Health & Safety
Health and safety is an important aspect of training in the performing arts, and FHSU Music and Theatre, in compliance with the National Association of Schools of Music, is obligated to share this information with students, staff, and faculty. Personal health and safety is dependent on personal decisions made by informed individuals. Each person is responsible for avoiding injury to themselves before, during, and after study at any institution. (FHSU Music and Theatre is grateful to Dr. Lesley McAllister and Baylor University for permission to use their materials on health and safety.)
Hearing
- Hearing health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician.
- Noise-induced hearing loss is largely preventable.
- Hearing loss is permanent and can never be regained.
- Avoid overexposure to loud sounds, especially for long periods of time.
- Sounds over 85 dB (vacuum cleaner) in intensity pose the greatest risk to hearing.
- Recent research suggests that controlling volume by playing with a variety of dynamic ranges is one of the best ways to protect hearing in any practice or performance environment, regardless of room size.
- You may choose to use foam earplugs or earmuffs to protect hearing when you cannot control the volume.
- Brass and percussion players in particular should invest in custom molded earplugs.
- Woodwind players and anyone directly in front of brass or percussion would also benefit from using earplugs in rehearsal.
- Use of sound shields in ensembles can help reduce exposure, but shields do not eliminate exposure to high noise levels or the risk of noise induced hearing loss. They should be used in conjunction with earplugs.
- If you have questions or concerns about your hearing, you are encouraged to contact the Herndon Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, located in Albertson Hall across the street from Malloy Hall.
- Recommended maximum daily exposure times (NIOSH) to sounds at or above 85 dB are as follows:
- 85 dB (vacuum cleaner, MP3 player at 1/3 volume) – 8 hours
- 90 dB (blender, hair dryer) – 2 hours
- 94 dB (MP3 player at 1/2 volume) – 1 hour
- 100 dB (MP3 player at full volume, lawnmower) – 15 minutes
- 110 dB (rock concert, power tools) – 2 minutes
- 120 dB (jet planes at take-off) – without ear protection, sound damage is almost immediate
Musculoskelatal
- Warm up before practicing or performing.
- Avoid sudden increases in practice time.
- Take breaks to stretch and relax every 45 minutes.
- Two shorter practice sessions are more productive, physically and mentally, than a single marathon session.
- Pace yourself. Avoid excessive repetition and force.
- Evaluate your technique.
- Large muscle groups should do most of the work.
- Keep joints in the middle of the range of motion as much as possible.
- Avoid excessive twisting or stretching of the hands.
- Evaluate other physical activities.
- Excessive computer use, phone/tablet use, texting, gaming, and other such activities can put undo stress on joints and small muscle groups and cause or worse conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis.
- Pay attention to your posture and how you approach the instrument.
- Consider how your instruments places stress on your body and discuss with your applied teacher how to relieve tension.
- Incorporate mental rehearsal to give your body a break, including score study.
- Use a practice journal to make your practice time efficient.
- Get medical attention if you experience pain for over a week.
- Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and balance work and rest.
- Do not:
- Ignore pain
- Practice mindlessly
- Say yes to everything
- Cram for a lesson or rehearsal
- If you experience pain
- Inform your applied teacher and ensemble director
- Modify your practice
- Seek medical attention if the pain lasts longer than a week
Mental Health
- FHSU provides confidential mental health services.
Care of the Singing Voice
The information presented here does not in anyway shift responsibility for health and safety from the individual to the institution. If you have concerns about your own health and safety or are experiencing discomfort in practice or performance, seek medical help from a medical professional.