This library guide serves as a launching point for anybody interested in Performing Arts Medicine (PAM) research. Performing Arts Medicine is an interdisciplinary field consisting of doctors, allied healthcare professionals, researchers, and performers. The first recorded PAM symposium occurred in 1983 in Aspen, Colorado, which led to annual publishing of the peer-reviewed journal Medical Problems of Performing Artists (MPPA), the premier research journal for PAM research. The journal is edited and published by the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) along with the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH).
This library guide provides advice on how to navigate and understand PAM research for those with limited backgrounds in medical research, and also gives recommendations for books and online resources accessible to IU students, faculty, staff, and researchers.
All of the sections are organized in the left column.
The "How To Read" section outlines the strategies one can utilize to navigate research databases to find relevant PAM research, introduction to a skillset to decipher and critically read research articles, as well as a glossary of specific PAM-related terms.
The "Prevention and Care" section contains resources pertaining to body-awareness and wellness for performers, and includes disciplines such as physical and occupational therapies, alexander technique, and others.
The following sections on musculoskeletal and mental aspect of PAM are more research-oriented, and include recommended databases, books, and online resources pertaining to the performer or researchers interest.
This library guide was written by Jacobs School of Music student Richard Zhang in 2025.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please direct them to Misti Shaw, Associate Director of Access and Learning. mistshaw @ iu.edu