Home and Studio
About
Coaching and lessons for performers and teachers
In person or online through Zoom
Locations:
Boise ID
Kansas City
My Work
Nancy retrains pianists for all piano-related injuries including Focal Dystonia.
She has taught the following to play with freedom, color, and artistry:
Performers —Classical and Jazz
University Piano Faculty
Doctoral Candidates in Piano Performance
Teachers
Students
Her ability to enable every pianist to reach their full technical and artistic potential draws students to her studio from several countries.
Lectures, Workshops, And Master Classes
Presented to:
MTNA–numerous State and Local Associations
University of Colorado
Marshall University
Transylvania University
University of Kentucky
BYU-Idaho
Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts
Idaho State University
University of North Carolina
Metropolitan State University of Denver - scroll down to: Past Master Class Presenters
Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide; Hobart, Tasmania
Studies And Degrees
***Note: Reese Piano Technique is not the Taubman Approach.
Taubman Approach - with Edna Golandsky for 11 years in New York City and the Taubman Institute at Amherst College and Williams College.Alexander Technique - with Barbara Conable, author of "What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body".
Feldenkrais - with Marcy Lindheimer, Director of Feldenkrais Learning Center of New York.
Nathaniel Patch. University of KY. M.M. Degree in Piano Performance.
Susan Starr. Philadelphia Musical Academy. B.M. in Piano Performance.
Ozan Marsh and Patricia Benkman Marsh. Converse College School of Music. Chautauqua Summer Institute, NY.
John-Paul Bracey. Converse College School of Music. Chautauqua Summer Institute, NY.
Adjudicator Of Competitions And Festivals
Boulder International Festival for Young Artists
North Carolina Young Artist Competition
MTNA (State and Local Associations)
Piano Guild - American College of Musicians
NFMC (National Federation of Music Clubs)
MusiciansWest Annual Piano Competition
Bio
Nancy's passion is helping pianists play with total physical ease and musicality. She trains performers, teachers and students in piano technique workshops and master classes in the US and other countries.
On a path to a performing career, she studied with John-Paul Bracey, Patricia Benkman and Ozan Marsh at the Converse College School of Music and the Chautauqua Summer Institute/Festival in New York.
At the invitation of pianist Susan Starr, she moved to Philadelphia to study with Starr and obtained her B.M. in Piano Performance from Philadelphia Musical Academy. She then earned an M.M. in Piano Performance at the University of KY with Nathaniel Patch.
Those years of rigorous technical training in the direct lineage of Isabelle Vengerova, von Sauer, and Rudolf Serkin led not to better playing or a performing career, but led instead to two hand surgeries and being told she would not play again with her right hand.
After a 13-year hiatus from playing and consumed by a strong desire to regain what she had lost, she ultimately went on to study piano technique for 11 years in New York City, Amherst College, and Williams College with Edna Golandsky.
During that time, it was Nancy’s work and extraordinary success with 4 focal dystonia students that led to the development of her ground-breaking piano technique, Effortless Playing, now known as Reese Piano Technique. Her determination to enable these pianists to play again set her on the path to her life’s work. A marvelous by-product of her discoveries is that pianists of every level learn to create a larger than ever palette of sound, tone, and color.
In the U.S and Australia, Nancy has taught performers, university faculty, doctoral degree candidates, and students of all levels to play with freedom and comfort. Her ability to enable every pianist to reach full technical and artistic potential draws students to her studio from several countries.
She has judged numerous competitions and festivals, including Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Guild, National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC), NC Young Artists Competition, Boulder International Festival for Young Artists, and Musicians West Annual Piano Competition.
Her U.S. lectures, master classes and workshops on piano technique have been presented to MTNA, NFMC, Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, University of Colorado, Transylvania University, University of KY, Marshall University, University of North Carolina, BYU-Idaho, Idaho State University and Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Nancy has performed as an award-winning soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Asia.