06/13/2026
6/13/2026
The idea that musicians need to train more like athletes is one that many in the clinic readily recognize as valid. At the same time, it is important to provide the background and research that support this claim in a meaningful way.
Over the course of seven years of research, the clinic developed a deeper understanding of the relationship between breathing and muscular coordination in instrumental performance. This work led, in 1959, to the clinic’s process being registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a process for teaching proper muscular coordination in the playing of musical instruments.
A key finding of this research was that breathing and head structure function through six interrelated muscular regions. For musicians to achieve full control over tone production, both breathing and these six regions of head structure be systematically studied and developed.
In this way, the clinic process is comparable to athletic training. Just as a coach evaluates an athlete’s physical condition and recognizes when foundational strength and coordination must be developed—often through time spent in conditioning or work in the weight room—the clinic evaluates a musician’s current physical coordination and designs a developmental path accordingly.
For musicians to reach their highest level of performance, it is important that music programs also recognize the value of studying music physiology as it relates to the individual performer. While practice is essential, its effectiveness depends greatly on whether the performer understands their own strengths and weaknesses in breathing and muscular coordination, and how these factors influence sound production.
The clinic’s approach organizes this development into a structured process involving three stages:
Preconditioning refers to the performer’s initial diagnostic profile, based on how they currently play and the physiological patterns present in their performance.
Project work is then designed to address identified strengths and weaknesses, with targeted exercises aimed at strengthening specific areas of coordination and control.
“New residue” refers to the performer’s return to playing in a more natural, unstructured way—allowing them to apply adjustments developed through preconditioning and project work, and to observe how those changes affect overall performance.
This process is supported through regular weekly assessment, allowing the performer to monitor growth over time. Visual feedback tools, such as the Peterson strobe, are also used to help musicians directly observe changes in tone production and stability—arguably one of the most important aspects of musical development.
Ultimately, if musicians are to be understood as athletes of their craft, it is essential that they engage seriously with the physiological dimensions of performance. Athletes are widely respected for their attention to physical development and conditioning in relation to their sport. Likewise, musicians who wish to reach comparable levels of excellence must take equally seriously the development of their own physical coordination and awareness.
Any thought processes are welcome.
Thank you, James Simmons | Music Clinic Director
www.anatowind.com | (608) 362 - 1920
A performance cannot supercede the physiological formation that produces it.
