Stepping Into the Unknown: The Discomfort and Joy of Learning.

Learning something new can be incredibly exciting. It sparks curiosity, brings inspiration, and opens up possibilities you hadn’t imagined. But let’s be honest, it can also be deeply uncomfortable.

I’m in the thick of that discomfort right now. I’ve taken on the challenge of doing an online statistics course from Stanford University. While my end goal, doing research, something I’m genuinely passionate about, but the process to get there is not only smooth sailing.

Right now, I’m watching module 6 out of 12, and the topic is the Central Limit Theorem. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not quite. As I listen and realize I don’t understand every single step, I feel a wave of discomfort rising. Especially because it involves complex mathematic formulas that I haven’t heard of since high school, more than 30 years ago!! I experience physical discomfort and a major need to switch tabs and do something else. And, full disclosure, that “something else” became writing this post, a very conscious distraction, LOL!

Ironically, writing Newsletters and Blogs have often induced similar emotions of resistance, but these now seem like a grain of sand in comparison to the large rock in front of me right now. I’m glad to be very conscious about my own choice in this, because I really want to learn statistics, and I look forward to moving ahead, despite the inevitable resistance on the way necessary to grow and challenge my perceptions and current status.

But this discomfort got me thinking about the musicians I work with. Many of them come to learn Timani after years away from any formal study, diving back into anatomy and movement science over a 3-year certification course. For some, it’s been decades since they last opened a textbook. And now, they’re preparing for exams and presentations. That takes courage.

They often face the same inner resistance I’m feeling now. But they get through it in great ways, gaining a deep embodied understanding of how the body works in relation to playing and singing, something that transforms not just performance, but also teaching and health.

Choosing to step into the unknown and return to learning is a bold move. In the Timani Certification Course at the Musicians’ Health and Movement Institute, we honor that decision. We support our students every step of the way. Still, the true drive must come from within each person knowing their own motivation and goal of the tasks ahead.

Why do they do it? Our students are 50/50 performers and teachers. Some are physiotherapists and some become music physiology teachers at universities and high schools. The teachers feel the responsibility to truly understand their students' physical challenges. The performers are looking for more reliable technical and musical solutions. Some are simply tired of dealing with recurring pain and want tools to prepare the body for the long haul.

Whatever your reason is to read this, you may be a musician who’s passionate about learning how the body works. And if we look at the results from surveys and studies, the benefits can go far beyond the technical and musical; increased calm, better stage presence, improved self-confidence, and the empowering knowledge to deal with discomfort and pain.

As pianist Leif Ove Andsnes writes in the foreword to Unleashing the Potential of the Musician’s Body:

“Sometimes, we just need to jump into the unfamiliar to create change and new possibilities. … It can be challenging and confusing to explore new territory, especially when it involves a passion into which we’ve invested so much of ourselves … but with an anatomical understanding, I feel secure in knowing that the way I now play is both strengthening and preventive of additional overuse injuries.”…” I encourage all musicians to seek broader knowledge about the potential of the body in relation to performing music.»

As one of our students recently wrote:

“I didn’t realize how much I was missing until I learned how to listen to my body. Now, I feel stronger, calmer, and more in control, both in my practice room and on stage.”

So, if you’re standing on the edge, wondering whether to take that step, know that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable. It’s part of the process. And you're not alone. If it’s Timani or other modalities that are helping you, follow your instinct and keep doing what’s right for you and your body, with which you need to express music and teach others to do the same.

👉 Ready to learn more?
Visit timanicertificationcourse.com to explore the full program, or check the course calendar at timani.no to find upcoming start dates and information sessions.

Why Technique & Musical Intention aren’t enough: Rethinking Musicians’ Health & Performance.

Since 2012, I’ve been privileged to speak at major Musicians’ Health Conferences around the world. And one theme keeps surfacing again and again among experts: musicians’ health is a silent epidemic.

In this blog, I want to unpack the science behind this statement, share some of my personal insights, and reflect on how we, as individuals and as institutions, must take responsibility to shift the culture and stop allowing this epidemic to persist.

Musicians’ Health and Performance as One

Musicians often view technique and health as two separate domains. But science, and experience, say otherwise.

● Posture training improves movement, reduces strain, and enhances sound (Azor etal., 2024; Röijezon et al., 2017).

● Musicians themselves cite poor posture as a leading injury risk (Ackermann & Adams, 2004)

● Core activation and stability reduce back pain and improve coordination (Mirshahi et al., 2023; Selkow et al., 2017; Steinmetz et al., 2010)

● And perhaps most importantly, every instrument carries its own physical demands. A German study of 614 musicians showed consistent instrument-specific injury patterns (Zalpour et al., 2021).

Playing music is physical. The way we use our bodies, our shoulders, wrists, fingers, core, and posture, is intimately tied to how we sound, how we feel, and how long we can keep playing.

We spend hours performing precise, coordinated movements, often in asymmetrical postures and under high demands for both accuracy and endurance (Williamon, 2004). But that mastery often comes at a cost.

A recent study found that 85% of Norwegian orchestra musicians reported work-related pain in the previous month alone (Eliassen et al., 2024). Injuries in the neck and shoulders are disturbingly common (Paarup et al., 2011; Kok et al., 2016).

And yet, we are rarely taught how to move in ways that protect our health. This includes the complex coordination of shoulders, fingers, hands, and wrists, where we perform hundreds or even thousands of micro-movements every day.

The Hidden Challenge: Playing Through Pain

I’m absolutely certain of this: if those 85% of orchestra musicians living with pain could play beautifully without it, they would.

If the solution were as simple as “relax your shoulders,” “have heavy arms,” or “release wrist tension,” they’d already be doing it. But that isn’t enough.

A major part of the solution lies in knowing how to sit, and how to engage and coordinate the muscles needed for playing, not only to reduce pain, but to produce beautiful tone, maintain legato, and do it with ease. This kind of muscular coordination helps offload the shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands, instead of overloading them.

Just think about it: something as basic as sitting while playing is rarely taught in main instrument lessons, even over years of university-level study.

Most string and wind players who end up in orchestras did almost all their lessons standing. Then, after winning an audition, they go on to sit and play for the next 40 years, often without ever being taught the coordination required to sit and play with ease and control.

At best, some may have had general body awareness training, but even that is often separate from main instrument instruction, and rarely includes how to engage the right muscles while making music.

What Needs to Change — and How We Can Start

It’s time we acknowledge that musicians are athletes of fine motor control, and deserve support as such.

This means:

● Educational Programs must include anatomy, movement training, and injury prevention.

● Institutions must take responsibility for fostering healthy learning cultures, not just focusing on performance outcomes (which, in truth, are enhanced by better movement).

● We, as musicians, must take ownership of our bodies and training.

The good news? Change is possible. And it starts with education, awareness, and support, on both the individual and systemic level.

That’s exactly why I founded the Timani Certification Course back in 2013. I firmly believed this kind of knowledge should be foundational, like music theory or ear training. But I couldn’t wait around for institutions to fully integrate it, so I created the Musicians’ Health and Movement Institute, where we teach Timani: a method that builds body awareness in musicians through the lens of anatomy and physiology.

If you’re curious about what this work can bring to you and your students, and ready to deepen your knowledge and transform your performance and teaching, the Timani Certification Course, already attended by nearly 200 musicians from around the world, was created for exactly that purpose.

Links:

Book a teacher to give a Timani workshop or lecture at your institution

Join the Timani Certification Course and deepen your understanding of the body related to music

performance and health

Check out our “Play With Ease” online course and other courses for professional musicians

References:

Ackermann, B. J., & Adams, R. D. (2004). Perceptions of causes of performance-related injuries by

music health experts and injured violinists. Perceptual and motor skills, 99(2), 669–678.

https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.99.2.669-678

Azor, S., Marko, M., Adamčák, Š., & Bartík, P. (2024). Harmonizing musculoskeletal health:

transformative effects of 8-week intervention program on posture in music students. Physical

Education of Students, 28(2), 78–84. https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2024.0204

Eliassen, I., Trouli, H., & Steder, F. B. (2024). Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and associated

factors among professional orchestra musicians in Norway. Scandinavian journal of public health,

14034948241248496. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948241248496

Kok, L. M., Huisstede, B. M., Voorn, V. M., Schoones, J. W., & Nelissen, R. G. (2016). The

occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints among professional musicians: a systematic review.

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 89, 373-396.

Mirshahi, M., Najafi, R., Golbakhsh, M., Mirshahi, A., & Pishkuhi, M. A. (2023). Effectiveness of a

Core Stability Exercise Program on Pain and Function in Musicians with Chronic Low Back Pain: A

Randomized Controlled Trial. Medical problems of performing artists, 38(4), 207–213.

https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2023.4025

Paarup, H. M., Baelum, J., Holm, J. W., Manniche, C., & Wedderkopp, N. (2011). Prevalence and

consequences of musculoskeletal symptoms in symphony orchestra musicians vary by gender: a

cross-sectional study. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 12, 223. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-

12-223

Röijezon, U., Berg, J., Larsson, A., & Sundkvist, P. (2017). Sitting postures' effects on movement

behavior and musical performance among high string musicians – a pilot study. Luleå University of

Technology.

Selkow, N. M., Eck, M. R., & Rivas, S. (2017). TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS ACTIVATION AND

TIMING IMPROVES FOLLOWING CORE STABILITY TRAINING: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL.

International journal of sports physical therapy, 12(7), 1048–1056.

https://doi.org/10.26603/ijspt20171048

Steinmetz, A., Seidel, W., & Muche, B. (2010). Impairment of postural stabilization systems in

musicians with playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological

Therapeutics, 33(8), 603–11. 266 217

Williamon, A. (Ed.). (2004). Musical excellence: Strategies and techniques to enhance performance.

Oxford University Press.

Zalpour, C., Ballenberger, N., & Avermann, F. (2021). A Physiotherapeutic Approach to Musicians'

Health - Data From 614 Patients From a Physiotherapy Clinic for Musicians (INAP/O). Frontiers in

psychology, 12, 568684. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.568684

Wrist Tension & why Freedom & Coordination must coexist.

One of the most challenging areas for musicians to coordinate and feel relaxed is the wrist.

It’s where freedom and precision must coexist. Many musicians try to solve wrist tension by moving the wrist more, rolling it out, or holding it in a “better” position. These adjustments can have a positive effect, lowering wrist tension in both flexors and extensors. (Oikawa et al., 2011).

But here’s the catch: if we carry unconscious tension due to how we use our fingers, it can persist regardless of wrist position. This kind of tension is nearly invisible, unless you’ve developed the body awareness to feel it, or measure it using tools like EMG (electromyography, which measures muscle activity).

Understanding Wrist Function

The wrist has six main muscles: two or three flexors (which bend the wrist) and three extensors (which extend it). Some of these muscles also allow sideways movement. All these muscles attach inside and on the back of the hand, then cross the wrist and originate from the lower arm. Also, most finger muscles cross the wrist joint, so every time we use our fingers, we influence the wrist as well. This especially applies to the two outer joints of each finger.

The intrinsic hand muscles, however, don’t cross the wrist at all! They are located entirely within the hand itself. That makes them ideal for finger movement without straining the wrist, if we know how to activate and use them correctly. We will explore this in the video below.

One interesting study showed that musicians (in this case violin and viola players) had weaker intrinsic hand muscles than the non-musician group of healthy individuals. The extrinsic muscles were the same strength in both groups. This was the opposite result of what the researchers had expected, as one would think that using the fingers hours every day would strengthen these muscles. However, their theory is that keeping an eye on the strength of these muscles over time might help us catch early signs of shoulder, arm or hand problems (Gorniak et al., 2019).

My observations through almost two decades of teaching musicians confirms that many musicians have weak intrinsic hand muscles. These muscles are primarily responsible for controlling fine motor skills and fast alternating movements of the fingers - which are essential for effortless speed and accuracy. (Valenzuela, Launico, & Varacallo, 2023; Palti & Vigler, 2012) Maintaining good functioning of these muscles is essential for good technique and subsequently effortless musical expression.

I’ve observed that a lack of strength and use in these muscles can lead to tension further up the arm, shoulders and neck, and in the hands themselves, as other muscles try to take over the control of these movements, creating less optimal movement patterns.

Activate to Relax

We rarely think that strengthening and activating muscles would make us feel more relaxed, but when I give exercises that address these muscles - like the MCP tune-up exercise in the following video, musicians report that playing after activating (warming up) these muscles makes playing feel more effortless. Knowing how to access and coordinate these smaller intrinsic muscles is essential if we want to play with accuracy, fluidity, and less tension.

This kind of knowledge isn’t just for injury prevention. It’s also about discovering what’s possible when your body is working with your instrument, not against it. When we understand how anatomy and movement support musical expression, playing becomes not only easier, it becomes more joyful too, as you begin to reap the rewards of the hours you’ve invested in practice and effort.

In the short video you’ll see:

● Hold your opposite thumb inside the hand, just below the knuckle joint.

● Bend the MCP joint while keeping the PIP and DIP joints extended.

● Move the MCP joint up to 90 degrees, then repeat with the next finger.

● Use your opposite thumb below each finger bending to feel a firm activation inside the palm, below the MCP joint.

● While holding the position for 2–3 seconds, check that your wrist remains free and relaxed.

● After completing each finger, rest your hands in your lap, close your eyes, and sense any increased awareness or activation in the palm.

● Play your instrument and notice any changes.

● Repeat 2–3 times daily for 2 months.

References:

Gorniak, S. L., Collins, E. D., Goldie Staines, K., Brooks, F. A., & Young, R. V. (2019). The Impact of

Musical Training on Hand Biomechanics in String Musicians. Hand (New York, N.Y.), 14(6), 823–829.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944718772388

Oikawa N, Tsubota S, Chikenji T, Chin G, Aoki M. Wrist Positioning and Muscle Activities in the Wrist

Extensor and Flexor during Piano Playing. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy.

2011;21(1):41-46. doi:10.1016/j.hkjot.2011.06.002

Valenzuela, M., Launico, M. V., & Varacallo, M. A. (2023). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Hand

Lumbrical Muscles. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

Palti, R., & Vigler, M. (2012). Anatomy and function of lumbrical muscles. Hand clinics, 28(1), 13–17.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hcl.2011.09.00