12 Weeks
Level 1
3-Credit Tuition
$1,545Non-Credit Tuition
$1,290As artists, we are constantly using our mental and physical abilities to communicate our artistry. In order to have a sustainable, successful, and joyful career, it is imperative to take exquisite care of our minds and bodies. Through the four pillars of wellness for artists: movement, mindfulness, nutrition, and sleep, you will build a strong foundation in understanding your own mind and body to better support a long and happy career in the arts. By exploring the mind-body connection, enhancing movement and body function, building healthy sleep and nutrition habits, and fostering supportive relationships and community, you’ll gain the tools to prevent injuries, stay present in your artistry, and navigate both emotional and physical challenges throughout your career.
Through movement modalities like yoga, Alexander Technique, strength training, and intentional movement, you will learn how to efficiently move, stretch, and build muscle strength, as well as apply these concepts to your practice and performance.
By taking a look at mindfulness techniques, meditation, breathwork, and the nervous system, you will learn how to manage performance anxiety and optimize practicing and performing through these techniques.
Nutrition is also an important part of the equation and can be highly bio-individual with everyone having their own unique needs. It is valuable to develop an understanding of which foods are best for your mind, body, and soul. You will learn how to incorporate vital nutrients into your eating habits to build a healthy foundation to support your artistic career. The course will introduce concepts and practices of seasonal eating as well as food as fuel.
Sleep is crucial to balancing and supporting a demanding performance and artistic career. Harvard Medical School notes that "People often overlook the potential long-term health consequences of insufficient sleep, and the impact that health problems can ultimately have on one's time and productivity." Recovery is an important facet of overall wellness and in this course you will learn healthy habits for both sleep and rest.
Fostering healthy relationships and being part of a supportive community is essential for artists. The creative process can often be isolating, and having a network of meaningful connections can provide emotional support, inspiration, and collaboration opportunities. Healthy relationships encourage personal growth and constructive feedback, helping artists push their boundaries while feeling grounded and understood. A community also offers a sense of belonging, where shared experiences and challenges can be openly discussed, providing strength during difficult times. For artists, who often face unique pressures, a strong support system is invaluable for sustaining creativity, mental well-being, and long-term success.
Throughout the course, you will build and strategize your own movement and mindfulness plan for your instrument and performance/practice. You will learn how to prioritize healthy routines in mindfulness, movement, sleep, and nutrition and carry these tools with you while traveling on tour, through changes in your career, and managing injury and/or illness.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- discuss the science behind the nervous system and different movement modalities
- build healthy eating habits and routines by recognizing the value of nourishing the body, soul, and mind with healthy food choices
- develop mindfulness, movement, nutrition, and sleep routines with resources and practices to support a robust musical career and artistic purpose
- assemble daily and weekly practice and wellness schedules
Syllabus
Lesson 1: The Four Pillars of Wellness for Artists
- Mindfulness
- Assignment 1.1: Performance Skills Self-Assessment
- Movement
- Practice Exercise: Body Awareness
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Practice Exercise: Sleep Awareness
- Introduction to Journaling: Your Own Daily Practice
- Assignment 1.2: The Four Pillars of Wellness and You
Lesson 2: Mindfulness – Breath Practice
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is a Breath Practice?
- Intro to a Simple Breath Practice – A Tool for Our Artistry
- Practice Exercise: Breathing/Meditation
- Breath as the Generator – Freeing Your Voice
- Breath for Focus and Energy
- Breath for Relaxation and Down Regulation
- Assignment 2: Breath Awareness
Lesson 3: Movement – Yoga
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is Yoga and Why Is it Important for Artists?
- Practice Exercise: Eye Strain Reducer and Eye Strengthener
- Beginning Your Yoga Practice
- Sustaining Your Yoga Practice
- Yoga Anywhere – Taking the Practice with You
- Assignment 3: Developing a Sustainable Practice
Lesson 4: Mindfulness – Meditation
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is Meditation?
- Different Kinds of Meditation
- Why Meditation Is Important for Artists and How to Start
- Integrating Meditation into Your Performing/Practicing Routines
- Assignment 4: Two Types of Meditation
Lesson 5: Nutrition – A Holistic Approach
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- Food: Nourishment
- Individual Needs for Performance – Nourishing Yourself Through Food and Lifestyle
- Introduction to Ayurveda – Self-Care Foundations
- Cooking Skills, Recipes, and Pantry Staples
- Nutrition on the Road and on a Budget
- Assignment 5: Sustainable and Mindful Nutrition
Lesson 6: Movement – Alexander Technique
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What is Alexander Technique?
- Body Awareness in the Performing Arts – Intentional Movement
- Alexander Technique to Improve Posture and Instrumental Technique
- Alignment with Your Instrument
- Assignment 6: Integrating Alexander Technique into Your Own Practice
Lesson 7: Movement – Strength Training
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- Artists are Athletes
- Strength Training for Musicians
- The Feet: Our Foundation
- Using Your Own Body as an Instrument
- Assignment 7: Strength Training Exercise
Lesson 8: Rest and Recovery
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Happens When You Sleep?
- Why Is Sleep Important for Artists?
- Recovery and Rest
- Yoga Nidra – Meditation and Deep Rest
- Assignment 8: Sleep Study
Lesson 9: Primary Food – Supporting Your Individual Artistry
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is ‘Primary Food’ and Why Is it Important for Artists?
- Building and Fostering Your Community
- Healthy Financial Habits as an Artist
- Listening to Your Own Needs
- Mental and Emotional Health
- Assignment 9: ‘Primary Food’ for Artists
Lesson 10: The Mind-Body Connection
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is the Mind-Body Connection?
- The Impact of the Nervous System on Performance and Practice
- Music Therapy
- The Vagus Nerve
- Assignment 10: Our Body’s Responses to Stress
Lesson 11: What Is Wellness for Artists?
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- What Is a Mindful Artist?
- Wellness and Society
- Social Media Challenges
- Practice Exercise: Authentic and Strategic Social Media Plan
- Not Getting the Gig – Managing Rejection
- Mindfully Working Through Injury and Illness
- Assignment 11: Facing Adversity as Artists
Lesson 12: Coordination of the Four Pillars
- Weekly Section: Your Own Daily Practice
- Using the Four Pillars to Empower
- Nurturing Your Social Life
- Different Approaches to Health and Wellness – Bio-Individuality
- Putting it All Together – Artist Self-Care
- Assignment 12: Creating Your Own Wellness Routine
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
This course does not have any prerequisites.
Textbook(s)
- Budda's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom by Rick Hanson (New Harbinger Publications, 2009)
- The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance by Vanessa Cornett (Oxford University Press, 2019)
- Musicians Yoga: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Inspiration by Mia Olson (Berklee Press, 2009)
- Recommended: Complete Vocal Fitness by Claudia Friedlander (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2018)
- Recommended: Barefoot Strong by Dr. Emily Splichal (EBFA, 2015)
- Recommended: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell (Shambhala, 2015)
- Recommended: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (Riverhead/Penguin Random House, 2020)
- Recommended: The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive by Jim Afremow, PhD (Rodale Books, 2015)
- Recommended: Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Random House, 2018)
Recording
- Students are required to record video for their assignments. Options for recording video include:
- Smartphone
- Digital camera
- Webcam (using either video recording software, or the video recording tool that is built into the learning environment)
Software
- Insight Timer meditation mobile app or web version (free)
- Sleep tracking app, such as Sleep Cycle or SleepScore
- Office suite, such as Microsoft Office, Google Drive (free), Apple iWork, Apache OpenOffice (free), etc.
Other
- A yoga mat is required. In addition, the following accessories are recommended:
- Yoga blocks (2)
- Yoga straps (1)
- Yoga blanket
- Meditation pillow
- Paper or digital journal. Digital options include Google Keep, Penzu, Notes for Mac, Notepad for Windows, Evernote, etc.
- Digital calendar manager or paper planner. Digital options include Google Calendar, Bordio, etc.
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
Jennifer Caraluzzi is a versatile vocalist, educator, and health and wellness professional. As a performer, she is an award-winning vocalist who has appeared with Opera Theatre St. Louis, White Snake Projects, Boston Opera Collaborative, and regularly sings with the Boston Pops. Known for her versatility across musical genres, Caraluzzi has sung the roles of Laurie in Oklahoma, Marty in Grease, Eliza in My Fair Lady, as well as standard operatic favorites like Cunegonde in Candide, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and more. Caraluzzi is featured in the title role on the critically acclaimed recording of Seymor Barab’s children’s opera, Little Red Riding Hood on Centaur Records.
Passionate about the interconnectedness of wellness and artistic expression, Caraluzzi is certified through the Institute for Integrative Health as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She is also a 500-hour certified yoga instructor, dedicated to educating musicians on the importance of mind/body awareness and taking care of their whole instrument.
With more than 15 years experience teaching and coaching musicians in voice, wellness, and career development, Caraluzzi says she believes one’s artistry can be fully expressed through practicing healthy habits in movement, mindfulness, nutrition, and sleep, as well as fostering healthy relationships and being part of a community. Through her own journey with several orthopedic injuries and chronic conditions, she has shaped her own artistry, becoming the artist she is today by practicing these four pillars of wellness.
Caraluzzi holds a joint MBA in Music Business from Berklee College of Music and Southern New Hampshire University, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory. She has worked for Berklee College of Music since 2019 and Berklee Online since 2021, and currently is the Director of Academic Operations and Student Success at Berklee NYC. Visit her online at jennifercaraluzzi.com. Read Less
Instructor
Ryan Cunningham (she/they) is a Boston-based yoga + dharma practitioner. Their practice arises from the view that yoga is both an experience of, and a path towards cultivating wellness through the practice of embodiment, meditation, prayer and reflection. In 2009, Ryan moved to Boston where she earned a Master's Degree in Jazz Composition from New England Conservatory. Since then she has taught at and managed many yoga studios and dharma centers in the area. Ryan's teaching focuses on helping students to utilize these practices to help express themselves and live purposefully in the world. Currently Ryan teaches at Boston Yoga Collective and Berklee College of Music. Their primary teachers and mentors include Tom Alden and Lama Justin Von Budjoss.
Instructor
Christopher Stanley is an accomplished musician, audio producer, and certified global Yoga and meditation leader with a deep commitment to integrating music and mindfulness. Operating out of New York City, Christopher brings over 20 years of experience to his diverse professional roles, blending artistry with wellness to create transformative experiences.
As a performer, Christopher has collaborated with a range of award-winning artists, including Donnie McCaslin, Marvin Stamm, Kenny Garrett, Delfeayo Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and Lalah Hathaway. His dynamic musical career spans genres and settings, from intimate performances to large-scale productions, showcasing his versatility and expertise.
A dedicated yoga practitioner for more than two decades, Christopher’s teaching journey began after earning his 200-hour certification from Honor Yoga in 2019. He further advanced his credentials by completing a 300-hour certification at Y7 Studio in 2023, earning him the title of E-RYT 500. As a yoga teacher, he expertly weaves elements of mindfulness, movement, and breathwork into his sessions, creating holistic experiences for students worldwide.
Christopher is an active educator and clinician, frequently leading workshops, classes, and seminars both in New York City and across the nation. He is a music educator for BD Performing Arts and Conn-Selmer, a founding instructor of Yoga for Y7 Online, and a key contributor to Berklee Online's “Wellness for Artists: Music, Movement, and Mindfulness” program. In these roles, he empowers musicians and artists to cultivate well-being through the integration of music, yoga, and mindfulness practices.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance from Morehouse College (2011) and a Master's degree in Studio Production from the University of Central Oklahoma (2013). Christopher’s extensive background in both music and wellness allows him to uniquely bridge the worlds of sound and self-care, offering a holistic approach to both artistic and personal growth. Read Less
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Wellness for Artists: Music, Movement, and Mindfulness can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
