Wellness at the Conservatory

Meditation and Mindfulness in Music

Instructor: Sarah Weiss

This is a skills-based course in meditation and mindfulness for musicians, with an emphasis on applying these skills to practicing and performance. Participants learn to recognize their physiological and emotional stress indicators and learn relaxation techniques that allow them to reduce performance anxiety, enhance self-confidence on stage and in the classroom, and help to prevent repetitive stress injuries. Students study various established world traditions and emerge from the course with a sustainable personal practice of mindfulness.

Each semester, students write a guided meditation and compose original relaxing background music. These student-created tracks are available to the all on the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory SoundCloud channel.

Injury Prevention and Health in the Performing Arts

Instructor: Kim Gladden

In this course, students explore health and safety issues peculiar to the performing arts (music, voice, theatre and dance) and define and develop health-promoting and wellness behaviors. Students learn about common performance-related injuries and health issues and basic preventive strategies. They develop the skills necessary to appropriately examine health and safety-related issues pertinent to the performing artist. This course does not count toward humanities core credit.

Personal Wellness

This online course includes a comprehensive health risk assessment, as well as assessments of one's nutrition, diet, substance use and other aspects of personal wellness, as developed specifically for the course.

Relaxation Yoga: Flow

Basic yoga asanas (poses) are introduced and practiced in this course, with the chief goal of teaching techniques for relaxation and diminishing stress in one’s body and mind.

Techniques of Relaxation

In this course, students learn, explore and apply various relaxation techniques in their daily lives.

Yoga for Wellness

Students learn and apply basic yoga techniques throughout their daily lives to enhance their ability to relax, reenergize, recharge and improve overall wellness.

Yoga for the Physically Active

Students embark on a yogic journey, learning various yoga asanas (poses) and breath techniques, crafting their own sequences, and demonstrating their ability to explain yoga poses to their peers. Opportunities are presented for beginners to try more advanced poses.

Yoga Basic

This course introduces students to the basics of yoga: breath techniques and asanas (poses). Students will have the opportunity to learn, practice and apply yoga to their lives to increase strength and flexibility.

Yoga Flow

Following an overview of basic yoga asanas (poses) and breath techniques, students learn how to sequence a flow of asanas to meet their own mental and physical wellness goals.

Intro to Mindfulness and Wellness

During this course, students are introduced to the practice of mindfulness and learn several techniques for managing stress and enriching one's life, including meditation.

Nutrition for Daily Living

This course provides an introduction to the study of basic nutrition, including macro and micronutrients. Content focuses on nutrition throughout the stages of the life, with an emphasis on personal diet planning.

Personal Health

This course studies the health concerns of young adults in the United States, with a focus on prevention. Students select the specific topics studied. Previous topics have included stress management and emotional health, chemical dependency, sexual responsibility, nutrition, fitness, heart disease, cancer and communicable diseases. Students are encouraged to make lifestyle choices conducive to lifelong wellness.

Stress Management

Stress affects people in a multitude of ways, and we all experience stress at varying levels in our lives. Premised on a holistic model, this class helps students understand stress and its effects on their lives. Students learn stress-management techniques for addressing their own stress-related concerns.

Musicians execute a wide array of skills that can be physically and emotionally challenging, with our bodies serving as our primary instruments. Students should consult regularly with their primary applied studio teachers about how to practice and perform effectively and safely, with a goal of increasing self-awareness and preventing injury before it occurs. If you are experiencing pain, immediately consult with your primary applied studio teacher and appropriate healthcare professionals.

Hearing Protection

Permanent hearing loss can be an occupational risk for musicians. Regular use of high-fidelity earplugs while practicing, performing and listening to music may protect you from the cumulative effects of overexposure to loud sounds throughout your life. The goal is to promote healthy hearing so we can listen throughout our entire lives.

• Students can purchase NRR33 earplugs for use from a variety of vendors for use in rehearsals and concerts.
• Hearing screenings are available for Conservatory students at the Baldwin Wallace Speech
  Clinic and can be scheduled during the academic year.

Vocal Health

Voice therapy and voice evaluations are available for Conservatory students at the Baldwin Wallace Speech Clinic and can be scheduled during the academic year.

• Several Conservatory faculty members have completed coursework through The Lovetri Institute for Somatic Voicework.
• Conservatory voice studios hold master classes and clinics on topics related to best practices and healthy habits for vocal health.

Stress and Time Management

• The Conservatory holds a Convocation series for freshman students each year focused on building and maintaining healthy practices, increasing personal wellness, and developing strategies for reducing and managing stress.
• Therapy dogs visit the Conservatory during finals week in an effort to reduce stress on campus.

Injury and Prevention Resources >

The Lou Higgins Recreation Center offers a variety of options to help you improve your physical fitness, stay well and enjoy your leisure time. Non-credit group fitness and aerobic classes are taught by qualified instructers and are open to BW students, faculty, staff and their spouses. Schedules are published each semester.

Course offerings include:

• Water aerobics
• Kickboxing
• Indoor cycling
• Free personal training sessions
• Fitness center
• Dance studio
• Weight room
• Swimming pool
• Computer lab

The Conservatory presents events, workshops and resources throughout the academic year for music students. These services are intended to support the overall well-being of the whole student while complementing the academic rigor of the Conservatory. Past events have focused on injury prevention, stress management, vocal health, yoga and chair massage, among other topics. Watch bulletin boards and weekly Conservatory newsletters for more details about upcoming events. 

Fresh, healthy food is available in the Conservatory student lounge, including vegan and vegetarian options. Ice pack and freezer storage is also available. 

Health and Wellness Resources for Vocalists: From Professor Greg Harrell’s studio

• Vocal Health for Singers and Actors
• McClosky Relaxation Technique
• Memorization Tips

Health and Wellness Resources for all Musicians: From Professor Greg Harrell’s studio

• 7 C's of Auditioning
• Acid-Alkaline Food

Health Services provides comprehensive healthcare to students, including evaluation and treatment of illnesses and injuries. Anyone enrolled in at least one class at BW is eligible for services at the Health Center.

There is no charge to see a nurse or physician. Insurance is not required. Charges for medications, lab work, injections and physicals may be paid for with cash, check or Jacket Express. For emergencies, and peace of mind, Southwest General Hospital is located just one half-mile east of campus on Bagley Road.

The Counseling Center offers individual and group counseling, psycho-educational workshops, career counseling, psychiatric services, consultations, referrals and outreach events to help students get the most out of their college experience. Baldwin Wallace students also have access to Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) Self-Help, a completely private online library of behavioral health resources that includes interactive educational modules and practice tools to help students learn stress management, mindfulness, problem-solving and relationship skills. 

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy/group opportunities
• Mind spa
• Career testing and counseling
• Psychological and personality testing
• Screenings for depression, anxiety, eating disorders and alcohol
• Specialized sexual assault services
• Outreach workshops, presentations and campus screenings
• Consultation with students or staff about mental health issues
• Therapist Assistance Online (TAO) Self-Help
• Referrals