NNLM-Funded TCPAH/DISD Project 2019-2021

While music is a treasured experience in the education of our youth, learning and performing music presents potential health risks. For example, the World Health Organization currently estimates that 1.1 billion young people are at risk for hearing loss due to unsafe music listening practices. For twenty years, the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health (TCPAH) has focused on studying, treating, and preventing various health problems associated with learning and performing music. The TCPAH has been at the forefront of global change by advocating for Health Promoting Schools of Music and updated tertiary accreditation standards. This advocacy led to a recent change within the Texas Education Agency which now requires all public school middle and high school band, choir, and orchestra teachers to educate their students about hearing health, musculoskeletal health, vocal health, hygiene, and hydration. Because this area of concern is new to music education, there are no known consensus-based approaches to help teachers meet this challenge. In response and with funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, the TCPAH collaborated with Denton ISD to develop a consensus-based approach to support fine arts educators in Texas to meet state mandates requiring the inclusion of health-related concepts during secondary music classes. Materials from this project are archived below.





Project Team

Texas Center for Performing Arts Health

  • Kris Chesky, Founding Co-Director
  • Sajid Surve, Co-Director
  • Meghan Taylor, Project Manager
  • Roger Michael Hoverson, Project Manager

Denton Independent School District

  • Jackie deMontmollin, Director of Fine Arts
  • Eddy Russell, Assistant Director of Fine Arts
  • Amy Woody, Director, Guyer High School Band
  • Travis Harris, Director, McMath Middle School Band
  • Michael Burris, Director, Braswell High School Orchestra
  • Ryan Napier, Director, Harpool Middle School Orchestra
  • Tyler Fox, Director, Guyer High School Choir
  • Kevin Rybowicz, Director, Myers Middle School Choir

NIH National Network of Libraries of Medicine

  • Brian Leaf, Executive Director, South Central Region
  • E. Bailey Sterling, Digital Communications Specialist, Grant Liaison

This project has been supported in part or in full by Federal funds through the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under award number UG4LM012345 with the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Additional details about this project can be found at https://nnlm.gov/project/empowering-band-choir-and-orchestra-teachers-effective-health-education-strategies

Logos for: Texas Center for Performing Arts Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, University of North Texas, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton ISD, Denton Fine Arts, NIH South Central Region