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    Wagtail Books

    • Home
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      • weave
      • Calm Hands
      • Mandarin Skyline
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    Release date: 21 Jan 2021
    RRP: $39.95
    ISBN: 978-0-646-82878-7
    Imprint: Wagtail Books
    Size: 21.0 x 29.7cm
    Extent: 90pp

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    Calm Hands

    Steve Russell

    Steve Russell has worked for thirty years to provide pianists and keyboardists with a pathway to virtuosity free from pain and injury. His endeavours are now brought together in Calm Hands. Whether a beginner, an advanced player seeking technical improvement, or one suffering from repetitive strain injury, Calm Hands can help to develop a safe and efficient technique. 

    In Part I, Steve explores the physiology of the arms and hands to explain how they function most efficiently and powerfully at the piano keyboard. A set of simple exercises are provided to convert this understanding into elegant and effortless playing habits. These habits are vital to  accurate rhythm and agility of dynamics and articulation, but more importantly they can protect pianists from repetitive strain and carpal tunnel injuries. 

    Part II is a comprehensive series of exercises designed to help improvising keyboardists habituate efficient fingering strategies. As you become more familiar with negotiating apparently complex combinations of black and white keys, you will begin to absorb the underlying principles of efficient fingering that enable smooth and powerful legato execution without strain. 

    Praise for Calm Hands 

    “Congratulations on writing the book [Calm Hands] which brings fresh perspectives to today’s piano technique.”– Mike Nock ONZM 

    “I am delighted to recommend to pianists, Calm Hands by Steve Russell. This well researched and highly comprehensive volume is the real deal.”– Dr. Judy Bailey OAM

    About The Author

    Steve Russell

    Steve Russell (B. Mus.), long regarded as one of Australia’s finest jazz pianists and accompanists, has appeared with a comprehensive list of Australian and international artists including Nancy Wilson, Chuck Findlay, Dale Barlow, James Morrison, Bernie McGann, Roger Frampton, Kristen Berardi, Dave Ades, Lloyd Swanton and James Sherlock, and performed support gigs for Wynton Marsalis and John Scofield. His compositions, described by Australian jazz doyen Tony Gould as innovative and ‘state of the art’, feature on two CD releases: the live-recorded Dark Matters and the award-winning studio album, When The Light Comes, awarded Best Jazz Album and Album of the Year at the NCEIA Dolphin Awards. Since 1999, Steve has lectured in piano, musicianship, ensemble direction, arranging and music engraving in the Contemporary  Music Program at Southern Cross University, Lismore, and at Jazz Music Institute (JMI), Brisbane since 2013. The JMI blog contains Steve’s recent writings on blues phraseology in jazz improvisation. Steve is also highly regarded for his work as Musical Director for the Queensland Music Festival, Opera Queensland and the Queensland Performing Arts Trust. At the heart of Steve’s work as a performer, improviser, accompanist, band leader, composer, musical director and educator is his commitment to creative exploration, collaboration and communication.

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