Coordinate Movement Program

The Coordinate Movement Program

The Coordinate Movement Program provides classes and events focused on health and well-being for musicians. Subjects include Body Mapping, yoga, meditation exercise physiology, the Alexander Technique, nutrition, performance anxiety and hearing loss prevention.

Our Curriculum

There are no prerequisites for any of the classes offered through the Coordinate Movement Program.

BODY MAPPING FOR MUSICIANS - MUS 204 & MUS 580

Discover how knowledge of anatomy and movement promote freedom and artistry. Explore techniques for developing confidence as a performer in a supportive setting. Learn how to manage performance anxiety and prevent hearing loss.

WELLNESS FOR MUSICIANS - MUS 224

Learn how to prevent injury and create a healthy lifestyle. Topics of study include: diet, rest and sleep, exercise, common musicians injuries, meditation, the Alexander Technique and stress management.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS - Learn more (No registration required)

SOMT students and faculty are invited to step away from classroom, rehearsal and practice room demands for a session built around the body and mind. Each month rotates through four wellness modalities — Meditation, Alexander Technique, Constructive Rest, and Sound Attunement — giving students a recurring, low-stakes way to build sustainable habits alongside their training. Wednesdays, 12:40-1:30 PM in Lincoln Recital Hall

Wellness for Musicians Symposium title card

Community Outreach

The Mind/Body/Music series presented the first community event, the Wellness for Musicians Symposium, in March 2020. In fall 2021 we presented Zoom sessions on healthy computer use and Body Mapping to promote health and well-being in our community during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

What students are saying about our classes

"Body Mapping for Musicians is a key feature of PSU’s music program. Every performing musician can benefit from having a detailed internal and external map. There’s a real need for coordinate movement specialists in the area of safe and efficient technique. By taking this course, I think you’ll find a wealth of proactive information and tools that can impact your ability to create music safely, efficiently, and with authentic expression."

Brandon Azbill - Graduate Student

"Wellness For Musicians holistically fills many musical and emotional voids most music majors face, and allowed me to more deeply and purposefully work on my craft. The class acted as a "glue", by providing me a larger sense of perspective between all my classes, enabling me to see the interconnectedness within my education and growth as a whole. I highly recommend the entire wellness curriculum!"

Wes Georgiev - Jazz Performance Major

PROGRAM FACULTY

Lisa Marsh

Lisa Marsh directs the Coordinate Movement Program at Portland State University. Her classes focus on mind body connections for increased artistry. Her background includes 19 years as a Registered Nurse, 8 years of piano technique study, and 10 years of study of the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping.

Contact Lisa

Stephanie Cooke

Stephanie Cooke is a versatile pianist, performer and instructor with a passion for making music education and artistic expression a reality to all levels and ages. She co-teaches Body Mapping for Musicians with Lisa Marsh, and is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Coordinate Movement Program.

More about Stephanie

Chuck Dillard

Whether he is collaborating with an instrumentalist, coaching a singer, conducting an opera, or accompanying a choir, Chuck Dillard is a musician at his best while working with others. Hired as a church pianist at age seven, he fashioned his musical beginnings, education and career around collaboration.

Todd Marston

Todd Marston teaches Wellness for Musicians at PSU. He received his Bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Berklee College of Music and his Master’s degree in jazz studies with a focus in wellness at PSU. Todd’s primary passion is the intersection of composition, performance and wellness studies.

More about Todd

Guest lecturers for the Wellness for Musicians class include Eve Bernfeld, Alexander Teacher and Jennifer Marsh, nutrition and movement specialist.

Hearing loss prevention expert Dr. Marshall Chasin and neuroscientist Dr. Richard Nichols serve as consultants to our program.

SUPPORT THE COORDINATE MOVEMENT PROGRAM

The Wellness Fund was established by Professor Emeritus Harold Gray. He was instrumental in creating our wellness program and his annual donations have made our events possible. Your gift to the Wellness Fund will go towards costs associated with guest lecturers, student scholarships, community outreach, research and further programming of events.

PSU's Music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

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