Classical musicians are often hothouse flowers when it comes to their hands: one ill-timed volleyball spike, one errant kitchen knife blade, one vicious shard of windshield glass and it could be lights out on dreams of musical stardom. But according to a story in the Wall Street Journal, a faculty member at Rochester's famed Eastman School of Music has encouraged the school's students to lace up their hands in boxing gloves and take to the gym. Eastman double bass professor James Vandemark, also now a boxing lightweight, has arranged for Eastman students to attend boxing classes led by his own coach. The students say the benefits of boxing training include better muscle relaxation and general stress reduction. Read more: Outside the Box: For Young Musicians, This Exercise Has a Ring to It (WSJ)
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.