The first online Pianimals Institute has been such a great success, we will be repeating the Saturday lecture & lessons format over a period of 8 weeks beginning April 24. There will be a SPECIAL FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION on April 17th for all those interested in attending Pianimals II. Click here to register for the free event.
Our Awareness Through Piano Movement (ATPM) lessons combine the sensory refinement of a Feldenkrais lesson with hand movements touching on developmental aspects of piano technique. The individual lessons that follow demonstrate how easily these ideas are applied from beginning to advanced repertoire.
Participants learn easy, effective and practical applications of the Piano Somatics ideas for their teaching studio and their own playing, and leave feeling sensitized and empowered. Read some of their comments here.
Pianimals II will follow the same plan as Pianimals I:
The weekly sessions are cumulative, but we are open to partial attendance. Register for the entire 8-week course, or pick and choose your sessions from the topic chart below. You can purchase video recordings of the sessions you are unable to attend. Late registrations are also accepted.
Purchase your physical copy of Pianiamals here; if it doesn't arrive on time. not to worry: let us know and we will send you a .pdf copy to help you prepare. Active participants, please specify in the questionnaire which week(s) you would like to have a lesson (weeks 1 thru 8).
Are you hesitant to attend? Feel you are not advanced enough? Not well-enough prepared? Don't worry; Alan welcomes all, no matter what your ability, no matter what the state of your program. The Institute really is open to all interested pianists:
There is no limit to improvement!
Here's what some participants have to say:
"Thanks a lot for the very inspiring sessions of the past few weeks! My playing as well as my teaching have improved a lot and I feel extremely motivated after your lessons.
'No matter what the subject is (the thumb, standing, walking, etc), there’s always an immediate effect on my playing. I experience more control and more ease of playing, more creativity and fun. And last but not least: a better sound!
'Because of the new tools I have fewer technical problems and at the same time I choose different (=better!) fingerings. Moreover the Feldenkrais approach arouses a lot of energy or energetic circulation. I get less tired."
Hans van Ham, the Netherlands
"It´s wonderful to watch the other lessons because it keeps the brain active towards new ideas in one's own repertoire. This way of working seems to be super useful. The classic Phil Cohen exercises mentioned in the group ATPM lesson in my experience are always helpful in finding the feeling of structure when I feel disconected."
Yair Zuluaga Soriano, Mexico City
"Thank you for the very impressive lesson last Saturday. Relaxing my muscles in my forearm is my biggest problem, and I could feel the difference just right now in your lesson. I am also a Feldenkrais student, and this is the kind of experience I really need for relaxing and feeling."
Robert Spaeter, Hamm, Germany
"I had a major revelation yesterday about what you’re doing in particular and what the Feldenkrais Method does in general. You are showing us sensorially what our stability and mobility is. Without both in balance, we don’t have control of our movements. The follow-through from this "aha" moment was huge for me. Thanks."
Francie White, Eugene, Oregon
United Kingdom: one hour earlier. N. America East Coast: six hours earlier (Atlantic Canada five). N. America West Coast: nine hours earlier. Lessons will be recorded so that participants from Australasia may watch without burning the midnight oil.
Each Saturday session covers the physical action and musical implications of one Pianimals section:
Introductory Session April 17
To register for the FREE INTRODUCTORY SESSION, simply email Sophia Cholich . She will add your name to the list of participants and you will receive a Zoom meeting invitation Friday, April 16, the day before the free session.
Institute Proper (Pianimals Online Institute, April 24-June 12)
Register for the institute proper in the table below with a secure credit card payment at our retail partner, Stripe.com. To add an individual lesson or lessons, from the shopping cart hit the browser back button twice to return to this page, then add your lessons to the cart. Do the same to add session recordings to your purchase. You can even add books to your purchase without going through another payment procedure by clicking on the main store menu at the upper left hand corner of the browser to view the complete catalogue.
Partial scholarships (somewhat reduced rates) are available to those of limited financial means. If you feel you may qualify for a scholarship, please contact Sophia Cholich to enquire about a discount or partial refund. Sophia can also explain other payment options and answer any questions you may have.
When you fill out the information sheet, be sure to indicate
We'd like to get to know you better. After registration, please come back to fill out this PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM. Remember to note in the comments section which weeks you would like a lesson, and the subject matter of the lessons.
After you've completed your institute, we'd like to keep in touch. Please return here to fill out the INSTITUTE FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE. This helps you and us to evaluate your experience, plan your ongoing regime for further pianistic advances, and fine-tune the institute structure to better meet your needs.
ALAN FRASER
Canadian pianist Alan Fraser gives master classes and recitals worldwide and conducts ongoing research and refinement on the ideas put forth in his three books, The Craft of Piano Playing (also in DVD), Honing the Pianistic Self-Image, and All Thumbs: Well-Coordinated Piano Technique. He is at work on several new volumes. Visit here for more on Alan Fraser. If you have concerns or questions about your participation in the institute and would like to address them directly to Alan Fraser, send him an email.
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel your registration, reimbursement will be as follows: Cancellations more than two months before Institute opening date: 100% reimbursement. Cancellations more than one month before Institute opening date: 75% reimbursement. Cancellations more than two weeks before Institute opening date: 50% reimbursement. Cancellations more than one week before Institute opening date: 25% reimbursement. Cancellations less than one week before Institute opening date: no reimbursement except in cases of doctor-certified illness or acts of God. We reserve the right to cancel the institute due to insufficient enrolment; in this event, all registration fees are fully refundable.
