Coordinate Movement Program
Portland State University

If you are a pianist, and experience pain or tension in your playing, you are not alone. Injury among musicians is well documented, and studies show that as many as 40% of pianists suffer from physical symptoms that affect their playing. Fortunately, change based on the incorporation of sound physiological principles has successfully rehabilitated many pianists. In fact, the application of these principles for musicians represents some of the most important new thinking in the field of music education today. These concepts also guide teachers in developing a pedagogical approach which reduces tension, prevents injury, and improves artistic expression.

Portland State University now offers a curriculum based on these proven somatic principles. The program allows a limited number of applicants to pursue a degree option while recovering from pain, injury and physical limitations. Participants also include teachers and pianists who wish to develop their technique with attention to anatomical knowledge and coordinate use of the body. Courses are designed to teach participants about the structure and function of the body as it applies to playing, and how to make the changes necessary to become free of pain and injury. The curriculum includes the study of anatomy, physiology and piano technique from a somatic perspective, with attention to daily living activities such as handwriting and use of the computer. Students will complete the program with an understanding of how to teach these principles.

As you achieve efficient, coordinated movement at the piano, you will also experience increased ease and freedom. Most importantly, all that you learn about movement at the instrument will be consistently and profoundly united with artistic expression; a continuity will be established between freedom of movement and artistic expression. This is the pedagogy of the twenty-first century.

       

Purpose of the Program

To retrain injured pianists and to train teachers using proven somatic principles as they pursue their degree in a university setting. This program is designed for pianists limited by pain, tension, or fatigue and for teachers interested in music training based on a somatic foundation.

Curriculum

Coordinate Movement Master Classes: Students will attend a two hour class each week where curriculum concepts are presented in lecture format and explored in lab sessions. Pianists and teachers interested in just attending the Coordinate Movement class may enroll without officially entering the music program at Portland State University.

Private lessons: Students enrolled in the Coordinate Movement program will receive a one hour lesson weekly with Lisa Marsh. Juries and performance requirements for the first year will be determined by the progress of the student.

Students will complete course work for their degree while participating in the Coordinate Movement Program for Pianists. For information about specific degree programs offered at Portland State University please consult our web page at http://www.fpa.pdx.edu/music.

Topics of Study

Piano technique: tone production, alignment, forearm rotation, arm position and height, maintaining a neutral hand position, scales, arpeggios, chords, octaves, legato and staccato playing, achieving dynamic range without tension, application to literature.

Body mapping: sensory discernment and responsiveness, the core of the body and places of balance, how to sit and stand, the four arm joints, whole body support for arm function, the structures and movements of breathing, leg movement in pedaling, handwriting, computer keyboard skills, activities of daily living.

Musicianship: performance anxiety, the self-map of the artist, learning and memorizing, the piano map.

Health and well being: anti-inflammatory therapies, exercise routines, constructive rest, nutrition, how to warm up and practice, injury support concepts.

Student Selection Process

Students interested in just attending the Coordinate Movement class may enroll by contacting Lisa Marsh to receive instructor approval.

Students interested in enrolling in the Coordinate Movement Program and pursuing a music degree at Portland State University will be selected for the program based on the following criteria: previous or current demonstration of ability, an essay detailing the reason for the candidate's application, a list of repertoire studied in the past two years, an interview with the program faculty and the Department of Music's application form.

Applicants will also complete the audition process as defined by the Department of Music or submit a tape of a recent performance if unable to audition due to physical limitation.

"I have been excited to partake in this relatively new science and I believe it has been the most beneficial class of my college career. All pianists should take this class and it should be mandatory for all piano majors. The lessons learned this year did not stop at the body map itself. It expanded my horizons on how to listen and feel while at the piano. It made me a more in depth listener to classical music in general. You gave us hands on instruction on what to fix on a personal level, as well as what to look for when I am teaching. Not only have the lessons learned this year been applied to my own technique, but I will also use them to train other students in the near future."

- Karl- Undergraduate, Piano Performance Major