CURRICULUM
Participants in The Balanced Pianist programs experience full schedules of lessons and clinics, packed with supportive interaction among all participants and teachers. The following is a general example of what programs may include. For the curriculum of specific events, please visit the Events page.

• Lessons with Dr. Teresa Dybvig, Susan Nowicki, or a guest artist.
• Daily clinics, each focusing on an aspect of the Dorothy Taubman's Approach to Piano Technique. Clinics may start with group lessons, so people know what to do when they work separately with their partners. Previous experience in the Taubman approach is not required.
• Work in partner groups during clinics and practice is central to The Balanced Pianist programs. Partner group work helps keep spirits up while keeping focus sharp. People also improve their teaching in partner group work, learning how to spot specific problems and solutions with alignment, balance, and movement, and good ways to move people's hands and arms. In clinics, students practice movements in their partner groups, learning both how to execute movements and to observe and guide others. Partners also observe one another's lessons, and practice together as desired.
• Group lessons in which all students observe and sometimes help one another's work, giving all participants an opportunity to observe people working at all levels. This helps people develop a sense of the big picture.
• Scheduled exercise breaks for beach excursions, running, or walking.
• Scheduled sessions in Yoga, Alexander, or Aston-Patterning. Previous experience in of these disciplines is not required.
• Guided discussion on positive attitudes for practice and performance. For these we rely greatly on Don Greene's Performance Success, but also use other resources, from yoga and Tibetan Buddhism to our own personal journeys, imagination, and experience!
• Showings of The Taubman Techniques videos.
• In longer-lasting programs, a Works-in-Progress recital, at which people perform anywhere from one perfect note played by a perfect thumb, to Beethoven sonata movements.

Certified Iyengar yoga teacher Carol Burns has taught yoga classes for The Balanced Pianist programs.
"I felt great after the yoga class."
anonymous evaluation