We provide expert clinical care to performing artists for both chronic and acute conditions.
Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center
The University of Rochester’s Eastman Performing Arts Medicine (EPAM) Center, a joint venture between Eastman School of Music and the department of health, humanities, and bioethics at the School of Medicine and Dentistry.
EPAM’S Four Pillars
Arts Integration in Healthcare Spaces
We enrich the healthcare environment by integrating music and art that calms, nurtures, and inspires for the well-being of our community: patients, caregivers, employees, and students.
Creative Arts Therapies
The music therapy program is growing through targeted research partnerships, creating better outcomes for patients and providing valuable evidence to the field. Established in 1997, our music therapy program provides care for of 2,000 patients a year at no cost, at Strong Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Research on Music in Medicine
Every component of EPAM—its therapies, technologies, and clinical practices—is grounded in scientific research. Interdisciplinary teams of neuroscientists, physicians, therapists, and audio engineers collaborate together to rigorously study and optimize how music and the arts influence the brain, behavior, and health. By embedding research into every facet of practice, EPAM transforms innovation into evidence and ensures that every insight leads directly to improved patient care.
Note From the Director
Gaelen McCormick
Director, Eastman Performing Arts Medicine
We believe that the act of making music is both a profound creative pursuit and a physical endeavor and that great music is often the result of partnerships and collaboration. That’s why the unique relationship between the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester Medical Center is so important. Through innovative teaching methods and medical insights, we can proactively recognize and support the needs of musicians and help create paths to long, healthy careers. At the same time, we can utilize the transformative power of music to bring hope and wellbeing to those facing medical challenges. Here, every note is a step toward healing, and every musician is equipped with the knowledge to sustain both their passion and their health.
Musicians' Wellness
Eastman—with the University of Rochester—has been at the forefront of treating musicians as elite athletes. That includes services brought directly to students on Eastman’s campus, such as physical therapy and psychological services. These include:
- Wellness Seminar Series video library
- Physical Therapy
- Wellness courses
- Ergonomic lending library – from fractional keyboards that suit smaller hands, to testing violin shoulder rests
- Adaptive Piano Keyboard
- University Health Service
- University Counseling Center
Quick Links
- Alexander Technique
- Alexander Technique Performance LAB
- Introduction to Arts in Health
- The Musicians’ Body
- Introduction to Music Therapy
Academic Engagement
Classes and activities that engage aspects of EPAM’s pillars for both undergrad and graduate students include wellness seminars and symposiums, healthy musician practices, Alexander Technique classes and performance lab.
Faculty and Staff
