Royal Liverpool Philharmonic launches set of measures to prevent accidents in the orchestra

The program will help physiotherapists and health professionals tailor health and wellbeing services to the needs of musicians

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLPO) has teamed up with the UK charity Help Musicians to create ‘Symphony of Good Sense’, a new set of measures to prevent accidents in the orchestra.

Studies over decades have shown that between 77% and 89% of professional musicians who play in orchestras can suffer injuries as a result of their work.

To prevent the risks, this new initiative has produced additional guidance for orchestras to help introduce physical health programs for their musicians.

“A Symphony of Common Sense” identifies common injuries associated with performing in each section of the orchestra and outlines ways to reduce risks, promote early identification of musculoskeletal problems related to the profession and speed recovery for long-term occupational health.

This program joins similar programs in orchestras including the Liverpool Philharmonic, which has been running its Musicians’ Performance and Wellbeing initiative since 2015.

‘A Symphony of Good Sense’ and the guide for orchestras can be viewed and downloaded for free here.

Other resources include ‘An introduction for physiotherapists working with orchestral musicians’ and ‘Supporting Physical Readiness in Orchestral Performance: a guide for orchestras’.

“Our world-renowned musicians are essential to delivering exceptional performances and activities week after week that entertain, inspire, excite and engage thousands of audiences and participants,” said Peter Garden, Executive Director of Performance and Learning at Liverpool Philharmonic. “It is vital that we do all we can to create the environment and conditions in which they can thrive as artists and enjoy long, healthy and sustainable careers. We are incredibly grateful to Sarah Upjohn, our friends at Help Musicians, the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and everyone who has made A Symphony of Good Sense possible. We hope it will inspire and offer practical help to orchestras and clinicians to improve support for the health and wellbeing of musicians in the UK and beyond.”

“A career in music can be exhilarating, but there are also risks; injuries can be common and, with many musicians working freelance, this can have a devastating impact on both career development and financial stability,” added Sarah Woods, Chief Executive at Help Musicians. “[We] help and ensure that musicians have healthy and long-lasting careers; bringing us all so much joy from their creativity over many decades.”

“When the Liverpool Philharmonic and Help Musicians approached me to write something that would help physiotherapists who are not used to working with musicians, I decided that it needed to include some musical terminology to make physiotherapists aware of the type of language used in the classical music industry,” said Dr. Sarah Upjohn. “Writing this document was a fantastic process and a team effort: from first draft to final document, we incorporated feedback from insightful, knowledgeable and generous colleagues from around the world. The final document looks amazing and, very importantly, is a goldmine of useful information. Dear fellow musicians: I hope it will contribute to positive change”.

“Bringing together the principles of occupational health and performing arts medicine, I strongly endorse these guidelines as part of an orchestra’s health risk management strategy,” continued Dr. Finola Ryan, executive medical director at BAPAM. “Although the physical demands of professional performers cannot be completely avoided, these recommendations provide orchestras with practical tools to implement meaningful risk reduction strategies and promote early identification of work-related musculoskeletal problems. Where orchestras are unable to work with a physiotherapist who specializes in performing arts medicine, this detailed guide for physiotherapists working with orchestral musicians for the first time provides practical implementation support for orchestra managers and offers valuable resources in supporting musicians’ occupational health and sustainable careers.”

News source aici