Peter Jancewicz

Workshops

Since moving to Alberta in 1986, I have been asked to give workshops on various topics, including baroque ornamentation, elements of style in different musical periods, various pedagogical issues such as developping sound technique and artistic interpretation. One major event in my career seemed to focus my interest; I developped a repetitive strain injury in both hands, and spent several long, frustrating and often painful years recovering. While I was busy seeking treatment, getting physiotherapy and not playing the piano (unless you count a couple of minutes spent each day playing single notes pp), I decided to start composing. My two favourite workshops stem from these events; the injury and my subsequent detour into the world of composition. The workshops, described below, are: "Playing with Ease", and "A Composer's Reading of the Score". I am also available for recitals and masterclasses.

Playing with Ease

The following is a proposal I sent to the MTNA/CFMTA/RCM Collaborative Conference, and as a result, was invited to present at the conference in Toronto, March, 2007.

In my experience as a teacher and festival adjudicator, I have found that many student pianists play unmusically. I believe that it is not because they lack inherent musicality, but rather that their physical and mental habits turn the joy of music making into a grim struggle. This was also a problem in my own playing and about fifteen years ago, my habits and attitudes resulted in a repetitive strain injury which prevented me from performing for several years. In this lecture/demonstration, I present the results of my findings during the long, frustrating path to my recovery. They have helped me and my students play with ease and fluency, and helped remove many of the obstacles to expressive playing.

To play with ease, two major areas need to be examined. First, the pianist should understand what the piano requires to produce good and varied tone. Most students regard the piano as a mysterious black box, not realizing the direct connection between how they touch the keys and how the piano sounds. Second, the pianist should understand and respect the way their bodies and minds work. Fluent playing depends on a practical knowledge of a) physical and psychological issues involved in moving effortlessly, b) how to put those issues into practice, and c) how they affect the sound of the piano. The demonstration includes suggestions on where to focus attention during practice and communicating through analogy and imagery to help students put “play” back into playing the piano.

Playing with Confidence

After sustaining an RSI to my hands, I spent a great deal of time and thought on technique. What caused the problem? What was I doing physically? As I worked at it and improved, I found that my confidence rose dramatically. There were many things that now worked, and my playing improved by leaps and bounds. And yet, there was always still this gnawing lack of confidence in myself. The more I was aware of that, the more I noticed the same sort of thing in my students. I noticed that they would get in a snit about the simplest things; as did I. I noticed that in many instances, they were convinced that what they had to do was difficult or impossible; as did I. I’m sure these were not conscious thoughts, but convictions held on some deeper level that influenced everything they did. And everything I did. Including my teaching. And then one day, it dawned on me. It doesn’t have to be this way. If I lack confidence, there must be a way to change that. If my students lack confidence, it must be possible to help them change that. So, I started chipping away at the problem, observing, testing, questioning… what is happening? why is this anxiety happening? Under what circumstances does this crippling anxiety make an appearance? There is nothing that sucks the joy out of making music faster than this chronic lack of confidence, and I was determined to find ways around this problem. I am still working at it. What I would like to present is the product of several years of research in the lab I call my studio. These are all the things that I struggle with on a daily basis. These are the things I have to learn and re-learn on a daily basis. I don’t have all the answers, but I would like to give you some things to think about that may help your own and your students’ confidence.

A Composer's Reading of the Score

When I began composing, I was suddenly confronted with the necessity to take often vague ideas of sound that resonated in my head, and transcribe them on to a piece of paper so that others could play my music. What a nightmare! (The transcribing part, not the music!) I had to re-think many of the things that as a performer, I had merely taken for granted. How can I convey certain types of articulation... Liszt and Bartok had numerous markings for suggesting various levels of staccato and accentuation. Should I use markings or words? Italian or English? Or German? What exactly does the time signature mean? I mean, every student knows (and barks out the answer on command) that 4/4 time means fourbeatsperbarthequarternotegetsthebeat. (I have decided that this must be all one word, because that's how they say it! No punctuation, no breathing, eyes glazed and empty, face expressionless.) Is the placement of a slur really that important? What about how the eighth notes are beamed together? Or which way the stems go? What does f mean, or mp? In fact, why bother to play with dynamics at all? Aren't just getting the right notes and rhythm enough?

In order to accurately read and interpret a score, it is very useful to get into the mind of a composer and imagine the issues they were confronted with when writing the score. In this workshop, I present and discuss these issues that have an immediate and audible effect on the way music is performed. Once they are understood, and the student's eye is trained to immediately see the interpretive possibilites in the score, they generally learn to play musically and expressively much sooner and with a conviction that comes from a better understanding of the composer's intentions.

These workshops can be tailored for most levels of repertoire and teaching. I will be happy to include specific repertoire in either workshop. If you are interested in booking a workshop or masterclass, please don't hesitate to contact me for schedulling and fee information.

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