Repetitive strain injuries plague far too many musicians, and I was one of them. These injuries tend to come at the most stressful times, before big performances and auditions, and last far too long. In my case, I was barely touching my instrument for five months leading up to graduate school auditions. Although problems did not go away immediately after auditions, I learned some valuable lessons that today allow me to play without pain. Here I hope to steer you toward some resources to help you achieve every musician’s goal – playing pain free. WARM UP Let me begin by saying that I am not a doctor and am not qualified to give medical advice. Medical professionals such as physical therapists can help you determine steps you can take to avoid drastic measures such as surgery. One of those steps is warming up. My initial conception of warming up for ...