The Taubman Approach is basically a way of describing (and teaching) virtuosity from the start. When pianists observe basic principles of coordinate motion and avoid tension and unhealthy motions and alignment, they will be able to play with brilliance and ease. and they will be able to reach their full potential as musicians, eventually playing advanced repertoire without tension, fatigue, technical limitation, pain, or injury.
"The Golandsky Piano Institute is the preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach, giving musicians transformative tools for physical health and musical expressivity. By helping artists avoid injury, the Taubman approach ensures that classical music will have a bright and sustainable future.
The Golandsky Institute was established in 2003 by Edna Golandsky, John Bloomfield, Robert Durso, and Mary Moran to bring high-level training in the Taubman Approach to the musical community. This Approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical limitations and playing-related injuries. The aim of the Institute is to provide musicians with a foundation that allows for full artistic expression and the development of virtuosic technical ability." -- www.golandskypianoinstitute.org
The work of the Golandsky Institute is presented internationally through private instruction, lectures, master classes, workshops, performances and symposiums by a team of expertly trained faculty members and teachers who are all highly regarded in their own right. In addition, the Institute produces critically acclaimed learning materials, including several series of DVDs, a photo-rich book, and videos of lectures, master classes, and seminars available as downloads or through the digital subscription streaming service.
Edna Golandsky and John Bloomfield are Amy McLelland's post-graduate teachers in New York City and Amy received teaching certification with the Golandsky Piano Institute in 2011.
Why are students who master principles of healthy, ergonomic piano technic better off than others? Why choose a Taubman teacher over others? Simply, you will be a better pianist. You will be able to play more advanced literature with greater accuracy, artistry, speed, tonal control, and without tension, fatigue, pain, or injury. Pianists who master important Taubman principles of technic start out correctly, progress faster, enjoy greater success not just in the beginning but throughout their lifetime. Pianists who master important Taubman principles will avoid hitting that wall around the sonatina level where they just don't feel they can progress beyond. A healthy technic will take the student to the advanced repertoire and allow for an incredible tone, tonal control, accuracy, facility, brilliance, speed. Why play any other way?
If over 86% of orchestral players are injured (according to a study from the 1990s), and pianists probably suffering an even higher %, why risk being one of those musicians who deal with pain, numbness, dystonia where they can't even control their fingers? It's not just the music that halts for these injured musicians .... it's life. They can't write or type. Simply texting, holding a fork, or taking the laundry out of the washer machine is challenging and sometimes impossible. Pianists injured with dystonia can not even control their fingers and sometimes can not even open their hand which stays clenched in a fist.
Yet we in the 21st century now know how to avoid injuries. The path of pain and injury is not a path you have to choose. So seek out Taubman teachers who have mastered these important principles of ergonomic motion, and how to teach this to students. If a method book or a teacher tells you to "curl the fingers as if holding a ball", or suggests that you move a limb part beyond the mid-range (shaping with the wrist dropping too low for 2-note slurs for example), don't do it. If you do, you're setting yourself up for injury. Why?
It's your choice, though but consider that "no pain, no gain" has been a false and dangerous motto for too long. Instead, "no pain IS your gain" so do your research and find a teacher trained in the Taubman approach and understands important principles of ergonomic motion.
Note to students, and parents of students who are studying with a Taubman teacher:
The pathway is a bit different from the approaches taught in Mozart's day (sadly still taught today) so you will not be hearing things about "isolated finger technic" or "developing finger strength". It is imperative that parents/guardians of students starting out in the Taubman approach do not teach at home things they might have been taught when studying as a child. While no 2 students have the exact same pathway, it is very common to hear non-legato playing in the beginning while students master how to "balance" the hand and forearm weight behind each finger. Then, once the student masters balancing behind the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers, they will work on a harmonic 5th, or clusters when adding the pinky. A student who is properly practicing will not force a piece of music into their hands but, rather, will be 'choreographing' specific sections carefully as they master the perfect motions and alignment which afford absolute ease, clarity, and virtuosity. They will not be practicing Czerny or Hanon mindlessly but rather focusing on a specific aspect of technic, a very small passage (perhaps just 2 notes or 4 notes or 1 measure) until an EFFORTLESS VIRTUOSITY emerges. This takes time but the progress increases exponentially like a snowball becoming an avalanche ... an avalanche to success. However, the snowball has to be perfect before it will roll successfully.
Too often pianists (and piano teachers) have focused on the finger movement. Since this is mostly what is seen, pianists have worked to develop "finger isolation" and "finger strength" without realizing that the finger movement is just the tip of the iceberg and underneath the finger activity lies a whole world of forearm and hand motion. Students who master a healthy, virtuosic technic will take the time in the beginning to master how to play a scale correctly. They will not be forcing scales into the body but rather focusing on a specific aspect of technic as they master the proper execution and freedom of movement.
Much like a great Olympic athlete, there is no hope of ultimate success without mastering the basics of proper form and 'technic'.
Technic is the study of motion. Technic is not the study of how to develop muscles or strength.
Parents and students should be mindful that forcing a child to practice scales at breakneck speed before a student is ready may set the student back greatly, creating tension and improper motions in the technic and playing. In the Taubman approach, there is a sequencing of concepts. First, the student masters how to play each finger, unifying with the hand and wrist, and discover the freedom which is obtained from correct balance and inertia. Then students gradually layer additional aspects of technic such as in and out motions of the finger/hand/forearm unit, forearm rotation, walking hand and arm, interdependence of the hands, and more. If a parent or practice-helper has not trained thoroughly in the Taubman approach and ergonomic motion, it is imperative that the work done in lessons is not undone during home practice. If progress seems slow in the beginning, yet the student is practicing at home as instructed, remember that you will eventually see advancement at monumental speeds but, just as with a young child, you must crawl before you toddle, before you walk, before you run, before you leap.
At a masterclass Amy attended one summer at Amherst College in Massachusetts, an audience member asked Mrs. Dorothy Taubman "but what if I twist at the wrist just a little bit". Mrs Taubman put her hands on her hips and responded in her Brooklyn accent, "A twist is a twist is a twist. It's like being pregnant. You either are or you aren't. You can't be a little bit pregnant."
It's that way with technic. When you play correctly, using a healthy piano technic, there is no need to find ways to "relax" because there IS no tension FROM WHICH you need to relax in the first place. A healthy piano technic is as easy as walking or talking. When a pianist masters a healthy technic, there is no need to spend hours "warming up" before feeling ready to play. If piano playing is anything other than delicious feeling and effortless in the body, consider exploring ways you can incorporate important principles of coordinate playing into your technic.
If you are interested in learning more of the 'big picture' and the ultimate goal a beginning pianist is headed toward, there is a vast collection of videos and resources on the Golandsky website. All serious pianists, and parents/guardians of serious piano students, are encouraged to view these invaluable videos.
We've made huge developments in ergonomic motion and body mechanics .... but it's taking a while for the piano world to catchup. People tend to hold onto ways of the past and you often hear "my teacher taught me this way" so that's how I teach. Yet is this really how the teacher plays? Too often they teach one way but play another. (If the teacher is still playing, it's very unlikely they are using those unhealthy teachings or else they would have become injured.)
So, again, with a teacher who focuses on teaching important principles of ergonomic motion and a healthy piano technic, you won't be hearing tons of Hanon and Czerny, or other etudes simply meant to "build individual finger strength". Instead, the emphasis is placed upon how to move correctly, choreographing the music score. In the beginning, you might hear detached (non-legato) as the student masters the "Victory Landing" for each finger (dropping the hand/forearm weight behind each finger while keeping the finger/hand/forearm unit). Don't worry! Beautiful legato playing will be mastered as soon as "forearm rotation" and "in and out" adjustments of finger/hand/forearm are added into the mix.
Bench height is of utmost importance if all the parts are to be aligned correctly. Without proper bench height EVERY time the student plays, the technic falls apart and tension/isolation will creep in.
One reason Amy McLelland spent over a decade writing the graded piano method "88 Keys to Mastering the Piano" is to help her students avoid the pitfalls suggested in many of the current piano methods including Faber and Faber, Alfred, ("curl the fingers", "wrist shaping for 2-note slurs" etc.) and others. McLelland's method book also includes video demonstrations and photographs, making mastering technic easy.
Watching the videos in the piano method is very important as they help the student get the look of a healthy, coordinate hand in their mind's eye. The videos also help with motivation.
Playing along with the mp3 audio accompaniments helps with motivation as well as maintaining a steady tempo.
As serious students at McLelland Piano studio advance, they often like to add a zoom lesson or 2 every few months with John Bloomfield, or Mary Moran, or Edna Golandsky. This is encouraged in the Taubman world. It is important not to seek out study with other non-Taubman trained teachers simultaenously however, even if it's a Great Aunt or someone who teaches piano, or a summer piano camp, as the conflicting instruction can undo all of the student's hard work. One suggestion of dropping the wrist low for example, or "pushing finger into the key", can cause tension and derail a technic. This is why so many injured piano students experience the problems around age 12 or 13 (after switching to another teacher a friend of a friend suggested, for example) when a non-Taubman trained teacher who is still holding on to unhealthy practices taught in Mozart's day and has not mastered the Taubman approach or important principles of 21st century ergonomic motion, does not understand how to help the student.
Pianists from all over the world ... Van Cliburn and Leeds winners, the main piano professor at Julliard, concert pianists like Richard Goode, and even orchestra members have benefited from the Taubman approach. If you need any reassurance, you can reach out to some of these concert pianists like Ilya Itin. Not all of these pianists were injured when seeking out Taubman later in their careers; many just wanted to improve tone or accuracy or freedom. Most in fact were not injured, they just wanted to be better pianists.
The proof is in the pudding, so listen to the sound of pianists who play without tension versus the thin, harsh tone of those who play using an unhealthy, spidery, forced technic. With a healthy piano technic, the pianist has the strength of 10 elephants, yet it feels as easy and effortless as a cloud. No pain IS your gain.
"The Golandsky Piano Institute is the preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach, giving musicians transformative tools for physical health and musical expressivity. By helping artists avoid injury, the Taubman approach ensures that classical music will have a bright and sustainable future.
The Golandsky Institute was established in 2003 by Edna Golandsky, John Bloomfield, Robert Durso, and Mary Moran to bring high-level training in the Taubman Approach to the musical community. This Approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical limitations and playing-related injuries. The aim of the Institute is to provide musicians with a foundation that allows for full artistic expression and the development of virtuosic technical ability." -- www.golandskypianoinstitute.org
The work of the Golandsky Institute is presented internationally through private instruction, lectures, master classes, workshops, performances and symposiums by a team of expertly trained faculty members and teachers who are all highly regarded in their own right. In addition, the Institute produces critically acclaimed learning materials, including several series of DVDs, a photo-rich book, and videos of lectures, master classes, and seminars available as downloads or through the digital subscription streaming service.
Edna Golandsky and John Bloomfield are Amy McLelland's post-graduate teachers in New York City and Amy received teaching certification with the Golandsky Piano Institute in 2011.
Why are students who master principles of healthy, ergonomic piano technic better off than others? Why choose a Taubman teacher over others? Simply, you will be a better pianist. You will be able to play more advanced literature with greater accuracy, artistry, speed, tonal control, and without tension, fatigue, pain, or injury. Pianists who master important Taubman principles of technic start out correctly, progress faster, enjoy greater success not just in the beginning but throughout their lifetime. Pianists who master important Taubman principles will avoid hitting that wall around the sonatina level where they just don't feel they can progress beyond. A healthy technic will take the student to the advanced repertoire and allow for an incredible tone, tonal control, accuracy, facility, brilliance, speed. Why play any other way?
If over 86% of orchestral players are injured (according to a study from the 1990s), and pianists probably suffering an even higher %, why risk being one of those musicians who deal with pain, numbness, dystonia where they can't even control their fingers? It's not just the music that halts for these injured musicians .... it's life. They can't write or type. Simply texting, holding a fork, or taking the laundry out of the washer machine is challenging and sometimes impossible. Pianists injured with dystonia can not even control their fingers and sometimes can not even open their hand which stays clenched in a fist.
Yet we in the 21st century now know how to avoid injuries. The path of pain and injury is not a path you have to choose. So seek out Taubman teachers who have mastered these important principles of ergonomic motion, and how to teach this to students. If a method book or a teacher tells you to "curl the fingers as if holding a ball", or suggests that you move a limb part beyond the mid-range (shaping with the wrist dropping too low for 2-note slurs for example), don't do it. If you do, you're setting yourself up for injury. Why?
It's your choice, though but consider that "no pain, no gain" has been a false and dangerous motto for too long. Instead, "no pain IS your gain" so do your research and find a teacher trained in the Taubman approach and understands important principles of ergonomic motion.
Note to students, and parents of students who are studying with a Taubman teacher:
The pathway is a bit different from the approaches taught in Mozart's day (sadly still taught today) so you will not be hearing things about "isolated finger technic" or "developing finger strength". It is imperative that parents/guardians of students starting out in the Taubman approach do not teach at home things they might have been taught when studying as a child. While no 2 students have the exact same pathway, it is very common to hear non-legato playing in the beginning while students master how to "balance" the hand and forearm weight behind each finger. Then, once the student masters balancing behind the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers, they will work on a harmonic 5th, or clusters when adding the pinky. A student who is properly practicing will not force a piece of music into their hands but, rather, will be 'choreographing' specific sections carefully as they master the perfect motions and alignment which afford absolute ease, clarity, and virtuosity. They will not be practicing Czerny or Hanon mindlessly but rather focusing on a specific aspect of technic, a very small passage (perhaps just 2 notes or 4 notes or 1 measure) until an EFFORTLESS VIRTUOSITY emerges. This takes time but the progress increases exponentially like a snowball becoming an avalanche ... an avalanche to success. However, the snowball has to be perfect before it will roll successfully.
Too often pianists (and piano teachers) have focused on the finger movement. Since this is mostly what is seen, pianists have worked to develop "finger isolation" and "finger strength" without realizing that the finger movement is just the tip of the iceberg and underneath the finger activity lies a whole world of forearm and hand motion. Students who master a healthy, virtuosic technic will take the time in the beginning to master how to play a scale correctly. They will not be forcing scales into the body but rather focusing on a specific aspect of technic as they master the proper execution and freedom of movement.
Much like a great Olympic athlete, there is no hope of ultimate success without mastering the basics of proper form and 'technic'.
Technic is the study of motion. Technic is not the study of how to develop muscles or strength.
Parents and students should be mindful that forcing a child to practice scales at breakneck speed before a student is ready may set the student back greatly, creating tension and improper motions in the technic and playing. In the Taubman approach, there is a sequencing of concepts. First, the student masters how to play each finger, unifying with the hand and wrist, and discover the freedom which is obtained from correct balance and inertia. Then students gradually layer additional aspects of technic such as in and out motions of the finger/hand/forearm unit, forearm rotation, walking hand and arm, interdependence of the hands, and more. If a parent or practice-helper has not trained thoroughly in the Taubman approach and ergonomic motion, it is imperative that the work done in lessons is not undone during home practice. If progress seems slow in the beginning, yet the student is practicing at home as instructed, remember that you will eventually see advancement at monumental speeds but, just as with a young child, you must crawl before you toddle, before you walk, before you run, before you leap.
At a masterclass Amy attended one summer at Amherst College in Massachusetts, an audience member asked Mrs. Dorothy Taubman "but what if I twist at the wrist just a little bit". Mrs Taubman put her hands on her hips and responded in her Brooklyn accent, "A twist is a twist is a twist. It's like being pregnant. You either are or you aren't. You can't be a little bit pregnant."
It's that way with technic. When you play correctly, using a healthy piano technic, there is no need to find ways to "relax" because there IS no tension FROM WHICH you need to relax in the first place. A healthy piano technic is as easy as walking or talking. When a pianist masters a healthy technic, there is no need to spend hours "warming up" before feeling ready to play. If piano playing is anything other than delicious feeling and effortless in the body, consider exploring ways you can incorporate important principles of coordinate playing into your technic.
If you are interested in learning more of the 'big picture' and the ultimate goal a beginning pianist is headed toward, there is a vast collection of videos and resources on the Golandsky website. All serious pianists, and parents/guardians of serious piano students, are encouraged to view these invaluable videos.
We've made huge developments in ergonomic motion and body mechanics .... but it's taking a while for the piano world to catchup. People tend to hold onto ways of the past and you often hear "my teacher taught me this way" so that's how I teach. Yet is this really how the teacher plays? Too often they teach one way but play another. (If the teacher is still playing, it's very unlikely they are using those unhealthy teachings or else they would have become injured.)
So, again, with a teacher who focuses on teaching important principles of ergonomic motion and a healthy piano technic, you won't be hearing tons of Hanon and Czerny, or other etudes simply meant to "build individual finger strength". Instead, the emphasis is placed upon how to move correctly, choreographing the music score. In the beginning, you might hear detached (non-legato) as the student masters the "Victory Landing" for each finger (dropping the hand/forearm weight behind each finger while keeping the finger/hand/forearm unit). Don't worry! Beautiful legato playing will be mastered as soon as "forearm rotation" and "in and out" adjustments of finger/hand/forearm are added into the mix.
Bench height is of utmost importance if all the parts are to be aligned correctly. Without proper bench height EVERY time the student plays, the technic falls apart and tension/isolation will creep in.
One reason Amy McLelland spent over a decade writing the graded piano method "88 Keys to Mastering the Piano" is to help her students avoid the pitfalls suggested in many of the current piano methods including Faber and Faber, Alfred, ("curl the fingers", "wrist shaping for 2-note slurs" etc.) and others. McLelland's method book also includes video demonstrations and photographs, making mastering technic easy.
Watching the videos in the piano method is very important as they help the student get the look of a healthy, coordinate hand in their mind's eye. The videos also help with motivation.
Playing along with the mp3 audio accompaniments helps with motivation as well as maintaining a steady tempo.
As serious students at McLelland Piano studio advance, they often like to add a zoom lesson or 2 every few months with John Bloomfield, or Mary Moran, or Edna Golandsky. This is encouraged in the Taubman world. It is important not to seek out study with other non-Taubman trained teachers simultaenously however, even if it's a Great Aunt or someone who teaches piano, or a summer piano camp, as the conflicting instruction can undo all of the student's hard work. One suggestion of dropping the wrist low for example, or "pushing finger into the key", can cause tension and derail a technic. This is why so many injured piano students experience the problems around age 12 or 13 (after switching to another teacher a friend of a friend suggested, for example) when a non-Taubman trained teacher who is still holding on to unhealthy practices taught in Mozart's day and has not mastered the Taubman approach or important principles of 21st century ergonomic motion, does not understand how to help the student.
Pianists from all over the world ... Van Cliburn and Leeds winners, the main piano professor at Julliard, concert pianists like Richard Goode, and even orchestra members have benefited from the Taubman approach. If you need any reassurance, you can reach out to some of these concert pianists like Ilya Itin. Not all of these pianists were injured when seeking out Taubman later in their careers; many just wanted to improve tone or accuracy or freedom. Most in fact were not injured, they just wanted to be better pianists.
The proof is in the pudding, so listen to the sound of pianists who play without tension versus the thin, harsh tone of those who play using an unhealthy, spidery, forced technic. With a healthy piano technic, the pianist has the strength of 10 elephants, yet it feels as easy and effortless as a cloud. No pain IS your gain.