Injury is no fun, but it happens at an alarmingly high rate among musicians. The exact number varies. In an Australian study of orchestral musicians, 84% reported pain or injury that interfered with their playing. In another study, 76% of musicians between ages nine and twenty-four reported that they had experienced pain during playing but only 56% felt like their complaints were taken seriously.

For me, the question of respiratory function and playing piano has been filled with frustration and uncertainty. To be we must breathe, and the way we breathe greatly impacts our quality of life and musicianship.

Two weeks ago my friend Suzanne and I visited David Steinbuhler, founder of the D.S. Standard Foundation and builder of custom piano actions living in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The “action” of a piano includes the keys and hammers and all of the other moving parts. The name makes sense because this is where all the action happens! (Fun fact, this part of the piano has more moving parts than a car!)  David custom builds piano actions with narrower key sizes, allowing the pianist to reach further distances while maintaining a more relaxed, less stretched, hand position.