Sign up for Madeline's free newsletter, Performing Beyond Fear, and receive a free chapter from her book. I help pianists unlock their full potential so they can perform with freedom, confidence, and expressive power. You can learn how to do this. You can learn a way of preparing for performance that brings out the best in you onstage.
And the preparation itself can bring you a new level of joy that feeds into your performing. Before studying with Madeline I struggled for years with debilitating performance anxiety and frustration. She enabled me to recapture my earlier love for music and performing and to raise the level of my playing to an astonishing degree.
And the preparation itself can bring you a new level of joy that feeds into your performing. Before studying with Madeline I struggled for years with debilitating performance anxiety and frustration. She enabled me to recapture my earlier love for music and performing and to raise the level of my playing to an astonishing degree.
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Author of the acclaimed book The Art of Practicing, NYC-based pianist Madeline Bruser has taught musicians from Italy, Spain, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Romania, Kosovo, Greece, Kenya, Israel, Australia, Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US, both in person and online. Committed to helping musicians release physical and mental tension, she includes mindfulness-awareness practices in her teaching to help musicians transform their playing.
You can trust your body at the piano and continually find solutions to technical problems. Gaining real understanding about how your body works at the piano can make all the difference. You can learn to recognize and release physical tension that has been limiting your freedom at the instrument.
And when you combine this knowledge with all the work on listening, rhythmic organization, mental clarity, and heart connection, piano lessons offer a comprehensive path to expressive power in performance.No one should feel uncomfortable playing the piano. Experiencing physical energy moving freely through your body in relationship to the piano is joyful and life-giving.
And when you combine this knowledge with all the work on listening, rhythmic organization, mental clarity, and heart connection, piano lessons offer a comprehensive path to expressive power in performance.No one should feel uncomfortable playing the piano. Experiencing physical energy moving freely through your body in relationship to the piano is joyful and life-giving.
The first non-pianist who asked me to help him was a trombonist. I was surprised and intrigued-he was an advanced player and I didn't know what would happen, and I told him I had no knowledge of technique for his instrument. But right away, when I saw him leaning his whole body forward as he moved the slide forward, I sensed he'd play with more freedom if he stood upright instead-that this would better support his forward arm movements.
Do you wonder if you're missing some necessary skill that would help you get past performance anxiety? Do you feel like something is in your way that keeps you from playing the way you dream of for an audience? Visualize being able to let go of tension and self-doubt and feel more joy and expressive freedom at the piano.
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart is available at bookstores everywhere. You can also purchase it online. Madeline Bruser has put together a valuable and insightful look at the art of practicing. I've often thought of practice as 'playing' in the stretching, somersault, skipping, serenely special sense of the word, and The Art of Practicing reaffirms that.
Reviews (10)
William Restemeyer
Jan 31, 2019
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About five years ago I returned to the piano after years of neglect. One lucky day I happened upon a copy of "The Art of Practicing" by Madeline Bruser. Learning to practice better was exactly what I needed. Madeline advocates a relaxed technique (and I really needed to learn to relax when playing). After studying with her for almost a year and a half my hands are much more relaxed and I'm playing more musically—she's helping me reverse 60 years of bad habits. She's found the secrets and knows how to teach them. Highly recommended.
Jonathan Ryfiak Jack
Jan 20, 2019
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My experience with Madeline has been more than just piano lessons. Madeline's approach to music, and the piano has brought me to a deeper level and connection than I could have ever imagined before. Before meeting Madeline, music to me was mostly just attempting to play notes on a page accurately, and not placing much attention to the deeper connection to the music that exists. When starting a lesson with Madeline, you begin to re-learn how to approach your instrument, how to ground yourself, how to connect with your heart and your feelings; tuning yourself to the instrument and the piece of music
Gabrielle Shatan
Jun 13, 2018
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I have been working with Madeline Bruser for several years now and have gained so much. We first worked on improving my overall technique from my posture to my hand position to how I move my arms while playing. More recently we have been focusing on musicality and I have seen the quality of my playing improve a great deal. Our lessons are filled wit hard work, laughter and fostering a deeper connection to the music. I highly recommend Madeline if you want to bring your playing to the next level!
Lirong Liu
Jun 12, 2018
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I have been studying with Madeline for about one year. Before that, I tended to think of playing the piano as something that requires certain muscle strength. Holding that belief prevented me from being musical when performing. Madeline completely changed my understand of piano. She started with teaching me basic movements for arms, wrists and fingers, which I now believe is the most natural way of interacting with the piano. Then she added singing and meditation to the process which helped me hear every note and phrase while I am playing. The ability of noticing the sound created by myself allows
Tracy Stuchbery
Feb 05, 2017
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Madeline's approach to teaching is long overdue in the world of classical music pedagogy. It is enlightening, liberating and fundamentally sound instruction on how to develop the whole artist. Learning and adopting the "Art of Practicing" teachings will transform your music and your whole being, bringing joy and meaning to every moment spent at your instrument, be it in the practice room or on the concert stage.
Jennie Berkson
Jan 16, 2017
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For me, Madeline's approach of playing simple pieces, very slowly, with very clearly defined gestures has given me a structure within which I can feel not only profoundly connected to the music but also develop more ease and confidence about my body in relation to the instrument. Previous teachers have encouraged me to incorporate different parts of similar techniques, but I was never able to use their guidance to my advantage in quite the same way as I have with Madeline's. Her familiarity with meditation and body awareness practice informs her teaching in a rich way as well, which is also an
Kristin Samadi
Nov 29, 2015
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Madeline is a fantastic piano instructor, honing in on sound, technique, posture, mindfulness, finding the correct bench height, and so much more. On top of that, she is also a phenomenal mentor. Overall, Madeline is an extremely genuine person who truly cares about the well-being of all her students. I have been studying with her consistently since May 2015 and have already made a great deal of progress in my playing. Although my first piano teacher noticed that I had problems with my fifth fingers from the very start, I didn't receive proper advice on how to resolve this issue until I started
Teresa Blount
Jul 07, 2015
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Madeline's knowledge, wisdom and insight as a teacher go far beyond the notes and piano instruction. She awakens the absolute joy of not only playing, but also hearing the beauty and miracle of music. She inspires trust and confidence in the ability to let your heart sing that goes far beyond playing an instrument. She is an inspiration to live life as art.
Todd Anderson
Jan 07, 2014
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Madeline is an incredible piano teacher. Her approach to teaching piano technique is superb. For those who seek beginning lessons, Madeline ensures that a strong technical foundation is laid. Advanced students benefit from her technical expertise by way of her unique ability to identify subtle technical issues and provide solutions for addressing them. Beyond her knowledge and skill regarding piano technique, she teaches in a student-centered way, ensuring that students connect deeply with the piano as an instrument and the music they play. I highly recommend Madeline to anyone seeking piano lessons
Jill Carr
Jul 09, 2013
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Studying with Madeline has totally changed my experience with the piano. I actually enjoy practicing and practice more efficiently. My posture and technique have improved, but mostly, I just feel so much more connected to the music. I am trying to focus on actually listening to what I play, and this helps me to play much more beautifully. I always come out of my lesson exhilarated and eager to apply whatever I have learned. I know that studying with Madeline will take me to the level that is the best for me, and that is very rewarding for me. I also respect her so much in so many ways that I feel
