Episode 16: Perfect Piano Posture Problems

Abby Halpin, physical therapist and coach, who helps musicians to play life loudly, chats about all the things she wishes musicians knew about their bodies and movement. 

Musicians deserve healthcare providers who know what they need, so please share this episode with a friend to get the word out to those who need to hear it! 

Today she talks about the concept of "good posture" for pianists, a review of the workshop she led for the Vermont Music Teachers Association last weekend.

Major takeaways:

1. There is no such thing as good or bad posture. Instilling that idea only makes a musician have to choose a body position and stick with it all the time in order to be good.
2. Problems arise from a lack of variety more than the actual body position itself.
3. Muscles are happiest when they are in their middle range, so whatever feels easiest, is probably right.
4. Whenever talking about posture, use sensation cues rather than action cues whenever possible to avoid a rigid strategy
5. Encourage the use of body position as a means of communication. It will allow for the variety the body needs to stay healthy at the piano for longer.

Follow Abby on Instagram or email her with any questions at abby@forteperformancept.com