Inside the Taubman Approach

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Welcome to Inside the Taubman Approach, I’m Benjamin Harding.
Today’s episode is a must listen. We welcome the great Edna Golandsky to the podcast to discuss her new book: The Taubman Approach to Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide to Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential. Part one of the interview is today and next week we will have part two. 

You can visit Edna’s website to purchase this book.
I have my copy in front of me that I purchased on Amazon.

You can also get it on Barnes and Noble. 

Did you know that Edna has a weekly podcast show on her YouTube channel. 

Let’s get into today’s episode!

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

Hey there, it’s Benjamin Harding. Welcome to Inside the Taubman Approach. We’re stepping into a brand-new season of the podcast, and it’s a thrilling time for us here at the Golandsky Institute. Why, you ask? Because next week, September 10th, Edna Golandsky’s highly anticipated book is hitting the shelves! Have you reserved your copy yet? If not, now’s the time—trust me, it’s an incredible read. https://www.ednagolandsky.com/taubman-approach-book

So, today’s episode is titled “3 Reasons Why I Think You Need to Listen to Next Week’s Episode.” And let me tell you, you’re not going to want to miss this.

Reason Number 1:

Next week, we have a very special guest on the podcast—drum roll, please—Edna Golandsky herself! Whenever we get the chance to hear from our master teachers at the Golandsky Institute, it’s a moment to treasure. Edna’s contributions have been foundational. Without her, this institute wouldn’t exist, and the Taubman Approach might have remained a footnote in the history of piano pedagogy. This is a rare opportunity to gain insight directly from one of the pillars of our field.

Reason Number 2:

Edna will be diving into why she decided to write this book. You’ll get an exclusive look into her motivations and the inspiration behind it. It’s not every day that you hear from the author about the journey and thought process that led to such a significant work. If you’ve ever wondered what drove her to pen this book, this episode will answer that and more.

Reason Number 3:

We’re also going to get some insights that aren’t in the book. The Taubman Approach is a living, evolving body of knowledge. It’s shaped by its practitioners and the ongoing exploration of its principles. Edna will share some fresh perspectives and additional insights that you won’t find in the book, giving you even more value and understanding of the Taubman Approach.

So mark your calendars and tune in next week. This is an episode packed with invaluable insights and a deep dive into the heart of the Taubman Approach.

Thanks for joining me today. Until next time, keep exploring and keep playing.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

On today's episode the brilliant pianist, Andrew King, shares about his incredible journey of reaching new artistic heights through the Taubman Approach. He has been studying this work with master teacher, Robert Durso, for two decades.

His quest to finding a comprehensive piano technique was on his heart for many years until one day, serendipitously he was making eggs in a communal kitchen in Vienna when someone shared with him the Taubman Approach.

You will have to listen to the full episode to hear about his journey which includes a sketchy treatment for pain offered by a teacher which included bunches of garlic and whacking his hand with a Bible. Don't miss it! Here we go.

http://andrewkingpianist.com/

Pianist Andrew King is a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist based in Connecticut.  Mr. King has performed throughout the Northeast, including to a sold-out hall at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as soloist and with his colleague, soprano Julie Reumert.  He has played in masterclasses for several world-class pianists and pedagogues, including Edna Golandsky, Ilya Itin, Paul Roberts, Yael Weiss, and Robert Wyatt. After winning many local competitions by age 17, Mr. King went on to Bowdoin College to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. He subsequently completed his master’s degree in piano performance from the Hartt School of Music as the recipient of the William S. Vincent Scholarship. While studying in Vienna, Austria, he and violist Sean Reilly won the first prize in chamber music for the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) program in 2003, and they performed with musicians from Milan, Italy.  Mr. King regularly performs on the St. John’s Summer Music Concert Series in Williamstown, Massachusetts.  

In addition to performing, Mr. King continues to refine his technique as both student and teacher. He is a Certified Associate Instructor of the Taubman Approach, the groundbreaking and transformative approach to piano playing that provides the necessary tools for musical expressiveness through healthy motions at the keyboard. He has studied extensively with Robert Durso, master Taubman teacher and co-founder of the Golandsky Institute, in New York; he was also a student of Gerald Stofsky in Vienna, and Margreet Francis and David Westfall at the Hartt School of Music. After teaching as faculty of the Hartt School Community Division for many years, Mr. King now offers private lessons, both online and at his home studio in Connecticut. He is a long-standing member of the Hartford Chapter of the Connecticut State Music Teachers Association, through which his students have frequently placed in local competitions. He also serves as an adjudicator for piano competitions and presents introductory workshops on the Taubman Approach. For more information, please visit andrewkingpianist.com.

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

Well, in North America at least, we are in the "dog days" of Summer. It's hot; we're on vacation; and, we are getting ready to get back into the Fall with regular rhythms of teaching and life! 
It's a perfect time for you to sign up for the streaming service at www.golandskyinstitute.org. The quality of the content on our streaming service is not be to be found anywhere else and it is world class. 
On today's episode, we give a little snippet of a lecture presented by John Bloomfield on polyrhythms. Enjoy! 

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

 www.bethgrace.com
Elizabeth Mueller Grace, NCTM, enjoys a multi-faceted career as performer, teacher, clinician and adjudicator. An award-winning pianist, her performances have been praised for their “depth of sound, intelligent interpretation and fluid technique.” (Omaha World Herald)
A frequent collaborator, Ms. Grace is a member of the Capriole Duo with Barbara Leibundguth, former co-principal flutist in the Minnesota Orchestra. The acclaimed ensemble has performed extensively together throughout the United States since 1984. The Duo was chosen to perform at the National Flute Conference in Chicago, toured under the auspices of the Midwest Arts Council and was featured on the Ruel Joyce Series in Kansas City. Ms. Grace has appeared with the Ives Quartet on the Chamber Music Tulsa Series, and has performed in ensembles nationwide, including at the University of Texas, University of Denver, Drake University and the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. Ms. Ms. Grace regularly concertizes with Dr. Janet Fetterman in duo-piano and four-hand collaborations. The duo was featured as the Conference Artists for the Missouri Federation State Convention.
Ms. Grace was selected as a 2021 Steinway and Sons Top Teacher and was the winner of the 2014 Kansas Outstanding Teacher of the Year. A dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, she has taught at Rice University, Houston, Texas and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Her students frequently win top prizes in competitions and festivals.
Ms. Grace is certified at the Master Level of the Taubman Approach through the Golandsky Institute, New York City, and has been involved with the Taubman Approach since 1986.  She regularly coaches with Edna Golandsky and John Bloomfield, New York City. She has extensive experience teaching the principles of injury prevention and recovery. Her work with injured musicians is described in Preventing and Resolving Piano Injury and is featured onMajoringinMusic.com and MTNA.org.
The recipient of numerous prizes and awards, Ms. Grace served as Keyboardist in the Houston Symphony, Topeka Symphony and as Principal Keyboardist in the Omaha Symphony. For fifteen years, she was a member of the performing artist faculty of Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado and served as the Center’s Music Director for eight years.
Ms. Grace graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University.  She was the first recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Fellowship Award given for advanced musical study.

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

You are going to love today's episode! Barbara Banacos is an inspiration. 

As a young pianist, she endured an injury that manifested itself as a form of dystonia. This is significant because it is not well-understood in the medical community. The Taubman Approach can help you if you are struggling with a devastating injury. Some of us are experiencing devastating injuries in regards to playing the piano. We are here to help! Go to Golandskyinstitute.org and we will get you connected to a teacher to help you. 

If you could list my website and social media in the show notes I'd greatly appreciate it!
Website: www.barbarabanacos.com
Instagram.com/barbara.banacos
Facebook: Barbara Banacos Piano Studio
youtube.com/@barbarabanacos

Barbara Banacos is the daughter of world-renowned jazz educator Charlie Banacos and pianist/educator Margaret Banacos. She began teaching in her mother's studio in 1997. Ms. Banacos teaches children and adults from beginner to advanced levels with a focus on classical music and offers advanced technical training in the Taubman Approach. 

While completing her undergrad and graduate degrees in music from CUNY Hunter College, Ms. Banacos ran a private studio in Millburn/Short Hills, NJ and taught at Montclair State University Preparatory School. Since returning to the Boston area in 2003, Ms. Banacos teaches in-home private lessons in Lexington and Winchester, MA and at her home studio in Hamilton, MA. She has also taught remotely since 2010, reaching students as far away as Malaysia and New Zealand.

One of only three teachers in the Boston area certified in the Taubman Approach, Ms. Banacos has studied with Robert Durso of the Golandsky Institute since 1997. She is certified at the Associate level with the Golandsky Institute, is adjunct faculty for their annual summer symposiums at Princeton University and has led their support groups for many years. She has presented lectures on piano technique at the Golandsky Institute Boston Workshops and was invited to teach at the Danilo Pérez Foundation in Panama, assisting Edna Golandsky. Check out the Golandsky Institute and info/videos about the Taubman Approach here. Other significant teachers include Edna Golandsky, Charlie Banacos, Garry Dial and Lefteris Kordis.

Ms. Banacos has performed as a soloist, accompanist and in numerous piano duos with her favorite duet partner, Margaret Banacos.

(If you are looking to study the lessons of Charlie Banacos via online lessons taught by Garry Dial, click here for more information or inquire by emailing Barbara at [email protected])

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

John Bloomfield is a Ken­tucky native and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Furman University in Greenville, S.C. An award-winning solo and chamber pianist, he has been broadcast by Public Radio in New England and has been heard on the air in New York under the auspices of Ars Viva. He earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and since then has been a long-term student of Dorothy Taubman and Edna Go­landsky. He has taught at Adelphi University and in the pre-college division of the Manhattan School of Music. In demand as a clinician and adjudicator around the country, he has lectured at a number of colleges and universities. He was invited several times to teach in Taiwan and has been a featured presenter at the Breckenridge Music Institute, state MTA conventions, and the MTNA Conventions in 2005, 2009, and 2014. He was the keynote speaker at the 2007 MTA convention in California. He was guest artist at the University of Alabama in 2013. He traveled to Australia in 2014 to teach and present lectures on the Taubman Approach. Mr. Bloomfield maintains a studio in New York City, where he is also a performance associ­ate at Hunter College and an adjunct instructor at Queens College. He travels regularly to Portland, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area to con­sult and give lessons. He is a co-founder and senior director of the Golandsky Institute, which he also serves as faculty chair.

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

Grammy award winning pianist Bill Charlap has performed with many of the leading artists of our time including Phil Woods, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan, Wynton Marsalis, Freddy Cole and Houston Person. Born in New York City, Charlap began playing the piano at age three. His father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, whose credits include Peter Pan, and his mother is singer Sandy Stewart, who toured with Benny Goodman, and was a regular on the Perry Como show. She earned a 1963 Grammy nomination for her recording of “My Coloring Book." In 2005, Charlap and Stewart released the acclaimed CD, Love Is Here To Stay (Blue Note).

In 1997, Charlap formed his trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. In 2000, he was signed to Blue Note Records and received two Grammy Award nominations, for Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein and The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard. He is known for his interpretations of American popular song.. Time magazine wrote, “Bill Charlap approaches a song the way a lover approaches his beloved…no matter how imaginative or surprising his take on a song is, he invariably zeroes in on its essence.” In 2016, Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining, The Songs of Jerome Kern, was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album. In April, the Bill Charlap Trio released, Notes from New York, their debut recording for the Impulse label. Alan Morrison's five-star review in Down Beat stated that the new recording is "a masterclass in class."

In 2019, Charlap will be celebrating his 15th year as Artistic Director of New York City’s Jazz in July Festival at 92Y. He has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Chicago Symphony Center and the Hollywood Bowl. Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist and composer Renee Rosnes, and the two artists often collaborate in a duo piano setting. In 2010 Charlap and Rosnes released Double Portrait (Blue Note). Bill Charlap is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.


https://www.billcharlap.com/

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

In 2022, I (Benjamin Harding) had a podcast entitled, Piano Explored. I had the amazing opportunity to interview Edna Golandsky. My life has forever been changed. And so - today's episode is rather personal for me.

This interview changed my life and I know it will have an affect on you as you listen.

Here are the show notes from that particular episode.

I hope you gain a glimpse into the great work that the Golandsky Institute is doing for musicians and especially, pianists. Founded by my guest today, Edna Golandsky, the Golandsky Institute has given insight to millions into how to play the piano pain-free.

Edna Golandsky is one of the premiere students of Dorothy Taubman. Visit her websites listed in the descriptions below.

Edna Golandsky is a world-renowned piano pedagogue and the leading exponent of the Taubman Approach. She has earned wide acclaim throughout the United States and abroad for her pedagogical expertise, and for using the Taubman piano technique. She is also known for her extraordinary ability to solve technical problems and for her penetrating musical insight.

​Ms. Golandsky started piano study in Israel at the age of eight. A gifted pianist, she played recitals at the age of ten and was performing with orchestras by the age of twelve. Ms. Golandsky came to the United States when she was sixteen years old, and was immediately accepted to the Juilliard School in their Preparatory Division.  

She remained at Juilliard for the next eight years, studying with Jane Carlson, Rosina Lhevinne and Adele Marcus, and graduating with bachelor and master’s degrees in piano performance.

​She has been featured in The New York Times,Classical Music UK, Authority Magazine, Piano & Keyboard Magazine, The Clavier Companion, New Work Weekly, Thrive Global and has written for The Strad, Interlude, TopMusic, Piano Marvel, and The Cross-Eyed Pianist among others.

The Golandsky Institute was established in 2003 by Edna Golandsky, John Bloomfield, Robert Durso and Mary Moran to bring high-level training in the Taubman Approach to the musical community. This Approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical limitations and playing-related injuries. The aim of the Institute is to provide musicians with a foundation that allows for full artistic expression and the development of virtuosic technical ability.
The work of the Golandsky Institute is presented internationally through private instruction, lectures, master classes, workshops, performances and symposiums by a team of expertly trained faculty members and teachers who are all highly regarded in their own right. In addition, the Institute produces critically acclaimed learning materials, including several series of DVDs, a photo-r

This Summer, Edna Golandsky, renowned pedagogue and leading expert on the Taubman Approach will release her first book with Amplify Publishing Group. Entitled ‘The Taubman Approach To Piano Technique: A Comprehensive Guide To Overcome Physical Limitations and Unlock Your Full Pianistic Potential.’ Visit: www.ednagolandsky.com to learn more.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.

Send us a text

Take your piano playing to the next level this summer from the comfort of your own home at the Golandsky Institute Summer Symposium, taking place live online from July 12 to 15. This Symposium offers an invaluable experience of engaging with peers and experts of the Taubman Approach of piano playing through lectures, interactive problem-solving sessions, and one-on-one guidance. On top of the informative sessions, the Symposium also gives exceptional opportunities to participants through masterclasses, and exclusive performances by world-renowned concert artists, Ilya Itin and Josu de Solaun. And if you miss any of it because of your schedule, you have unlimited access to all the recorded sessions for three months after the live sessions are over. For more information, visit golandskyinstitute.org and take advantage of the early bird discount which ends on June 12.

The Golandsky Institute's mission is to provide cutting-edge instruction to pianists based on the groundbreaking work of Dorothy Taubman. This knowledge can help them overcome technical and musical challenges, cure and prevent playing-related injuries, and lead them to achieve their highest level of artistic excellence.
Please visit our website at: www.golandskyinstitute.org.