Face and Neck Stretches for Musicians

Doing regular neck and face stretching exercises improves musician health, leading to increased flexibility, dexterity, coordination and blood circulation. Musicians are prone to injuries stemming from tension, poor posture, improper technique, repetitive strain and overuse. All musicians use their facial and neck muscles extensively, making them susceptible to Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. These injuries can be prevented by incorporating stretching exercises for musicians into their daily routine.

How Musicians Should Stretch the Face and Neck Muscles

Musicians should stretch prior to practicing or performing. They should be done after the muscles have had a chance to warm up. For example, stretches can be done in the shower, after a shower or after doing some light exercises.

Musicians should take breaks during practice sessions to stretch. After drilling a “trouble spot” numerous times, it is advisable to do some stretches before tackling a new section or piece. Stretching backstage between performances is also beneficial.

Follow these seven exercises and refer to the photos below:

1 Big Mouth Stretch

Purpose: Loosen up the jaw muscles, increase blood circulation and help prevent TMJ Dysfunction.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Sit in a comfortable position.

• Breathe in, raise your eyebrows and open your mouth wide as wide as possible.

• Close your mouth after exhaling while keeping your jaw centered.

• Hold stretch for 5 – 10 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times.

2 The Squinch

Purpose: Increase blood flow and relax the muscles in the face and jaw.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Sit in a relaxed position.

• Exhale and “squinch” or “scrunch” your entire face.

• Hold this position for three seconds then relax.

• Repeat.

3 Isometric Jaw Exercise

Purpose: To relax the jaw muscles.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Make a fist and place it directly underneath your chin.

• As you slowly open your jaw, provide some resistance by gently pushing your fist upwards.

• Hold this position for 10 seconds.

• Release.

• Repeat 10 times.

4 Lip Flutters

Purpose: Strengthen vocal folds and relax facial muscles.

Performance:

• Keep your teeth slightly open, lips a little bit forward and face soft.

• Take a low breath from the diaphragm.

• Pretend to blow a bubble and allow the air in your lungs to make your lips vibrate.

• Try to sustain the sound for as long as possible, until you run out of air.

• Don’t pucker your lips.

• Gently place your fingers on either side of your mouth if you are having trouble.

• Repeat several times, trying the following variations: lip flutters without sound, staccato lip spurts without sound, lip flutters with sound (try to imitate a small motor purring), pitched lip flutters (flutter your lips while vocalizing a scale or a song).

5 Side Neck Stretch

Purpose: Relaxes your neck and shoulder muscles.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Slowly tilt your head towards the right ear to stretch the left side.

• Hold the stretch between 10 – 20 seconds.

• Repeat, stretching the right side.

• Stretch both sides at least two more times.

6 Front to Back Neck Stretch

Purpose: Relieves tension in your head, neck, back, hips and shoulders.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Imagine that there is a small ball tucked under your chin.

• Gently tilt your head downward, being mindful of your imaginary ball.

• Hold this stretch for 5 – 10 seconds.

• Repeat up to five times.

7 Side to Chin Neck Stretch

Purpose: Provides pain relief in your head, neck, back, hips and shoulders.

Performance:

• Begin with your head level and facing forward.

• Slowly tilt your head towards the right ear to stretch the left side.

• Gently turn your chin downward towards your shoulder.

• Hold the stretch between 10 – 20 seconds.

• Repeat, stretching the right side.

• Stretch both sides at least two more times.

Strive for a gentle stretch. Never stretch to the point of feeling pain. If your jaw makes any clicking or popping sounds when you open and close your jaw, consult a dentist before trying these exercises. Seek professional help from a doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor if you need further guidance.

Dedicating as little as five minutes a day to stretching will ease tension, relieve jaw pain, ease neck pain and increase flexibility in musicians. If done regularly with proper technique, musicians can enjoy many years of pain-free and injury-free music-making.

Related Articles

Understanding Musician Injuries | Arm and Hand Stretches | Back and Shoulder Stretches

The Art of Practicing | Musician's Yoga: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Inspiration |  | Playing (Less) Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians

CWS Concert Review Music of Mysteries, Legends and Ritual

The Calgary Wind Symphony performed a selection of mysterious and sweeping music on a snowy Sunday, March 3, 2013 at the University of Calgary’s Rozsa Centre. Dubbed "Music of Mysteries, Legends and Ritual", the concert featured Terri Shouldice on flute and Dr. Jeremy Brown on alto saxophone. It also included two premières: the Canadian première of Kenneth Fuch's Rush - Concerto in E flat for Alto Saxophone and the Alberta première of Paul Hart's Cartoon.

Recently, when Dr. Jeremy Brown was conducting the University of Calgary Jazz Ensemble in the United States, he had the opportunity to meet with Daniel Bukvich, who composed the first piece, entitled Voodoo. Bukvich was delighted to hear that the Calgary Wind Symphony was working on Voodoo and promised to send another one of his works.

Calgary Wind Symphony Conjures Vivid Imagery at Calgary Concert

At the downbeat , the Rozsa Centre was draped in darkness, with only the twinkling lights from the music stands and Dr. Jeremy Brown's blue glow-in -the-dark baton. Voodoo painted a vivid picture for listeners.It was as if the audience was transported into the middle of a David Attenborough nature documentary, complete with bird calls and trombone slides to depict swinging monkeys. The rain sticks and flash lights gave the effect of a rainstorm, while the clapping and chanting evoked images of aborginal peoples celebrating a successful hunt.

Charles Griffes' Poem for Flute and Orchestrafeatured CWS flautist Terri Shouldice. This Impressionistic inspired work offered listeners aural post cards of contrasting scenes. It opened with the low brass instruments. The winds echoed back the theme before the flute's entrance. The languid first theme showcased. The solo flute passages varied from sweeping motives to a mysterious Spanish-infused theme.The applause lasted for several minutes after the performance.

Old Churches by Pullitzer prize winner Michael Colgrass evoked images crumbling, abandoned churches. The melancholy soundscape was peppered with momentary shots of dissonance, created by the aleatoric segments. At times, it sounded like debris blowing in the wind and hitting against broken glass, while the stainless steel mixing bowls sounded like an iron gate clanging against a broken latch.

The final work for the first half, Cartoon by Paul Hart was an absolute treat to hear. Dr. Brown introduced it as a "sophisticated musical stew."

It opened with a lively march, a la Bugs Bunny. The scurrying dialogue between the winds and percussion mimicked a chase à la Tom & Jerry, while the muted trombones sounded an awful lot like the teacher from Peanuts.

The slower middle theme contained Gershin-esque harmonies and sweeping melodies which conjured images of Pepe le Pew on a night on the town. "Music Mysteries, Legends & Ritual" marked what Dr. Brown believed was the Alberta première performance of this entertaining work.

Haunting Flute Music Performed by the Parthenia Flute Choir

Concert patrons enjoyed some otherworldly music in the lobby during intermission, performed by the Parthenia Flute Choir. The flute ensemble, under the direction of Wendy Freeman, performed Eric Ewazen's Harmony in Blue and Gold. 

Comprised of four movements, Harmony was inspired by James McNeill Whistler’s "Peacock Room" located at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery. Eric Ewazen composed this work for Femme Flutale.

A Canadian Premiere and a Rarely Performed Work at the CWS Concert

The Calgary Wind Symphony delivered the Canadian première performance of Rush - Concerto for E flat Alto Saxophone, American composer Kenneth Fuchs. This demanding work featured Dr. Jeremy Brown on saxophone and Wendy Freeman as the conductor.

The first movement, "Evening" opened with a saxophone solo that featured long soulful tones. The ensemble soon joined in with a grand sweeping theme. As the saxophone continued to play a pensive melody, the flutes and percussion played carefully placed notes, depicting stars lighting up the sky, one by one. The saxophone part traversed the alto saxophone's entire range and showcased Dr. Brown's beautiful tone.

The second movement, "Morning", revealed several contrasting moods. It began with a lyrical sax solo. This soon gave way to a rhythmic passage, featuring the winds in the upper range against a sweeping motif played by the saxophones. As the movement progressed, the music featured more syncopated rhythms, pushing towards a dramatic climax.

The music of Kenneth Fuchs is gaining recognition worldwide and has led to successful collaborations. He has worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson and the London Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of JoFalletta recorded three albums featuring Fuch's music. The first album was nominated for two Grammys.

Flute Cocktail by Harry Simeone was a light hearted piece. It opened with the flutes playing a Baroque-styled theme, which soon gave way to the  brass and percussion instruments, while the flutes played a bubbly motif underneath. Snippets of London Bridge weaved throughout the work.

The Calgary Wind Symphony closed with La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed. Dr. Brown explained that due to the work's length of 18 minutes, it is rarely performed. "Maybe once every 10 years," he said.

One interesting feature for this work is the fact that various musicians went off-stage to perform, mimicking a mariachi band heard in the distance. The work is comprised of three movements: a rhythmic and energetic "Prelude and Aztec Dance", a reverent "Mass" and a toe-tapping "Carnival".

About the Calgary Wind Symphony

The Calgary Wind Symphony is a 60-member ensemble, directed by Dr. Jeremy Brown of the University of Calgary. Formerly known as the Calgary Concert Band, the ensemble has been active in Calgary’s musical community since 1947.

Music aficionados can check out the Calgary Wind Symphony on Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m. The CWS will present “Apollo Sings! Music that Soars”. For more information and to buy concert tickets, please visit the CWS’s website.

For those who braved the terrible winter roads on March 3, 2013, the Calgary Wind Symphony’s “Music of Mysteries, Legends and Ritual” concert proved to be a diverse and highly entertaining programme of eerie and grand music.

Making Real Connections Through Virtual Choir

They sang as individuals but became part of something bigger in Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir. Seven members share their journey and their connections.

In December 2011, composer Eric Whitacre made an announcement on his website about his third Virtual Choir project: "Water Night". Singers from around the world were invited to prepare and submit a video for one or more of the 14 voice parts in this choral work from Whitacre's Grammy-winning album, Light & Gold. A record number of 3,746 videos were submitted by singers representing 73 countries.

Singers uploaded their video(s) either to Eric Whitacre's website or Youtube. The video and audio were scrubbed for every submission. The videos were then synchronized to become one massive multi-track. VC3's "Water Night" was launched on April 2, 2012, via live stream at the Lincoln Arts Center in New York, NY. VC3 has recently received over 200,000 views on Youtube.

Yours truly had the opportunity to speak with seven members of Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 3.0: Melissa Ann Cody (Goshen, NY, USA), Bren Wrona Norris (Sonoma, CA, USA), Maria Petrova (New York, NY, USA), Jack Rowland (Tampa Bay, FL, USA), Scott Simmons (San Antonio, TX, USA), Kristen Soo (Burnaby, BC, CAN) and Chrissie Vincent (Petersfield, Hampshire, UK). Their individual stories intersect and connect to create the Virtual Choir story.

Discovering the Music of Eric Whitacre

“I happened to be at the concert where they premiered “Water Night”," says Maria Petrova. "I was not ready for this at all. I wasn't even that much of a fan of choral music. I just went because I'm a graphic designer and I was designing the concert programme for the arts centre at BYU.

“I was absolutely – just – entranced by “Water Night”. I remember very clearly the moment when it came on,” she says. “I felt like it literally washed every cell of my body.”

Kristen Soo was on campus at Simon Fraser University when she watched Virtual Choir 2 - “Sleep”: “I was crying in my lab. It was so beautiful.”

In her studio, Bren Wrona Norris, a voting member of the Recording Academy, was listening to the nominees in choral music for the 54th Annual Grammys. When she came to Eric Whitacre's Light and Gold album, Bren said, “Oh my gosh, this is phenomenal!”

“I immediately voted for him and then I went online to find out what he does, where he's from and how he came to be,” Bren gushes. “It was the week or two before we had to have our videos in for VC3. It was that fast. I said, 'All right! I'll do it!' ”

Virtual Choir Members Make Connections

“I was trying to record a couple of weeks before the deadline,” recalls Kristen. “I was having a clipping problem with my mic. When I sang too loudly, it would just make these really weird noises. I made a post on the Facebook page. It turned out that Jack [Rowland] as well as David Johnson responded and they were able to help me out.”

As the initial deadline and later, the extended deadline approached, more people were experiencing challenges. They flocked to the Virtual Choir Facebook page for help.“I put in two videos and I asked a question to the Facebook page,” says Scott Simmons. “One of them's better than the other one. Which one should I put in?” With a smile, he adds, “Of course, Jack [Rowland] pipes up and says, “Take the best one and put it in.”

As Scott scrolled down the FB page, he read more comments by Jack. “Wow! He's helping a lot of people.” A thought popped into Scott's mind, “I love technology. I love music. This is a sweet spot for me, so I went in and started helping everyone else out.”

The helpers were commenting so often, that some people were banned from commenting. Jack Rowland was one who landed in “Facebook Jail”, not once, but twice. “What really caused it was we were answering so many questions,” recounts Jack. “I had a cheat sheet so that I could copy/paste. I could rapid-fire responses to common questions.”

One person Jack helped was Christy-Lyn Marais. “We take for granted that we have wi-fi everywhere,” says Jack. “So she's talking to me about how she's trying to send using a 3G cell phone. At one point, I say, “ 'Can you find a McDonald's?' because they all have free wi-fi now.”

Her reply: “The nearest McDonald's is like, 400 miles away from here.” That's when Jack discovered that Christy-Lyn lives in a remote part of South Africa.

“On the last day when there were a lot of problems,” says Kristen. “Everyone was trying to submit at the same time.” She thought, “Maybe I'll just join one of these [Google] Hangouts, say 'Hi' and just see how it goes.” She's glad she did. “It happened to be that I met over 10 people that night. I actually got to meet Jack face-to-face, which was really great as I got to thank him for helping me with my microphone. Chrissie [Vincent] was in that Hangout as well.”

Virtual Choir – A Global Choir

“I was very struck and amazed by how much of a connection I had,” recalls Jack. “Even though when I watched Virtual Choir 1, I was thinking, 'This isn't choral singing.' But when I sang my part and Eric conducted, the connection that I had with him – looking into his eyes and watching him conduct was every bit as real to me as if I were standing on a stage, and that surprised me.”

“To think there is someone in Syria who sang with us, despite this incredible turmoil that they're in,” comments Maria. “And this girl in Japan named Hitomi, who leads a totally different life than I do and is 22 hours ahead of me. She was able to sing at the same time as me, although she actually sang at a totally different time than me. That we all somehow ended up singing at the same synchronized performance – and that to me is an absolute miracle,” she adds.

Maria attended the launch of "Water Night" and Water Night CD Release along with fellow VC members Julie Souin, Kevin Callahan, Lynna Schaefer and Jack Rowland. “In many ways, I saw that it was technically not as superior as a professional performance of a hand-picked 24 singers. The beauty, on the other hand, was just how many voices [there were] and the different times of the consonants. They're kind of the things that one would consider imperfections from a technical point of view were in a beautiful way of reinforcing the multiplicity of people's backgrounds, of people's places, of people's times, of people's identities.”

Virtual Choir – An Online Community Without Borders

The Virtual Choir connection didn't end after any of these singers submitted their videos. Melissa Ann Cody has kept in touch with Jack Rowland since Virtual Choir 2. “Jack was working on another virtual choir project,” she explained. “There's a group on Facebook called Let's Sing for Japan. I did post a video for that.”

Chrissie Vincent watched the premiere of “Water Night” online with several of her Virtual Choir friends. “That was very exciting,” she recalls. “The fact that we were online and we actually watched the premiere. That's pretty special.”

Maria noticed Scott's support of others in the group and dropped him a line: “I'm lucky enough to live in New York and I'm going to be at the CD signing. Would you like a CD?” Scott replied, “Yeah, of course I would love one.”

“So I got him one and sent it to him,” says Maria. “He just wrote me this morning that he put the cheque in the mail and I said, 'Oh my gosh! It will be so weird to get a physical object from you.' ”

The online groups continue to thrive. “What I find fascinating is that people are so friendly, so great on VC Friends. Everyday I check it just to see what's going on,” says Bren.

“It's really different,” says Scott. “It's really nice to have a group of friends like that, who have the same passion for music that you do and that I do. That helps keep those connections alive.”

“I met so many people,” says Kristen. “We all just got talking and then having fun – as though we were sitting in the same room together, making jokes, supporting each other; just learning about each other's lives.”

“It's very enriching. It has enlarged my circle, which is tremendous,” says Chrissie. “It just goes to show what these online communities can actually do.”Sources:

Skype/Facebook video interviews with Melissa Ann Cody (April 15, 2012), Bren Wrona Norris (April 13, 2012), Maria Petrova (April 16, 2012), Jack Rowland (April 26, 2012), Scott Simmons (April 15, 2012), Kristen Soo (April 21, 2012) and Chrissie Vincent (April 13, 2012).

Originally published May 26, 2012 on Suite101.com. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Free Websites to Help With Music Theory or Music Rudiments

A guide to some useful websites available online to help musicians, students and teachers with music theory assignments, exam or college preparation.

Musical theory knowledge gives musicians a deeper understanding of the music they are playing. In his article for the Easy Music Theory website entitled "Why You NEED Music Theory", Gary Ewer, B. Mus. says that music theory allows "you to communicate your musical ideas, and to explore music in ways you have never experienced before."

Once music students reach the intermediate level of their musical studies, music theory is a co-requisite to their music examinations. Recognized music conservatory such as the Royal Conservatory of Music/National Conservatory of Music of America, Conservatory Canada, London College of Music or the Canadian National Conservatory of Music offer theory examinations from Preliminary Rudiments to Advanced Harmony and Analysis. Recognizing the importance of music theory, many of the beginner method books currently on the market incorporate music theory at an early stage of a student's musical development.

The following is a compilation of some websites available on the Internet to help with music theory:

Music Theory Tutorials, Trainers and Music History Websites

Two websites that offer numerous tutorials, trainers and information are Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net and Music Notes' Music Theory.

Software engineer Ricci Adams developed and launched Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net in 2000. The site offers flash presentations under "Lessons", covering various areas of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Music Rudiments as well as Beginning Music Harmony. Lessons are broken down in the following sections: Staff and Clefs, Note Values, Dots, Ties, Time Signatures, Accidentals, Scales, Key Signatures, Intervals, Diminished Chords, Augmented Chords, major/minor chords, Half Diminished Chords, Seventh Chords and the Circle of Fifths. The covers material in Preliminary Rudiments up to Advanced Music Harmony. It also includes Trainers and manuscript paper. The note reading trainers are good for beginner students.

Music Theory is site offers tutorials on preliminary to advanced rudiments: Note Reading, Pitch, Values, Meter, Intervals & Scales, Key Signatures, Figured Bass, Chords and Symbols and Expression marks. The glossary is helpful to both music students and teachers alike. This site goes one step further than Ricci Adams by including information on musical styles, history, professions, instruments and games.

For visual learners, The Music Theory Minute is extremely useful. It offers free one-minute video tutorials on music theory. This site is ideal for visual learners. It covers the basic core principles as well advanced theory tutorials on Secondary Dominants, Cadences, Suspensions and modulations. Students can even email Dr. Jack a theory question and he will reply.

Free and Subscription Music Theory Resources Online

There are several music websites that offer free and subcription services to music teachers and students. Emusictheory and Teoria are two such sites.

Emusictheory offers 10 theory concepts that students can explore online for free under "Free Resources", including: Note Names, C-Clef Note Names, Piano Keys, Guitar Frets, Violin Fingering, Viola Fingering, Double Bass Fingering, Intervals, Chords and Scales. The creators are working on Key Signatures, chord functions, support for bass and treble clef, just to name a few. Under the "drills" section, students can study key signatures, intervals, scales, chords, chord functions.

Teachers can purchase an account that allows them to register students in Emusictheory, as well as assign, mark and track online theory assignments.

On the web since 1997, Teoria is the 2006 MERLOT Classical Award in music. It offers tutorials on: Reading Music, Intervals, Scales, Chords, Harmonic Functions and Musical Forms. Where this shines is in the interactive exercise section where students can do drills in all areas of music theory, from beginner to advanced, and from classical music theory to jazz music theory. There is also a musical reference section and articles on analysis and theory, analysis by composer, and instruments.

Students and teachers can become a member (there is a cost for teachers) and teachers can assign, mark and track assignments. Purchasing a membership makes all tutorials available.

This list is just a sampling of music theory websites. The websites listed contain a wealth of information to aid in understanding music theory, from preliminary rudiments up to advanced theory subjects such as counterpoint, harmony, history and analysis. These sites are of great benefit to music students studying for a theory examination, applying to a post-secondary music program or recreational music students. They also benefit music teachers by providing supplemental material to use for assignments and music theory lessons.

Originally published on Suite101.com on April 14, 2010. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Kotatsu ga suki desu!

Oh, how I love my kotatsu. On an episode of Minami ke Taidaima, the Minami sisters warmed up their clothes using their kotatsu. I can tell you that works well.

Check out my Kotatsu Table Making Project album here.