BODY – MIND – PERFORMANCE
“ATHLETES AND THE ARTS” is an initiative focused on linking the sport athlete and musician/performing artist communities through collaborative exchange and application of wellness, training and performance research and initiatives. This program is committed to the belief that athletes exist throughout the performing arts community and that established training, wellness, and prevention research for sport athletes can benefit artists’ general health and performance. Similarly, the athletic and general population can gain from principles primarily applied within the performing arts arena.
A key component of this initiative is incenting performing artists to invest some time in personal wellness to supplement the commitment to their performance skill. This investment will enhance and prolong careers and stimulate creativity in the application of musical techniques for the athletic and general populations.
Read: “Athletes and the Arts: Staying Healthy as a Musician” – July 2016 article in International Musician
Read: “Empowering Musicians: Teaching, Transforming, Living” – Oct/Nov 2015 article in American Music Teacher
Read: “Athletes and the Arts – The Role of Sports Medicine in the Performing Arts” – Nov/Dec 2013 article in Current Sports Medicine Reports
General Athletes and the Arts Presentation for use by our Affiliates
Athletes and the Arts Overview – One Page Fact Sheet
Goals
- Create opportunities for performing artists and sport athletes to access and benefit from the established research, training and education of the other discipline.
- Provide access to resources that meet the unique wellness, healthcare and performance needs of performing artists
- Unite organizational efforts to create a sustainable national initiative that addresses the needs of performing artists through multiple channels.
Objectives
- Incent musicians, performing artists and all athletes to invest time in personal wellness to supplement the commitment to their performance skill using the ACSM-led wellness initiative Exercise is MedicineTM as a foundation piece. The body is the platform for the delivery of the art (music, dance or sport). It should be cared for.
- Identify key medical and wellness issues relevant to the musician/performing arts community that could be addressed by existing or new education or research efforts (e.g., hearing, carpel tunnel injuries, dental issues, traveling/jet lag, nutrition).
- Create a dedicated website to act as the ongoing platform for aggregating and sharing of relevant educational content, including links to collaborative partner information and sites.
- Identify and apply exercise training concepts to benefit/enhance musical performance and create specific research projects to validate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
- Identify and apply music training concepts to benefit/enhance athletic performance and create specific research projects to validate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
- Educate/train sports medicine and general healthcare providers (e.g., physicians, PT, ATC, chiropractors, personal trainers) to understand and treat the unique wellness issues faced by musicians/performing artists.
- Enhance musicians/performing artists access to qualified health care by creating a directory of allied health care providers who have a willingness and expertise to deal with performing artist health and wellness issues.
- Create and implement a marketing plan to identify and involve advocates in all aspects of this initiative.
- Create consistent educational messages and templates to address relevant issues in a variety of forums.
- Create consistent policy on relevant health and safety issues across multiple relevant governing organizations.
- Facilitate opportunities to get musician/performing artist access to health insurance.