🎹 Welcome to The Healthy Piano Virtuoso This space is for pianists, teachers, and movement thinkers ready to learn how the body works best—developing virtuoso technique in a safe, sustainable way. Whether you're recovering from injury, navigating focal dystonia, or simply seeking a more ergonomic approach to piano playing, this is a space for structured care, supportive community, and musical growth. Through my own journey—including a full recovery from focal dystonia—I’ve developed protocols for injury prevention, mindset shifts, and Taubman-informed technique. I believe virtuosity isn’t forced—it’s cultivated through an embodied understanding of efficient movement. Here, we refuse performance traps—the habits and pressures that distort healthy technique: - Over-practicing for perfection instead of clarity - Tension masked as intensity - Prioritizing speed or volume over fluency - Performing for approval rather than authorship - Ignoring pain or fatigue to meet external expectations You’ll find resources, discussions, and support for: - Nervous system-informed piano technique - Movement strategies that support dynamic weight transfer and leverage - New protocols for focal dystonia recovery - Teaching strategies from someone who has lived through the immense challenge of recovery - Ergonomic approaches for pianists at all levels seeking fluency without fatigue You’ll also find a bit of fun: community spotlights, shared breakthroughs, and a few gamified surprises to keep things lively. Whether you post weekly or just observe quietly, your presence matters.

I would like to share some reviews of my teaching: Mark D. Working with Rachel has revolutionized my piano playing. At the age of 62 in 2024, most of my training occurred in the 1970's. I had not been aware that there was a way to play the piano without stretching the fingers or twisting the arms at the wrist. Nor had I had a concept of rotation, where we use the large muscles of the arm to give power to a key strike rather than coming straight down onto the keys. On the one hand, when I have any kind of pain in my arms, I am now keenly aware that using these techniques alleviates the pain tremendously in a way I did not before know was possible. At another level, I find that there is tremendously less mental as well as physical stress in my playing overall. Having small hands, even playing melodic octaves was a stretch for me using my previous technique. Now with the concept of "lateral rotation", I no longer have to stretch the octave in order to play it melodically. I am learning to let go of one of the notes of the octave and allow my entire hand and forearm to travel across the piano. I now have the sense that my hands are literally "dancing" across the piano keys in a way that is much more effortless than it was before. I had to overcome the fear of missing the note I was moving to without stretching to "measure" the distance. Once I let go of that fear, which was/is a gradual process, I found that the fear was unfounded. Bless the young student who studies with Rachel and never learns a more rigid way of playing, as they will enjoy such an ease of playing from the beginning of their training. Bless also the student who at any age has discovered Rachel and is able to study with her, even from a distance online. I have found that I have learned a tremendous amount even just in phone conversations, and even more when she has been generous enough to make a custom video for me addressing a specific concern of mine regarding technique. I am enormously grateful that I have been able to learn from Rachel, and I use the techniques I've learned from her on a daily basis as I accompany the college music students I work with.