This fall, with the opening of the Peabody Clinic for Performing Artists, students and faculty gained easy access to an on-campus resource for assessment, treatment, and therapy for the injuries and conditions associated with their art.

The Peabody community, as a whole, gained an opportunity to change the culture around those injuries.

“For too long, musicians and dancers have learned to play through the pain. There’s been a stigma attached to admitting that you’re hurt,” says Sarah Hoover (DMA ’08, Voice), associate dean for innovation, interdisciplinary partnerships, and community initiatives. “We have to change that, and our biggest goal with this clinic is to create a safe space where we can empower musicians to get the care they need to continue to do what they love.”

A component of the new, multidisciplinary Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, the Peabody Clinic brings together the expertise of Peabody musicians with Johns Hopkins Medicine’s neurologists, specialists from the Johns Hopkins Voice Center, and Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation therapists.

The interdisciplinary nature of the team is key to an innovative model that allows for comprehensive evaluation of each patient. Onsite assessment and therapy, as well as referrals for specialized treatment, are offered for movement disorders like dystonia; performance-related musculo-skeletal disorders; neuromuscular conditions; otological issues, such as hearing loss; voice disorders; and mental health concerns. Preventive screenings and instrument-specific fitness classes are also offered.

The location of the clinic — on the first floor of the Cottage in the Wellness Center — is meant both to make it easy to visit, and to send a visual, brick-and-mortar signal that it’s okay to seek help.

“It was important that we remove as many barriers as possible — be it lack of transportation, lack of time, or lack of awareness,” says Hoover. “For that we needed an actual, physical space, here on campus, where students, faculty, and others needing treatment will feel welcome and supported.”

The Peabody Clinic for Performing Artists is open to all musicians and dancers, whether affiliated with Peabody or not. To make an appointment, call 410-583-2664 and state that you would like to be seen at the Peabody location.

— Tiffany Lundquist