A symphony of maladies

摘要

Classical musicians have never been considered a daredevil bunch, and playing classical music is one of life's more genteel pastimes. Yet the perils of the seemingly innocuous activities of the orchestra have long been a closely guarded secret. Fearful of being exposed as weak and jeopardising their place in the orchestra-or worse, their livelihood-musicians often suffer in silence rather than advertise their injuries. As two interested musicians, we carried out a Medline search of the available medical literature and scoured the internet for supportive organisations. We discovered the dangers hidden within the confines of the orchestral practice room; we also briefly looked at the dangers associated with other types of music making. Welcome to the world of fiddler's neck, laryngeal blowouts, and Satchmo's syndrome.