Study Group

Purchase a Recording

Video Archive
Share

Study Group Online Recordings

CATALOGUE OF STUDY GROUP LESSONS AND LECTURES FOR PURCHASE

After the first Pianimals Online Institute in winter 2021, participants wanted to continue studying these materials, so we created a bi-weekly study group. Each two weeks, a participant prepares a piece from the repertoire to be studied. We tend to look at easier pieces, ones that we often give our pupils, because the goal is to ascertain which of the 28 Pianimals exercises could prove most useful in preparing the composition in question.

After discussion of possible approaches to the piece, the participant performs it. A further discussion follows - a sort of mini-roundtable lesson. Then Alan creates an Awareness Through Piano Movement (ATPM) lesson on the spot that relates to the issues raised in the study of the composition.

If you wish to purchase recordings of past sessions, please indicate which of the five iterations of the Study Group you would like to buy. If you would like to join the Study Group, you are welcome! Please send us an email indicating when you would like to join.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP I SESSIONS



STUDY GROUP I: MAY 1 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 - Sessions 1-8


The first Pianimals Online Study Group had a fairly large group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
MAY 1 Mozart: D minor Fantasy The Cardinal Directions of the Hand
MAY 15 Chopin: Waltz in C# minor
 Sensitizing the "Hand Hip Joint" in Standing
MAY 29 Bach: Little C Minor Prelude Linking the Collarbone to Finger & Hand Action
JUNE 12 Prokofiev Visions Fugitive #10 Link Fingertip to Whole Body
JUNE 26 Chopin Waltz in E minor "The 4 Sitz Bones:" Link Fingertip to
Piano Bench with Whole Body Movement
JULY 10 Chopin: Nocturne in Eb Major Op. 9, #2 Differentiating the Hands
JULY 24 Mozart: Sonata K570, 1st mvt. Differentiate Standing Thumb & Swiping Finger
SEPT 18 Mendelssohn: Venetian Boat Song in F# minor Stand on Thumb, Move Arm

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP I SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP II SESSIONS



STUDY GROUP II: NOVEMBER 13, 2021 - MARCH 5, 2022 - Sessions 9-16


The second Pianimals Online Study Group had a fairly large group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Nov 13 Mussorgsky - The Tear Side Bending and Arm Shift
Nov 27 Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, 1st mvt Amorphous Amoeba for Magical Moonlight Sound
Dec 11 Bach: Ab+ Prelude and Fugue, WTC I Connect Sitz Bones to Fingertips to Transform a Bach Theme
Jan 8 Mendelssohn: Spring Song Choreograph the Opening of Mendelssohn Spring Song
Jan 22 Nyman: The Heart Asks Pleasure First The 3 Cardinal Directions Linking Sitting & the Hand
Feb 5
Feb 19 Bach: D+ Prelude & Fugue, WTC I Teetering Toucan for the Bach Prelude in D major
March 5 Brahms: Ballade, Op. 10, No. 1, "Edward" Amorphous Amoeba in Brahms

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP II SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP III SESSIONS



STUDY GROUP III: MARCH 19- JUNE 25, 2022 - Sessions 17-24


The third Pianimals Online Study Group had a slightly smaller group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Mar 19 Burgmüller Studies, Op. 100, #2, #15, #12 Link the Thumb to the Whole Arm to the Body
April 2 Kabalevsky Children's Pieces, Op. 27, #3, #12, #20 Another Lesson on That Old Thumb
April 16 Debussy: Arabesque, Golliwog's Cakewalk Lie on Thumb to Improve Arm
April 30 Czerny: Etudes, Op. 139, #75-6 The Thumb & Rotation in Scales
May 14 Clementi: Sonatina, Op. 36, #1 "Teetering" in Clementi... The Thumb... Arpeggios
May 28 Grieg: Gade, Op. 57, #2 Opening the Hand
June 11 Schumann, Op. 68: Mignon, Merry May Floating the Hand or Rooting the Finger
June 25 Brahms: Ballade, Op. 10, No. 1 "Edward" Amorphous Amoeba in Brahms

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP III SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP IV SESSIONS



STUDY GROUP IV: OCTOBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 28, 2023 - Sessions 25-32


The fourth Pianimals Online Study Group had a stalwart core of faithful participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Oct 8 Mozart: A major Sonata, K331, 1st mvt The First Theme of Mozart's K331
Oct 22 Mozart: A major Sonata, K331, 1st mvt Amorphous Amoeba in K331 1st mvt, Var 3
Nov 5 Burgmuller: The Pearl (Big Chords) Big Chords Without Banging: Functionality
Nov 19 Heller: Avalanche. Kabalevsky: A minor Etude Lay Down the Thumb, Differentiate
Dec 3 Schumann: Traumerei Floating the Opening of Traumerei
Dec 17 Chopin: Db major Prelude The Whole Self in Massive Chords
Jan 7 Debussy: Golliwog's Cakewalk; Little Shepherd Oblique Whole Arm: A New Musical Dialect
Jan 28 Kabalevsky: Morning Exercises, Op. 3/86, #2 and
Drummer, Op. 14, #1

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP IV SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS - Sessions 33-40



STUDY GROUP V:


The fifth Pianimals Online Institute ran from

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP VI SESSIONS - Sessions 41-48



STUDY GROUP VI:


The sixth Pianimals Online Institute ran from .

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VI SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS - Sessions 49-56



STUDY GROUP VII:


The seventh Pianimals Online Institute ran from

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VII SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS - Sessions 57-64



STUDY GROUP VIII:


The fifth Pianimals Online Institute ran from

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VIII SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP IX SESSIONS - Sessions 65-72



STUDY GROUP IX:


The ninth Pianimals Online Institute ran from

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27
March 1
Hans van Ham		 Mendelssohn: Song Without Words Op 19 #1 Singing Stork, Skating Sloth, Fox Fandango Differentiate Lead
Voice and Whispering
Accompaniment
March 8
Christine T		 Bach/Marcello: Adagio in d minor BWV 974 Repeated chords: Floating Flamingo, Skating Sloth, Swamp Monster, Fox Fandango.
Alternate reapeated chords: Sleepy Bear, Amorphous Amoeba.
Polyphony: Taichi Empty Step - Strolling Stork. 		Three levels of key contact
for organic repeated chords:
skin, flesh, and bone - all
informed by extreme
Fox Fandango.
March 22
Kathleen C.		 Clementi: G major Sonatina, Op 36 #2, 1st mvt. Allegretto RH strong entry: Flying Fox, Chuckling Chicken
RH melody: Sauntering Sandpiper
LH: Sauntering Sandpiper
LH 8ves: Sleepy Bear
Rhythm: Fox Fandango
Scales: Floating Flamingo
Leaps: Teetering Toucan		 Integrate Sauntering Sandpiper
with the Whole Body to increase
virtuosity in melodies, changing
notes, scales and arpeggios
April 5
Astrid L.		 Bach: Little Prelude #2 in C major Integrate Yawning Alligator and Floating Flamingo with the whole body
May 3
Sinden M.		 Joep Beving: Sleeping Lotus, arr. Jessie Black Standing and Moving - Differentiating Musical Parts Through Whole Body Movement
May 17
Christine T		 Beethoven: F- sonata Op 2 No 1 - 2nd & 3rd mvts. Refine the Basic Standing Action & Precision Choreography for Articulations
May 24
Kathleen C		 Schumann: Melody from Album for the Young The Hand Lying Down, The Hand Standing Up, and Everything in Between - It's All Movement
July 5
Astrid L.		 Edna Mae Burnham: A Dozen a Day TBD TBD

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP IX SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP X SESSIONS - Sessions 73-80



STUDY GROUP X: YET TO BE SCHEDULED


The tenth Pianimals Online Institute will run from September through December, 2025.

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Feb 18
Mar 4
Mar 18
April 1
April 15
April 29
May 13
May 27

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP X SESSIONS.


If you would like to know more about this cutting edge piano method that brings the transformational influence of the Feldenkrais Method to a developing piano technique, visit our page on

Pianimals: 28 Feldenkrais Lessons for the Young Pianist's Hand.