It's 2024–can we stop stigmatizing musicians' injuries?
What if you’re afraid to take a break when injured?
A friend asked me for some advice recently–a musician they know is struggling with an injury and is afraid that taking a break from playing would negatively impact their reputation as a performer and teacher.
I feel for this musician–injuries are disruptive, unsettling, and scary. And unfortunately, we’re still dealing with a classical music community that stigmatizes injuries in 2024. It’s understandable that they feel some guilt or fear about taking a few weeks off to rest.
But here’s the thing… playing through an injury will not make it go away. You may have inflammation, tissue damage, or other musculoskeletal symptoms that are exacerbated by playing.
My advice for musicians in this situation? Listen to your doctor when they advise rest.
I’ve been pretty open about taking a sabbatical as part of my long-term injury rehabilitation. I know firsthand that taking time off from playing gives the body time to reduce inflammation and start the healing process.
Rest won’t solve every problem magically–you may need to address technique issues, posture, and/or movement patterns to reduce the root causes of your injury–but it helps your body have a chance to reset to its baseline levels.
(Coincidentally, violinist Hilary Hahn announced last Friday that she’s taking the entire month of November off from concertizing as she continues to recover from a double pinched nerve. I really respect her for being open about her injury struggles this year and focusing on her long-term health and longevity as a performer.)
Hopefully you’re able to take time off right away, but your specific financial and work situations might mean you have to wait for a larger break like the summer to address underlying issues.
And when it comes to teaching?
You do not have to play in every lesson to be a great teacher.
My first two teachers were some of the most sought-after teachers in Western Washington, and neither of them were active performers. One of my collegiate teachers performed frequently but hardly ever demonstrated while teaching.
I’ll get on my soapbox once again–demonstrating, or modeling, is a great teaching strategy, but it isn’t the only way to teach technique. I think it’s a failure of our collegiate and teacher training programs that we don’t teach musicians about pedagogical cueing and other ways to communicate information to students.
What to do instead of modeling while taking your playing break:
Come up with words that describe what a technique or musical concept feels like, sounds like, or looks like to help students internalize concepts.
Sing phrases or articulations to and with students.
Utilize technology–can you use videos of your past playing or performers you admire as musical examples for your students?
Incorporate more off-instrument activities to teach musicality. A great example of this is making a character map for a student’s current piece. (Skyros Quartet has a worksheet you can download at The Counterpoint Club podcast website.)
And lastly, remember that going through this injury process can give you the tools and information to support your students through future injuries. You have the opportunity to be a role model and show them what it looks like to prioritize musicians’ wellness in your career and community.
If you want to hear more about my experiences with injury and taking a playing sabbatical, I’m a guest on the Let’s Fermata podcast this week! It was wonderful catching up with my friend and fabulous cellist, Paula SantaCruz. You can listen to the episode currently on the Let’s Fermata website and on Spotify.
If this is the first time we’re meeting virtually, hello! My name is Erika, and I’m a violinist, teacher, and certified Franklin Method Educator. My mission is to rethink traditional teaching approaches to help musicians play with confidence and ease. If this resonates with you, here’s how you can connect with me:
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