Practicing in Summer: More, Less, or Differently?

You Play Much More Than Usual in Summer

Festivals, open-air concerts, masterclasses – for many musicians, summer is the second ‘high season’ after Christmas. There is little time for regenerative breaks, as the calendar sets the pace and the body must follow. Despite the stress, such a season can bring joy and self-confidence through wonderful experiences, positively impacting your body.

However, there is a risk that the body does not receive enough attention amidst all the excitement. Firstly, because you have little time for it, and secondly, because your focus is elsewhere. The fact is, your body has to work quite hard during intense periods: no matter what instrument you play or if you sing, the repetitive strain on your muscles increases, as does the risk of injury.

But the good news is: injuries can be prevented with proactive measures. Three aspects are particularly important in prevention…

1. Consciously Focus on Your Body

Make it a habit to listen to your body: ask yourself at the same time every day about your physical condition, if you feel any tension or pain, or if you feel particularly good.

You can best establish this habit by linking it with another, already existing habit. Here are a few examples:

• When waking up;
• Before a rehearsal or performance during warm-up;
• After a rehearsal or performance while packing up;
• While brushing your teeth;
• Before going to bed.

This way, you stay connected to your body despite summer distractions.

2. Plan Regenerative Breaks

Schedule moments where your body can consciously recover from the one-sided strain of playing music.

Ideally, you can do gentle exercises that promote your body’s regeneration and provide a healthy balance (yoga, Alexander Technique, Qi Gong, etc.).

The simplest way: lie down on a yoga mat, close your eyes, and consciously relax your body, starting from your feet and slowly moving your awareness up to your scalp. Take more time for the body parts strained by playing music (often the neck, arms, etc.).

With a yoga bolster (a kind of larger neck roll) or a rolled-up towel, you can go a bit further and try the yoga pose “Savasana”. This exercise promotes diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation of the arms and shoulders:

• Place the bolster lengthwise on the mat and sit with your back against it, with your sacrum close to the end of the bolster.
• Lie back on the bolster; your head should also rest on it (depending on your height, you might need an additional pillow for your head).
• Stretch your legs out and let your arms rest loosely on the mat, palms facing up. Your lower back will relax.
• Stay in this position for a few minutes, breathing calmly in and out.

You Go on Vacation and Take Your Instrument with You

This is the perfect opportunity to experiment with your practice. A fresh daily routine and new surroundings can encourage you to give up old habits and establish new ones.

For example, it's a good chance to permanently integrate more bodywork into your practice: take the time to do a short warm-up before practicing and to consciously relax your muscles afterward. Perhaps in your vacation accommodation, you finally have space to leave your yoga mat rolled out next to the music stand?

You can also experiment with your practice rhythm while being gentle on your body. While in everyday life you might have to complete your practice all at once, on vacation it might be possible to spread it out over the entire day. Instead of practicing for an hour in the evening, you could, for instance, practice for 20 minutes after breakfast, 20 minutes before lunch, and 20 minutes after an evening walk. Meanwhile, your body and mind regenerate – and you always practice relaxed and focused.

Of course, you can apply all the tips from the above section You Play Much More Than Usual in Summer even if you play as much as usual. During your vacation, notice any positive impacts on your concentration, playing, and physical condition.

Ask yourself what caused these changes and try to incorporate these insights into your everyday life.

Have fun experimenting and enjoy your summer!