The value of health screening in music schools and conservatoires

Interest in musicians’ health and well-being is growing, reflected by increasing numbers of investigations into the physicality and psychology of musical performance. Within sport and dance, screening and profiling programmes, especially of the musculoskeletal system, have furthered understanding on not only physical and psychological capabilities and demands but also musculoskeletal injury mechanisms and susceptibility. This article engages with questions relating to the development and delivery of musician-specific health screening programmes. Effective screening can offer a variety of benefits for musicians, providing informed recommendations for sustaining performance-related fitness across educational and professional contexts. Employing an interdisciplinary approach when developing screening programmes is essential, as is the ecological appropriateness of the measures used. The implications inherent in delivering and sustaining successful screening programmes in schools and conservatoires are discussed.