Thomas Mark: What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body

What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body is a book about how we move our bodies to play the piano. Author Thomas Mark takes a close look at the specific needs of players of keyboard instruments, whether piano, organ, harpsichord, or digital keyboard. Using the concept of Body Mapping developed by Barbara Conable and William Conable, he presents anatomical facts, detailed illustrations, and excellent commentary. This information can bring about improved body awareness, a better quality of movement, and better, freer playing from each musician. It may also enable readers to avoid or cure injury without traditional medical treatments. Organists Roberta Gary and Thom Miles have contributed sections addressing the special needs of organists, concentrating on the use of the feet, legs, and hips as well as the arms and hands. Thus, the book is as much for organists as it is for pianists.

The principles in this book have the power to transform a keyboard musician’s playing by helping to guarantee pain-free, efficient movement and allowing technique and talent to shine! Learning new habits of movement can be facilitated by actual demonstration in addition to verbal description. Therefore a video, also entitled What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body, is available from GIA Publications (VHS-566). In it, Thomas Mark describes and demonstrates the places of balance, standing and sitting in balance, movements of the hand and arms, and other topics from the book. Most readers will find the video a worthwhile supplement to the book.

THE AUTHORS

Thomas Mark teaches piano and Body Mapping in Portland, Oregon, and offers the course “What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body” throughout the United States and Canada. His website is www.pianomap.com.

Roberta Gary is Professor of Organ and Head of the Keyboard Division at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati.

Thom Miles is Director of Music at Isaac M. Wise Temple and Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati.

Barbara Conable is founder of Andover