The purposes of this study were to identify the body regions where young string players report experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort and explore factors that may impact their perceived discomfort. A purposive yet nonprobability sample of elementary (n = 101), middle school (n = 97), and high school (n = 159) students participated in the study by completing a questionnaire developed from previous research. Participants responded to items designed to collect data regarding the extent and location of discomfort, warm-up activities, physical activities, and psychological issues thought to impact perceived discomfort. Participants reported experiencing little musculoskeletal discomfort, and no relationship was found between discomfort and warm-up or physical activities. Participants’ school level, instrument, and gender were not related to musculoskeletal discomfort. On the basis of participants’ responses, we were able to identify five regions of the body where young string players experience varying levels of discomfort. We found significant relationships between string class frequency, stress about playing the instrument, and enjoyment of the instrument and reported musculoskeletal discomfort.
AckermannB.AdamsR.MarshallE. (2002). Strength or endurance training for undergraduate music majors at a university?Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 17(1), 33–41.
2.
AustinJ. R.BergM. H. (2006). Exploring music practice among sixth-grade band and orchestra students. Psychology of Music, 34, 535–558. doi:10.1177/0305735606067170.
3.
BrandfonbrenerA. G. (1997a). The orchestral injury prevention intervention study. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 12(1), 9–14.
4.
BrandfonbrenerA. G. (1997b). The science versus the art of medicine in considering musicians’ injuries. American String Teacher, 47(2), 35–36.
5.
BrandfonbrenerA. G. (2009). History of playing-related pain in 330 university freshman students. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 24(1), 30–36.
6.
BrendellJ. K. (1996). Time use, rehearsal activity, and student off-task behavior during the initial minutes of high school chorus rehearsals. Journal of Research in Music Education, 44, 6–14. doi:10.2307/3345409
7.
CreswellJ. W. (2009). Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
8.
FioccaP. D. H. (1986). A descriptive analysis of the rehearsal behaviors of selected exemplary junior high and middle school choir directors. Dissertation Abstracts International, 47(07), 2361A.
9.
FishbeinM.MiddlestadtS. E. (1988). Medical problems among ISCOM musicians: Overview of national survey. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 3(1), 1–9.
10.
Fjellman-WiklundA.CheskyK. (2006). Musculoskeletal and general health problems of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass, and banjo players. Medical Problems of Performing Musicians, 21(4), 169–176.
11.
FowlerF. J. (1995). Improving survey questions: Design and evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
12.
FredericksonK. B. (2002). Fit to play: Musicians’ health tips. Music Educators Journal, 88(6), 38–44. doi:10.2307/3399804
13.
FroeseG. W. (2002). Warm-ups. Canadian Music Educator, 43, 32.
14.
GallM. D.BorgW. R.GallJ. P. (2006). Educational research: An introduction (6th ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
15.
GeringerJ. M.KostkaM. J. (1984). An analysis of practice room behavior of college music students’. Contributions to Music Education, 11, 24–27.
16.
GrimesW. F. (1988). Conducting and rehearsal techniques of selected secondary school jazz ensemble directorsDissertation Abstracts International, 49(02), 216A.
17.
GruginS. D. (1999). The development of a performance-based methodology to teach harmonic aural skills to students in high school bands. Dissertation Abstracts International, 59(10), 3768A.
18.
HamannD. L.GillespieR.BergonziL. (2002). Status of orchestra programs in the public schools. Journal of String Research, 2, 9–35.
19.
HenryJ. D. (1992). The effect of a systematic choral warm-up strategy on student pitch-matching skills, knowledge of intonation concepts, and self reported attitudes toward singing. Dissertation Abstracts International, 52(11), 3853A.
20.
HodgsonP. (1958). Motion study and violin bowing (Reprint ed.). Urbana, IL: ASTA.
21.
KjellandJ. M. (2000). Application of electromyography and electromyographic biofeedback in music performance research: A review of the literature since 1985. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 15(3), 115–118.
22.
KlicksteinG. (2003). Seven habits for healthy performance. American String Teacher, 53(2), 52–55.
23.
Leon-GuerreroA. (2008). Self-regulation strategies used by student musicians during music practice. Music Education Research, 10, 91–106. doi:10.1080/14613800701871439.
24.
McPhersonG. E.RenwickJ. M. (2001). A longitudinal study of self-regulation in children’s musical practice. Music Education Research, 3, 169–186. doi:10.1080/14613800120089232
25.
MikszaP. (2006). An exploratory investigation of self-regulatory and motivational variables in the music practice of junior high band students. Contributions to Music Education, 33(2), 9–26.
26.
MikszaP. (2007). Effective practice: An investigation of observed practice behaviors, self-reported practice habits, and the performance achievement of high school wind players. Journal of Research in Music Education, 55, 359–375. doi:10.1177/0022429408317513.
27.
MillsapT. A.(1999). The daily implementation of sequential sustained tone exercises as a means of improving the ensemble intonation and tone quality of second-year middle school bands. Dissertation Abstracts International, 60(05), 1494A.
OknerM.KernozekT.WadeM. (1997). Chin rest pressure in violin players: Musical repertoire, chin rests, and shoulder pads as possible mediators. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 12(4), 112–121.
30.
PalacJ. (1992). Violin bowing technique: An analysis of contemporary pedagogical literature according to principles of human movement. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 7(1), 30–34.
31.
PalacJ.SoginD. (2006, June). Hand asymmetry: A study of young string players’ and non-string players’ finger dexterity. Paper presented at the 24th Annual Symposium on Medical Problems of Musicians and Dancers, Aspen, CO.
32.
PaullB.HarrisonC. (1997). The athletic musician: A guide to playing without pain. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
33.
PerlmutterA. (2009). The basics: Build a guitar warm-up routine. Acoustic Guitar, 19(9), 38–42.
34.
RardinM. A. (2007). The effects of an injury prevention intervention on playing-related pain, tension, and attitudes in the high school orchestra classroom (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
35.
RoachK. E.MartinezM. A.AndersonN. (1994). Musculoskeletal pain in student instrumentalists: A comparison with the general student population. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 9(4), 125–130.
36.
RussellJ. A. (2006). The influence of warm-ups and other factors on the perceived physical discomfort of middle school string students. Contributions to Music Education, 33(2), 89–109.
37.
SherrillM. H. (1986). An analytical study of videotaped rehearsal and conducting techniques of selected junior and senior high school band conductors. Dissertation Abstracts International, 47(04), 1231A.
38.
SlobodaJ. A.DavidsonJ. W. (1996). The role of practice in the development of performing musicians. British Journal of Psychology, 87, 287-309. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1996.tb02591
39.
SpenceC. (2001). Prevalence rates for medical problems among flautists: A comparison of the UNT-Musician Health Survey and the Flute Health Survey. Medical Problems of Performing Musicians, 16(3), 99–101.
40.
SzaboC. E. (1992). A profile of ten high school choral directors and their activities during one week. Dissertation Abstracts International, 53(08), 2730A.
41.
WagnerM. J. (1975). The effect of a practice report on practice time and musical performance, in MadsenC. K.PrickettC. A. (Eds.), Applications of research in music behavior (pp. 125–130). Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
42.
WestB. A. (2003). Medical opinions regarding warm-up procedures for four-mallet marimba performance. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(03), 717A.
43.
WigfieldA. (1994). Expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation: A developmental perspective. Educational Psychology Review, 6(1), 49–78. doi:10.1007/BF02209024
44.
ZazaC. (1998). Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in musicians: A systematic review of incidence and prevalence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 158, 1019–1025.
