AN EVERYDAY CHALLENGE

I present you in about 10 items, the issues I like to develop during days spent in contact with professional musicians.

Pass down music and pleasure of the effort

Sometimes the musician integrates functional errors very early: the search for an excessive physical relaxation leads to many compensations. The shoulders, the wrists, the stomach, the thumbs, the tongue are the most targeted areas in this search of relaxation.

So many advices passed from generation to generation which maintain these confusions with consequences on the comfort when playing, on the velocity or the endurance.

Thanks to a more conscious approach of the functional anatomy, misconceptions have been progressively replaced. The necessary tools to expression, velocity and joy of playing make the learning easier.

FROM PEDAGOGICAL CONFUSIONS TO A FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY

Instrumental and vocal didactics rapidly progress and can now rely on the functional anatomy.
It is essential to include this knowledge into pedagogy.

It is time to decipher these confusions and realize, for example, that immobility is one of the main causes of the functional pathologies of the musician.

The lack of ergonomics of gesture, perfectionism, forcing and neglecting breaks are all reasons which shows the importance of work organization.

Just like the repetitive work of the musician which is considered as a factor of hardship.

ERGONOMICS OF THE GESTURE FOR A BETTER ENDURANCE

Music involves repeated biomechanical solicitations, that may cause the abandonment of the practice or may strongly slow down it by weighing psychologically on the health.

The qualifying elements of repetitive work which are generally accepted as a factor of hardship are:

– the execution of repeated movements,

– a solicitation of the same joints and body segments,

– constrained realization (tempi, nuances, interpretation),

– during most of the working time.

A FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY AT THE SERVICE OF MUSIC

It does not mean to teach anatomy but to offer musicians shortcuts in response to problems encountered (back, neck or shoulder fatigue, hand-holding difficulties, of independence, of fingers, laxity, anxiety etc.).

The instrumental technique can be simplified by taking into account the functional anatomy.

These balances in the service of music must be preserved and optimized in order to play for a long time.

EMOTION MANAGEMENT AND RESPIRATION

Getting on stage with the difficulty of managing your emotions move you away from the joy of playing.
Playing without emotion (submerging) does not mean playing without musicality.

Develop your physical landmarks, those that anchor and stabilize you.
Mismanagement of emotions limits technical abilities and expression.

You limit your endurance and that is exactly what is stressing you.

So you have the choice to go on stage calmly, staying connected with your feelings or get lost in your emotions, it is one or the other.

Also, respiration is often used to manage emotions.

But, while you are performing, a too low respiration (abdominal or deep or ventral or diaphragmatic) does not relax you.

All these informations allow musicians to become more efficient in their practice.

STABILITY AND TONICITY: THE KEY OF RELAXATION

“Technically, wrist stability is the key to free the fingers.
But, the wrist “suppleness” is too often taught.”

Another example of confusion : the thumb “relaxation” is often sought.

However, the thumb is the most important finger on the hand, it contributes to the stability of the wrist and the palm.

The thumb stability, fixed or mobile, offers a leeway to the other fingers.”

The loss of reference points and “good” sensations are obviously very anxiety-provoking.

Becoming aware of these confusions helps the gesture optimization, the recovery and also increases the joy of playing.

These confusions disturb your hand function and favors »tendonitis » and other dysfunctions.

FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS

The functional pathologies of the musician are well indexed today.

– musculotendinous overwork syndromes (inflammatory or not),

– nerve compressions,

– functional dystonias.

Other disorders as much crippling also exist (not listed as pathologies):

– painful contractures,

– difficulties concentrating, organizing,

– negative stress, performance anxiety…

“Tendinitis” : a word improperly used which entails many confusions. These embarrassments can be disabling.

TONGUE AND RESPIRATION

An other example, the lack of flexibility when producing a low frequency comes from an excessive relaxation of the mask. This discomfort makes you compensate, creates unnecessary tension and fatigue.

We must remember that the quality of the mask and the lips depends on the dynamics of the tongue and the respiration. The tongue is directly related to the management of the air flow and avoids the compensation of the mask or the lips.

Focus on the mask itself is a source of tension:

– Your jaw is drawn tight, you clench your teeth, tense your neck muscles, your throat is closing.

– The agonist/antagonist muscle balance of the mask can be disorganized.

– If the lips compensate, they get tired and can overwork.

PREVENTION AND OPTIMIZATION

Prevention is essential to avoid or reduce the apparition, development and seriousness of functional pathologies that affect the youngest as well as the most experienced.

These days of training / coaching are given in your structures.
If you want, we build a program together.

The first day is dedicated to clarify these functional confusions.

We can continue for several days during the year with a simulation.

PHYSICAL, TECHNICAL, STRATEGIC AND MENTAL PREPARATION

Physical preparation (off- instrument)
The keys to a physical preparation before the performance (rehearsals, auditions, concerts, competitions).

Gain endurance, flexibility, reactivity, stability, strength, manage your body in space.

Technical preparation (with the instrument)

Make the link between instrumental technical requirements and respect of the functional anatomy:

Sound, vibrato, move your hand, tempi, nuances, air column, flexibility of the mask, attack etc.), allocating your efforts, save yourself…

Strategic preparation (work organization)

Learn how to organize your work time, your rest periods, your priorities, improve effectiveness…
An optimized strategy frees up time.

Mental preparation (State of mind)
Develop concentration, play self-assuredly in any circumstances with clear goals. A sophisticated and ergonomic approach develops the desired qualities, velocity, endurance and joy of playing.

You can contact me by e-mail or telephone, we will organize together the program of this coaching.

Marc Papillon

contact@marcpapillon.com

00 33 (0)6 62 23 61 03

Prevention days already given in the Conservatories and Orchestras of Europe and the rest of the world (Non-exhaustive list) :

Paris Opera Orchestra – Ile de France Orchestra – Radio Orchestra – National Orchestra – Orchestra of Ile de France – Orchestra of Québec – Orchestra de Conception – Orchestra of Santiago de Chile – Irkutsk Orchestra – Orchestra of the Pays de la Loire … Conservatory of Paris boroughs – Conservatory of Montreal – Conservatory of Tokyo – Royal Conservatory of Brussels – Conservatory of Geneva – Conservatory of Lisboa – Conservatory of Helsinki and without mentioning many conservatories in the different regions of Quebec and France ..