The Alan Fraser Smith College Summer Piano Institute

Alan Fraser Teaching
After a successful first year, the Alan Fraser Piano Institute @ Smith College will run for 2 sessions in summer 2012:

Session I: June 10-16

Session II: June 17-24

BULLETIN: EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT EXTENDED TO MAY 17! PLUS, PAY THE FULL FEE AT ONLINE REGISTRATION AND GET AN EXTRA $50 OFF! USE THIS COUPON - FRASINST50 - TO REGISTER TODAY WITH A $50 DISCOUNT!!

Once again, the Institute will be located in Northampton Massachusetts at Sage Hall, home of the Smith College Music Department. The two fine Steinway pianos (both pre-war New York B's) in Earle Recital Hall's intimate concert space assure the highest possible level of artistic work at the Institute. Sage Hall's practice facilities also feature Steinway pianos.

The Institute is OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED PIANISTS: performing professionals, university students, studio teachers and enthusiastic amateurs both young and old...

This year Session II is one day longer than Session I, and is structured slightly differently to accommodate the interests of returning pianists, but both sessions are open to both first time and returning pianists. See workshop info for more details.

ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS receive daily: a complete piano lesson (45-60") with Alan Fraser, a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) Class, and a lecture-seminar.

AUDITORS take full part in all the above excepting the daily individual lesson.

New this year is the EVERY OTHER DAY option. Attend daily but have a private lesson only on alternate days. Go to Registration for more info.

ALAN FRASER: A MASTER TEACHER

With his background in Feldenkrais Method and his long-standing collaborations with pioneer pedagogue Phil Cohen and virtuoso Kemal Gekich, Alan Fraser is on the cutting edge of modern-day piano technique. Author of two major books on piano technique, The Craft of Piano Playing and Honing the Pianistic Self-Image, Fraser uses his deep knowledge of body mechanics to transform your musical expression at the piano. He'll help you develop not only the hand power, but also the coordination to rediscover the piano's ability to sound like an entire orchestra, giving you a much wider range of tonal colors.

Fraser's teaching is especially effective because he not only knows a great deal about piano technique, but possesses exceptional skills as a communicator: he has spent literally decades developing effective ways of transmitting this new knowledge to his students.

FELDENKRAIS METHOD- Each day your individual lesson is supplemented by a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) Class that helps you feel in your whole body the coordination you need in your hands. This exceptionally effective combination is unique to Fraser's approach.

OBSERVATION - often students learn much by watching others grapple with the same problems and hearing how others transform their sound. The experience is communal - we all grow in our understanding together.

INJURY PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION - if you suffer from performance injury, let Fraser's combination of pure hands-on Feldenkrais lessons and work at the piano improve your condition in a way that simply can¹t be found elsewhere.

AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - experience Fraser's pedagogical regime at close quarters, and put the potent ideas of Craft of Piano Method into practice in your own playing and teaching.

To get a taste of what awaits you at the Alan Fraser Piano Institute, watch some online videos of full length piano lessons. See how the application of Fraser's ideas works in practice to transform his students' sound, agility and musical understanding.

Live out west? Consider attending the Institute's Western Division held in Salt Lake City in July.

Download this workshop poster, print it out and post it at your music school! Spread the word, get your friends to come too!