The ACN offers specialized programs and services designed and tailored to fit individual needs:

Biofeedback Training for Musicians with Chronic Pain: A preponderance of performing musicians (professional and amateur) experience chronic pain while playing their instrument for extended periods. Chronic pain greatly interferes with their performance and limits their overall stamina and endurance levels. Often they are able to block pain signals during performance, but they experience increased severity afterward. Years of practicing with the chronic pain also puts them at risk for developing an overuse syndrome (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis). Eventually, the pain problem grows worse and they have no choice but to abandon playing their instrument or continuing to perform in a very limited fashion (e.g., piano music from a certain genre or written for left hand only). This program offers advanced biofeedback techniques for helping individuals learn to reduce and eliminate chronic pain symptoms.

Optimal Performance Training for Musicians: this program offers a comprehensive approach to performing musicians using a combination of biofeedback and cognitive resource management (CRM) techniques. Combining biofeedback with CRM has greater positive effects on performance than either one alone. EMG biofeedback is used to build finite awareness of excess muscle tension while playing–often muscle activations are imperceptible at first, but noticeable after working with the sensitive graphical display. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia  (RSA) biofeedback is used for teaching various breathing techniques for calming the body and CRM involves techniques for quieting the mind. Optimal performance training is ultimately designed to help performing musicians gain mastery over their own physiology for managing sources of physical and psychological stress.

If you are interested in more information about our programs, please contact us.