We Are United in Our Dedication to musicians playing pain-free
Our History
The National Standards Board for Music Ergonomics was founded in 2020. Our founding board is populated with innovated leaders in Music Ergonomics who joined together to establish standards and norms for a growing profession. Coming from different disciplines, they collaborated to instantiate a consistent approach to assure musicians can enjoy long pain-free careers.
Our Board of Directors
PRESIDENT – Susan Vaughan RN, MBA/HCA, CME, CEC
As a 3rd generation health care professional, Susan has long been aware of the importance of “Body Mechanics” as it related to injury prevention, safe and pain free movement . During her 40 plus year career as a Registered Nurse, she both saw and experienced the results of poor utilization of these concepts. As her knowledge grew she learned about expanding that awareness to the physical environment and the tools we use in all of our activities. Her training to become certified as a Music Ergonomist further expanded that knowledge base and skill set. Her ability to help others continue to play music has been a true gift. Now, as owner of Harmony Ergonomics (Susan Vaughan Consulting LLC) she looks forward to sharing that knowledge and skill set to support the development of programs and individuals to carry out this important work. www.susanvaughanconsultingllc.com
SECRETARY - Jen Narkevicius, PhD, CMP, CME
Dr. Jen Narkevicius teaches and performs in the Washington DC area. Her teaching is innovative mixing techniques based on her education and experience in teaching gifted and talented students and full career in human factors and ergonomics. For nearly 15 years she has worked with harpers, fiddlers, bagpipers, guitarists, pianists, bass recorder players and others, to prevent injuries and to play efficiently and effectively. She is Co-Director of Harp Quest and an instructor at the Ohio Scottish Arts School. Jen is the Competition Committee Chair and SHSA judge. She blogs weekly on topics that range from traveling with a harp to fulfilling musicians’ promise through ongoing training and self care. www.jeniuscreations.com
TREASURER - Allison Miller, DPT
Allison Miller, DPT began her musical career at age three with Suzuki piano lessons, subsequently beginning to explore the traditional music scene at age fourteen traditional music scene with the lever harp. She was very positively influenced by years of attendance at the Ohio Scottish Arts School and, after completing an undergraduate degree in Biology, had the opportunity to pursue post-graduate studies in Clarsarch (Scottish small harp) and Scot’s Song at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland. Allison taught with Comhaltas coinin Erin in Scotland, has taught both privately and publicly in America, and has appeared in concert in Scotland, Canada, and at multiple venues in the States. She and her sister, Sairey, often play as a duo, “The Hired Hands,’ and they have released two recordings together: Something, in the spring of 2009, and Somewhere, in the spring of 2022. Professionally, Allison has her Doctorate in Physical therapy and works in a private practice outpatient setting, promoting ergonomics and body mechanics, and musically, she was awarded the title of National Scottish Harp Champion of America after winning the 2012 National Scottish Harp Competition, is a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner through IHTP, and has held the position of Treasurer for the Scottish Harp Society of America since 2009.
Our Board of advisors
Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, MD
Dr. Alfredo Rolando Ortiz: Advisor[LR1] to the Board, is a world-renowned harpist, composer, educator and Gold Record winning recording artist. In 1964 he began his medical studies in Medellín, Colombia, began performing professionally, and recorded his first album. Music supported his studies until graduation in 1970. A pioneer in the field of Music Therapy in Colombia, in 1975 he moved to the United States to continue Music Therapy studies at Cal State Long Beach as well as Sensory-Motor Learning with Bryant J. Cratty at UCLA. For over forty years he has presented his “Prevention of Injury Workshop for Harpists” at universities and harp conventions around the world. AlfredoHarp.com
Laurie Riley, CMP, CCM, CME
Recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award for her accomplishments in performance, exceptional teaching, pioneering therapeutic music in hospitals, development of harp design, and pioneering ergonomics for musicians, Laurie Riley is known internationally. She plays harp, guitar, dulcimer, banjo, octave mandolin, ukulele, autoharp and bodhran, and has studied piano, mandolin, viola da gamba, violin, flute, recorder, nyckelharpa, harmonium, harmonica, and other instruments. She is a former voice teacher and began teaching ergonomics for all musicians in 1987. She founded the Transformational Ergonomics Certification Program and later developed the ergonomic Smart Stand, which revolutionized small-harp ergonomics. She has recorded over a dozen harp albums and has authored of numerous music-related books and instructional DVDs. Her music has been heard on American Airlines, NPR’s All Things Considered, the Narada Collections, and venues worldwide. Laurie pioneered the teaching and practice of therapeutic music as a bedside service in hospitals, founded two accredited therapeutic music certification programs that train musicians for hospital work, and was a charter member of the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Music. She has toured, adjudicated and taught for over 30 years. laurierileymusic.com
Patricia Bair, MS OTR/L CHT CLT CME
Patricia Bair is a licensed Occupational Therapist with over 30 years experience in treating upper extremity injuries. Over the course of her career, she obtained specialty certifications in Hand Therapy, Lymphedema Treatment and Music Ergonomics. She has also completed continuing education courses on the treatment of musicians through the University of Western Michigan, MedBridge, and obtained an additional certification in the treatment of performing artists through the Performing Arts Medicine Association. She worked most recently at Orlando Health, a Level One Trauma Center, in the Center for Advanced Rehabilitation. There, she worked with another therapist to establish a screening and education program for Orchestral Musicians. She is a multi-instrumentalist with a love of classical, folk, and Celtic music. bairhands.us