Why I love the viola
A couple of months ago I borrowed a viola just for fun, and to make a long story short: I am in love – and for 2 very good reasons. First of all, I love the sound of it. There’s something about the slightly melancholic and very singing, smooth sound of the viola that speaks to me. It seems, at least to me to be closer to the human voice. I also discovered that it fits my body like a glove. I have very long arms and long fingers, and surprisingly some of the things I struggle with on the violin, becomes easy and natural on the viola. With the violin, my left elbow is very closed, and in recent months that has created some discomfort during the long opera performances I have been involved in – playing the viola opens up my elbow more, and the discomfort is gone. Of course, violists do get performance related injuries even more often than violinists, and certainly run the risk over contracting the pectoralis minor. I believe, as I do for violin playing, that the key is learning to suppurt the instrument more with the left hand, also during shifting.
Over all, I am seriously contemplating focusing on the viola, i.e. become a “real” violist. I love the violin, and will certainly continue playing it, but maybe the viola will suit my personality better? I am about to find out in the coming months.
On Cortisone and recovery
Many people ask me about cortisone and the role it played in my recovery, so I thought I’d write a little note on it. When I first had cortisone injections, it was administered by a regular doctor who just wanted to help. This was months before I finally got the correct diagnosis (a massive shoulder blade dysfunction) – and it did help, or rather so I thought. The pain disappeared, only to come back 2 months later with a vengeance, when the effect of the cortisone wore off. In other words, I returned to playing way too soon, and only made things worse by playing with a serious dysfunction. I just couldn’t feel the pain.
After I finally got the correct diagnosis from a orthopedic surgeon, and started my rehab program with the physiotherapist, it quickly became obvious that I had too much inflammation in the joint to be able to do the exercises that would eventually help, so I had 2 more shots spaced 2 months apart. This time, however, they were administered by the orthopedic surgeon working closely together with the physiotherapist, and this time it saved me. I had one shot in the space under the acromion, and another along the biceps tendon, and this allowed to do the exercises that over time restored my shoulder to healthy, normal function.
So in conclusion, cortisone used to mask pain or to allow you to play when you shouldn’t is a dangerous thing. Cortisone as part of conservative treatment (i.e. physiotherapy) can be necessary and very effective!
A new type of shoulder pad: A review
I recently saw an article in The Strad that immediately caught my attention. A guy in Japan had invented a shoulder pad (yes, a pad – not a rest) that attached to you instead of the violin. This – at least in in theory – should make it easier to move the violin around and change your playing position, which from a physical therapy point of view is a good thing. I contacted the guy and he kindly send me a test sample. It is very well made of non-slip neoprene and utilizes strong magnets inside the pad to hold it in place. As a player who usually tugs a thick wash cloth under my shirt, the concept isn’t new to me, but I’ve never seen it implemented in such a clever way. I decided that a short video would make this concept shine through more clearly, so here goes:
Double click the video to view full screen. I should stress, that if you are used to a rigid shoulder rest, moving to a pad requires learning how to hold the violin more with the left hand – if not, you will inevitably run the risk of pressing more up and forward with your shoulder (bad!), so experiment at your own risk! The MagiPad on the web is here.
The full story
This is the full account of my injury survival story:
I am one of the lucky few that has made a full recovery from a near career ending shoulder injury. It took 2 years of intense, daily physiotherapy, economic hardship, depression, loss of work and a whole lot of pain, but I made it. I also learned a lot in the process and I am now determined to help others avoid the problems that I’ve had. Here is my story:
In the fall of 2005 I was living in Sweden and working full time in the Malmö Opera Orchestra, when I started experiencing a slight, but relentless pain on the front of my left shoulder when playing. (more…)