Workshops

Mindfulness, Confidence & Performance

In addition to teaching at our weeklong summer program, Madeline Bruser and our senior teachers offer workshops in Mindfulness, Confidence, & Performance at college music departments, high schools, music teachers’ organizations, and other institutions. This training can be taught in four one-hour modules, which can be expanded, combined, or adapted to meet the needs of students.

Each workshop includes:

  • Instruction in a specific technique
  • A question-and-answer session

The four modules are:

1. Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation

Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation workshops teach mental techniques for establishing basic presence of mind.

Technique: mindfulness of breathing

Results:

  • Clears the mind and opens perceptions and intuition for practice and performance
  • Reduces stress
  • Increases mental focus
  • Strengthens stage presence
  • Familiarizes musician with state of flow that happens in performance

2. Body and Sound Awareness

Body and Sound Awareness workshops focus on a combination of two techniques using one’s instrument.

Techniques: body scan and mindfulness of sounds and sensations

Results:

  • Connects the musician to full capacity for appreciating sound while playing
  • Enriches sound quality
  • Allows musician to play with more emotional intensity yet less physical tension
  • Creates more engaged and engaging performance
  • Strengthens artistic conviction
  • Deepens familiarity with state of flow, contributing toward confidence in performance

3. The Performing Beyond Fear exercise

The Performing Beyond Fear exercise is a 7-minute technique for rousing confidence. Click to hear the new audio.

Technique: contemplation

Results:

  • Increases communicative power
  • Shifts mental focus from self-consciousness to generosity onstage
  • Transforms stage fright into confidence

4. Focusing

Focusing is a mindfulness technique for developing awareness of visceral and emotional energies used in making music.

Technique: mindfulness of inner body sensations

Results:

  • Increases availability of emotional energies for making music
  • Increases range of emotional expression
  • Clears negative energies that block musical impulses

 

Teacher Training

The Institute trains teachers in instrumental instruction through its annual summer program and in private sessions and workshops conducted by Madeline Bruser and senior teachers at our individual studios, online, and at college music departments and music teachers’ organizations.

Certification Process

For Pianists:

Founding teacher Madeline Bruser offers two levels of Teacher Certification for pianists. If you live outside of the New York area, you may study privately with Ms. Bruser online and attend teachers’ workshops and performance workshops in New York City to suit your schedule.

Level 1 Certification

Level 1 focuses on basic techniques of the Art of Practicing. Those who wish to participate in part of Level 1 may do so on a non-certification basis. Participants pursuing Level 1 Certification will:

  • Pursue piano lessons with Ms. Bruser
  • Observe and participate in performance workshops
  • Practice teaching basic techniques of the Art of Practicing in piano teachers’ workshops
  • Give oral presentations on Piano Technique Streamlining and Musicianship Essentials

Level 2 Certification

Level 2 certification focuses on developing more advanced skills as a teacher of the Art of Practicing. Underlying this work is the theme of working with the student as a whole person and deepening one’s understanding of teaching as a creative dialogue. Participants will:

  • Teach private instrumental lessons to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students under supervision
  • Explore and study the practice of mindfulness and its relationship to artistic and educational processes
  • Perform in concert
  • Conduct seminars on the Art of Practicing
  • Conduct seminars on Mindfulness-Awareness Meditation for Musicians, Body and Sound Awareness, and the Performing Beyond Fear exercise.

For Non-pianists

The Art of Practicing Institute also offers a teacher certification program for both pianists and non-pianists, each of whom can choose to train for certification in teaching their own instrument or in teaching all instruments, using the Art of Practicing approach.

For more information about Teacher Certification, please call Madeline Bruser at 212-678-9215