Committees

Performance Health Care Committee

Contact Us

Mission

The NFA Performance Health Care Committee is dedicated to serving the needs of flutists of all ages and backgrounds by connecting them with resources to help treat and prevent performance-based injuries, promote mental health awareness, and encourage and foster a community of support and awareness for the various issues musicians face on a daily basis. The committee includes a group of medical professionals, researchers in the field of performing arts health, teachers, and clinicians that provide year-round resources to members of the National Flute Association, as well as organize and present many performing arts health-related workshops and clinics and host a booth in the exhibition hall at the annual convention.

Submit a Question

Submit a question to the Performance Health Care Committee! These questions will remain anonymous and will assist us in developing future programming relevant to the needs of the NFA community. Fill out this google form below to ask your question, and we will include these topics in future articles, blog posts, presentations, and webinars on behalf of the committee. We look forward to hearing from you!

Submit A Question

Resources

Below is a list of resources designed to help connect flutists to relevant information from professionals in the performing arts health field regarding performance-related injury treatment and prevention, mental health research and awareness, disability awareness, movement practices, nutrition, and more.

Organizations:

Scholarly Articles and Research:

Articles by Committee Members:

Flutist Quarterly:

Other Articles:

Other Resources:

Peak Performance 101
- Dr. Patrick Gannon, Ph.D, is a Clinical and Performance psychologist who is highly knowledgeable about musicians’ performance anxiety. There’s a link to a self assessment on his website, as well as a lot of information on performance anxiety.
Podcast: Moving Well to Play Better with Bronwyn Ackermann
- Karen Bulmer, Acting Dean and low brass professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland, CA, is the creator and host of the Music, Mind, and Movement Podcast, a show that explores holistic approaches to music training and performance through in-depth conversations with educators, health professionals, somatic practitioners, and more. Dr. Ackermann is a physiotherapist and one of the leading researchers in musicians health and wellness
Nutrition.gov
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF)
- The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) is an international, non-profit, voluntary organization dedicated to serving people with all forms of dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological condition characterized by involuntary sustained muscle spasms. Dystonia may affect various parts of the body and can cause abnormal movements and postures. The mission of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation is to advance research for more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure, to promote awareness and education; and to support the needs and well being of affected individuals and families. Founded in 1976, the foundation distributes educational materials and informational videotapes, conducts symposia on this group of movement disorders, and sponsors more than 60 support groups for affected individuals and their families.

Videos:

Stay tuned for more resources to be added in the coming months.