Just Being at the Piano

by Mildred Portney Chase

"...Works toward developing the musician's sensory awareness of the sound, of the touch, of what the entire body is experiencing, so that each tone may sing." - Lee Strasberg

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

97 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[DChristina]

Perfect summary by Lee Strasberg: "....Works toward developing the musician's sensory awareness of the sound, of the touch, of what the entire body is experiencing, so that each tone may sing."

This may be an excellent book for anyone who wants to or tends to delve into a deeper connection to whatever one is doing ... She has suggestions and exercises for becoming more sensitive physically as well as intuitively to playing the piano while one is touching, learning, playing, teaching, improvising, performing, and developing insights about one's tendencies. It certainly has applications to all life. It's an easy read. Exercises are interesting and give one a bit of insight into how her mind operates and how she's managed to share a completely free-flowing expression conveying "quietude...feeling of timelessness" similar to her experience of being in nature. "Playing the piano is just one more way of being, if we let it." It's a little treasure!

[Margaret Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful book demystifies the process of playing the piano. It cuts through the intellectual and physical complexities of the process by focusing on the joy inherent in the experiential aspect of being in the here and now during one's practice and performance time. An excellent read!
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[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much of it over my head musically, but the little that seeps in is well worth it.

[Witoldzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written straight from the heart, the book might be considered outdated today, but I think is quite the opposite. The author speaks with simple language full of humility, without any pseudo-intellectual pretentiousness. The book should be read slowly, with proper attention to the hidden gems it contains, hidden under the guise of simplicity. Because, like someone said, the most profound wisdom is also surprisingly simple. Maybe that is why it is so evasive.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem - for music and for living

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book of of reflections about playing piano and simply making music.