Deepening Musical Performance through Movement: The Theory and Practice of Embodied Interpretation [Paperback]

Alexandra Pierce singles out elements of music such as melody, meter, and phrase, and investigates the defining quality of each through movement. Although simple, these exercises engage the listening attention in complex ways and can be integrated into a musician's daily practice. Practicing movements that accurately reflect a musical element can improve technique and are audible in performance. They become part of your technical command. Short narratives that illustrate how performance practice problems can be approached and solved are scattered throughout the book. A video companion toDeepening Musical Performance through Movementcan be found at the author's website, alexandrapierce.net/deepening.

Visit thecompanion sitefor the book

Applying gesture to explore performance, therapeutic, and compositional practices

Alexandra Pierce is Professor of Music and Movement, Emerita Research Professor at the University of Redlands, California. She is author (with Roger Pierce) ofExpressive Movement: Posture and Action in Daily Life, Sports, and the Performing Arts.

This book is not only a wonderful resource for therapists, musicians and music teachers, but also . . . a well-researched academic work.Vol. 37.2 June 2009

From this [book] . . . we receive these two gifts . . . a compostional repertoire distinct in imaginative focus and a pedagogy with wide application to music making and full of implications for research.Issue 10 Fall 2008

Whether you teach private or group instrumental or vocal lessons, music theory, composition, music therapy or music appreciation, you will find a wealth of ideas to use with your students.

This book brings all aspects of music to life via kinesthetic understanding. . . . Pierce's extensive research is obvious, but though the book assumes considerable knowledge of the discipline, personal anecdotes and musical references render it rl3+