| TRAINING The Lister-Sink Method |
II. Teachers, Students & Performers Who Have Studied the Lister-Sink Method Extensively with Barbara Lister-Sink
Dr. Barbara Acker-Mills, MM (piano performance) PhD (psychology)
Auburn University, Alabama Barbara_ackermills@juno.com Dr. Acker-Mills studied for 4 years with me while obtaining her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance at Salem College in 1992. She then received a Masters of Music in piano performance at SUNY-Binghamton, as well as a PhD in Psychology. At SUNY-Binghamton, she won the Concerto Competition, competing with all instruments, graduate and undergraduate levels. While teaching on the psychology faculty at Auburn University in Alabama, Dr. Acker-Mills continued her performance in piano, primarily as a collaborative artist. She demonstrated admirably at Salem that a petite frame is no deterrent to commanding and powerful playing. Back to List Christin Barnhardt, MM Ms. Barnhardt completed training with me in the Lister-Sink Method over a period of four years, while she was acquiring her Bachelor of Music degree in piano at Salem College. She also studied, among other courses, sight-reading, accompanying, and pedagogy with me. Ms. Barnhardt has a special gift for teaching the Lister-Sink Method. Although she is concentrating on church music and choral conducting at this stage of her career, I continue to refer keyboardists in the New York and northern New Jersey or Philadelphia area to her for training. She was an outstanding Assistant Instructor during Intensive Training Weeks. Her playing is highly expressive and exemplifies the coordination and musical results of the Lister-Sink Method. Back to List Dadi Birgisson Mr. Birgisson was an exceptionally dedicated student, owing in part to his playing-related injury and also to his superior ability both to understand the principles of good, whole-body use at the piano and to apply them to each step in the Lister-Sink Method. Intensive training concurrently in the Alexander Technique throughout the year further enhanced his learning. Mr. Birgisson also observed my biomechanics and pedagogy courses at Salem College. The specificity of his knowledge, as well as his personable manner and ability to communicate well contribute to his ability to become a successful teacher of the Lister-Sink Method, should he wish to pursue Certification.. He would be able now, however, to speak eloquently and accurately about the specific nature and challenges of training. Back to List Jessie Coulter Jessie Coulter served as my primary assistant for WINGSOUND International for 3 years. She has unique knowledge about the inner workings of our organization, as well as the challenges and joys of studying the Lister-Sink Method. She is hard-working, cheerful, trustworthy and responsible. A person of great integrity, Ms. Coulter’s work as a community is ongoing and passionate. Her love of and dedication to music resonates throughout her life, as does her desire to study and preserve our fragile planet. I would recommend Ms. Coulter without reservation as one who could speak honestly and in depth about studying the Lister-Sink Method and musical interpretation with me for 4 years. Back to List Mike DeSaye Mike DeSaye is a brilliant, investigative musician with a courageous streak of independent thinking. His search for a rational, effective approach to learning injury-preventive, well-coordinated technique first came to my attention in 2005 when he was a participant in my informal technique classes at the Brevard Music Center. His understanding of the Lister-Sink Method foundation and principles is outstanding. Mr. DeSaye was an especially eloquent spokesperson for this particular technical approach. He studied intensively with meat Salem College in the Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique program of study for over 2 years, including courses in the biomechanics and pedagogy of injury-preventive technique, as well as applied piano and the Alexander Technique. Mr. DeSaye also performed in a number of concerts. His innate intelligence and musical sensitivity, as well as his focused dedication to learning, made him a highly valued member of the Salem College and Winston-Salem music communities. Back to List Enoch Gordis, MD Manchester, England jsharris@hush.com James Harris, a native of North-East England, read for a BA in English and an MA in Writing and Performance at York University, before deciding in 2004 to dedicate himself to music. A keen pianist, singer and songwriter, James became acquainted with Barbara Lister-Sink after developing suspected thoracic outlet syndrome in 2006. He studied piano with her for almost two years through the Salem College Fleer Center for Adult Students, and is currently pursuing an interest in the Alexander Technique. Mr. Harris enrolled in an Intensive Training Week in the summer of 2006 because of playing-related injuries. He then returned to study in the Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique program with me at Salem. He has completed courses at Salem in the biomechanics and pedagogy of injury-preventive technique, Keyboardists’ Injuries – Causes & Cures, and intensive, extended training in the Alexander Technique during his 2 years in Winston-Salem. He completed a Directed Studies course in the Alexander Technique and its relationship to piano playing with Mr. Ethan Kind, a noted certified Alexander Technique instructor in Winston-Salem. His knowledge and grasp of the fundamentals of a well-coordinated, injury-preventive and whole-body technique is extensive. Mr. Harris has also done successful student teaching under my supervision as part of a course requirement in the pedagogy of the Lister-Sink Method. Back to List Jacqueline Herbein, MM Jacqueline Herbein studied extensively with me over a period of several years. Through dedicated perseverance, she grasped admirably the specific coordinations of the Lister-Sink Method, including both the whole-body musculoskeletal alignment, as well as the refined coordinations of Basic Stroke. Ms. Herbein has also studied the Alexander Technique in depth and is familiar with Feldenkrais and Somatics techniques, as well. She has incorporated much of this work into her own workshops and is especially adept at creating effective teaching tools for conveying the specific coordinations and alignment to young students. Ms. Herbein is a gifted, engaging teacher whose own playing admirably demonstrates the principles embodied in the Lister-Sink Method. Back to List Mark McLemore Mark completed an Intensive Training Workshop with me in the summer of 2007 and then has continued weekly technique training with me via webcam through Salem College since September, 2007. His understanding of the Lister-Sink Method and his ability to play with well-coordinated technique is outstanding. Most importantly, Mark uses this technical freedom to serve the music. He is an extremely musical, sensitive player, as well as a creative, innovative person in general. He is a recording engineer in his spare time. I would recommend him highly as someone who both demonstrates admirably technical coordination and who can speak articulately about his own experience in studying the Lister-Sink Method. He eventually plans to become a certified Lister-Sink Method instructor. Back to List Peter Jackson Peter Jackson began his study of the Lister-Sink Method with me in Winston-Salem, NC in 1998 during an Intensive Summer Training Week. He then continued his training via video lessons and return study trips for several summers. He has conscientiously and successfully applied the principles of good coordination both to his own piano study and to his very popular private studio in Hong Kong. An avid world traveler and outdoorsman, as well as a graduate of Cambridge University, England, Mr. Jackson brings a multifaceted, stunningly rich perspective to his teaching. A delightful, warm person, he is dedicated to making piano study available and engaging for people of all ages and learning styles. I was honored to teach with Mr. Jackson at the first Klavar Music Foundation Summer School in 2000, held in Eastbourne, England. It remains one of my fondest teaching memories. Mr. Jackson’s students are the fortunate beneficiaries of his great enthusiasm for life-long learning. Back to List Brad Nix, DMA Dr. Nix studied intermittently with me for several before enrolling as a Fleer Center Adult Learner in weekly webcam piano/technique lessons with me through Salem College. He plays with a high degree of technical freedom and is a confident, intelligent and commanding player. Regina Pozzi, MM Randy Shepard, MM Mr. Shepherd is one of the most knowledgeable instructors in the Lister-Sink Method. His lengthy and intense technical and musical study with me led to both a deep understanding of the principles of efficient, whole-body coordination at the piano, and a profound embodiment of those principles as a performer. His training and professional work in dance and theatre, as well as his ongoing study of various whole-body education disciplines (Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, etc.) have all led to a creative, innovative pedagogical approach, and have greatly enhanced his ability to teach the Lister-Sink Method. His private teaching studio is always full and has a waiting list. His intelligence, warmth and humanity further contribute to his deserved success as a teacher and professional in general. Back to List Derek Shore, BA In addition to his outstanding academic and musical record of study, Mr. Shore’s keen intellect, eloquence in articulating ideas, compassionate personality and wonderful sense of humor all contribute to his deserved success in a given field. He has a deep understanding and grasp of the Lister-Sink Method and would be able to articulate its various facets, as well as the joys and challenges of studying the Method. Back to List Gerald Stamey, BM/RSAD New Orleans born church musician and teacher, Gerald Stamey, demonstrated a natural talent and ardor for music early in life. He moved with his family to Savannah, Georgia where he became a “transplanted” native. There he began formal musical studies with Mrs. Robert Emmett “Birdie” Fennell, an eminent Savannah piano teacher and church organist. Subsequently, he was trained in piano and organ performance at Shorter College and Georgia Southern College. His teachers include William Knight, Jack Broucek, Raymond Marchionni and Rob Hallquist. While pursuing his education, his performances won commendations in master classes with Natalie Hinderas, André-Michel Schub and Marie-Claire Alain. Additionally, he holds an audio engineering degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida. Gerald Stamey’s professional career spans over twenty-five years. He is Resident Organist and Director of Liturgical Music at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida, where he has served since 1997. As a liturgical musician he excels in organ improvisation and conducting traditional Gregorian Latin Masses, as well as multi-lingual liturgies, including Polish, Spanish and Tagalong. In addition to church work and teaching, he is an active accompanist, vocal coach, composer-arranger, recording producer of professional demos and live concert performances, and appears as a recitalist and collaborative artist throughout Central Florida and beyond. In 2002, because of numerous occupational injuries, he underwent intensive technical retraining with pedagogical pioneer Barbara Lister-Sink, founder of Wingsound International and author of the highly acclaimed video/DVD Freeing the Caged Bird – Developing a Well-Coordinated, Injury-Preventative Keyboard Technique. He testifies that, “If it were not for Barbara Lister-Sink, I would not be able play one note today!” Because of his own personal story of injury and recovery, he is a passionate teacher – dedicated to promoting the mission of Wingsound and the healthful principles of the Lister-Sink MethodTM. In 2003, he established a Young Organist Scholar apprenticeship program at Saint Joseph’s Church in Orlando. He specializes in applying the Lister-Sink principles to organ technique and training pianists of all ages, from beginning through early advanced levels. Gerald Stamey studied with me in an Intensive Technique Training Workshop in the summer of 2002, and then continued in-depth private study over the last several years. His grasp of the principles of well-coordinated technique is admirable. Mr. Stamey has successfully applied the Lister-Sink Method to his private piano and organ studio of young players. Mr. Stamey is a brilliant and beloved organist, teacher and member of the greater Orlando musical communityDeanne Vance, DMA Dr. Vance is a formidable pianist with a large, virtuoso repertory. She quickly absorbed the principles of good coordination in her studies with me and integrated them successfully into her already strong technical training. She and I began performing together as a 2-piano duo (Two by Four) in the spring of 2008. Although she has been a successful teacher throughout much of her career, Dr. Vance is presently concentrating on performance. Back to List Lark Walters Lark Walters is a gifted and seasoned young pianist, having begun serious classical piano training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in high school. She has studied with me since 2005 at Salem College. Ms. Walters plays with passion and high sensitivity and continues to practice and perform in chamber music concerts while pursuing a double major at Salem College. Back to List Andrea Weatherman, BM Ms. Weatherman has completed most of her studies with me at Salem College in the injury-preventive technique curriculum of courses. She has trained in the biomechanics and pedagogy of well-coordinated technique and has taken courses in the Alexander Technique. Her playing is expressive, intense and energetic. She especially enjoys collaborative concerts. Back to List
|
