February 2023 MTNA e-Journal

An HBCU Holistic Arts and Wellness Program Offers a Virtual Response to the COVID-19 Crisis Within its Community
By Rose Grace, Daniel Hollar and Diana Lee

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became evident that a comprehensive, virtually accessible arts and wellness program could prove essential amid an uncontrollable crisis, which was devastating performing arts, healthcare and education systems, while seeing an increase in mental and physical illness nationwide. As a response, a virtual holistic training program was created, offering practical coping mechanisms for professionals and college students to combat the daily stressors of a crisis situation, as well as offer an improved wellness alternative long term. The program established a core of virtual, integrative educational and interactive training webinars, along with daily short routine modules, addressing specific topics to improve mind-body functionality by optimizing an individual’s mental and physical state through a variety of holistic approaches, including therapeutic music, art therapy, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. The goal of the program is to equip participants with informational and practical skill sets, which will better assist them in serving and educating others within their respective fields while providing them with accessible coping strategies to maintain a healthier professional and personal lifestyle in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The article also shares the results from a pre and post pilot case study questionnaires, reporting on significant changes in body awareness, eating habits, mental and physical state as a result of the arts and wellness program. [Read More]

Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Are University Piano Majors Exposed to Injury Prevention Strategies Prior to College?
By Stephanie Archer

The purpose of this study was to determine what kinds of technical training college piano majors received in their pre-college piano study particularly in relation to playing-related musculoskeletal disorder (PRMD) prevention. Specifically, the author sought to answer the questions: (1) What injury prevention strategies were collegiate piano majors taught in their pre-college piano experiences? And (2) what experiences have these students had with playing-related musculoskeletal disorders? Collegiate pianists (N=16) at a university in the southeastern United States were surveyed regarding their experiences with PRMDs and if their pre-college technical training prepared them to prevent or navigate these injuries. Results demonstrated that a majority of students both had not received pre-college training regarding injury prevention and had also experienced a PRMD of some kind. Teachers should be motivated by the results of this study to incorporate more injury prevention strategies into their own studios to better equip students in this area of piano study. [Read More]

Poster Sessions

Intermediate Repertoire in the Helen Walker-Hill Collection: Zenobia Powell Perry and Valerie Capers
By Elizabeth Smith and David Reid [View]

Mindfulness in Music Teaching: Practical Applications to Piano Lessons
By Fernanda Nieto [View]

Piano Sonatas by Twentieth Century Soviet Female Composers
By Helena Kim [View]

Current Research

The Acting System of Konstantin Stanislavski as Applied to Piano Performance
By Andrea V. Johnson [View]

Adapting Piano Music for Ballet: Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album, Op. 39
By Eleni-Persefoni Stavrianou [View]