Keyboard Technique: Deep Dive with Scarlette Kerr and Celeste Watson: Part 1

After a summer off, we're back with a technical development deep dive. This episode, part 1 of 3, features a discussion centered around piano pedagogy, injury-preventative techniques, and Music Learning Theory (MLT). Hannah Mayo and I were delighted to speak with piano educators Scarlette Kerr and Celeste Watson, who share insights from their experiences and training in the Gordon Institute of Music Learning (GIML) and the Lister-Sink Injury Preventative Keyboard Technique program.

Key highlights include:

• Celeste's Journey: Celeste discusses her early experience with piano teaching, the playing-related injury that changed her career direction, and how retraining under Dr. Barbara Lister-Sink in injury-preventive techniques helped her build a more confident teaching practice. She emphasizes the importance of biomechanics in piano playing and how her training helped her understand how to use the body effectively.

• Scarlette's Passion for Healthy Technique: Scarlette explains her motivation to ensure that young students develop healthy technical habits from the start, as teachers may lack the tools to teach proper body movement at the piano. She believes in the importance of teaching healthy technique to prevent injuries and tension in the body.

• Connection to Music Learning Theory (MLT): Both Scarlette and Celeste integrate MLT principles in their piano teaching with Marilyn Lowe's Music Moves for Piano, focusing on breaking down the complex tasks of reading, body movement, and artistry into separate components. They find MLT's step-by-step approach helpful in allowing students to master individual skills before integrating them into a larger whole.

• Technique in Young Beginners: They talk about the physical challenges children face due to the size mismatch between their bodies and full-sized pianos. Celeste emphasizes that addressing these issues early on prevents the development of poor habits. Both educators discuss techniques such as "air playing" and exploring rhythm through body movements before moving to the piano.

• Holistic Approach to Technique and Musicianship: The episode highlights the importance of coordinating physical movement with rhythm and musical expression. Celeste and Scarlette emphasize that slow, intentional movement leads to better coordination and rhythm production, which improves technique. They also discuss how Laban Movement Analysis and techniques from MLT are used to develop students' physical awareness at the piano.

This episode provides valuable insights into how developing healthy technique and integrating Music Learning Theory can enhance piano education, especially for young beginners. Scarlette and Celeste advocate for a purposeful, biomechanically sound approach that promotes both physical health and musical expressiveness.

Listen below or on your preferred podcast platform!

Links

Scarlette's Webinars
The Embodiment of Rhythmic Audiation at the Piano
Technique and Young Beginners : Development of motor skills and application to Keyboard Games
The Technique Checklist: Sequencing Tips to Monitor and Guide Student Technical Development

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Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano

Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.