Somatic Education and Piano Performance

Somatic Education and Piano Performance Christos Noulis Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Birmingham City University and Birmingham Conservatoire May 2014 Abstract Somatic Education and Piano Performance Research in the area of piano performance supports the concept of pianists engaging in problem-free piano methods. Existing pedagogical methods examine piano performance from a localised perspective, specialising in instruction of the detailed movements of the fingers, hands and arms. The present research aims to look at piano performance through a holistic lens. This is done by means of three theoretical and practical axes of somatic education: The Pilates Method, Yoga and the Alexander Technique. The main purpose of this study is to determine whether the three methods of somatic education can be conducive to piano performance. Secondary purposes are to determine whether the nature of educational delivery applied is appropriate in the exposure of pianists to somatic education, the stage of piano education at which pianists’ exposure to somatic education is most beneficial and the components of piano performance that can be enhanced from somatic education. Bibliographic review of relative literature reveals that, although there is amplitude of information on the application of some somatic methods to piano performance, there does not exist a comprehensive and structured educational system which incorporates principles of somatic education in piano performance. Ten workshops in Somatics for Pianists© were conducted in music conservatoires of Northern Greece in the span of three years. As a result, 385 valid questionnaires were produced by participating pianists of all levels, aged 15 and above, and with varying capacities as pianists (soloists, students, teachers etc). The questionnaires focused on issues of piano playing, methods of somatic education, workshop delivery and implementation of somatic education to piano performance. Six email interviews were conducted in order to triangulate results relating to the effectiveness of somatic education on piano performance and the related practical applications. These interviews were given by pianists/piano teachers who are also qualified instructors in one of the three somatic methods examined in this thesis. 2 Analysis of data from the questionnaires and the interviews yielded results that support expansion of knowledge in piano curricula from the purely pianistic issues to more general issues of movement as taught and related in methods of somatic education. The conclusion of this study is that somatic education has a positive impact on most components of piano performance and recommendations were put forward for future research in the creation of pedagogical manuals that will include systematic and structured modules of somatic education. 3 Acknowledgements My sincere gratitude is expressed to my director of studies, Professor Peter Johnson, for his support and enthusiasm on this project and especially his encouragement to delve in this new interdisciplinary field from the beginning of the research to its completion; his acceptance of the project and his ongoing support and suggestions have rendered this a stimulating journey. I would also like to thank my second supervisor and research degrees co-ordinator, Christopher Dingle. I would like to thank Professor Chrysoula Zacharopoulou and Maria Laftsidou for their support in the area of statistics and for understanding and anticipating my artistic perspective. They have both helped me consider statistics not merely as a hard science but as a fantastic and limitless psychoanalytical tool. My thanks also go to Haris Kittos and Margaret Okole for their sharp eye, their objectivity and their generosity. For their ongoing support in my own personal journey of investigations my sincere gratitude goes to all my educators who have inspired me and given me hope in difficult times and motivation in creative times: To Edna Golandsky and Valeria Szervansky I am thankful for their substantial pianistic support and for widening my perspective of piano performance. I owe my gratitude to Jenny Crewdson, Alan Herdman, Jean Whittaker and Jirna Kallidis, who all worked patiently with me and generously introduced me to new ways of exploring movement. Most importantly I owe gratitude and my sincerest thanks to Dr Donald L. Weed for his unlimited support throughout my training and thereafter, for helping me discover and utilise my full potential and who has been an unlimited source of knowledge, inspiration and care. I have been extremely fortunate throughout this research project to encounter more than eight hundred pianists of all levels and educational backgrounds who were willing to contribute to this study and who offered their invaluable feedback. The collection of data both in the workshops and the interviews would not be possible without their good intension and generosity. I am also grateful to all the organisers, artistic directors and administrators of the conservatoires in which the workshops 4 were held, who all took care to meet the demanding prerequisites of the workshops and helped in the smooth and organised diligence. My most sincere thanks go to my parents Eleni and Yannis, my sister Katerina and my partner Tasos for their unconditional love, care and support throughout this journey and also all my friends who have patiently endured my absence and have supported my cause of contributing to the world of musicians with the present thesis. 5 CONTENTS List of Tables 13 List of Figures 15 Glossary 17 Preface 19 Introduction 21 Aims of the thesis 21 Background 21 Performing Arts Medicine and the approaches of modern piano pedagogy 22 Limitations 25 Research Questions 26 Summary of Thesis 27 Chapter 1 Chronological journey of personal investigations 29 1.1 Initial injury; conventional and alternative treatments 30 1.1.1 Conventional treatments 31 1.1.2 Transition from conventional to alternative medicine 33 1.1.3 Alternative treatments 34 1.2 Piano re-education; Tai Chi; Zen; Chinese and Japanese medicine 35 1.3 Rolfing Structural Integration; piano re-education; the Pilates Method 38 1.4 Yoga therapy; problem-free piano methods 43 1.5 Workshops in Somatic Education for musicians; the Alexander Technique 47 1.6 Workshops in Somatic Education for pianists; the Interactive Teaching Method (ITM) 49 Summary and conclusions 54 6 Chapter 2 Methods of Somatic Education 56 2.1 Somatic Education 56 2.1.1 Defining Somatics 57 2.1.2 Somatic Theory 59 2.1.3 Somatic Education - Somatic Learning 61 2.1.4 Somatic Education and the Performing Arts 64 2.1.4.1 Somatic Education and Dance 65 2.1.4.2 Somatic Education and Acting 67 2.1.4.3 Somatic Education and Musical Performance 67 2.1.5 Three methods of somatic education: Yoga, the Pilates Method and the Alexander Technique 69 2.1.5.1 The Pilates Method as a method of Somatic Education 70 2.1.5.2 Yoga as a method of Somatic Education 70 2.1.5.3.The Alexander Technique as a method of Somatic Education 71 2.2 The Pilates Method 73 2.2.1 The development of the Pilates method 73 2.2.2 Contrology: The theory behind the practice 74 2.2.3 The principles of the Pilates Method: original and contemporary 78 2.2.4 Impact of the Pilates Method 79 2.2.5 Empirical evidence on the Effectiveness of the Pilates Method 82 2.2.5.1 Effectiveness of Pilates on the healthy population 82 2.2.5.2 Effectiveness of Pilates on individuals with medical conditions 84 2.2.6 The Pilates method and performing arts 88 2.2.6.1 Pilates and Acting/ Singing 88 2.2.6.2 Pilates and Dance 89 2.2.6.3 Pilates and Music 91 2.3 Yoga 93 2.3.1 Defining Yoga 93 2.3.2 Yoga theory and application 95 2.3.3 The impact of Yoga 98 2.3.4 Empirical evidence on the effectiveness of Yoga 99 2.3.5 Yoga and Musicians: Experiential evidence 102 2.3.6 Physical and psychological problems of musicians and the role of Yoga: 7 Empirical evidence 105 2.3.7 Yoga for Pianists 109 2.4 Alexander Technique 114 2.4.1 Defining the Alexander Technique 114 2.4.1.1 Alexander’s Description of his Technique 115 2.4.1.2 Alexander’s students’ definitions of his technique (first generation students) 117 2.4.1.3 Second generation teachers 118 2.4.2 The theoretical concepts of the Alexander Technique 119 2.4.2.1 Psycho-physical unity 119 2.4.2.2 Use and functioning 120 2.4.2.3 Primary control 120 2.4.2.4 Sensory appreciation 121 2.4.2.5 Inhibition 122 2.4.2.6 Direction 122 2.4.2.7 Ends and means 123 2.4.2.8 Conscious control 123 2.4.3 Impact of the Alexander Technique 124 2.4.4 Empirical evidence on the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique 125 2.4.4.1 Alexander Technique and chronic pain 125 2.4.4.2 Alexander Technique and posture/balance 127 2.4.4.3 Alexander Technique and respiratory capacity 128 2.4.5 Alexander Technique and the medical field 129 2.4.6 Alexander Technique and the Performing Arts 130 2.4.7 Empirical evidence on the impact of the Alexander Technique on performing arts 132 2.4.8 The Alexander Technique and Piano: Empirical and theoretical evidence 135 2.4.8.1 Carolyn Nicholls 137 2.4.8.2 Missy Vineyard 139 2.4.8.3 Pedro de Alcantara 140 Summary and conclusions 145 8 Chapter 3 Existing Applications of Somatic Education to Piano Performance 147 3.1 Categorisation of Literature 147 3.2 Defining Piano Performance 148 3.3 Researchers on piano performance: criteria of categorisations 149 3.3.1 Kochevitsky 150 3.3.2 Stanier 152 3.3.3 Wristen 155 3.3.4 Hosaka 156 3.3.5 Wheatley-Brown 157 3.4 Somatic Considerations in Keyboard and Piano Performance Literature 158 3.4.1 François Couperin 1716 159 3.4.2 Rudolph Breithaupt 1909 162 3.4.3 Tobias Matthay 1903 and 1932 165 3.4.4 Harold Taylor 1979 170 3.4.5 Gyorgy Sandor 1981 173 3.4.6 Dorothy Taubman 1995 175 3.4.7 Madeline Bruser 1997 179 3.4.8 Seymour Fink 1999 181 3.4.9 Thomas Mark 2003 184 3.4.10 Barbara Lister-Sink 2005 186 Summary and conclusions 188 Chapter 4 Methodology 190 4.1 Choosing an appropriate methodology 192 4.1.2 Research theoretical process.

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