Let's Talk Inflammation

Musicians and inflammations

Musicians are motivated, hard working, and in many cases obsessive human beings. The musician's lifestyle of constant high pressure on a daily basis can lead to consequences that are not always talked about. Some of these consequences include injuries and inflammations. They sometimes start at a young age, forcing the individual to deal with unique health challenges. But, sometimes these concerns also only appear later in one's career.

When it comes to occupational health, professional athletes tend to get a lot of attention. It's obvious their work requires more physical and mental efforts than the average person. Contrary to what athletes experience, I think musicians are the underdog population of this never-ending journey to perfection. We learn so much about music theory, history, and the specific techniques required to play our instrument or sing. But, we don't often get information to maintain our health as a whole in relation to our craft. Sure, most musicians aren't as popular as athletes, but it's time that we talk and share more about our journey to better health. 

After I started to experience my own issues with inflammation, I started listening to others to find as much information as I could to improve my condition. I found it fascinating how so many musicians struggle with some sort of inflammation. The most obvious one is tendinitis, but there are many more! Once I started asking around, I learned that many other musicians had issues with all sorts of inflammation. These included GI/gut inflammation, skin conditions, and similar issues with other organs. Over-working our body and soul has a price, and it's time to talk about this cost.

Every inflammation is different, but there are definitely similarities. My goal is to open this conversation to everyone, and interview different artists and musicians facing inflammation. In this way we can all learn how to better our health collectively as musicians. These talks are scheduled on instagram live on Sundays, and open to all to listen live or later. There's also a private Facebook group "Musicians and Inflammations", where we can share resources and insights. Feel free to ask to join the group, or message me directly if you want to share your journey with inflammation on a Sunday talk!

Past schedule:

August 28: Christina Dioguardi (bassoon)
July 5: Becca Laurito (percussion)
July 12: Tami Papagiannopoulos (voice)
July 19, 2:00 PM ET: Lina Gonzalez-Granados (conductor)
July 26, 2:00 PM ET: Thomas James Wible (flute)
August 6, 7:00 PM ET: Elizabeth O’Neil
August 13, 7:00 PM ET: Kayleigh Miller

Find on Instagram live @retune_with_Maya