The Musician's Guide To Being Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

Episode 140: Interview with Jackie McIlwain

Karen Cubides

“Teach the whole person.” 

In music performance, we need to take care of our bodies in order to ensure sustainability in our careers. This episode, we talk all things wellness, intention, and body mapping with Associate Professor of Clarinet at the University of Southern Mississippi and President-elect of the Association of Body Mapping Educators, Dr. Jackie McIlwain. 

For those unfamiliar with body mapping, here’s a little overview! Body mapping is a technique that was made directly for musicians, making sure that we have a very clear understanding of how the body is designed to move. If we have this understanding of the body map, then we can use it to move more effortlessly, with more fluidity, more ease, and less tension. 

Jackie discovered body mapping in her undergraduate career, where she began to experience pain that greatly interfered with her performance. She was then introduced to Alexander Technique and body mapping, and became so passionate about these areas of study that she began to focus on pedagogy and wellness in her academic career. Now, she’s co-writing two books with friend Shawn Copland: Body Mapping for Clarinetists all about healthy ways to approach the instrument, and the Breathing Book for Clarinetists, a step by step practice companion.

People on this episode