Focal Dystonia - Notable Cases

Notable Cases

Musicians affected by focal dystonia include Leon Fleisher, of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, who had suffered from this affliction in his right hand, as did Alex Klein, formerly the first oboist of the Chicago Symphony, Ernestine Whitman, former member of the Atlanta Symphony and currently a professor of flute at Lawrence University, pianist and keyboard player Keith Emerson, tubist Warren Deck, former member of the New York Philharmonic, who was diagnosed with focal dystonia in his upper lip, which has ended his playing career, guitarist Dominic Frasca, and the pianist Gary Graffman, who performs exclusively with his left hand. Virtuoso guitarist Terry Syrek,known for various instructional books and columns as well as solo cds, is also affected. In 2005, New Age acoustic guitarist Billy McLaughlin announced via his website that he is suffering from focal dystonia, which severely limits his ability to play right-handed (and as a result, he taught himself to play left-handed). British-Canadian Classical Guitarist Liona Boyd had to give up her professional career as Canada's "First Lady of the Guitar" due to focal dystonia that drastically affected her right hand. Bass guitarist, Andy Billups, who plays with British rock act The Hamsters, has also made a partial recovery from this disorder and continued to play by using modified guitar plectrums to make up for the limited function of his right hand. Classical guitarist David Leisner has recovered the full use of his hand and has returned successfully to the concert stage and recording studio in the early 1990s after a decade of disability. Brazilian singer-guitarist Badi Assad was diagnosed with focal dystonia in 1999 (after having been misdiagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome). She eventually recovered and was able to resume her career. Tom Adams, a professional bluegrass banjo player, has focal dystonia in his right hand, had to give up playing banjo, and now plays the guitar. Scott Adams, the writer of the Dilbert comics, is also afflicted with focal dystonia of the hand, which impedes his artwork. World champion bagpiper Stuart Cassells, founder of the bagpipe rock group Red Hot Chilli Pipers, announced that he had focal dystonia in the group's blog on 23 September 2011, and left the band because it affected his ability to play. Bass player and instructor Scott Devine discovered that wearing gloves while playing his instrument provides an efficacious workaround to the symptoms of focal dystonia.Spencer Childs, University of Oregon Legend, was also diagnosed with this condition at age 18.