Eri Yoshimura’s research while affiliated with University of North Texas and other places

The purpose of this study was to design and develop a measurement tool and protocol to measure hand posture and finger loads during piano playing and to study the relationship between palmar arch and associated forces generated when pressing keys during piano playing. Information gained from developing a system to study these parameters will ultimately provide piano players and instructors with information to enhance playing performance as well as strategies to reduce hand injuries and playing related pain.

Musician earplugs are marketed and recommended for use in music settings but no studies have evaluated these products with musicians. This study evaluated the influences of earplugs on college students' perception and abilities to communicate in a musical environment, attitudes of earplugs, comfort over time, and the influence of earplugs on ability to play music. College students (N = 323) were provided with earplugs for use during and following an experimental condition designed to mimic a night club. Results underline the challenges of earplugs in environments that are both loud and require verbal interaction. Responses to comfort questions were variable and suggest a multi-factorial set of influences that may include intrinsic variables. Despite these limitations, subjects in this study generally liked the earplugs and believed that they are valuable. However, the earplugs were not viewed favorably by musicians willing to use the earplugs while playing music. This study supports the view that earplugs are subject to many problems and should be considered as a last resort.

The effectiveness of a hearing loss prevention program within a college may be dependent on attitudes among students majoring in music. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of music majors toward noise and to compare them to students not majoring in music. Participants ( N = 467) filled out a questionnaire designed to assess attitudes toward noise in youth culture and attitudes toward influencing their sound environment. Results showed that students majoring in music have a healthier attitude toward sound compared to students not majoring in music. Findings also showed that music majors are more aware and attentive to noise in general, likely to perceive sound that may be risky to hearing as something negative, and are more likely to carry out behaviors to decrease personal exposure to loud sounds. Due to these differences, music majors may be more likely than other students to respond to and benefit from a hearing loss prevention program.

Previous study on the etiology of musculoskeletal problems among elite pianists, including college piano majors, suggest that playing-related pain is traceable, in part, to intrinsic factors such as flexibility and hand size. Musculoskeletal problems among other piano groups, particularly teachers, are less understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate piano teachers and the relationships between playing-related pain and several independent variables. In a study conducted as a replication of a previous study of college pianists, results showed that 91% of piano teachers (n = 47) experience pain while playing. Data from this study support previous findings by highlighting hand size and "overall health" as important related variables. Additional findings suggest that playing-related pain among piano teachers may be positively correlated to stretching as part of warm-up and inversely related to amount of playing. Results continue to support the need for interventions that focus on changing the standard piano key size to better fit pianists with small hands.

Although pianists commonly report pain and musculoskeletal problems from playing, the related research literature on this topic is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between pain and several independent playing-related and anthropometric variables. Subjects included 35 piano majors attending a large college of music. Subjects were assessed with a questionnaire, bilateral anthropometric measurements of the upper arm and hand, and upper-extremity performance tests for range of motion, isometric strength, and rotation speed. Finger mobility, including active digit-to-digit span, was assessed using digital photography. Four questions regarding pain associated with piano were treated as dependent variables and used for correlation and regression analyses with other variables. A five-factor model emerged and each model was statistically significant. In addition to accounting for a large amount of variance associated with the dependent variables, results highlighted the importance of right 3-4 span (flexibility/mobility). This specific risk factor is rarely mentioned in the performing arts medicine literature. Additional studies are highly warranted for replication and for determining the clinical and pedagogical relevance of this finding.