“I first met Mary Moran at the Taubman Institute’s Summer Symposium at Amherst College where she was a senior faculty member. I had until that time studied for over 20 years at serious well-known institutions and with reputable university-level piano teachers, but at my very first lesson with Mary I realized that I had never had a constructive piano lesson before. Here was someone who could show me how the body worked at the instrument, which movements were detrimental and which were coordinate, how the physical properties of the instrument itself affected the sound and the ease of playing, and how to make all this information work to achieve the goal of expressive music.
Mary is very encouraging but also relentless in the pursuit of getting the movements and concepts exactly right. Mary encouraged me to join the Professional Training Program for teacher certification at the Golandsky Institute and has gone out of her way to see my students and monitor my teaching. She has changed my life.”
Audrey Marshall, pianist, Kinston, Ontario
DBO(T), ARCT Performance and Pedagogy
Associate Level Certification – Golandsky Institute
*****
“Mary Moran has been my piano teacher and mentor in the Taubman technique for the past 20 years. Trained herself by Dorothy Taubman and by Edna Golandsky, she has acquired a great mastery of the subject matter directly at the source. Her long experience with the technique, her warmth, empathy and communication qualities make her a wonderful guide in piano teaching. It has been a privilege and a great joy for me to work with her these past years. My own students have greatly appreciated her help and input in their training, as well as her human qualities. Thank you Mary for being who you are!”
Mariko Sato, pianist, Montreal, Canada
Associate Faculty Member, Golandsky Institute
Professor, Lanaudière College – Canada (CEGEP régional de Lanaudière)
*****
“Mary Moran is a wonderful, skillful and sensitive teacher for students of all ages. I have had the pleasure of being her student for the Taubman Technique for 25 years. I have observed Mary teaching not only my students, but many others as well. She knows what a student needs in any given moment and has solutions to offer. She is patient and warm with everyone, and that is so important for children. She guides her students with a sense of humor and respect, which creates a very safe learning environment. I came to study with Mary when I realized I was injured from incorrect piano technique habits. I credit Mary and the Taubman Approach for my ability to play the piano today, and to play better than I ever played before I was injured.”
Julia Bady, pianist, Greenfield, MA
BA Brown University
MA Longy School of Music and Lesley College, Cambridge, MA.
*****
“Mary worked beautifully with my students. I appreciate her skill, knowledge, and the personal sensitivity she showed to me and each of the students. She has a natural way of putting everyone at ease while teaching big concepts in ways that students of all ages can grasp. Her pedagogical approach is highly developed but flexible for each individual and sprinkled with fun, too. It’s evident that her expertise is matched by her love for teaching. I’m grateful for her inspiration!”
Kristin Stephenson, pianist State College, PA
*****
“I have been a Certified Taubman instructor since 2009. With that position comes the mentor partnering with one of the Musical Directors of the Golandsky Institute. Mary Moran is mine. She sees my students between once and twice a year. Sometimes she just reinforces concepts that I have already taught my students, and sometime she sheds a new light on a technical problem that wasn’t yet solved. It’s a very valuable resource for me and my students to have the luxury of another pair of eyes see something in a new way, and for me to have a resource for continuing education to keep honing my skills as a teacher. It has given me the skill to take my students (from my early days of teaching) from beginning and intermediate levels to advanced music.”
Shari Weisz, Stamford, CT
Certified Taubman Instructor
*****
“It’s been more than a month since the lecture on Un Sospiro at the summer symposium in Princeton, and just in case you’ve ever wondered whether your lecture changed anybody’s life, I’m pleased to report that I started learning the etude… (more out of curiosity than anything else, since I’d never dared to play anything by Liszt before). Your lecture was so helpful in breaking down the complexities of the piece and organizing it into manageable practice sessions. I must say, it was remarkably easy to learn the whole piece because of all the meticulous detail you wrote down on the score, especially with regard to fingering! It was a lot less daunting by the time I actually worked on it at the keyboard. I love practising the piece, and it’s now going to be part of my exam repertoire this term. Thank you so much for all the work you did to make the etude playable with ease. I am sorely in your debt.”
Adeline Ee, pianist Singapore
*****
“I am a private piano teacher working with Mary for two reasons-to heal a piano playing-related injury in my RH, and to learn an effective, structured, and fun way to teach a healthy technique using the Taubman Approach to my students, young and old.
My right hand was severely injured when I began studying with Mary, and I was unable to express myself through music. I was depressed, and was anxious about my future with the piano, and my ability to help my students. Mary has a deep skill and experience at diagnosing problems and presenting better movements in an uncomplicated, straightforward way. I have been steadily climbing out of the pit – my hand is healing, and my playing improves every day. I look forward to sitting at the piano now, instead of feeling anger, dread and despair. Not only am I learning effective and healthy movements, I am also implementing more effective ways to remember what happens in a lesson, and to practice. All this adds up – my injury is healing, my technique is improving, and I can access my musicianship and excitement again. I received help when help is what I needed.
Mary’s warmth and sense of humor make my students who work with her directly very comfortable and confident. Her program for teaching a healthy technique to a child is fun, structured, and easy to incorporate into an individual teaching style. Her book, Basic Alignment and Rotation, contains a wealth of pictures and easy to follow instructions for students as well. Working with Mary is giving me the skills to build a healthy, artistic, virtuosic, happy studio.”
Sigrun Franzen
M.M. Organ Performance, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kite Suzuki Piano and Organ
*****
“I am immensely grateful to Mrs Moran for her exceptional teaching. She possesses a remarkable ability to explain even the most intricate details of the Taubman approach, ensuring that I grasp the concepts thoroughly. Moreover, her patient guidance has been invaluable during moments of frustration, helping me navigate through challenges and obstacles with renewed determination.
Coming from a background of training in China, where the emphasis was on strength and high lift-up finger technique, my previous playing style was plagued with tension. However, through the Taubman approach, I have discovered a newfound ease and efficiency in my playing. I am now able to control my technique effortlessly, resulting in a more consistent and even sound quality. What used to feel like a struggle has now become a much smoother and enjoyable experience.
In conclusion, the Taubman approach, under the expert guidance of Mrs Moran, has revolutionized my piano playing. With newfound ease, efficiency, and control, I am now able to play the piano faster and more effortlessly. I am immensely grateful for her teaching, her exceptional ability to explain intricate details, and her patient guidance. I am excited about the future as I continue my journey to become a skilled Taubman approach practitioner and share this remarkable approach with others.”
Vincent Wong Tintok, pianist and teacher in Hong Kong