NOTE: This class is for middle school aged pianists, for older students please see my class "Piano Technique Workshop - High School Students".

Pianists are like the lone wolves of the music world.  We practice alone, we take lessons alone, and we often perform alone.  Thus, we rarely get the opportunity to work with fellow musicians in the same way as members of orchestras, choirs, or bands.  That’s where the Piano Technique Workshop comes in.  During this weekly class, students will have the opportunity to learn about piano technique and solve common practice issues through performance and conversations with fellow pianists.  Each class will consist of brief student performances followed by open conversations to discuss and critique each other’s playing.  This class is intended to serve as a supplement to typical 1-on-1 lessons, allowing students a much needed opportunity to learn alongside and support one another, building not only pianistic skills, but strong bonds through shared musical experiences.

For the Fall 2024 sections, the class will follow this structure:

Week of 11/19/2024 ⇢ Overview of Piano Technique Approaches
Week of 11/26/2024 ⇢ The Mental Approach to Piano Technique
Week of 12/03/2024 ⇢ Developing Your Unique Technique
Week of 12/10/2024 ⇢ Student-led Critique Session
Week of 12/17/2024 ⇢ Review of Concepts and Guidelines for Future Development

Specific topics discussed in each class will include:

Performance Analysis
Piano Technique Psychology
Injury Prevention/Recovery
Alexander Technique
Taubman Approach
Body Mapping
Kinesiology from a Pianistic Perspective

It should be noted that the class is structured in a similar way to music masterclasses in which discourse is teacher-led and based on students’ in-the-moment performances, as such, the specific topics mentioned above will be covered in a varied order and structure based on students’ individual needs and interests.  As a general rule, students should be prepared to play music that they’re working on, but in some instances, students may be asked to sight-read and/or practice passages provided by the teacher in order to learn and develop specific technical skills.  Additional reading or practice material may also be assigned on an individual, as necessary, basis.

Please know that this class is designed to help students learn and grow in a more open, social environment, as such it is my top priority that students feel included and free to express themselves appropriately.  To that end, if you feel that you or your loved one who wishes to participate requires any specific accommodations or would like to inform me of anything beforehand, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have!

**IMPORTANT: Please know that this is a weekly class. That means that payment is a weekly subscription for each week during a given season.  It is recommended that students attend class at a consistent time each week, so please be mindful of the dates for the section you sign up for.  Learners are welcome to join or leave the group at any time.**