Dr. Marcie Zinn

 

Every year hundreds of thousands of students enter the arts via private instruction, and every year just about as many drop out. Do we know the exact numbers? Do we have an approximation? No, we do not. No one has 'run the numbers.'

Do you know what learning "looks like" in the brain? Are you aware that you cannot feel your brain from the outside? Learning is a neurochemical change, so it can't be seen, and if you could feel your brain, you would not be alive long.

These paragraphs have something in common; that is, they present the need to bring science into the arts. In order to find the answer in the first paragraph, one would have to do a large scale longitudinal study. The second paragraph was taken from a presentation I saw at an arts conference. The presenter showed two slides, each with a neuron (brain cell) on the slide. The second slide showed a slight fatter neuron. The presenter claimed that was the physiological basis for learning. Later in the day another presenter claimed she could feel her cerebellum sticking out from underneath her skull. If that were true, she would have died in infancy. It is these plus many other "neuromyths"¹ that permeate our profession (the arts). I am calling for all Arts Societies to aid in positive neuoreducation so as to debunk these myths. Myths find their way into educational policy and when they do, are very difficult to undo.

How many individuals do you know from your training who had significant anxiety symptoms? Even if you have arts training only, you still may be able to reflect on the incidence of clinically significant anxiety in the arts (it's upwards of 80%). Did any of those individuals ever seek treatment, did they seek treatment for the symptoms only (anxiety produces body symptoms, and treating the body symptoms won't treat the anxiety), or did they simply work around the issue by avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations?

The most salient issue here is the current culture of the arts, which only emphasizes wellness with regards to physical problems. Within this culture, those in the arts emphasize certain movement practices (biomechanical), which largeley see musician's problems being a function of physiological stresses. What is often lacking, however, are the recognition that artists often need help with emotional problems, and further help with the application of the process to their participation in the arts. Artists, instructors, mentors and students are required to appear invulnerable. When a person in the arts does develop chronic pain, depression, anxiety problems or other problems that affect their participation, it is highly unlikely that the person will not admit it, or seek help, within the psychological or psychiatric community. This culture--reflected in one's unwillingness to take time off, talk to any colleagues, seek appropriate help--makes it much more difficult to deal with emotional issues.

The Arts workplace emphasis on self-sacrifice, self-reliance and problems with emotional vulnerability may seem admirable, but will greatly compromize the quality of education we give to our clients. When individuals are suffering from unresolved emotional difficulties, their error rate goes up. We do not have data from the arts population, but there is a large body of data in other populations (the lack of data makes my point).

The best way to tackle the problem of emotional problems may be to include emotional problems as being as important as the wellness culture that currently emphasizes the physical readiness for practice and performance.

1. "Neuromyths" is a term coined by the Society for Neuroscience. See their site, www.sfn.org for more myths (and other great information).

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