Stories — Musician's Well

Colleen Jennings on Effort, Ease, and Awareness

Violinist Colleen Jennings tells of the transformative process of moving from effort to ease, a journey prompted by a history of repetitive stress injuries and, eventually, a case of trigger finger tendonitis.

Violin, Trigger Finger TendonitisAngela BilgerJune 10, 2021violin, Trigger Finger Tendonitis

Francesca Leo: Tendonitis and the Mind-Body Connection

Flutist Francesca Leo shares her story of navigating tendonitis through the demands of music school and about her journey toward advocacy for health in the performing arts.

Flute, tendonitisAngela BilgerApril 15, 2021flute, tendonitis

Angela Bilger: The Start of My Story

Horn player Angela Bilger, founder of Musician’s Well, shares a story of nerve damage, identity, pandemic, kites, and wholeness.

Horn, Nerve damageAngela BilgerFebruary 3, 2021Horn, nerve damage

Perry Sutton: Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury

Trumpet player Perry Sutton details the ups and downs of his non-linear recovery from a severe concussion.

Thomas Smith: Acoustic Neuroma

Guitarist and composer/arranger Thomas Smith talks about the process of his recovery from surgery to remove an acoustic neuroma.

Guitar, Hearing, Acoustic NeuromaAngela BilgerJune 11, 2020guitar, hearing, acoustic neuroma

Fiona Russell on Hypermobility Syndrome

Former cornettist and current horn player Fiona Russell talks hypermobility, career change, and about finding her place in music again.

Cornetto, Horn, Hypermobility, Ehlers-DanlosAngela BilgerJanuary 8, 2020Cornetto, Horn, Hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos

Flutist Julianna Nickel on Focal Dystonia and Brain Surgery

Flutist Julianna Nickel talks about her experience of focal dystonia and about the surgery she had as part of a clinical trial.

Flute, Focal DystoniaAngela BilgerNovember 11, 2019flute, focal dystonia, surgery

A Conversation with Adam Simonsen

Danish clarinetist Adam Simonsen discusses life in and out of the orchestra pit, his experiences of tinnitus and shoulder pain, and what can be learned from chess.

clarinet, tinnitus, shoulderAngela BilgerMay 29, 2019clarinet, tinnitus, shoulder

Michael Atkinson: Overuse and the Pitfalls of Going It Alone

Hornist and composer/arranger Michael Atkinson recounts his long journey through overuse and muscle memory issues.

Horn, overuseAngela BilgerApril 16, 2019horn, overuse

Richard Seraphinoff: Horn Player Injuries, or Making Lemonade

Richard Seraphinoff, professor of horn at Indiana University, instrument maker, scholar, and writer, shares his experience of injury and how his perspective has changed over the years.

Horn, EmbouchureAngela BilgerJanuary 6, 2019horn

Kristin Davidson on Dystonia: Another Kind of Recovery

Horn player Kristin Davidson, retired from The President’s Own U.S. Marine Band, shares her story of dystonia and what sustained her through the reshaping of her life and career.

Horn, DystoniaAngela BilgerDecember 28, 2018horn, dystonia

A Conversation with Colin Williams

Colin Williams, Associate Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, tells his story and talks about the arduous nature of recovery, the role of pain, and the importance of a support system.

trombone, EmbouchureAngela BilgerNovember 28, 2018trombone, embouchure

Found Object – Sound Mind Podcast: An Interview with MET Hornist Julia Pilant

Julia Pilant, Assistant Principal Horn of the Metropolitan Opera, talks with Cameron West about her experience with Invisalign.

Horn, teeth, Nerve damageAngela BilgerSeptember 17, 2018horn, teeth

Taylor Townsend’s Journey Through Dystonia

European horn player Taylor Townsend talks about his experiences with task-specific focal dystonia.

Horn, DystoniaAngela BilgerSeptember 11, 2018horn, dystonia

A Trumpet Player on Chops, Injury Prevention, and Recovery

A freelance trumpeter and teacher talks about the progression of his injury from overuse to nerve damage, and the importance of aural models in recovery.

trumpet, Embouchure, Nerve damage, overuseAngela BilgerSeptember 8, 2018trumpet, overuse, nerve damage, freelancer

Steven Heitzer on Overuse

Philadelphia freelancer and trumpet player Steven Heitzer answers questions about his recovery process, and about the role sound and musicianship take during rehab and post-injury.

trumpet, overuse, EmbouchureAngela BilgerSeptember 8, 2018trumpet, overuse, embouchure

A Conversation with Jen Montone

Jen Montone, Principal Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, talks about the process of moving through her two injuries, about time and faith, and about loving-kindness.

Horn, Jaw, BackAngela BilgerJuly 26, 2018Horn, jaw, back

Retired Military Band Hornist on Chops

Aimee Page, retired from the Coast Guard Band, talks about her experiences dealing with the consequences of lip trauma and scar tissue.

Horn, Embouchure, overuseAngela BilgerJuly 25, 2018horn, embouchure

Dennis Najoom on Teeth and Shoulders

Retired Milwaukee Symphony trumpeter Dennis Najoom talks about his dental experiments, and a bit about shoulders and the Alexander Technique.

trumpet, teeth, shoulderAngela BilgerJuly 13, 2018trumpet, shoulders, teeth

Megumi Kanda on Overuse

Milwaukee Symphony trombonist Megumi Kanda writes about how her ordeal as a young student contributed to her growth as a person, musician, and teacher.

trombone, Embouchure, overuseAngela BilgerJuly 9, 2018trombone, embouchure, overuse