“I have played the violin nearly all my life. In 2015, I received a Doctorate in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. As a professional violinist, I work in a wide variety of settings—from teaching young students to working with college-age students, and performing regularly with the Portland Opera and Oregon Symphony. In 2017, I released my first album on the label Sono Luminus.”
“When I fell mid-lecture in November, I landed on my left hand and fractured my middle and ring finger. I instantly knew something was wrong. I was devastated. I soon found out I would be unable to do 90% of my job and was unsure what my limitations would be once I had healed completely.”
“Fortunately, I was placed with truly wonderful hand therapy specialists at Armworks Hand Therapy. They knew I wanted to get back to playing the violin as soon as possible and worked with me to achieve this goal. They advanced me through specific exercises to gain back the movement and strength I needed to do my job.”
“It was a slow process. They encouraged me to start with only a few minutes of practice at a time. Over time, those minutes built up to the point where I was able to play for nearly a full hour without pain or fatigue. My therapists encouraged me to bring my violin to appointments to help troubleshoot the issues I was feeling at home. I’ve learned so much about my hands and my work in this process, and that is something I will take with me as I continue to play the violin throughout my life.”
<