Carole Terry, renowned organist and former longtime UW professor of Organ Studies, presents a lecture, "How the body works when playing piano, organ, or harpsichord.”
The series, co-sponsored by the School of Music and the Seattle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, is made possible with support from the Paul B. Fritts Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Organ.
ABSTRACT
To play any keyboard instrument, organ, piano and harpsichord, requires physical exercise and stamina. When playing, all the muscles of the arms and legs are working in a coordinated way depending on their position and movement sustained. Various texts have been written for piano that include reference to specific muscles and what they do in the act of keyboard playing. However, little has been written specifically about the technical approach to repertoire from the standpoint of muscular usage, practice, and style.
If keyboardists understand the technical and physiological aspects of the body, it will enhance their ability to identify which muscle groups combine to make certain musical gestures in a piece or phrase. Paying attention to the physical act of playing will help them to achieve their musical goals and to play more efficiently.
This lecture will focus on select muscular demands of organ, piano and harpsichord playing by referring to various parts of the body and their roles in the following topics: (1) Balance; sitting on the bench; (2) Leg bones, muscles, and pedal technique; (3) Back muscles and arm placement; (4) Muscles and bones of the hand, fingers, and arm. Finally, specific pieces will be studied to illustrate their musculature demands and strength required. Also, included will be various methods to test for the strengths of certain muscle groups as well as a few select exercises for strengthening that could be used as practice warm-ups
Upcoming Events in this Series
Sat. May 4, 2024: Kimberly Marshall: The Organ Works of J.S. Bach