Health and Safety for musicians
Health and Safety for Musicians
All Department of Music students, faculty, and staff should review the available resources including those following for cultivating and maintaining good health.
Health and safety depend in large part on the personal decisions of informed individuals. Institutions have health and safety responsibilities, but fulfillment of these responsibilities cannot and will not ensure any specific individual’s health and safety. Too many factors beyond any institution’s control are involved. Individuals have a critically important role and each is personally responsible for avoiding risk and preventing injuries to themselves before, during, and after study or employment at any institution. The NASM standards in this section and applicable guidelines below, and institutional actions taken under their influence or independently do not relieve the individual from personal responsibility for appropriate, prudent, and safe behavior or action, nor do they shift such responsibility and liability for the consequences of inappropriate, imprudent, and/or unsafe behavior or action in any instance or over time to any institution, or to NASM. (Based on National Association of Schools of Music Handbook).
Hearing Health
The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) have developed a comprehensive overview of hearing health issues for postsecondary schools and departments of music. Information of a medical nature is provided by PAMA; information regarding contextual issues in music programs, by NASM. All students, faculty, and staff should read and understand the documents following:
- Protect Your Hearing Every Day: Information and Recommendations for Student Musicians
- Protecting Your Hearing Health: Student Information Sheet on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Basic Information on Hearing Health: Information and Recommendations for Faculty and Staff in Schools of Music
Neuromusculoskeletal and Vocal Health
The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) have developed draft material regarding neuromusculoskeletal and vocal health issues for postsecondary schools and departments of music. Information of a medical nature is provided by PAMA; information regarding contextual issues in music programs, by NASM. All students, faculty, and staff should read and understand the documents following: