Moving through Music

Just came across this while reading an article... Has anyone heard of MirrorFugue before? Pretty cool! Piano teachers, could anyone think of how this might be helpful in distance teaching? Im not sure it is publicly available technology, but pretty neat all the same. https://vimeo.com/57156603

Moving through Music is staying online for September! Health is a priority, and in the interest of preserving a safe learning environment for all, the studio will remain in an online format for the time-being. I will reassess the public health situation in October to begin formulating the best strategy for gradually returning to in-person lessons. While I definitely look forward to welcoming my students back into the studio space, now is a great time to benefit from the flex...ibility offered by an online learning platform. This studio is now officially teched-out, and I can assure you that the high-quality of music education students have come to expect has been maintained... -we have a 4K camera to view the keyboard from above. -we have hand-level cameras to capture detailed movement of the hands and fingers. -we have a regular webcam so you can see and speak with me face to face -we have a condenser mic so you can hear my voice clearly -we have screen sharing and live annotation of scores via iPad -we have a new MacBook Pro to optimize video conferencing experience -we have a high-speed, dedicated internet connection Interested in starting lessons? Message me for a consultation. I would be happy to help you meet your goals, whether you are just beginning your piano journey, or you need advice about optimizing technique for advanced repertoire and injury prevention.

Thanks Jaeyoung for sharing this great video. Great advice from a great musician! https://www.facebook.com/Cellist77/videos/10224024895435458

The power of movement! https://www.facebook.com/watch/

I often use Alex Honnold as an example when I am explaining to students about the process of mastering and memorizing their pieces. He describes the decade-long process of learning to climb El Capitan so well he could do it without a rope: 3000 feet of climbing represents thousands of distinct hand and foot movements, which is a lot to remember. Many of the moves I knew through sheer repetition. Id climbed El Cap maybe 50 times over the past decade with a rope. Once I found... sequences that felt secure and repeatable, I had to memorize them. I had to make sure that they were so deeply engrained within me that there was no possibility of error. Staying calm and performing at your best when you know that any mistake could mean death requires a certain kind of mindset. I worked to cultivate that mindset through visualization, which basically just means imagining the entire experience of soloing the wall. Partially that was to help me remember all the holds, but mostly visualization was about feeling the texture of each hold in my hand and imagining the sensation of my leg reaching out and placing my foot just so. Id imagine it all like a choreographed dance thousands of feet up. The process Honnold describes for learning the movement sequences, positions, and emotional control required to free-solo El Capitan likely ring familiar for professional musicians. Mastering the thousands of complex movements required for virtuosic piano performance cannot occur without a similar process of repetition, sequencing, rehearsal, visualization, and mastery of ones emotional world. Although pianists wont fall off a cliff and die if they miss a note, flawless execution of a piece demands the same mindset and unwavering confidence Honnold describes.

One of many virtual lessons taking place this week as Moving through Music moves online temporarily to respect the social distancing measures keeping our community healthy! I certainly miss seeing my students in person, but I am very grateful that we can continue music lessons online despite everything going on in the world right now. Teaching online has its limitations but it is also a wonderful opportunity to look at familiar educational situations with fresh eyes and to f...ind new pedagogical strategies. I have been amazed at the focus, resourcefulness, and creativity of my students as they adjust to interacting in the lesson virtually. I know many other music teachers have made the jump to online teaching in the last week. Lets help each other out by posting a tip or trick youve learned in the last week or two which has helped you run lessons more successfully!

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of working with the wonderful pianist and teacher, Di Wu at the Musicians Wellness Centre. He is an enthusiastic and indefatigable learner and a great advocate for mindfulness and compassion in music education. We did a five day crash-course in Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement, sprinkled in some Functional Integration, and had many inspiring discussions about going slow, learning to observe the self in movement without criticism, and learning to trust our nervous systems amazing ability to find ease and lightness as we move through life...including when we play the piano! I learned a lot and I am looking forward to many exciting collaborations with Di in the future!

We had a fantastic time last night at the Steinway Gallery of Ottawa! I met lots of learners of all ages eager to discover more about the Feldenkrais Method and healthy practice habits for piano performance. Thank you very much to Jennifer Messer and the Steinway Gallery of Ottawa for hosting this event! We also had lots of interest in the upcoming research study! If you are a piano teacher with advanced students 17 years of age or older and you think they might benefit from participating in Feldenkrais classes as a part of a research study, please let me know and I will pass on more information!

Seeking participants for a research study! Ph.D. candidate Jillian Beacon and Professor Gilles Comeau of the University of Ottawa are conducting a research study to find out if Feldenkrais Method classes influence postural coordination and performance measures in pianists. The Feldenkrais Method is a form of somatic movement education that uses slow, mindful movement sequences to explore new ways to move comfortably and efficiently. Research participants will receive 12 FRE...E Feldenkrais classes as a part of the study. We are searching for experienced pianists 17 years of age or older. I invite you to attend a free information session to learn more about how you could participate in this exciting project! When: Friday, January 17 5:30-7:00 pm Where: Steinway Gallery of Ottawa 1481 Innes Road Email Jillian Beacon to confirm your attendance or for more information! [email protected] **Wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in. Yoga mats will be provided.**

It is that time of year...so many performances! Muscles feeling sore and tight? Feeling the stress of juries, auditions, and holiday performance schedules? Try a Functional Integration tune up! Your body is your instrument...give it the time and attention it deserves so you can feel and play your best during exam break! Exam break pricing at $45 per session until December 18 for University of Ottawa music students. Private message me for an appointment, or email [email protected].

https://www.cbc.ca//prince-e/pei-value-of-piano-1.5359491 Great article! It outlines lots of great things to keep in mind for parents watching their little ones grapple with the many challenges piano lessons can bring, but the advice is also great for adult beginners who are often too hard on themselves! No matter the age, piano lessons can help students learn how to work through frustration and patiently work toward improvement. I also love how it highlights that one of t...Continue reading

Les sessions de Feldenkrais au Centre avec Jillian Beacon se poursuivront de 10 12 chaque vendredi jusquau 13 dcembre! Envoyez un courriel [email protected] pour rserver une session. Regardez cette vido pour voir comment la mthode Feldenkrais a aid le violoniste Glen Sheldon dans la prvention et la gestion des blessures. Feldenkrais sessions with Jillian Beacon will continue at the Centre every Friday from 10-12 until December 13th! Email [email protected] to reserve a session. Check out this video to see how the Feldenkrais Method has helped violinist Glen Sheldon with injury prevention and management. https://youtu.be/kpuHdYXPTPc

https://www.cbc.ca//15739718-a-new-wellness-centre-devoted

https://www.academica.ca//uottawa-opens-wellness-centre-ad

https://www.cbc.ca//wellness-centre-university-ottawa-musi

We had the great opportunity to have the activities of the new Musicians Wellness Centre featured on the Tljournal evening news. Check it out! It is challenging to do a Feldenkrais Functional Integration demo if you only have five minutes and a TV crew watching you, but we did our best . You also get to hear from the wonderful Alexander Technique teacher, Brigitte Caron. We are looking forward to spreading the word so musicians all around the community know about the services and learning opportunities offered at the Musicians Wellness Centre. #mwcottawa https://ici.radio-canada.ca//repor/136855/centre-bien-etre

The Musicians Wellness Centre is holding an open house on Saturday, October 5 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Students and members of the community are welcome to register for FREE wellness workshops. I will be teaching two Awareness through Movement classes, one at 10:00 and one at 11:00. There are also classes on stretching, yoga, physiotherapy, and more! Register at Eventbrite to claim your place! Some mats will be provided for Awareness through Movement, but bring your own yoga mat if you can! https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/the-musicians-wellness-centrece

Come check out Feldenkrais Functional Integration at one of these beautiful spaces!

Check out this beautiful new space! The Musicians Wellness Centre at the University of Ottawa has been formally launched and is ready to welcome clients! There is an amazing team of health and wellness professionals available for musicians to consult about their physical and emotional well-being. This includes chiropractors, physiotherapists, audiologists, and vision specialists, as well as a robust team of somatic practitioners from many modalities, including Alexander Tech...nique, Yoga, QiGong, and of course...Feldenkrais! The clinic is open to music students at the University of Ottawa AND musicians in the community. Come visit us! University of Ottawa School of Music, Perez Hall Room 202, 50 University Private, Ottawa, ON, K19 6N5 I will be available for one-on-one functional integration appointments every Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Come check out the beautiful new space in Prez Hall and try out a functional integration session! I am offering a reduced rate for intake sessions and regular appointments until the end of October. Private message me for details or visit the website for more details about the various services, workshops, and classes offered at the MWC! https://piano.uottawa.ca/mwc/index.html #uOttawaMWC

The University of Ottawa Piano Pedagogy Research Laboratory is officially launching the new Musicians Wellness Centre! The centre is the first of its kind to include not only a clinic staffed with health and wellness professionals from domains like physiotherapy, psychology, chiropractic, and somatics, but also to offer workshops and credited courses to help educate musicians about topics like pain and injury prevention and performance anxiety. The centre is also home to a n...umber of researchers studying issues related to musician health! Interested in learning more or getting involved? Come check out the free workshops and information sessions offered in the next few weeks! I will be participating as a researcher and a Feldenkrais Practitioner, and I am happy to offer some free workshops as part of the grand-opening events. 1) Official Launch and Information Session Wednesday, September 18th 11:30-12:30 pm Freiman Hall, School of Music University of Ottawa FREE, no registration required 2) Musicians Wellness Centre Fair: Open House Saturday, October 5, 2019 9:30-12:00 pm School of Music (PRZ) University of Ottawa FREE Register to workshops to reserve your place! https://piano.uottawa.ca/mwc/index.html