The NSYO Wellness Program
In 2022, Symphony Nova Scotia launched the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Wellness Program – the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada – to offer the young musicians of the NSYO an integrated approach to healthy music making.
The Wellness Program provides resources for mental, physical, and musical health that support our youth musicians’ development in a positive and healthy environment. Programming includes the NSYO Connect: Orchestra Retreat Weekend where musicians meet our team of wellness experts and are introduced to the many components of healthy music making. Throughout the season, musicians have access to the Beyond the Notes weekly workshop series, which provides practical tools and encourages thoughtful conversations about wellness. Nutritional breaks are integrated into each rehearsal and musical programming is structured to support joyful music making.
“Athletes and musicians are a lot alike,” says NSYO General Manager Jack Chen, who also plays and teaches flute professionally. “Playing an instrument can take a toll on your body, and performance anxiety for musicians isn’t unusual. By helping our young musicians learn wellness techniques early, we hope they’ll master lifelong tools and strategies for managing stress and maintaining their health in any high-performance environment.”
A group of experts – notably clinical performance psychologists, audiologists, injury-prevention chiropractors, and nutritionists – makes up the wellness team, providing upwards of 100 hours of care. Performance psychology sessions and regular workshops provide comprehensive training for musicians on a weekly basis.
“The NSYO is a key education program for the Symphony,” says Symphony Nova Scotia CEO Christopher Wilkinson. “With careful and deliberate programming, we hope to truly integrate the resources of mental, physical, and musical health into our delivery of a successful NSYO season, where each one of our young musicians has access to tools that will help give them a tremendous musical learning experience.”
Symphony Nova Scotia is indebted to the J&W Murphy Foundation, whose financial support has provided tools and resources to support our young musicians’ mental, physical, and musical well-being. “It is so important for us to be supporting mental wellness among our gifted young musicians,” says the Foundation. “We are thrilled to see this program take root here in Nova Scotia.”
We’re also deeply grateful for the incredible financial support from Domus Realty as part of our Blue Nose fundraising efforts. Their matching day contributions have helped to raise thousands of dollars for the NSYO Wellness Program.
And of course, the NSYO Wellness program wouldn’t be possible without the support of everyone on the Symphony Striders Blue Nose team who has made their way to the finish line while fundraising for the NSYO.
Thank you to all of the incredible supporters of this important program! If you’d like to make a donation in support of the NSYO, please click here.
Want to sign up for a fun team event to help support this fantastic Wellness Program? Learn more about the Blue Nose Marathon Charity Challenge here!