At Classical Guitar magazine, we’re deeply interested in all matters related to the instrument, from the music to the players to the business and, yes, ergonomics and health. (Indeed, look for our Spring 2017 issue, out in February, for a Special Focus section on “Health and Fitness.”) So, when we were asked recently by some folks at the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health at the University of North Texas College of Music (in Denton, north of Dallas) if we’d put out the word to classical guitarists about a study that one of their graduate students, guitarist Nabeel Zuhdi, is undertaking as part of his degree work, we said, “We’re in!” Nabeel is originally from Syria and studied guitar in Jordan and France before enrolling in the masters program at UNT.
In the words of the Center’s founding director, Kris Chesky, “This is an online epidemiologic survey that is approved by our research ethics board and is designed to collect detailed information about health concerns experienced by classical guitarists. The success of a project like this is dependent on the number of research subjects.” The study is claimed to be the first computer-based survey to specifically investigate the musculoskeletal pain and performance anxiety experienced by classical guitarists, and Nabeel hopes his research will form a basis for future studies in classical guitar playing-related injuries.
Here’s the formal announcement/invitation to participate:
The Texas Center for Performance Arts Health at the University of North Texas invites you to take part in a research study designed to investigate the occupational health problems experienced by classical guitarists. The survey is anonymous, available online, and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Use this link to access the UNT Classical Guitarists Health Survey.
Please forward this announcement to other classical guitarists, teachers, and students
We’re going to stay in touch with Nabeel and will hopefully be able to clue you in on some of the survey’s preliminary findings some time in the not too distant future. Thanks for helping out!
And if you’re in an expansive mood after filling out the survey, and you’d like to share your story with Classical Guitar magazine about guitar-related health issues you’ve dealt with, from actual injuries to repetitive-stress-related conditions, drop us a line at editors.cg@stringletter.com.
