ABRSM - Midwest - USA

Some good news for those of you involved with MTNA.👏👏😃

A piano major tried to solve a personal problem. What she uncovered raises a much bigger question: Why are we training pianists on instruments that don’t fit them?

At the Global Summit on Occupational Health in Music, Dr. Eri Yoshimura exposed one of the most uncomfortable truths in our field:

Pain is not the exception for pianists. It’s the expectation.

Her research shows:
• 86% of college piano majors report pain
• 91% of piano teachers report pain

But this didn’t start as a critique of the field. As a graduate student, Yoshimura set out to understand her own experience and the experiences of those around her. She asked: Why does playing hurt so many of us?

Instead of accepting the answer pianists hear all too often, “you’re doing it wrong,” she followed the evidence. That path led her to something the field has largely ignored:

👉 the instrument itself

The modern piano keyboard was never designed for the diversity of human hands.

Which means:

• We are systematically training students on an instrument that does not fit their bodies
• Then holding them responsible for the consequences

This is not pedagogy. This is structural neglect. And it’s happening at scale:

• 50,000–150,000 piano majors globally
• Millions of trained pianists
• Hundreds of millions of people who play piano

Now ask the harder question:

Where is this in accreditation?

In the USA, the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) sets standards for over 600 institutions. But where is the requirement that:

• instruments fit the human body?
• occupational risks are identified and mitigated?
• students are protected from preventable injury?

It isn’t there.

Instead, we continue to:
• normalize pain
• individualize blame
• ignore design

There is, however, a growing movement pushing back.

PASK (Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards) has been advancing the science and advocacy around ergonomically appropriate keyboards, bringing together researchers, performers, and educators committed to aligning instrument design with human variability.

Their work makes one thing undeniable. This problem is solvable.
What’s missing is not knowledge. It’s accountability.

And Yoshimura’s journey, from graduate student asking uncomfortable questions to a leading voice challenging the status quo, is exactly what this field needs.

If occupational health in music is to be taken seriously, then this must become a standard, not an option. Because the issue is no longer whether pianists are at risk. It’s whether institutions are willing to acknowledge their role in creating that risk.

🎥 Watch Dr. Yoshimura’s presentation:

https://www.occupationalhealthinmusic.org/2025globalsummitvideos/v/eriyoshimura?categoryId=690127a90a462562b9699e87

“Musical learning strengthens so many musical pathways in the brain…”
This is such an educational interview with Dr. Anita Collin’s about the importance of music education at an early age. Please have a listen!

Dr. Anita Collins | Sound Beginnings Podcast with Kindermusik Kindermusik is thrilled to present the first episode of our Sound Beginnings Podcast with renowned neuroscientist, author, TEDx speaker, and music education ...

Another successful round of ABRSM exams in Chicago and Madison the last 3 days. Thanks to the Examiner, Ingrid Sawers, the British School of Chicago-Lincoln Park for hosting, and Studio Share Madison/Shad Wenzlaff for hosting in Madison. It is a major milestone when a student, young or old, shows up to take an exam and accomplish such a big goal. We applaud all who have made that effort during this session.

Have you ever wondered "what more can I do to motivate my students besides entering them for local festivals, events, and assessments?"

The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Practical and Theory assessments are an excellent, internationally recognized option for students of all ages.

The visiting Examiner, Ms. Ingrid Sawers, will be available to discuss ABRSM exams after her Madison examining session at Studio Share Madison - 5003 W. University Ave Suite 180, Madison (driveway from Whitney Way, just west of Hilldale Mall).

This informal session will take place on Monday, June 2nd - 1:30p.m. - 2:30p.m.
For more information on ABRSM, please contact Helga Swatzak: [email protected] or visit:

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