Health and Safety for Musicians

The Department of Music at the University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing information regarding hearing protection and health and safety as relates to musicians. All students, faculty, and staff should familiarize themselves with the information provided in the links below, which provide basic information regarding the maintenance of hearing health, vocal, and musculoskeletal health and injury protection. Health and safety depend in large part on the personal decisions of informed individuals. Institutions have health and safety responsibilities, but fulfillment of these responsibilities cannot and will not ensure any specific individual's health and safety. Information provided is:

  • generic, presentational, and advisory in character.
  • oriented far more to musicians and lay persons than to medical, scientific, or research professionals concerned with hearing health.
  • not a substitute for the professional judgments of medical and other professionals working in their areas of documented expertise.
  • is not to be considered as professional advice or to be used as a basis for the medical treatment of specific individuals.
uta band playing inside college park center

Resources

The links noted are provided by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the accrediting body of university music schools in the United States.

Student Information Sheet -- Vocal Health (NASM) Student Information Sheet - Neuromusculoskeletal Health (NASM)

Additional Reading

Occupational Noise Exposure (OSHA) "Athletes and the Arts: Educating Today's Musicians to Keep Them Healthy and Active" Repetitive stress and strain injuries: preventive exercises for the musician (NIH) The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique

Health and safety depend in large part on the personal decisions of informed individuals. Institutions have health and safety responsibilities, but fulfillment of these responsibilities can and will not ensure any specific individual’s health and safety. Too many factors beyond any institution’s control are involved. Individuals have a critically important role and each is personally responsible for avoiding risk and preventing injuries to themselves before, during, and after study or employment at any institution. This set of advisory information on hearing health and institutional actions taken under their influence or independently do not alter or cancel any individual’s personal responsibility, or in anyway shift personal responsibility for the results of any individual’s personal decisions in any instance or over time to any institution, or to NASM, or to PAMA.

Ear plugs are available free of charge to our students in the Music Department office, FA 101.