CMC Sessions: Piano Technique Informed by Somatic Practice and Modern Dance

Join CMC Piano Faculty Bruce Loeb to learn how piano playing can be enriched and deepened by a somatic practice. This informative demonstration will highlight how heightened focus on the body’s connection to musicality supports both technique and musical intelligence to build healthy habits and ease. Using Gyorgy Sandor’s classic On Piano Playing as a guide, explore the feedback loop between musical cognition and body sensation, and learn to distinguish between mechanical habitual practice and creative integrated learning for more effective practice and enjoyable playing.

Saturday, March 8 @ 4:00pm
CMC Recital Hall
Free

Open to: Any level of piano player can benefit from this presentation. Space is limited! Advanced registration highly recommended.

is a graduate of UC Berkeley Music Department and studied harpsichord at the Royal Dutch Conservatory and voice at The Rubin Academy in Jerusalem. An active piano teacher, vocal coach and piano accompanist, Bruce teaches keyboard and sight-reading skills as a foundation for musicianship and developing physical presence in performance. 

Among numerous festivals and shows he has appeared at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the New York Public Library. He has presented silent film for the Esalen Institute and the California FiIm Institute Summerfilm program. Bruce draws upon his knowledge of classical piano, popular music and a talent for improvisation to create scores that complement the visual story-telling of silent movies. For nearly three decades Bruce Loeb has been creating piano accompaniments for silent films at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and the Pacific Film Archive.

Expand your musical toolbox and get inspired with CMC guitar, piano, and cultural traditions faculty. CMC Sessions returns a new series of in-person workshops, presentations, and masterclasses in a wide range of musical styles and traditions. Explore historical and stylistic perspectives, learn new techniques, and spark your creative interests through enlightening demonstrations, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on experience.

Explore this year's enlightening series:

• November 9, 2024 - Fretboard Workshop for Guitarists with Scott O’Day
• March 8, 2025 - Piano Technique informed by Somatic Practice and Modern Dance with Bruce Loeb
• March 13 - Exploring 20th and 21st Century Piano Repertoire of Diverse Styles, Levels of Difficulty, and Origins with Jennifer Peringer
• March 15, 2025 -  Guitar Duo: Bach’s French Suite No. 2 and more in Performance and Conversation with Will Ludan and Sharon Wayne
• May 17, 2025 - Introduction to Jazz improvisation for Guitarists with Patrick Greene
• May 17, 2025 - Baroque Workshop: Telemann Methodical Sonatas for Melodic Instruments with Shirley Wong-Frentzel

CMC will also host additional faculty-led workshop opportunities this spring with Robert Lopez’s Brazilian Candomblé Workshops. Stay tuned for more details!

Host or Publisher Community Music Center