A Case Report on the Impact of Feldenkrais Method® with Experienced Pianists

Authors

  • Janice ChenJu Chiang Doctor of Musical Art

Keywords:

Feldenkrais Method, piano, piano playing, musicians, movement, kinesthetic sense, awareness, musician's health, Awareness Through Movement

Abstract

The aim of this case study was to investigate the efficacy of the Feldenkrais Method on piano playing through learning Awareness Through Movement® lessons. This eight-week long qualitative research study collected the results of participant-chosen movement explorations and their sensorial, first-person experiences gathered through the use of participant diaries and pre- and post- interviews for measurement. These findings suggested positive improvements in music production skills, such as: technique, auditory perception, musical phrasing, tone quality, memorization, interpretation and overall control. The musician participants also reported enhancement of their experience of relaxation, posture, and bodily awareness in practice and performance. Future research may extend the time of experiment or apply more varieties of measurements for the benefits of musical performance and musician health.

Author Biography

Janice ChenJu Chiang, Doctor of Musical Art

Pianist Janice Chenju Chiang, a native of Taiwan, has performed extensively throughout the United States as well as Taiwan and South Korea. Her collaborations included concerts with many esteemed artists, including: the violinist Fritz Gearhart, clarinetists Keith Lemmons and Dr. Jeremy Reynolds, soprano Faye Robinson, and the former concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Steven Moeckel. She also collaborated with the acclaimed photographer Shane McDermott and the installation artist Shawn Skabelund. The recital/installation project with Skabelund, Composition for Forests, won the Viola Award in 2017. Chiang has appeared in many festivals and conferences including The American Liszt Society Festival, Tucson Vocal Art Festival, Conference of North American Saxophone Alliance, International Alliance for Women in Music, and the 2012 CMS/NACWPI/ATMI/PKL National Conferences. Chiang was a piano faculty member at Northern Arizona University from 2007-2022. She is also an authorized Awareness Through Movement of the Feldenkrais Method® Teacher. She holds performance degrees from the University of Arizona (Doctor of Musical Arts), Fu-Jen Catholic University (Master of Music), and Soochow University (BA).

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Published

2023-04-24

How to Cite

Chiang, J. C. (2023). A Case Report on the Impact of Feldenkrais Method® with Experienced Pianists. Feldenkrais Research Journal, 7. Retrieved from https://feldenkraisresearchjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/135