Teaching the Whole Musician

Book excerpt: "This book offers applied music instructors a practical guide for supporting their students' wellness by integrating holistic techniques into their pedagogy. The main argument in this book is that the mentorship dynamic within the applied studio situates the pedagogue in a unique position to guide and mentor their students towards a healthy and satisfying artistic life. Wellness, as a relatively new dimension within health education for musicians, can be intimidating for applied instructors. Many teachers lack the training and confidence to enter conversations in this arena. Grounded in recent research, coupled with extensive in-person interviews with students, faculty and healthcare professionals, this book demystifies the causes, challenges, and limiting factors around maintaining a healthy artistic practice, while revealing practical solutions for achieving and maintaining wellness as a performing artist. Each chapter includes a toolkit of practical exercises and activities that can be easily integrated within the applied lesson. Topics covered include injury-prevention, alignment and the breathing mechanism, mental health, contemplative practices, Laban Movement Analysis, nutrition, and sleep"--