Context: Many musicians experience playing-related pain and injuries. One of the recommended injury prevention strategies is to warm-up prior to playing a musical instrument. However, this recommendation is not always supported with empirical data. Additionally, multiple terms are used to describe warm-ups and may differ between authors, creating confusion around this injury prevention strategy. Objectives: The objectives of this thesis are to search for evidence-based studies that would support the benefit of warm-ups for musicians, reduce the confusion around musicians’ warm-ups, and bring clarity to the definition of warm-up. Methodology: In order to do so, this thesis presents two studies. The first study consisted of doing a systematized review of English published articles in order to identify if there was evidence to support the statement that warm-ups prevent injury. The methodology and results of each included article were evaluated using the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM)’s levels of evidence. The second article consisted of a terminology review and taxonomy in order to identify terms, organize them into categories and define warm-ups. The corpus contained the same articles that were included in the systematized review. Terms were identified from the corpus and the most frequently mentioned terms were used for the definition of warm-up. Terms were also categorized in a taxonomy in order to illustrate the different types of warm-ups that are recommended to musicians. Results: Twenty-nine studies were included in the analysis of the systematic review. Of these 29 studies, only one ranked at level I, which is the highest level of evidence, and most studies ranked at level V. The one study that was ranked at level I indicated that all three tested warm-up conditions did not have a muscular effect. Therefore, at the moment, there seems to be no evidence that supports the statement that warm-ups prevent injury. The terminology review led to the following definition of warm-up: “A routine, habit or exercise(s) that is/ are completed prior to playing repertoire or learning new material on a music instrument in order to prepare physically and mentally the musician. The following can be included as part of a musician’s warm-up: physical warm-up (completed without the instrument, for example stretches), musical warm-up (completed with the instrument, for example: scales, familiar tune/ favorite tune, long tones), and psychological warm-up.” It was also determined that stretching should also be defined as it is not always perceived as a warm-up. Stretching was defined as “Slow, controlled and progressive movements that are maintained for at least 20-30 seconds. These are done at various intervals throughout the day such as prior, during (breaks), and after the practice of a music instrument. They are referred to as physical exercises (away from the instrument). The following are some examples of stretching exercises: wrist rotations, forward neck roll, oppositional finger-wrist press, hand-finger extensions, fist clench and unclench, arms-bicep curls, handshakes, arms-triceps extension, and fingers clenched and unclenched.” The taxonomy indicated three warm-up categories: physical, musical and psychological. The physical and musical warm-ups were then subcategorized. It was not possible to subcategorize psychological warm-ups due to a lack of definition and examples in the literature. This study was a first step towards standardization, but further research is necessary in order to standardize a methodology and protocol.

This study is a phenomenological study about band. Stories of band are told through three people of different ages and generations who chose to continue playing an instrument after graduating from high school. A review of the literature and a lack of research from the perspective of the individual led this study to two broad research questions. First, is there such a thing as a “band identity?” I wanted to know how band shaped the lives of three individuals who have spent their lives playing, experiencing, and performing band music. I wanted to discover if there was some sort of essence to band and to understand more about how the concept of self is shaped through participation in band. Second, I wanted to be open to the idea that the telling of stories of band might intersect with my own. The final chapter of the study reflects on my journey as a teacher. On the surface, band may look like any other group activity. But the powerful combination of mastering an instrument, learning how one’s instrument fits into a larger ensemble, and navigating the social and family-like drama as one’s life story unfolds makes the band experience unique. The three study participants were interviewed over nine months using a theoretical “mix tape” approach blending phenomenological inquiry with elements of case study, narrative, short written responses, reflections, and the collecting of artifacts. The participants showed that the band experience is inextricably woven into the identity of individuals who continue to devote time and energy to instrumental music. The band identity is wrapped around and melded with concepts of the power of the group dynamic, the magic and memories formed from devoting time to the activity of music making, the power of music on memory, and the relationships that are built through the activity. This thesis shows that band directors should pay much closer attention to and nurture the value of the individual by listening to the individual soundtracks of their students and working to understand the stories and life experiences that the individual brings to the traditional large ensemble band setting.

"The purpose of this study is (1) to obtain definite information in regard to the theory that musical capacity is inherited; (2) to determine whether or not a favorable environment is necessary in the early musical training of an accomplished musician; (3) to indicate the effect of early musical training on a successful career in music"--Introduction. / "August, 1953." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Education." / Advisor: Robert L. Briggs, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 31).

Thesis advisor: Matthew S. Rutledge / This paper finds that musicians have more variable work schedules than comparable gig occupations and they are typically more disadvantaged in finding suitable employment opportunities. They are more likely to be self-employed and face the challenges that come with that status, and typically have less financial freedom. They also often work part-time due to the nature of the profession or take on multiple jobs to financially sustain themselves and their families financially. The pandemic has caused already-low hours for musicians to decrease further, still not fully recovering due to all live events being canceled, without the same ability to work remotely as similar gig occupations. These economic detriments have been accumulating for years as a result of the unstable music industry and the effects have multiplied after the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving musicians searching for a way forward within a broken system. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Economics.

Includes abstract.|Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-92). / The aim of this study is to research and asess the audition techniques of youth orchestras globally. The researcher aims to provide more information regarding a very important tool in the education of young musicians from all walks of life. The researcher will make use of the opportunity to discuss important aspects regarding the audition procedures, which has to be examined closely in order to have well balanced youth orchestras. The researcher feels that it is imperative to also realise the important role that youth orchestras play in creating excellent professional orchestras. Furthermore, the researcher aims to create a model for audition procedures. The researcher will assess all information at her disposal in order to create a model that shee feels will ensure fair auditions. It must be emphasised that this is a proposed modrel only and it will not be implied that the model must be used in its entirety in order to create fair auditions. The researchers is fully aware of the fact that each orchestra has a unique set of circumstances which has to be taken into consideration when executing auditions.

To achieve expressive musical results in violin bowing, performers access wide ranges of combined musical tone loudness and duration variables. By comparison, allowable mechanical variability in bow stroke execution may be limited. Such constraints on string bowing variability similarly might limit variability of bowing limb movement. Constrained variability may carry risk of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore if musical and/or bowing-execution variables influence bowing limb movement variability, they may in turn influence risk of cumulative injury in the player. In two experimental studies we examined the influence of the musical variables of duration and sound intensity (loudness) on variability in both string bowing mechanical variables and bowing limb joint moments (i.e. rotational forces) and joint angle trajectories. Five violinists performed playing tasks in which bow strokes varied across four levels of duration and three levels of loudness. Given a constant-amplitude bow stroke, quiet, brief strokes and loud, long strokes had to be executed close to the lower and upper limits of permissible bow-on-string force (bow force). In Study #1, we computed one- and three-dimensional bow movement variance measures, in both kinematic (bow velocity across violin string, distance from bow-to-bridge) and kinetic (bow force) variables. In Study #2 we computed the cycle-to-cycle standard deviation of joint moments and angles for each moment and angular degree of freedom in the bowing limb. In each study, these variability measures were compared across the 12 experimental conditions. We hypothesized that variability would be lowest when executing quiet/brief and loud/long strokes, compared to strokes that could be executed further from bow force limits. However, it was also anticipated that variability instead could be influenced most strongly by bow and/or limb velocity, magnitude of bow force, and/or bowed-string loudness response properties. Results from both studies indicated that variability in both bow-on-string and limb movement was conditioned on these latter properties: tone duration and loudness exerted consistent effects on variances and standard deviations. Contradicting the main hypothesis, variability was not influenced by proximity to bow force limits. We conclude that bowing variability is constrained mainly by factors not specific to variability tolerance at the bow-violin string interface.

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Syftet med detta arbete är att utifrån ett fenomenologiskt livsvärldsperspektiv, utforska hur några professionella musiker upplever att de går till väga under sina instuderingsprocesser. För att belysa detta tar arbetet avstamp i följande forskningsfråga: Vilka övningsstrategier beskriver några professionella musiker att de använder sig av när de tillägnar sig ett för dem nytt material? För att uppnå syfte och forskningsfråga har tre kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med tre professionella musiker. I resultatet framkommer en rad olika strategier vilka sorterats in i fem meningsenheter: Dagliga tekniska övningsstrategier, Noggranna förberedelser, Tidsplanering, Övriga strategier och Strävan efter utveckling. I diskussionen sätts dessa strategier i relation till bakgrundslitteratur och forskning samt till fenomenologi. / Syftet med detta arbete är att utifrån ett fenomenologiskt livsvärldsperspektiv, utforska hur några professionella musiker upplever att de går till väga under sina instuderingsprocesser. För att belysa detta tar arbetet avstamp i följande forskningsfråga: Vilka övningsstrategier beskriver några professionella musiker att de använder sig av när de tillägnar sig ett för dem nytt material? För att uppnå syfte och forskningsfråga har tre kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med tre professionella musiker. I resultatet framkommer en rad olika strategier vilka sorterats in i fem meningsenheter: Dagliga tekniska övningsstrategier, Noggranna förberedelser, Tidsplanering, Övriga strategier och Strävan efter utveckling. I diskussionen sätts dessa strategier i relation till bakgrundslitteratur och forskning samt till fenomenologi.

Thesis (MMus (Music))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This study consists of two parts. The first part focuses primarily on literature that discusses the biography in general, and then turns its focus more sharply on the music biography. A critical reading of three South African music biographies is conducted in order to identify tendencies or patterns in the biographical writing of musicians, especially performers. The second part of this thesis consists of a biographical case study of Pack. This particular biography makes no claim that it will not be faced with the same problems illustrated in the general discussion on biography as a discipline, but rather through the established critical frame claims to qualify and critically elucidate the biographical writing pertaining to Pack. This case study will underline one of the defining elements in the writing of lives of those figures who are considered less important, namely the limited resource material that tend to replicate the themes and stereotypes inherent in biographical writing. This practical problem causes an inevitable repetition of the intellectual difficulties of biographical writing. The purpose of this biography, which is the combination of different source materials and, is not necessarily to avoid these “myths”, but to identify it by critical reflection. With this approach, it is not the biography itself that becomes “critical”, but rather the reading and comprehension of the biography. Finally, the conclusion is reached that Betty Pack’s life as committed to paper and memory displays various themes and topoi characteristic of the music biography in general, rather than just the biographies of performers. The conventions of music biography, as consolidated in the biographical descriptions of composers, thus still provide the norms and forms for the biography of the performing artist.

Detta arbete består av en undersökning om några professionella musikers (violinister) syn på förberedelser inför en provspelning. Detta inkluderar tankar och strategier de använt för att förbereda sig på bästa sätt för att möta de utmaningar musiker ställs inför vid en provspelning, samt vilka råd de anser viktiga att förmedla till andra om innehållet i dessa förberedelser. Undersökningen gjordes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra musiker ur Göteborgs Symfoniker.Följande viktiga resultat framkom i undersökningen. Ingen av informanterna hade fått någon utbildning i hur de kunde förbereda sig för en provspelning men samtliga hade värdefulla erfarenheter och råd om hur goda förberedelser bör göras. Musikernas råd och strategier kan hänföras till en eller flera av följande fyra kategorier; färdigheten på instrumentet, färdigheten att framträda, träning inför den specifika situationen samt mental inställning. De olika kategorierna betonades på olika sätt av samtliga informanter och de gav ett flertal råd inom varje kategori. / This essay contains an investigation on some professional musicians' (violinists) views on how to prepare for an audition. It includes thoughts and strategies they've used to best prepare themselves to embrace the challenges musicians face at an audition, and what advice they consider important to communicate to others in their preparations. My research was conducted through qualitative interviews with four musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.These were the more important results of the investigation. None of the musicians had been taught how to prepare for an audition, but they all had valuable experience and advice on how to prepare as well as possible. The musicians' advice and strategies can be put into one or more of the following four categories: instrumental skills, performance skills, preparation for the specific situation and mental attitude. Each category was emphasized through a variety of ways by the informants, and they also provided advice applicable within each category.