What to do when your body and mind go on strike

How can musicians like Anaïs shape their professional lives in the future?

Even if fear of failure and existential fears can be paralyzing in such situations, it is not hopeless to regain a professional foothold even at an advanced age. 

In addition to the widespread focal dystonia, professional musicians seem to be affected by an above-average number of illnesses. These include mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders, orthopaedic complaints caused by highly repetitive and asymmetrical movements and, of course, various forms of hearing damage such as sudden deafness or tinnitus.

Even if the causes of such diseases have not yet been conclusively researched, they have one thing in common: psychological stress certainly does not have a positive effect on the course of the disease.

The SRF report leaves a central question unanswered: what professional opportunities do affected musicians have if they can no longer play their instrument and thus no longer perform their highly specialized activity professionally?

What qualifications, skills, know-how or personality structure can they contribute to the economy in other ways so that they can support themselves and their families?

The most obvious answer, which is also obvious in other professional groups with similar problems, such as high-performance sport, is that they pass on what they have learned through coaching and teaching.

There is no doubt that music lessons can be enriched and enriched by a richly packed rucksack of years of professional experience, a mature view of the world and life and lots of tips and tricks - not least through practical experience in health prevention or stress management.

But how realistic are the chances of getting a job at a music school at an advanced age, for example? Admittedly, the competition never sleeps and most music schools are not desperately fighting for their staff.

However, according to a recent study by the Swiss Association of Music Schools (VMS) from November 2023, there is a certain potential - depending on the instrument or teaching subject. The study concludes that a considerable number of advertised music school positions in areas such as pan flute, solfège, jazz violin, music production, yodelling, music and movement, but also in traditional subjects such as guitar, recorder, oboe, bassoon, accordion, cello, double bass, trumpet or choir conducting were difficult to fill. This was most evident in rural music schools.

Apart from professional competence and pedagogical skills, music schools are also looking for fluency in languages, the ability to work in a team, administrative know-how or communication and social skills.

So: the world is changing rapidly, but with these skills you can significantly improve your chances on the job market - skills that you can acquire through training and further education.

To ensure that these are financially viable in cases such as the one mentioned at the beginning, we have decided to extend the requirements for financial support contributions. In addition to outstanding instrumental or vocal skills, which are assessed in a (possibly psychologically stressful) scholarship competition, outstanding didactic and pedagogical skills or concepts now also qualify for the award of scholarships.

So: it's never too late to do the right thing. Why don't you get in touch with us? We will be happy to advise you on training and further education issues.