As musicians, our health in playing starts when we are young.
From studies it’s clear that many children are already in pain whilst playing. From my experience, if it’s not talked about in lessons, then they think that it’s normal to be in discomfort, so many don’t even talk to their teachers about it.
Statistics show that around 70% of children already feel discomfort whilst playing, so if we can help them whilst they’re young, we can hopefully alleviate this in both children, and adults!
Working with Children
In Groups:
One of several recent online workshops given for Future Talent during 2021 and 2022, a charity supporting young musicians.
Due to safeguarding, you’ll only be able to see me, apologies, but it gives you some idea of how I can work with children (in this case years 8+)
Working with individuals:
Tom, a young Violinist:
Our eleven-year-old son came to Emma after a repetitive-strain injury to his wrist prevented him from playing the violin for several months. Emma quickly established a rapport with him and communicated very effectively, in a manner which put him at ease and which enabled him to provide her with useful feedback. She helped him become more aware of his posture and position when playing the violin, and to take notice of what felt right for him. Encouraging him to view the sessions as a ‘laboratory’ in which to experiment, she worked with him to make adjustments to his stance, positioning and technique and gave him exercises to practise.
Emma also spent time working on his position when using a computer for schoolwork and gaming, so that he could identify potentially detrimental habits.
Overall, the sessions gave him a lot of confidence and set him on the road to recovery, so that he was able to return to playing without any problems. 18 months on, he has had no recurrence of the injury and plays with a much greater awareness.
We are so glad we found Emma and would highly recommend her: our son still refers back to her teaching and I have no doubt that his experience with her is something that will go on benefitting him hugely throughout the rest of his time studying music.
video to come
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