“This account, created by flutist and entrepreneur Francesca Leo, seeks to connect and educate musicians with resources to treat and prevent performance-related injuries. She is also passionate about maintaining good mental health, and her IG stories have a great focus on anxiety (both performance and general), body positivity, work/life balance, and self-compassion. She is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and persons of color. Her posts and stories are always a great breath of fresh air, especially during these challenging times.” - Erin Nichols (@indyfluteshop)
A study I co-conducted with Lisa Martin, Ph.D. at a large, Midwestern university in the Fall of 2017 revealed that 88% of students were experiencing performance-related pain severe enough to affect their ability to play their instrument at the level of which they were accustomed. Upon further research, I discovered that this statistic aligns with many similar studies conducted in major universities and conservatories across America. If you are currently experiencing performance-related pain or suffering from an injury, you are not alone. I have designed this website specifically for you as a free resource to connect you with treatment centers in your area, scholarly articles and literature about performing arts health, and as a platform allowing you to join the discussion and connect with others going through a similar experience.
My goal is to provide accessible, all-encompassing performing arts health education resource that students across the world can access to learn more about different types of performance-related injuries, various methods to treat and prevent these injuries, find treatment centers in their area complete with a list of all accepted insurance types, and connect with fellow students experiencing the same types of pain.
-Francesca Leo, Founder