Creative Health for Pianists

Creative Health for Pianists: Concepts, Exercises & Compositions is a practical method book for musicians of all abilities. It provides a new way of thinking about the piano, emphasizing the pianist-reader's innate capacity to respond creatively to a musical and technical stimulus. Author and veteran educator Pedro de Alcantara suggests that every pianist, from a complete beginner to a concert artist, may approach the instrument with the frame of mind of an improviser and composer, in which curiosity, inventiveness, and technical skills are inseparable.

Throughout the book, original music snippets that encapsulate one or more aspects of piano playing are presented and explained, then developed through tweaks, variations, and compositions of increasing complexity. Every chapter contains variations suited to a complete beginner, as well as musical challenges that will capture the imagination of advanced players. Most chapters contain improvisational prompts and games with step-by-step rules, leading to the development of new creative skills combining musical depth and technical intelligence. Creative Health for Pianists is supported by a dedicated companion website with 48 pedagogical video clips.

This method from Pedro de Alcantara forms a fantastic repository of tools to address all kinds of fundamental piano requirements in a playful way. In addition to the interest of his compositions, it is his particular approach that attracts me as a pianist and a teacher, because it stimulates creativity and independence and can be adapted to the study of the entire repertoire. By insisting on the need to take time, to listen, and to feel, this method perfects the skills of the pianist, moving away from a purely mechanical approach to one offering the means to train hands and ears in a healthy and creative way.

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