The Agora Project: Promoting the health of young musicians

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Preventing musculoskeletal disorders linked to music-making from childhood onwards: this is the aim of HAPPY – HeAlthy Playing Practices for Young Musicians, a SUPSI project funded under the Agora programme of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), which combines research, communication and participation to develop practical tools to support teachers, parents and health professionals.

Musculoskeletal disorders related to music-making are a widespread problem even in childhood, yet they remain largely unrecognised and are rarely addressed systematically in music education programmes, even in Switzerland. There are no in-depth studies on the subject within Europe: the available data comes mainly from research conducted in Australia, which estimates prevalence rates of up to 60% among children who play an instrument.

To address this need, HAPPY – HeAlthy Playing Practices for Young Musicians has been launched, a SUPSI project funded under the Agora programme of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), which aims to promote healthy and mindful practice habits from childhood onwards, translating scientific evidence into concrete and accessible tools. The SNSF’s Agora projects support communication initiatives that foster dialogue between science and society: HAPPY fits into this framework with an approach focused on raising awareness and promoting health, the aim of which is not to alarm, but to disseminate knowledge and encourage co-participation in the development of shared strategies.

An interdisciplinary and participatory SUPSI project

HAPPY is promoted by the Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care (DEASS) at SUPSI, through the Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (2rLab), with the contribution of the Institute of Design within the Department of Environment, Constructions and Design (DACD) and researchers from the University of Music at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CSI).

The project is carried out in collaboration with various local and national partners:

Local partners

  • University of Music at CSI (with whom we will work closely across its various sites to recruit the main target groups)
  • Federation of Ticino Music Schools
  • PhysioSwiss, Ticino Cantonal Association
  • Swiss Association of Occupational Therapy, Ticino Section
  • LAC edu
  • Cantonal Parents’ Conference

National partners

  • Swissmedmusica – Swiss Association of Music Medicine
  • Swiss Association of Music Schools
  • Conference of Swiss Universitiess of Music 

The project is coordinated by Cinzia Cruder, a researcher at SUPSI, and Antonio Amendola, head of communications at DEASS, and is based on a transdisciplinary approach, integrating expertise in the fields of healthcare, education, design and communication.

Objectives and target groups

The main objective of the HAPPY project is to prevent the onset of musculoskeletal disorders in young musicians by raising awareness and promoting the adoption of preventive strategies. The project is aimed in particular at three key groups that rarely communicate with one another but play a decisive role in the health of young musicians:

  • music teachers, who play a central role in the early identification of risk factors and in integrating best practice into teaching;
  • parents of children aged between 6 and 13, who are often poorly informed about the risks associated with playing an instrument;
  • health professionals (physiotherapists, doctors, occupational therapists), who are called upon to deal with the specificities of the musical world.

Methodology and development of the HAPPY Toolkit

The project adopts a participatory approach, actively involving the target groups through:

  • online surveys and listening sessions;
  • co-design workshops, to develop shared solutions;
  • HAPPY Diaries, digital diaries in which teachers, parents and professionals document experiences, challenges and best practices.

At the heart of the project will be the development of the HAPPY Toolkit (initially in Italian and subsequently translated into German, French and English), a collection of practical resources that will include interactive guides, infographics, screening and intervention protocols, as well as an open-access digital platform designed to facilitate dialogue between the various stakeholders involved.

Timeline and outlook

Launched in 2026, the HAPPY project will run for 30 months and will be divided into four phases: context analysis, co-design of the Toolkit, pilot testing in music schools nationwide, and a final event open to the public.
The first phase will begin in September 2026 with the distribution of a questionnaire aimed at teachers, parents and health professionals to facilitate an understanding of the context. The data collected will inform a series of co-design workshops in which the three groups will work alongside researchers to develop the Toolkit: the participatory heart of the project, where diverse knowledge and experiences come together to shape concrete, shared tools.
The project will conclude with the Young Musicians’ Health Day, a public event scheduled to take place at the LAC in Lugano, and will establish a network of ambassadors for best practice in music schools: a professional community designed to continue operating well beyond the project’s conclusion, strengthening the culture of prevention and wellbeing within the music world.

Contact

For further information, please contact: 
cinzia.cruder@supsi.ch
T +41 (0)58 666 67 30

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