Sample Schedules
of The Well-Balanced Pianist Programs
A six-day program gives participants time to explore all the core elements of The Well-Balanced Pianist in depth.
A typical student’s schedule would include:
- Opening day activities that get us thinking about an aspect of playing, practicing, or performing while creating a feeling of ocmmunity
- Four 30-minute lessons (on material of student’s choice)
- Lesson observation
- Two private bodywork sessions, sometimes with the option of extra private sessions.
- Two clinics on all five days, on musicianship, the Taubman Approach, pedagogy, or whole-body movement
- Two or more Alexander or Feldenkrais classes
- Lunchtime discussion of readings on practice and performance mindset
- An evening performance mindset workshop linked to the mindset materials
- One open forum group class
- One works-in-progress recital
- Reading area with materials provided by faculty
- Daily walk or other movement
- A half day off to breathe and get perspective, with options of guided hikes, walks, and other recreation
- Practice time is available to everyone.
If you are interested in participating in a six-day program, please contact The Well-Balanced Pianist.
With four full days, participants can learn a lot and have a nice intensity break too, when we take a late afternoon and evening off.
A typical student’s schedule would include:
- Four 30-minute lessons (on material of student’s choice)
- Lesson observation
- Two private bodywork sessions
- Two clinics each morning, on musicianship, the Taubman Approach, pedagogy, or whole-body movement
- Two or more Alexander or Feldenkrais classes
- Lunchtime discussion of readings on practice and performance mindset
- One open forum group class
- One works-in-progress recital
- Reading area with materials provided by faculty
- Daily walk
- Trip to beach for late afternoon and dinner
- Practice time is available to everyone.
If you are interested in participating in a four-day program, please contact The Well-Balanced Pianist.
Monday holidays sometimes allow us to have a 3-day weekend program. We work intensively and happily from early Saturday until midday Monday.
A typical student’s schedule would include:
- Two 30-minute lessons (on material of student’s choice)
- Lesson observation
- One private bodywork session
- Two clinics each morning, on musicianship, the Taubman Approach, pedagogy, or whole-body movement
- Two Alexander or Feldenkrais classes
- Lunchtime discussion of readings on practice and performance mindset
- One open forum group class
- One class in which you can choose to do a run-through or a coaching
- Daily walk
- Reading area with materials provided by faculty
- Practice time is available to everyone.
If you are interested in participating in a long weekend program, please contact The Well-Balanced Pianist.
There are commonalities in posture, hand-forearm alignment and movement, and mindset among people with focal hand dystonia. It is our experience that they are behavioral and can be changed, and people with dystonia can often play again.
The benefit of a weekend workshop with others is that when you see habits in others, they become more clear in yourself. People with dystonia generally make more 3 or 4 times the progress when they work with others. Workshops for 2 to 4 people, including some bodywork, an overview of commonalities, lessons, and mealtime discussion on mindset, are available on Long Island with Teresa Dybvig. Scheduling is subject to availability. We have had programs last from 2.5 days to 5 days. Fee is determined according to schedule and personnel and number of participants.
If you are interested in participating in a workshop for pianists with dystonia, please contact The Well-Balanced Pianist.
One-day Intensives with Susan Nowicki or Teresa Dybvig, or both, are available for up to 3 people in Long Island or Philadelphia. The day’s schedule is flexible, and may include any component of The Well-Balanced Pianist. Participants can even change their mind in the course of the day, deciding to spend more time on, for example, lessons, or mindset. Participants get more from one day with both instructors than they would get from two consecutive days with one instructor each! Scheduling is subject to availability. Fee is determined according to schedule and personnel.
If you are interested in a one-day intensive with one or two of your friends or colleagues, please contact The Well-Balanced Pianist.