Tuned And Strong Podcast Tuned and Strong

What happens when a “natural” task suddenly feels “foreign”??

For many musicians struggling with injury, the feeling of “not knowing your own body” is very common. But this feeling is usually even more prominent in those suffering from Focal Dystonia - in which their brain literally switches or crosses signals to the body!

In this episode of the Tuned and Strong Podcast, Dr. Joanna Cowan White shares with us her experience of developing, living with, and recovering from focal dystonia. Join us as she discusses her thoughts, feelings, experiments, and creative outlets during her journey to reclaim her performance abilities!

You can find more about Joanna Cowan White here:
Musician’s Focal Dystonia Resources on joannawhiteflute.com  
http://www.joannawhiteflute.com/musicians-focal-dystonia.html 

ARTICLE links on that website
White, Joanna Cowan. “Musician’s Focal Dystonia: Strategies, Resources, and Hope”
Flutist Quarterly (Journal of the National Flute Association,) pp 26-36. February 2017.
White, Joanna Cowan. “Musician’s Focal Dystonia: Annotated Bibliography” Flutist Quarterly Plus. (Online Journal of the National Flute Association.) February 2017.
White, Joanna Cowan. “Musician’s Focal Dystonia: Strategies, Resources, and Hope”
Pan (British Flute Journal) reprint.

 

Poetry Website
https://www.joannawhitepoet.com

Music Website
http://www.joannawhiteflute.com

Music and Poetry CD – Poet as Muse
https://www.joannawhitepoet.com/musictext.html


Musician’s Focal Dystonia Resources on http://www.joannawhiteflute.com/
http://www.joannawhiteflute.com/musicians-focal-dystonia.html

POEM
White, Joanna. “Musician’s Focal Dystonia.” Poetry and Medicine Column, Journal of the American Medical Association. May 16, 2017
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2626576

 

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Musician’s Focal Dystonia

It’s the voice of that person 
comes through the instrument.
––Franz Welser-Möst

When dystonia scrambled my brain signals like a virus
corrupts a hard drive, I was sure I could not spend ten-thousand 
hours retraining my brain to play the flute a new way, 
but when I heard that a luthier and his son restored the holocaust 
violins to free their lost voices, I changed my mind. If I 
am silenced, you would not miss me but the way my vibrato, 
on the first c# of L’apres midi d’un faune, conjures up 
a sultry summer afternoon, the way your hips swing when I play 
a tango, the way you hear whales when I close my lips
around the mouthpiece to hum Voice of the Whale. The original 
ten-thousand hours, I will tick in reverse, a feat as tricky 
as learning to ride a backwards bicycle, until once again I can curve 
quiet fingers over the keys, whistle my lips to laser the tone 
down the silver tube, your body ringing in sympathetic vibration.

 

“And I’m supposed to eat well during performance season too??”

We’ve all been there - long hours, late nights, and excess stress during a run of performances can make it seem like “survival” is the name of the game. The idea of actually thriving and protecting your health during these times can seem impossible and often farfetched!

Join us as we chat with Duncan Rock - an international baritone, nutritionist, AND registered exercise professional - as he discusses the balance between these seemingly disparate practices, and learn some of the most fundamental ways you can practice good nutrition regardless of your performance schedule!

You can find Duncan Rock at:
Websites:

www.duncanrocknutrition.com

http://www.duncanrock.co.uk/ 


Instagram: @duncanrock_nutrition

“And I’m supposed to eat well during performance season too??”

We’ve all been there - long hours, late nights, and excess stress during a run of performances can make it seem like “survival” is the name of the game. The idea of actually thriving and protecting your health during these times can seem impossible and often farfetched!

Join us as we chat with Duncan Rock - an international baritone, nutritionist, AND registered exercise professional - as he discusses the balance between these seemingly disparate practices, and learn some of the most fundamental ways you can practice good nutrition regardless of your performance schedule!

You can find Duncan Rock at:
Website:

www.duncanrocknutrition.com

http://www.duncanrock.co.uk/ 


Instagram:

@duncanrock_nutrition

Keto! Vegan! Macros! Paleo! What does it all mean?!

 

Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they mention their latest diet? Or what all these terms are when people are discussing nutrition? Don’t worry, we’re here to help!

 

Join us for Episode 64 of the Tuned and Strong Podcast, where we will answer all of your questions on the basics of the most common nutrition terms and types of diets!!

 

And be sure to check out the related articles below!!

 

How to Make Your Own Greek Yogurt
How to Figure Out Your Macros
Rapid Fat Loss Handbook: Link 1
Rapid Fat Loss Handbook: Link 2
A Guide to Flexible Dieting



More Blog articles you may find useful:
Lyle McDonald's Books

Thank you to Simone Mauer for joining Jen and I on this episode of the Tuned and Strong podcast and the 4th in our series "Interviews with the Performance Health Committee". We are interviewing current members of the National Flute Association Performance Health Committee in this series.

 

As always, please like, share with another musicians and subscribe to the Tuned and Strong podcast wherever you get your podcasts - and if you're enjoying it, please leave us a good review so we can reach more musicians!

 

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Do you ever wish composers know the struggles we experienced while playing their pieces?

You know there are just some of those musical pieces that take a toll on your body? We love them but as in the case of our latest podcast guest, harpist Danielle Kuntz, the piece by Prokofiev she referenced just automatically is understood that you will develop tendonitis by the end of playing it.

Isn't it insane? Don't you wish composers knew how to better write for your instrument?

That's why she created THE TOOLBOX SESSIONS ( And if you hurry you can still register HERE ). It is a 3-day virtual summit designed to give you the tools you need to write for instruments & voices! From May 19-21, you'll get to join 12+ presentations on writing for specific instruments/voices (oboe, voice, harp, percussion, & more), taught by performer-educators who are passionate about collaborating with composers and arrangers. To have a $10 discount type the code TUNEDANDSTRONG22 on registration.