"12345" is to "1324" as "piano" is to ...?
by Alison Lund on 07/20/12
I have a strong interest in the physiology, anatomy and psychology of healthy, efficient physical use in all contexts, which in turn is a huge part of my approach to playing and teaching piano. Over the years I've studied and/or completed formal training in Embodied Anatomy, Alexander technique, yoga/mindfulness, Feldenkreis, Gyrotonics, and Rolfing. So I'm no stranger to the field of injury prevention, but even I was struck dumb (no small feat) by the following excerpts from an online forum for young pianists. These are verbatim, promise.
"The most intriguing one...seems to be some type of recurring stress fracture in my right index finger...but most consider my technique flawless"
"And then quite often after I cut my nails, the skin underneath my nails
somehow ends up getting pushed back, which starts to gush blood if I
play piano in that state".
"I am only 15 and have very good technique, but my shoulder hurts the worst if I`ve been playing for two hours or more".
Mmmmm. Perhaps this last kid had the right idea in just getting the pain over with in one grand gesture...
"When I was about 8, I didn't want to practice anymore, so I slammed the
piano lid down onto my hands. Ended up with a bone bruise and no playing
for a week or 2".
Good grief. Who makes their kid keep playing piano when they would rather break their hands?
