Integrative Piano Playing: 
Sound better and prevent injuries by using your whole body   

The all-too-common experience of repetitive strain injury often leads pianists toward movement re-education systems like Alexander Technique and Body Mapping. While these can be an important step toward healthier playing, they do not provide answers to many of the problems of advanced pianism. In order to effectively meet the demands of complex piano music, healthy movement principles need to be applied in piano-specific ways. 

This presentation aims to demystify the concept of whole-body piano technique and provide clear strategies for safely building technical facility and sound control. Foundational body alignment principles and movement patterns will be shown at the piano, progressing from simple exercises to advanced repertoire examples. 

Patrick Cashin

Described by CBC Radio as “a truly original interpretive voice,” Pianist Patrick Cashin is becoming known as a distinctive presence on the Canadian music scene. He designs unique recitals centred around the best of the piano repertoire, and particularly enjoys playing Mozart piano concertos, in which he improvises and composes cadenzas in the style of Mozart. He leads a varied collaborative career performing with soloists and ensembles around his home base of Montreal, including as a staff member at McGill University’s Schulich School. He appears each summer alongside top Canadian and international artists at the Tuckamore Music Festival in Newfoundland. Patrick holds an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and a Doctorate from the University of Montreal, both completed under the guidance of legendary piano pedagogue Marc Durand. When not performing, Patrick spends much of his time helping other pianists build effective, injury-resistant technique through a fusion of traditional pedagogy and whole-body movement modalities.