Warm-Ups Revisited - A Body / Mind Approach

Most pianists are aware that, like athletes, it is essential to warm-up before practising demanding music. By doing so, we avoid tension and injury, awakening and stretching our bodies to do their best and to feel good during practice.

But what about warming up the mind to practise? Warm-ups are not just about doing scales and arpeggios. Successful practise requires the right mindset – alert, free of distractions and ready to focus.

In this two-part video lecture, William Westney re-thinks warming up as an integrated process for both body and mind. He provides an effortless approach - a relaxed, focused and therapeutic process that only takes a few minutes and has lasting benefits for healthy, productive practising.

Video 1: Introduction to The Body / Mind Warm-Up

This video introduces the body-mind warm-up, explaining the underlying ideas and why this “re-thinking” of warming-up is needed.

Video 2: How The Body / Mind Warm-Up Works

Following on from the introduction to the body-mind warm-up, this video provides a demonstration of it and an application to a specific piece of repertoire.

Together these videos provide a simple and effective process that prepares body and mind for a highly rewarding practice session – focused in mind and comfortable in body.

Author

William Westney

William Westney is recognised internationally as both a master performer and award-winning teacher. After winning the top piano prize in the Geneva International Competition, he performed to acclaim on four continents. His uniquely insightful, refreshing and empowering contributions to piano pedagogy include the innovative performance workshop The Un-Master Class®, the trailblazing book The Perfect Wrong Note (40,000 copies sold worldwide) and his latest book, Eros at the Piano: The Life-Energy of Classical Music.

Author profile >>

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