Attitudes and Practices of Parents of Teenage Musicians to Health Issues Related to Playing an Instrument: A Pilot Study

Abstract

A pilot study was designed to investigate the attitudes and practices of parents of teenage musicians concerning health issues related to playing an instrument. Participants were a convenience sample of parents of children at two metropolitan high schools, one an academically selective public high school, and the other a specialised music public high school. Information came from a questionnaire completed by the parents. The 24 children ranged in age from 12 to 17 yrs. Parents’ responses suggested that they recognised the importance of their children having good knowledge of health and normal body function in order to optimise the children’s musical performance and to minimise the adverse impact of the playing on their children’s health. The parental responses were similar in both the academically selective and musically selective schools despite the fact that half of the parents of children at the musically selective school seemed to accept that pain associated with playing an instrument is normal, whereas all of the parents from the academically selective school disagreed with this proposition. A more detailed study of the issues considered in this pilot study appears warranted.