Street musicians in New Orleans are one of type of contemporary performers or buskers who represent an occupational community located in the French Quarter. Though often marginalized or seen as deviant, these urban troubadours regard themselves as professional entertainers who adhere to ethical standards and business practices. This study is an analysis of these performers that includes a description of their cluster of performing activities, the concomitant artifacts used in the performances, and the cohesiveness of this group during times of difficulty. Because of a dearth of published research on this specific topic, this study will contribute a new dimension of cultural knowledge.

A healthy posture protects the body-supporting functions and prevents injuries by maintaining balance. Literature in performing arts medicine suggests that posture is an important component to prevent piano-playing related injuries. However, no known research studies have quantified, characterized, and compared pianists' sitting postures. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between playing postures and perceived pain among pianists. This study applied innovative approach using qualitative and quantitative methods, combined with three-dimensional motion captured technology. To examine risk factors related pianists' postures, three-dimensional motion-capture cameras recorded approximate 40 pianists' postures in various situations; data recordings were combined with a statistical method to investigate pain-posture correlations. Results reveal that the degrees of head-neck or body tilt angles are the tendency of risk factors for piano-playing related pain. Results from this study may have multiple practical implications among which are: (1) a risk factor pain, injury index, or indicator (2) a performance habits profile and (3) practice guide to prevention of piano-playing related musculoskeletal disorders.

The purpose of this study was to characterize psychological distress in collegiate music students via analysis of related latent constructs. The relationships between psychological distress, perceived stress, perception of learning environment, financial stress, social support, and resilience were examined simultaneously via structural equation modeling with psychological distress as the primary endogenous variable. A structural model was developed a priori based on established relationships between the latent variables in the extant literature. Each construct was quantified via indicators drawn from appropriate psychometric inventories. Each inventory, and the total measurement model, was assessed for model fit via confirmatory factor analysis. Following this, structural equation modeling was run with the weighted least square mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator to test the a priori structural model. Significant direct relationships were found between perception of learning environment and perceived stress and between perceived stress and psychological distress. Significant correlational relationships were found among perception of learning environment, financial stress, social support, and resilience. In this study, perception of learning environment predicted perceived stress in a sample of college music students. Additionally, perceived stress was the primary predictor of psychological distress in this sample.

Atenção refere-se ao conjunto de processos que leva à seleção ou processamento preferencial de informações presentes em determinadas porções da rede nervosa. Existem relatos de que músicos exibem melhor desempenho que não-músicos em tarefas que envolvem atenção dado que a tarefa de leitura à primeira vista (de partituras) ativa múltiplas regiões encefálicas, entre elas, áreas envolvidas na orientação da atenção. O presente estudo investigou a orientação encoberta da atenção em músicos capazes de realizar leitura à primeira vista. Investigou ainda, se a continuidade do estudo formal de música ao longo de três anos, depois do ingresso na Universidade (ECA - Escola de Música) produz alterações significativas na memória operacional, avaliada por meio do teste 2-back, em relação a não-músicos que também ingressaram na Universidade, porém em área distinta (Biologia, IB-USP) que não envolve música. Os resultados no teste de atenção encoberta mostraram que não-músicos exibem assimetrias na orientação da atenção visuo-espacial; seu tempo de reação para estímulos apresentados no hemicampo direito é significantemente menor que o observado para estímulos apresentados no hemicampo esquerdo. Ademais, não-músicos exibem efeito de validade apenas para estímulos-alvo apresentados no hemicampo direito. Em músicos, não houve diferenças significantes nos tempos de reação a estímulos apresentados nos hemicampos direito e esquerdo; esses tempos foram significantemente menores que os exibidos pelos não-músicos, para estímulos apresentados no hemicampo esquerdo. Não obstante essa diferença, os músicos também exibiram efeito de validade apenas para estímulos-alvo apresentados no hemicampo direito. Não houve diferenças significantes de desempenho entre músicos e não-músicos no teste de memória operacional. Assim, o estudo formal de música parece relacionar-se com alterações nos processos de orientação da atenção. / Attention corresponds to selection or preferential processing of information maintained in certain portions of the neural network. Musicians seem to exhibit better performance relative to non-musicians in attention-dependent tasks, which is ascribed to sight-reading of scores that activates multiple brain regions, including areas involved on orienting of attention. The present study investigated covert orienting of visual attention in people exposed to prolonged study of music, thus becoming capable of sight-reading. In addition, we investigated if continuation of formal music study after getting into the University (School of Music) leads to significant chance in working memory, as evaluated by the 2-back test involving letters, relative to non-musicians that also get into the University but in a distinct area (Biology). The results in the covert attention test showed that non-musicians exhibit an asymmetry in visuo-spatial orienting of attention; their reaction times for target-stimuli presented in the right hemifield were significantly smaller than those observed for stimuli presented in the left hemifield. In addition, non-musicians exhibited validity effect only for target-stimuli presented in the right hemifield. In contrast, musicians did not exhibit significant differences in reaction times for target stimuli presented in the left or right hemifields; however, these reaction times were smaller than those seen for non-musicians for stimuli presented in the left hemifield. Despite this difference, musicians also exhibited an asymmetry, that is, their validity effect was also restricted to target stimuli presented in the right hemifield. Musicians and non-musicians did not differ in the working memory test. Together, these results indicate that formal music study relates with changes in the processes of orienting of attention.

PhD in Performance / Performance related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) are a frequent reality for practicing musicians. Many aspects of the bassoon make bassoon players particularly susceptible to PRMDs. This thesis explored the prevalence of PRMDs among bassoon players and assessed the frequency, types, and locations of PRMDs. Also identified were treatments used for PRMDs, contributing factors to PRMD development, and the perceptions of the bassoon community regarding PRMDs. The International Bassoonist Questionnaire was distributed via the World Wide Web (n = 166, 58% male, 42% female). Eighty-six percent of bassoon players reported PRMDs. Pain was the most common PRMD symptom reported (78%). Females reported PRMDs (96%) more frequently than males (78%). Younger bassoon players reported more PRMDs. Most bassoon players (88%) were attempting to treat their PRMDs. The most common self-administered treatments were rest (60%) and reducing playing time (53%). Bassoonists attributed the cause of PRMDs to “long hours of practice” and “sudden increase in playing time.” Bassoon players felt strongly that the medical profession did not know how to treat a bassoon related injury. They believed that a knowledgeable teacher was the best resource against the onset of PRMDs even though technical aspects of playing were not identified as significant contributors to PRMDs. The bassoon playing population needs more information about PRMDs in order to develop treatment and prevention strategies.

personal branding, Facebook, Musician Stars, SNS (social network service), online

Darbe nagrinėjama. kaip muzikantas-atlikėjas meninės kūrybos procese išgyvena daugybę įvairiausių emocijų. Pasirodymas scenoje visada susijęs su gebėjimu susikurti tinkamą sceninę būseną. Scenos baimė – psichologinis reiškinys, kurį jaučia muzikantai-atlikėjai sceninio pasirodymo metu. Tyrimo objektas – muzikantų-atlikėjų scenos baimės raiška ir jos įveikos galimybės. Tyrimo tikslas – analizuoti muzikantų-atlikėjų scenos baimės raiškos ypatumus ir jos įveikos galimybes. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) atskleisti meninės kūrybos ir muzikanto-atlikėjo profesijos specifiškumą, analizuojant mokslinę, psichologinę, pedagoginę literatūrą; 2) nustatyti psichologinę, filosofinę, teologinę baimės prigimtį; 3) apibūdinti scenos baimės apibrėžtį; 4) ištirti veiksnius, lemiančius scenos baimės atsiradimo priežastis; 5) įvardinti scenos baimės įveikos būdus, kurie padėtų muzikantui-atlikėjui siekti emocinio stabilumo sceninėje veikloje. Atlikto tyrimo rezultatai, kuriame dalyvavo 28 respondentai, atskleidė, kad scenos baimė egzistuoja, kuri įtakoja muzikanto-atlikėjo sceninį pasirodymą. Pagrindinėmis priežastimis, kurios lemia scenos baimės atsiradimą, tyrime dalyvavę muzikantai-atlikėjai įvardijo: • nepakankamą profesinis pasirengimą; • koncertinės patirties stoką; • individualias charakterio savybės (nepasitikėjimas savimi, valios stoka); • aplinkinių nuomonę; • nepavykusius sceninius pasirodymus. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė šiuos scenos baimės įveikos būdus: • profesinio meistriškumo kėlimas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The study focuses on a musician-performer‘s experiences of a lot of various emotions in his artistic creativity process. A performance on the scene is always related with the ability of creating a certain scenic state. Scene fair is a psychological phenomenon which is experienced by musician- performers while performing on the scene. The object of the investigation is the expression of scene fair of a musician- performer and the possibilities to defeat it. The aim of the investigation is to analyze specific features of the expression of the scene fair and the possibilities to defeat it. The objectives are: 1) to reveal the specific features of artistic creativity and the profession of a musician- performer while analyzing scientific, psychological, pedagogical literature; 2) to identify psychological, philosophical, theological nature of fair; 3) to characterize the definition of scene fair; 4) to investigate the factors influencing the rise of the scene fair; 5) to name the ways of coping with scene fair which would help the musician- performer to achieve emotional stability in his scenic activity. The results of the investigation, in which 28 respondents took part, showed that scene fair exists and it affects the performance of the musician- performer. As the main reasons which affect the rise of the scene fair the respondent musician- performers named the following: • insufficient professional preparation; • lack of concert experience; • individual features of character... [to full text]

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: Professional orchestral string musicians are exposed to many physical and psychological stressors due to demands placed on them from playing their instruments. The prevalence of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD’s) in this highly skilled group of individuals has been investigated internationally, consistently showing a high injury rate. There is however, a paucity of literature documenting the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in South African professional orchestral string players. It is hypothesized that South African trained orchestral string musicians may be at a greater risk for PRMD development due to the unique training and performance environments encountered in this country. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the demographic and injury profile; prevalence rate of current injury and risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in South African professional orchestral string musicians. Method: The study utilized a self administered quantitative questionnaire distributed to all string players in the three professional orchestras in South African in a semi-supervised fashion. SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used to analyze the data. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. iv v Results: There were 27 respondents, with the average participant being a Caucasian, right handed, non-smoking female, 37.11 years of age, 1.5631 meters tall, with a weight of 62.96 kilograms (BMI = 25.768) who exercised regularly (primarily in the gym). A bachelors degree in Music was the most commonly awarded qualification, obtained between the years 2000 and 2009, from a University outside of the Republic of South Africa. The prevalence of PRMD’s in the sample was 63% (n = 17), with a 95% confidence interval of 42.4% to 80.6%.In this study there was a high rate of injury (6.53 PRMD’s per player over a 12 month period), equating to 111 reported injuries in a population of 27 string players. The upper back (defined as the area between the shoulder blades) was the most commonly injured part of the body (77.8%, n = 21), followed by the upper extremity, mainly the shoulder (70.4%, n = 19). No statistically significant relationships were found in determining and confirming expected risk factors in the string players. Conclusion: Professional orchestral string musicians in South Africa suffer from a high rate of injury which is comparable to international studies of the same nature

PhD in Performance / Performance related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) are a frequent reality for practicing musicians. Many aspects of the bassoon make bassoon players particularly susceptible to PRMDs. This thesis explored the prevalence of PRMDs among bassoon players and assessed the frequency, types, and locations of PRMDs. Also identified were treatments used for PRMDs, contributing factors to PRMD development, and the perceptions of the bassoon community regarding PRMDs. The International Bassoonist Questionnaire was distributed via the World Wide Web (n = 166, 58% male, 42% female). Eighty-six percent of bassoon players reported PRMDs. Pain was the most common PRMD symptom reported (78%). Females reported PRMDs (96%) more frequently than males (78%). Younger bassoon players reported more PRMDs. Most bassoon players (88%) were attempting to treat their PRMDs. The most common self-administered treatments were rest (60%) and reducing playing time (53%). Bassoonists attributed the cause of PRMDs to “long hours of practice” and “sudden increase in playing time.” Bassoon players felt strongly that the medical profession did not know how to treat a bassoon related injury. They believed that a knowledgeable teacher was the best resource against the onset of PRMDs even though technical aspects of playing were not identified as significant contributors to PRMDs. The bassoon playing population needs more information about PRMDs in order to develop treatment and prevention strategies.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002. / "A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves 241-266.