Customer Reviews

Freeing the Caged Bird - Developing Well-Coordinated, Injury-Preventive Piano Technique

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This DVD has literally changed my playing and my life. After several years of searching for answers regarding how to play the piano and organ with greater ease, I was fortunate enough to come across Lister-Sink's informative website, www.freeingthecagedbird.com. Barbara Lister-Sink has something extremely wonderful and unique to offer keyboard players of all ages and levels. She is, first and foremost, a consummate musician who practices that which she preaches. Her technique is something to be envied by even the greatest virtuosos in the field. And best of all, she's codified this technique into a rational, step-by-step, scientifically informed method that ensures the highest results. Of course, since a task as complicated as playing the piano involves one's overall alignment and state of muscles, it can't be learned by watching a DVD. Learning them requires a step-by-step, hands-on, systematic approach--from the simplest coordinations and most fundamental levels of sound production, to the most complex kinetic patterns. However, just one viewing of "Freeing the Caged Bird" is sure to open the eyes of most piano teachers and students. She is one of the world's most gifted pedagogues in the field of injury-prevention and well-coordinated keyboard technique, and it would behoove any serious keyboard player, especially those injured or feeling held back by malcoordination, to get this DVD.

In this unique DVD, Barbara Lister-Sink shares with the world her marvelous discovery of what many great pianists have known, that piano playing does not have to be strenuous and fatiguing to the body or accompanied by discomfort and pain. Through her practical analysis of the mechanisms of both the piano and the human body, she establishes scientific principles of good coordination and shows the optimal functioning of these two mechanisms as they work together to produce great music. Piano myths are completely debunked, and a demonstration of her methods for teaching pianists the joy of a healthy working relationship between the body and the piano is given. This valuable presentation of piano technique at its best and most useful has the potential to give hope and guidance to frustrated pianists of all ages and levels.

"Freeing the Caged Bird" is the DVD exploring an injury free technique in playing the piano. Barbara Lister-Sink is magnificent in her approach. She is innovative and a true leader in this field. Hundreds of concert musicians and professionals have been helped by her methods. One learns to produce not only a pain and excess-tension free method of piano playing, but one also achieves a suppleness and facile technique that enhances the musicality of one's playing tremendously. She is an Artist in Residence at Salem College and I have the great privilege of studying with her. She has students and teachers from all over the world in her classes and in her capable care. You must see this vidoe and explore this technique! What her methods produce musically must be seen and heard to be believed!

Freeing the caged bird is an overview of what Barbara Lister Sink practices in both her teaching as well as her playing. The DVD itself is an excellent representative of the technique that it espouses; however, it is no substitute for study with the genuine article herself. Barbara Lister Sink is an incredibly knowledgeable artist (of the highest order) who has taken a scientific and medically informed approach to the art of keyboard playing. She seeks, both in her DVD and in her ongoing work, to raise the status quo of piano playing not only beyond the hindrance of injury, pain and malcoordination; but to the greatest height of each individual's artistic potential. Barbara Lister Sink's method is not only applicable to pianists, but to organists and harpsichordists (and any keyboardists) as well. Her DVD is an invitation to a higher level of proficiency and a deeper knowledge of musical artistry. Please visit her website: www.freeingthecagedbird.com for more information concerning her work.

This DVD is a must for any person who is experiencing pain in their hand, arm or back due to playing the piano. Barbara Lister-Sink is passionate about making music on the piano in the most supple pain free way. After seeing this video, I contacted Ms Lister-Sink and attended her intensive workshop. She is an amazing teacher and bases her method on sound medical research. I only wish I was taught piano using the Lister-Sink method when I started piano years ago. I would highly recommend anyone no matter what age use this method to learn how not only play the piano but to make music while playing the piano. Highly recommend the DVD AND pursuing the Lister-Sink method.