Medical opinions regarding warm-up procedures for four-mallet marimba performance.

Abstract

Many percussion sources discuss different ways to warm up prior to practice or performance, but most contain only the opinions of musicians. This study seeks to bring knowledge from the medical community into the warm-up process. To achieve this goal, four medical professionals representing different areas of the field were interviewed. Each was shown both videotaped and live demonstrations of marimba performance and asked a series of questions regarding warm-up procedures.

Warming up prior to playing a musical instrument is considered by many to be a vital part of the practice session or performance. However, in the percussion field there is a surprising lack of research or opinion that involves medical professionals in this area. This is alarming when one considers how common injuries are among percussionists. The purpose of this study is to make available the informed opinions of medical professionals regarding warm-up procedures for four-mallet marimba performance.

Playing any percussion instrument requires much repetitive motion. The many hours spent practicing and perfecting a performance can be harsh on the body and may lead to injury. Some of the more common repetitive motion injuries experienced by percussionists are carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, tennis elbow, arthritis, bursitis, and back pain of all different sorts. One of the best ways to avoid these injuries is to incorporate some sort of warm-up procedure into the practice routine.

Although the responses varied, all emphasized the same fact---warming up before playing is not only smart, but essential to avoid injury. All of the consultants agreed that the repetitive motions used in marimba performance can, and often do, lead to various injuries. To avoid injury, the consensus of the medical professionals stressed the need to prepare the body by stretching those muscles to be used during performance. This could be achieved in a two-step process, away from and at the instrument. Other important conclusions drawn from the interviews included preparing the mind for performance, taking adequate breaks to rest the muscles, and cooling down after playing. The most important conclusion drawn from this study is the need for further investigation into the warm-up process together with utilizing various resources from the medical profession to make informed decisions about warm-up and injury prevention.