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She was 27.  In her junior year, just four months from her end-of-the-year recital, her left elbow started to throb with a dull pain, and a tingling sensation began in her left hand pinky. For Turkish guitarist Serap Bastepe-Gray who was studying at the Peabody Institute,  it was the beginning of long drives to the Cleveland Clinic, undergoing tests and fighting with her innate desire to keep practicing the 4-8 hours a day she was used to. 
 
The New York Times reported in 2000 that "40 percent of conservatory students experienced injuries that forced them to stop playing for a time or even to end their careers".
 
Johns Hopkins cited the Bureau of Labor and Statistics with the fact that there were 173,300 professional musicians in the United States in 2014. In surveys, almost three-fourths of professional musicians reported injuries and pain that affected their playing. 
 
Today's numbers haven't changed much, and may have gotten worse. Research points to the fact that a staggering 62-93% of musicians will develop playing or performance-related injury at some point in their careers. 
 
 
YOUR BODY IS YOUR INSTRUMENT
 
It doesn't have to be this way, First name / friend! You CAN train so that every movement you make on your instrument not only adds to your artistry and expression, but is connected to health and wellbeing. 
 
Read this week's blog to find out what happened to the young guitarist, the game-changing work she ended up doing, and ways you can incorporate healthy habits in your practice routine.
 
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Here at Music360 we're about to embark on a 5-week exploration of physical wellbeing in the Breath + Body Challenge. Breathwork, somatics, biomechanical efficiency, alignment, injury prevention, embodiment and expression are just a few topics we'll explore with our expert guests!
 
As a sneak peek, here's a couple of great exercises to release neck tension! 
 
Release tension in the neck 
To ensure that your neck isn't tense and your head is a point of balance, try this body mapping exercise to release the AO (atlanto-occipital) joint. Download them here:
 
 
 
 
 
Have a great week, First name / friend !
 
 
Tiffany, Ixi & Ted 
 
 
 
 

 
EXPLORE MORE
 
Something soooo gooooood is coming up in March! It's the Body + Breath Challenge. Your body is your instrument. In this guided challenge, you'll learn how to use it to it's full potential physically and musically! Sign up is open through March 19.
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Over on the 'Gram 
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A practice planner made to help you get remarkable results. Let's GO!
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Thanks for reading. We aim to provide actionable ideas in our email newsletters, programs and content. Each week we share thoughts, ideas, questions, strategies and actions that we hope can move the needle for you in your life and career! Here's where we talk about why you're on our list (you signed up for a technique tip, a scale reset, a worksheet, a challenge, to get a printable, some tips, excerpt or practice help or resources), and that we'd love it if you shared some of our ideas with your friends. 
 
 
Thanks for reading and sharing.
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