Musician's Health Symposium

press release:

On October 21, the School of Music will present a Musicians Health Symposium featuring a panel of doctors and therapists experienced in many kinds of common ailments faced by musicians. These include performance anxiety, disorders involving hearing, movement, and voice, and much more. Students and faculty are strongly encouraged to attend, and the public is welcome. 3650 Humanities, 12-4:45 PM.

12:00- 12:45 PM PERFORMANCE ANXIETY: Shilagh Mirgain discusses skills for managing performance-related anxiety. Shilagh A. Mirgain, Ph.D., is a senior psychologist in the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin Research Park Clinic.

12:45 – 1:30 PM HEARING HEALTH: Melanie Buhr-Lawler & Greta Breckbill answer the question “How loud is too loud?” and give insight into preventing music-induced hearing loss. Melanie Buhr-Lawler, Au.D., is an audiologist and clinical associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

1:30 – 2:15 PM MOVEMENT DISORDERS: Laura Buyan Dent addresses preventative measures and recovery techniques related to movement disorders. Dr. Buyan Dent is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

2:15 PM – BREAK Light refreshments provided

2:30 – 3:15 PM ERGONOMICS & MUSCULAR HEALTH: Molly Schneider-Adams discusses basic orientation on Musculoskeletal Disorders. Ms. Schneider-Adams is an assistant to Michelle E Discher, Occupational Health Specialist, University Health Services.

3:15 – 3:45 PM VELOPHARYNGEAL INSUFFICIENCY: Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is a failure of the body’s ability to temporarily close the communication between the nasal cavity and the mouth, because of an anatomic dysfunction of the soft palate or of the lateral or posterior wall of the pharynx.  Katherine Mcconville discusses how VPI can affect musicians. Katherine McConville, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech pathologist at the UW Health Voice and Swallow Clinics. 

3:45 – 4:45 PM VOCAL HEALTH: Kevin Pasternak presents “Protecting your voice: It’s not just for singers.”  Kevin Pasternak, MS, CF-SLP, is a clinical fellow in Speech-Language Pathology, Voice and Swallow Clinic, in UW-Madison’s Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology