Integration Piano Method Workshop

This immersive 3-day workshop offers piano teachers, advanced students, and performers a unique opportunity to develop a healthy, tension-free technique that unites science and artistry.

Led by Yoshimi Ito (pianist & founder of the Integration Piano Method) and Shigeru Yamauchi (neuroscience researcher & bodywork therapist), the program integrates:

• Functional Anatomy: Efficient movement for pianists
• Neuromatrix Theory & Functional Neurology: How the brain shapes expression
• Alexander Technique: Releasing unnecessary tension
• Practical Tools: Injury prevention, enhanced tone production, and expressive control

Whether you wish to overcome playing-related tension, improve your teaching, or refine your artistry, this workshop provides a science-informed, comprehensive approach tailored to diverse learning styles.

📅 Program at a Glance

• Playing without pressing – using arm and finger weight
• Balance and support as the basis of sound production
• Short phrases as practical exercises👉 Experience what it means to play with ease and freedom

• Correct understanding of the roles of fingers, arms, torso, and legs
• How anatomical images influence piano playing
• Group work: finding and correcting personal habits👉 Connect knowledge and sensation to build a stronger foundation for expression

• Performance anxiety and the nervous system (the “Fire,” “Freeze,” and “Harmony” characters)
• Turning nerves into an ally through brain and body awareness
• Listening & sharing workshop to cultivate sensitivity
• Final integration: applying the 3 days into practice and teaching👉 Unite body, mind, and music for a new sense of freedom in performance

• A solid, science-based foundation for sustainable piano technique
• Strategies that respect each musician’s unique body and learning style
• Practical methods for injury prevention and expressive tone production
• Tools you can immediately apply in both teaching and performing
• A supportive environment that encourages growth and confidence

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Heliconian Club, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, Canada