| TRAINING The Lister-Sink Method |
THE LISTER-SINK METHOD
The Lister-Sink Method is a step-by-step, rational, scientifically informed, accessible system for teaching the sensations and coordinations of healthful, injury-preventive keyboard technique from the foundational level of sound production to the most complex kinetic patterns. It assumes that playing a keyboard is an activity of the whole body, not just the arms, hands and fingers. It is one of the only consistently successful methods developed in the late 20th century to convey effectively the biomechanical knowledge, sensations and coordinations necessary to prevent injury and to promote consistently good coordination and development of full artistic potential.
Many things in life are completely out of our control. Playing the piano (or any keyboard) with ease, agility, flexibility, power and tonal control, and without unnecessary tension, discomfort, or injury, for an entire lifetime, is not one of them. It is possible to play the piano with all of those characteristics, and to develop our full musical potential without physical impediments, throughout our entire lifetime. Sadly, this possibility is not recognized nor promoted widely enough in the global music world. Statistically, the incidence of playing-related injury continues to hover around 60-75% into the 21st century. The wasted talent, thwarted careers, financial loss, demoralization and loss of joy in music-making are widespread. Most of this is preventable through knowledge of the principles of good coordination, biomechanics and the mechanics of our instruments. Positive advances have been made toward a more biomechanically enlightened way of playing. Concern for wellness has been on the rise in the music industry worldwide, and advances have been made in holistic health, sports and dance medicine, and technological tools. Specific knowledge of how the body works best can be found in many sources--sports medicine, movement disciplines (Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais), dance medicine, functional anatomy, etc. Given these advances, historically we now have the possibility for ridding the keyboard world of its damaging ignorance and potentially injurious problems. Keyboardists now have the right to expect 1) to have readily available the knowledge of how to play their instruments as healthfully as possible, and 2) to be able to maximize their artistic potential through removing the physical impediments to playing. Click here to read more: |
