Duo-Lin Peng, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Music and Music Professions, is an award-winning musician, who plays the cello and French horn. He began his musical training at the age of five at the KuanJen School for the Musically Talented in Taiwan. During his college years Peng developed wrist pain, and like many young musicians, he ignored it and continued to play until his symptoms got so severe that he had to stop. Jane Bear-Lehman , associate professor, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy, and a member of Peng's dissertation committee, is a specialist in orthopedic and upper limb rehabilitation. She currently serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Hand Therapy.

Debra Weinstein spoke to them about Peng’s dissertation proposal, which also draws on the expertise of Marilyn Nonken, Steinhardt’s director of piano studies, and Sherri Weiser-Horowitz, research a ssistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU’s Langone Medical Center.

Tell us about your proposal.

Duo-Lin Peng: The title of my dissertation is “The Unpublished Manuscripts of Cellist and Teacher Luigi Silva: Implications of The Vademecum for String Playing.” Silva was an Italian-born cellist who is also known as a performer and teacher. Early on, when Silva’s was studying cello, most of his teachers suggested that he consider another instrument because his hands were too small. For this reason he spent a lot of time exploring studies of the human body and movement. Silva’s philosophies and methods toward string playing saved me from abandoning cello playing, which has always been a major part of my life. The purpose of my research is not only to investigate, restore, and interpret Silva’s unpublished manuscript, The Vademecum, but also to explore his playing methods and philosophies, and the implications of his theories on the contemporary string community.

What is your role in Duo-Lin’s dissertation study?

Jane Bear-Lehman: My passion and my area of specialization in occupational therapy is hand therapy. I supervise many students in research at the master’s and doctoral level in hand assessment. My own dissertation sought to understand emerging upper limb cumulative trauma disorder that plagued early computer users. Duo-Lin is studying the effect of the technique for cello playing put forth by Luigi Silva. As Duo-Lin explained when we first met that Silva’s great talent rested in his amazing ability to teach young people, and he had a very special interest and contribution to make in developing the left-hand technique for cello playing. Duo-Lin sought me out for my ability to help him interpret the actual biomechanical use of both hands for cello playing.

What have you learned from Dr. Bear-Lehman that and will inform your future work?

Duo-Lin Peng: If Silva’s works sustained my playing career, then studying with Dr. Bear-Lehman widened my vision toward cello playing. By reviewing Silva’s manuscripts and other related string literatures, many terms regarding body parts and movement often are inconsistent or ambiguous. Wrist movements, for instance, were referring to bending inward or outward, but Dr. Bear-Lehman advised me that it would be cleared described as extension or flexion. The also helped me to know my body parts and how they move in relation to my specific requirements as a musician. This is actually the fundamental requirement of rational learning in string playing.

Over time, musicians who have practiced without proper physical movement suited for their bodies have suffered injury. Professional athletes have world-class training to enhance and protect their asset. Instrument players should not only consider themselves musicians, but athletes as well.  

What have you learned from Duo-Lin, and how do you think your collaboration will help others?

Jane Bear-Lehman: I was intrigued when I learned from Duo-Lin that Silva had small hands. I was also amazed to learn that in playing cello the right hand and the left hand have different roles, and that the musician’s dominant hand is not a consideration when playing. The role and function for the right and left hand is distinct for all musicians regardless of hand dominance of preference. I learned about how the changes in design, in particular, the advent of the endpin to rest the cello on the floor, significantly altered the position of the cello against the player and how the role and function of the lower limbs decreased as they were no longer needed to support the cello. By following the technique recommended by Silva, Duo-Lin tells me that he can hear whether his students are using the correct biomechanical alignment and movement patterns while playing. He hears a distinct difference in sound caused by posture and motor control. For an occupational therapist, it is very interesting to apply a usual and customary activity analysis to understand how posture and motor control patterns create music, and then express in that evaluation for those in the world of music to understand!

Duo-Lin Peng: I cannot stress enough the importance of this kind cross-department research project. Not every musician and instrument player has the kind of opportunity we have here at NYU. We can conduct research beyond our own discipline and expand the horizon into a different dimension. And the best part is that I can play the cello with greater body movement and biomechanics understanding and I won’t need painkillers for a while!   

Photo: (Left to Right). Cellist, Duo Lin Peng, and hand specialist, Jane Bear-Lehman