Performance Health Video Collection

An open, uncurated collection – about the collection and how to use it

The collection brings together freely available videos on musicians’ and performers’ health: physical and mental wellbeing, injury prevention, hearing, voice and breathing, ergonomics and bodywork, practice strategies, performance psychology and related areas of Performing Arts Medicine. Videos in several languages are included (mainly English and German); all categories and keywords are in English, while video titles stay in their original language.

Concept

Instead of an open internet or YouTube search, the collection starts from selected sources: channels and playlists of universities, clinics, professional associations and experienced practitioners in performing arts health, chosen by the editor. All videos are then sorted into one common structure of areas, topics, instrument groups and formats, so that related content from different sources can be found side by side.

The collection is intentionally broad and uncurated: it shows what is available, not what is recommended. The videos have not been reviewed for scientific quality, and the tags were assigned automatically.

How to search

Area → Topic: choose a broad area first; the topic list then shows only its topics.
Instrument group, Format, Length, Language, Channel narrow the results further; Sort by date, title or length.
Area tags on each video are clickable and show all videos in that area.

Free-text search covers titles, descriptions, tags and hidden synonyms. It ignores case, hyphens and spaces (warm-up = warm up = warmup); strings also finds violin, viola and cello.
Share a selection: the filters are stored in the page address – copy the link to send a ready-made selection to students.

Areas and topics

Psychology & Performance

Performance Anxiety & Stage Fright; Mental Training & Performance Preparation; Stress, Relaxation & Mindfulness; Mental Health & Wellbeing; Motivation & Self-Regulation

Musculoskeletal Health

Pain & Overuse; Neck, Shoulders & Back; Arm, Hand & Fingers; Diagnoses: Tendons, Nerves, Joints; Prevention, Rehab & Load Management

Movement & Bodywork

Warm-up & Cool-down; Active Breaks; Mobility & Stretching; Strength & Stability; Posture, Balance & Body Awareness; Somatic Methods

Neurology & Motor Control

Focal Dystonia & Tremor; Motor Learning & the Brain

Hearing

Hearing Protection & Noise; Hearing Disorders; Hearing Tests & In-Ear Monitoring

Voice, Breathing & Embouchure

Vocal Health; Breathing; Embouchure, Jaw & Teeth

Practice & Learning

Practice Strategies; Practice Planning & Self-Regulation; Memory & Concentration

Ergonomics & Equipment

Ergonomics & Practice Setup; Aids & Instrument Adaptations

Lifestyle & Career

Fitness & Sport; Nutrition, Sleep & Recovery; Alcohol, Medication & Substances; Working Life, Touring & Career; Self-Care & Health Literacy

Medicine & Care

Musicians' Medicine & Music Physiology; Diagnosis & Therapy

Science & Education

Research & Measurement; Musical Acoustics; Digital Technologies; Teaching & Music Schools

Instrument groups

Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
Woodwinds: Flute, Recorder, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone
Brass: Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba / Euphonium
Keyboard: Piano, Organ, Accordion
Plucked Strings: Guitar / Bass Guitar, Zither / Dulcimer
Percussion: Percussion / Drums
Voice: Singing / Choir
Other: Conducting

Formats

Guided Exercise, Lecture / Keynote, Webinar / Seminar, Interview / Conversation, Panel / Roundtable, Podcast / Video Series, Explainer, Documentary / Report, Demonstration / Measurement, Music Performance

Length

short (< 5 min) · medium (5–20 min) · long (> 20 min)

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

Thematically structured: faster and more targeted than a general internet or YouTube search.
Starts from specific, relevant sources in performing arts health rather than from an algorithm.
Brings together research, clinical and practical perspectives, from lectures to short exercises.
Free, open and easy to share with students and colleagues.

Limitations

Uncurated: no review of scientific quality; opinions and evidence stand side by side.
Tags were assigned automatically and may be incomplete or wrong.
Some content may be commercial or reflect individual methods and views.
Videos can change or disappear; the platforms’ own rules and privacy policies apply.

Watching critically

Ask: Who is speaking, with which qualification? What evidence or sources are given? How old is the video? Is there a commercial interest? Does the advice fit your body, instrument and situation? These questions follow the JAMA benchmark criteria for online health information (Silberg et al., 1997, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1997.03540390074039).

Disclaimer

The videos are published by third parties and remain their responsibility. Inclusion in the collection does not imply scientific validation or endorsement. The videos do not replace individual medical, therapeutic or pedagogical advice; in case of pain or health problems, please consult a qualified professional. The editor accepts no liability for damage resulting from incorrect, incomplete or misunderstood information in the videos.

Performance Health Video Collection
https://matthias-bertsch.at/tools/phvc/index.html

Editor: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Matthias Bertsch, mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Suggestions for further channels and videos are welcome.