Voice," and Chapter 17, "Developments in Voice Technology," are culminating chapters.

This is an interesting book that gives a fascinating historical overview of the history of the voice and its different uses through history from the Greeks to present time. Bibliography not included.

Audience: singers

Pargman, David. (2006) Managing Performance Stress: Models and Methods. Routledge: Taylor &

Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. www.taylorandfrancis.com. 256 pp. ISBN: 0-415-95252-2 (hardcover), 0-415-95253-0 (paperback)

This text is about performance and stress. It presents psychological and psychophysiological models and theories that explain anxiety and stress. The manual is addressed to athletes, musicians, dancers and actors. Exercises, coaching devices and strategies for conquering stress and anxiety are included.

There are 14 chapters that are uniformly set up with the following subdivisions: Learning Objectives, where a bulleted list of what one should be able to do or understand after reading the chapter; Important Terms, where a bulleted list of terms explained in the chapter is given followed by an introduction and divisions of these terms as topic headings in the chapter. Each chapter ends with a summary.

Chapter 1, "What is Stress," defines the terms associated with stress and anxiety. Chapter 2, "Signs of Stress: Different Perspectives," explains the three stages of adapting to stress and how the body reacts to stress. Chapter 3, "Sources of Stress," explains four approaches used to clarify stress causality so that a comprehensive understanding of the sources and origins of stress can be analyzed. They include: psychoanalytic orientations, learning orientations, sociological orientations and personological orientations. Chapter 4, "What is Performance," is about the aesthetic aspects of performance. Entertainment and criticism about performance are topics that are also discussed. Chapter 5, "Skilled Behavior," describes the nervous system, defines memory, transfer of learning, practice, and mental practice. The features essential to understanding how learning occurs is discussed. Chapter 6, "Assessment and Evaluation of Performance," examines the assessment and evaluation of performance and how it may account for performance anxiety and the physiological arousal that accompanies it.

Chapter 7, "Performance and Self-Perceptions," looks at the whole self--physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual to see how it relates to stress and anxiety. Chapter 8, "Stress as an Inhibitor or Enhancer of Performance," examines how each of us can discover our own optimal physiological arousal in order to achieve our best performance. Learning to modulate our arousal level is reviewed in the context of muscular tension and fatigue. Chapter 9, "The Assessment of Stress Reactions," is about learning how to examine the degree of stress and anxiety we have in order to control our responses to it.

Chapter 10, "Cognition and Cognitive Style," focuses on stylistic variations in the way individuals think, make judgments and address problems. Advantages and disadvantages of different cognitive styles are reviewed. Chapter 11, "Cognitive Stress Management Techniques: Planning and Understanding Cognitive Strategies," is about stress management strategies that depend upon mental activities. Thus, developing coping mechanisms that emphasize mental processes and how to implement them are provided in this chapter.

Chapter 12, "Relaxation Techniques," describes the steps necessary to implement progressive relaxation and autogenic training. Hypnosis, Yoga, massage or touch therapy is also examined. Chapter 13, "Biofeedback Training, Chemical Interventions, and Nutritional Considerations," examines topics that should assist performers with managing their stress and anxiety responses. Chapter 14, "Exercise," defines exercise and describes the physiological changes that accompany it. Extended list of references is included at the end.

Audience: performing musicians

Pirtle, Kathryne with Sally Fallon. (2006) Performance without Pain: a Step-by-Step Nutritional Program for Healing Pain, Inflammation and Chronic Ailments in Musicians, Athletes, Dancers and Everyone Else. New Trends Publishing, Washington, D.C.; phone: [phone]. www.NewTrendsPublishing.com. 132 pp ISBN: 0967089778

In this book, the dietary elements that may influence overall health and a predisposition to injury, inflammatory conditions and muscle strength impairment are examined. There is a discussion via the personal experience of one of the authors who is a professional clarinetist about how nutrition can affect the body's ability to maintain and repair itself. The authors examine the changes in the way our foods have been produced over the course of the last 60 or so years and how it has affected the overall health of many people.

The text contains an introduction and 10 chapters. Chapter 1, "My Story," gives the reader an overview of the health problems Pirtle experienced and how she struggled to find her own answers to food allergies and eating disorders as a result of gluten sensitivity and inflammatory problems that had affected her overall health and her ability to be a healthy professional musician. With a great deal of research and the help of a good doctor and nutritionist, she overcame her condition. She now follows a gluten-free, nutrient dense, high-enzyme diet that includes an abundance of foods to maintain the healthy bacterial flora in her digestive track. Chapter 2, "Establishing a Healthy Ecosystem," is the first healing principle. Here, the author explains the type of food basics needed to maintain a healthy body and what foods are easy to digest. Chapter 3, "Nutrient-Dense Food," examines the consumption of nutrient-dense food. Chapter 4, "Foods to Avoid," explains what food to avoid and why. Chapter 5, "Foods That Heal," discusses the type of foods that heal.

Chapter 6, "Supplements," examines the use of vitamin and mineral supplements when paired with a densely nutritious traditional diet. Chapter 7, "Making it Practical," gives some sound advice on how to pack food for work and a sample of a 7-day healing menu. Chapter 8, "Suggested Reading," is an annotated bibliography about books on nutrition, diet and overall health. Chapter 9 is titled "Recipes." Chapter 10, "The Body in Balance," explains that optimal health is not about the absence of disease but a balance of the physical, biochemical and emotional aspects of our being.

This book would be extremely beneficial to any musician, athlete or dancer who has had problems with eating allergies and disorders or inflammatory problems, including arthritis. A list of sources is included at the end.

Audience: all musicians with dietary and/or inflammatory disorders

Stohrer, Sharon. (2006) The Singer's Companion. Routhdge: Taylor & Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. www.taylorandfrancis.com and www.routledge-ny.com. 121 pp. ISBN: 0-415-97697-9 (hardcover) and 0-415-97698-7 (paperback).

This is a useful worktable or bedside manual with the purpose of being a "guide" or "bible" about singing. There is discussion about things that are not in any other book in the current book market concerning overall healthy singing.

There are 11 chapters. Chapter 1, "Getting Started," gives suggestions about finding a good voice teacher, what should be going on at a voice lesson--taking into account one's own individual goals--such as studying a specific style of literature, suggestions regarding literature and publications, and steps in learning a song or aria. Chapter 2, "Practicing," suggests a daily regimen, how to practice and keeping a journal, including sample lessons and practice logs; what to do if you are too tired or sick to practice, warm-up exercises for breathing, breath flow, support, agility, legato and register blending. Chapter 3, "Working with the Score," examines how to analyze a vocal score and gives tips for memorization. Chapter 4, "Health and Body Awareness," give basic information for those with allergies, taking medications and where to find information on the 200 most-prescribed medications and their effects on singing, and how to survive choral rehearsals. Chapter 5, "The Complete Singer/Musician," discusses basic overall musicianship skills needed to be a self-sufficient vocalist, including a solid theory and piano background so one has the ability to practice without an accompanist. Chapter 6, "A Few Words About Technique," examines a few issues about teacher/student relationships, setting goals and tackling technical problems. Chapter 7, "Performing," discusses how to work with vocal coaches, accompanists, stage and acting tips and gestures, and an overview of performing mechanics and preparation and about getting to the stage and back. Chapter 8, "A Brief Look at Performance Anxiety," examines basic mental preparation and offers some advice on backstage tricks. Chapter 9, "Auditioning," discusses the basics of auditioning, what to wear, general appearance, professionalism and different kinds of auditions--such as musical theater auditions verses college or graduate schools auditions, selecting a school, choral auditions and a bit about audition repertoire. Chapter 10, "Singing as a Career or Avocation," discusses some basics on how to produce business cards, a resume including sample resumes, networking, demo CDs, brochures and websites. Chapter 11, "Philosophy of Singing," serves as an excellent concluding chapter.

A thought-provoking resource that is both inspirational and helpful. This would be a wonderful addition to anyone's library. A detailed list of resources divided into 14 different categories is included at the end, with books and important websites, followed by a short annotated bibliography on resources about performance anxiety.

Audience: singers

Sulica, Lucian, Andrew Blitzer, editors. (2006) Vocal Fold Paralysis. Springer. www.springer.com. 253 pp. ISBN: 3540237658

This is a textbook that is clinically a useful reference tool for evaluating and treating the following therapies: vocal fold injection, medialization laryngoplasty and arytenoid repositioning surgery. Also included are the topics: reinnervation, vocal fold pacing, bilateral medialization and pediatric and bilateral vocal fold paralysis.

It is divided into three parts: "Basic Science and Clinical Evaluation," "Treatment" and "Special topics," with 15 total chapters. Although this text is more addressed to the medical professional; it is virtually the only textbook devoted to vocal fold paralysis and contains some useful information about the history, examination and treatment of these disorders that will definitely be of value to those diagnosed with vocal paralysis or related problems. The text has an extensive list of medical professionals who contributed to the reference tool; is full of useful diagrams and contains many references.

Audience: vocalists with vocal fold problems

Thornton, Tony. (2005) The Choral Singer's Survival Guide. Vocal Planet Publishing, Inc., 137 North Larchmont Blvd., #494, Los Angeles, CA 90004-3704; [e-mail], www.vocalplanet.net. 229 pp. ISBN: 0-9762002-0-1

The text is geared towards the amateur or trained choral musician. The author concentrates on how one locates, prepares and auditions for a chorus and how to find one in your area.

There are seven chapters followed by a concluding resource section and a CD. Chapter 1, "The Choral Artist," explains the basic types of ensembles, finding the right choral group and how to gather audition information and requirements. Chapter 2, "Preparing for a Choral Audition," tells one how to choose and learn a solo piece. Chapter 3, "Vocal Technique," is all about sound production, the importance of body alignment and breathing. Chapter 4, "The Audition: Before, During, and After" is about the anxiety one may experience while going through the entire audition process. Chapter 5, "The Rehearsal," reviews rehearsal techniques and explains the responsibilities of singers and conductors. Chapter 6, "Score Marking for Singers," gives some examples of interesting ways to mark the score for creative practicing. Chapter 7, "The Choral Performance," carefully examines the care and preservation of the voice while performing in a choral situation.

The expanded resource section gives some basic information about proper diction in five languages, definitions of musical terms, sight-reading tips, choral ranges and classifications and online choral resources; included is a list of interactive websites that instruct choral singers on the basics of music theory and music reading. Rehearsal techniques, score marking for singers, summer choral festivals, professional singing opportunities and performance skill techniques are examined. The resource section ends with an interesting section titled "A Brief Overview of Choral Music History and Style." The accompanying CD contains breathing and vocal exercises, body alignment for singing as well as vocal musicianship exercises. A glossary of terms that can be integrated into your daily practice routine and an extended bibliography is also included. Audience: choral musicians

Workman, Darin "Dutch." (2006) The Percussionists' Guide to Injury Treatment and Prevention: The Answer Guide for Drummers in Pain. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com. 311pp. ISBN: 0-415-97685-5

The Percussionists' Guide to Injury Treatment and Prevention is a manual about identifying and resolving injury. It discusses injuries that come about as a result of improper ergonomics (positions, postures, and movements that are most efficient for the body) and biomechanics (ways the body is designed to move) during drumming. First the author explains basic human anatomy and biomechanics, then he introduces basic concepts on how injury occurs. Photographs and illustrations are used throughout.

Each injury begins with a section titled "Signs and Symptoms" followed by: "Name of Injury," "Description," "Cause," "Treatment," "Prevention," including technique, stretches and exercises; "If no Relief," "Prognosis," "Other Possibilities," "Digging a Little Deeper," and "Related Areas." This makes the manual very easy to read because these sections explain when to seek a doctor's advice and suggests what kind of doctor to see. Allied health care practitioners are also mentioned. The author explains in the introduction of the book that most often patients seek medical treatment long after the injury has been there, thus making it very difficult if not impossible to fully cure. Workman is a doctor of chiropractic where he works with music, performing and sports-related injuries. He is also a drummer/percussionist himself and continues to be active in performing and teaching. His purpose for writing this book is to not only help percussionists who have already suffered injuries but to offer a manual for preventing them as well.

There are a total of 14 chapters. Chapter 1, "The Purpose and Proper Use of This Book," and Chapter 2, "Basic Anatomy Principles," give the reader the basic anatomy necessary to understand biomechanics and playing percussion instruments. Chapter 3, "How Injury Occurs," examines how to warm up your body, stretching exercises and the purpose of these things ... how and why one should cool down.

Chapter 4 is devoted to "Hand and Wrist Problems," Chapter 5 "Elbow Problems," Chapter 6 "Shoulder Problems," Chapter 7 "Foot and Ankle Problems," Chapter 8 "Knee Problems," Chapter 9 "Hip and Pelvis Problems," Chapter 10 "Lower Back and Abdomen Pain Problems," Chapter 11 "Mid-back and Chest Problems," Chapter 12 "Neck Problems," Chapter 13 "Head Problems" and Chapter 14 "Miscellaneous Problems."

After the table of contents is a section titled "List of Injuries" with page numbers given where readers can easily find that section. There are three appendices: "Care Programs," "Exercises" and "Further Explanation." A Glossary of Terms and References are also included.

Audience: percussionists

The selection of All-Time Wellness Favorites compiled below includes an overview of some of the most useful and interesting wellness resources available for the pedagogy teacher, private teacher and performer. The unique makeup of these particular texts will give the reader general information that pertains to their own needs and/or instrument, particularly with regard to healthy practicing, which is the key to injury prevention. This list was chosen because the books have been found to be particularly useful to all musicians. Original annotations can be found at:

http://www.mtna.org/Resources/Ann otatedBibliographyonMusicianWellne ss/tabid/313/Default.aspx. Highlights about each text is included below.

Bishop, Dorothy. (1991) The Musician as Athlete. Kava Publications, 111 32nd Ave., N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2M 2P7. 395 pp. ISBN: 0-9695590-0-3

** Basic information on muscles used while playing

** Prevention and healing of minor aches

** Information on herbs, vitamins and minerals

Bruckner, Susan. (2004) The Whole Musician: A Multi-Sensory Guide to Practice, Performance and Pedagogy, 2nd edition. Effey Street Press, 314 Effey St., Santa Cruz, CA 95062. www.effeystreet.com. 244 pp. No ISBN provided.

** Examines the different learning styles of a musician

Bruser, Madeline. (1997) The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart. Bell Tower News, 201 East 50th St., New York, NY 10022. 288 pp. ISBN: 0-517-70822-1

** Freeing from physical and emotional tension

** Body mechanics and your instrument

* Green, Barry. (2003) The Mastery of Music: Ten Pathways to True Artistry. Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc. www.broad waybooks.com. 293 pp. ISBN: 0-7679-1156-3

** Identifies the tools--courage, discipline, passion, humility and so on, that puts musicians on their own personal journey to artistry

* Green, Barry and Timothy Gallwey. (1986) The Inner Game of Music. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. 225 pp. ISBN; 0-385-23126-1

** Discusses the principles of natural learning

** How to develop a balance between spontaneity, technique and inspiration during performance

** How to reduce mental interferences that builds confidence

* Greene, Don. (2002) Performance Success: Performing Your Best Under Pressure. Routledge, 11 New Fetter Ln., London EC4P 4EE; 29 W. 35th St., New York, NY 10001. www.routledge-ny.com for New York office and www.routledge.com for London office. 151 pp. ISBN: 0-87830-122-4

** Seven essential skills for optimal performance

** Horvath, Janet. (2000/2002) Playing (less) Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians. Morris Publishing, 3212 East Hwy. 30, Kearney, NE 68847. 295 pp. ISBN: 0-9713735-0-7 Also: SHAR Products [phone] or www.sharmusic.com.

** Risk factors and danger signals

** Instrument modifications for all instruments

** Safe practicing

* Paull, Barbara and Christine Harrison. (1997) The Athletic Musician: A Guide to Playing Without Pain. Scarecrow Press, Inc., 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706; phone: [phone] pp. ISBN: 0-81083356-5/paperback.

** Anatomy as applied to any instrumental musician

* Parncutt, Richard and Gary E. McPherson. (2002) The Science and Psychology of Music Performance. Oxford University Press, Inc., 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. www.oup.com. 388 pp. ISBN: 0-19-513810-4

** Personal and environmental factors that develop a musician

* Shockley, Rebecca Payne. (1997) Mapping Music: For Faster Learning and Secure Memory: A Guide for Piano Teachers and Students. A-R Editions, Inc., 801 Deming Way, Madison, WI 53717; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]. www.areditions.com. 122 pp. ISBN: 0-19-512326-3

** How to map music to learn more quickly

** Mapping can be applied to any instrument other than piano

** Snitkin, Harvey R. (1996) Practicing for Young Musicians: You are Your Own Teacher. Revised and expanded edition. HMS Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 524, Niantic, CT 06357; phone/fax: [phone] pp ISBN: 1-888732-00-8

** About how to get the most out of your practice time

** Describes practice methods and how to plan a practice agenda

** Balancing other activities with practicing

* Westney, William. (2003) The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self. Amadeus Press, 133 S.W. Second Ave., Ste. 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527. www.amadeuspress.com. 240 pp. ISBN: 1-57467-083-2

** Healthy music making

** Nurturing a musician

** Mind/body relationship

Websites

www.fcvh.com/index.html

Created by the Florida Center for the Voice, this website offers basic information on conditions affecting the voice, as well as common-sense advice on measures for protecting and healing the voice. Much of the information is presented in a simple tabular form that will appeal to younger users. For example, the page entitled "Voice Problems" lists symptoms, causes and treatments for each of the common complaints listed. Employing a similar format, the "Vocal Health" page displays a lengthy "dos and don'ts" chart of behavioral and environmental factors that can affect the voice and self-help advice for preventing or alleviating the problems. While these pages are not visually exciting, they do provide a good overview of basic information that all singers should know. The Florida Center is staffed by a board-certified ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon and other personnel whose work focuses on care of both professional and non-professional voices.

Audience: students, vocalists, choral musicians, actors

www.ncvs.org

The National Center for Voice and Speech, which is funded through an agency of the National Institutes of Health, is staffed by a team of scientists, clinicians and educators from diverse areas of expertise including medicine, computer science and vocal performance. Well-designed and easy to navigate, this site has something for just about everyone, from children to researchers. In the "Information" section are several features for "lifelong learners," including several brief videos, a FAQ list, and articles about voice protection. For those with a more scientific interest, the "Research Colleagues" section contains technical information and descriptions of research projects, as well as a link to videos of conference presentations. The section designed for singers provides some voice exercises, the text of previously published articles for voice teachers, and a description of what occurs during a clinical examination of the voice. The section "Vocologists" includes information about professional training, as well as an extensive list of commonly used prescription medications and their effect on the voice. The "Tutorials" section includes a learning game for young students and a Jeopardy-style game for adults. This website should be thoroughly explored by anyone interested in vocal health/pathology, especially those who are looking for creative ways to present information to students of all ages. Audience: teachers, medical professionals, vocalists, choral musicians, actors

www.voiceofyourlife.com/index.html

The Voice of Your Life is a website created by Joanna Cazden, a professionally trained singer and actor who is also a voice teacher and licensed speech pathologist. Cazden's clinical work focuses on problems from misuse or overuse of the voice. Her website provides several types of self-help information. First there is a "Vocal health" page that deals briefly with such issues as hydration, throat lozenges, voice warm up and breathing techniques. The "Treatment" page, also brief, explains the need for medical evaluation and offers advice on finding a speech pathologist who specializes in vocal health. The archival section of this website contains lengthier articles that Cazden has written for various publications, covering such topics as warm up exercises, vowel and consonant enunciation, travel tips and even suggestions for the recording studio. Most vocalists will find all of this material of great interest. The site is very easy to navigate and the friendly, witty tone of the articles should please everyone.

Audience: students, vocalists, choral musicians, actors

www.handhealthresources.com/

Hand Health Resources is a commercial website with much free information to offer that will help users learn about common hand problems. While not specifically addressed to musicians, the site does cover many of the hand injuries that affect musicians clue to overuse or misuse, with suggestions for prevention and treatment. The material was written by Marji Hajic, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. One particularly helpful section deals with ergonomics in relation to carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), De Quervain's tenosynovitis, and stenosing tenosynovitis ("trigger finger"), providing targeted suggestions for alleviating and preventing these conditions. The section on repetitive strain injuries (RSI) should be required reading for every musician. It describes the types of motion that are likely to cause problems, tips on evaluating the severity of the problem and knowing when to seek medical advice, and self-help tips for enhancing healing and recovery. Other self-help features include an RSI risk questionnaire and first-aid instructions to stabilize and protect the hand immediately after injury before reaching medical care. A section on hand anatomy is now being developed. Easy to navigate and well written, this website downplays its commercial aspects in order to emphasize the educational content to such an extent that it is actually difficult to determine what products and services are being offered. More information about the author would also be a welcome addition to this site. The home page indicates that this site is soon to be revised.

Audience: all musicians

www.handhealth.com/index.asp

A delightfully lighthearted website with a serious purpose, Hand Health focuses on the concept that musicians can improve their performance, as well as prevent injuries and enhance recovery by developing strength and agility in the fingers. Greg Irwin, musician and teacher, developed finger exercises for himself to help gain proficiency in playing a great variety of instruments during his undergraduate years as a music education major. Later, a doctor recognized that these exercises were of value in rehabilitation as well. In time, Irwin's ideas led to the formation of a small company that targets musicians' hand problems from three perspectives: injury and fatigue prevention through good care of the hands, improved hand fitness with exercises and products to develop strength and coordination, and rehabilitation techniques (developed with a certified hand therapist) to help those who suffer from common hand injuries associated with cumulative trauma and repetitive motion. The site offers a series of free online videos demonstrating "Finger Fitness" exercises from beginner to advanced levels. There is even a "Finger Fitness Challenge" that invites users to test themselves in activities such as "pencil push ups" and "finger basketball"--fun activities designed for improving strength, dexterity and coordination. Musicians of all ages and levels of expertise, even those who are not experiencing pain, will benefit from Irwin's ideas and techniques.

Audience: all musicians

www.health-alliance.com

This is the website of a small group of fully-accredited hospitals and clinics in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio, area. While the health information provided is both authoritative and clear, it is not easy to find; this site suffers from a very bad case of poor navigation. Health information can be found in two areas. One is the drop down menu labeled "Learn About Health," which includes broad topics such as movement disorders and behavioral disorders. Clicking on any of these produces a brief list of topics within that category. For example, under the category "Behavioral" are articles about anxiety, depression, panic disorders, and other similar conditions that may affect a highly stressed performing artist. Of particular interest is the series of articles under "Integrative Medicine," which includes articles on chiropractic, massage, Alexander Technique, rolfing, yoga, acupuncture and other well known forms of alternative therapy.

The second and more extensive portion of the site's health information is found in the "Healthy Living" section at http://www.health-alliance.com/living/. Unfortunately, most searchers will not find this section because there is no access to it from the main page. The above listed URL leads to an index page that offers two ways of reaching the articles. First, there is a bar with several links to broad health topics such as "Bones, Muscles, and Joints," each leading to a clickable menu of articles within that category. These articles are more substantive than the first mentioned group and often include illustrations. A second, perhaps more effective, way to access these articles is entering keywords in the search box at the bottom of the page. For example, entering the word "elbow" produces more than 20 articles on such topics as repetitive strain injuries, tendonitis and joint care. Sports medicine is the focus of many of the articles, making this an especially good information source for performing artists.

Audience: all musicians, performing artists

www.med.nyu.edu/hjd/harkness/

This website was created by the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, a facility of the Hospital for Joint Diseases affiliated with New York University. It was founded in 1989 to provide free and low-cost rehabilitation, treatment and injury-prevention services for dancers in the New York area. The website provides detailed information about common types of dance injuries in a visually pleasing format that is easy to navigate. A click on the "Common Dance Injuries" link, opens up the first of several menus that take the user step-by-step from a general overview to highly focused information. Selecting one of the areas of the body shown on the menu (Foot/Ankle, Knee and Thigh, Hip, Spine, Shoulder, Elbow/Wrist/Hand) produces a detailed description of problems that may develop and tips for preventing injuries. Within each category, there is a further breakdown by specific condition. The articles, well-illustrated with drawings and photographs, are informative without being intimidating. Musicians, as well as dancers, can find helpful information on causes, treatments and prevention of many musculoskeletal injuries and disorders.

Audience: dancers, musicians

* The items marked with this symbol can be ordered via the MTNA website through our affiliation with Amazon.com. Go to www.mtna.org and choose Member Services from the Membership option in the main menu bar for more information.

Linda Cockey, is professor and chair of the Department of Music at Salisbury University in Maryland. She has been teaching a wellness in performance class for more than 10 years that includes injury prevention for all musicians and actors. She also teaches piano, music history and form and analysis. Cockey holds a D.M.A, degree from the Catholic University of America.