The John Colianni Piano Method Volume One: Maximizing Keyboard Technique, With The Matthay Exercises Volume One is an adaptation of the Matthay technique method for pianists, based on a recreation of my own instruction as a piano student. In this book, with text, notated exercises, illustrations, and a video demonstration link, the Matthay exercises are presented in step-by-step practice assignments. Matthay (pronounced ma-tay) is a little-known technique system, but it has proven its merit with the select group of pianists who've adopted it. This method has served as the foundation of my own technique, and, as a student, Matthay brought significant improvement to my technical skills, rapidly and lastingly, but without the requirement of long hours of practice. Matthay studies promote speed and quickness, accuracy, touch sensitivity, strength, dynamic range, and endurance at the keyboard. This method focuses extensively on posture and positioning at the piano, which is important to all applications of Matthay. In fact, the Matthay method involves the player's conscious involvement of many parts of his or her body. From the upper back and shoulders, power and force is channeled outward as a targeted flow of energy, moving down through the upper arms, forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers, all the way to the fingertips on the keys. As the method explains, this philosophy of weight management and balance will allow the hands and fingers to maintain a light and supple state, enabling advanced agility, dexterity and strength. This book presents an array of Matthay applications, including The 9 Steps, which are the method's core exercises, embodying Matthay's most basic ideas and principles of physical movement at the piano; the school of Quiet Hands, which promotes a policy that restricts extraneous movement in the wrists, hands, and fingers during keyboard executions; the Hand Touch method, which heightens the player's sense of touch and attack; the Interval Training regimen, for managing spans and awkward jumps between notes and registers; and other applications. The use of Rotation, a technique building keyboard application characterized by slow and exaggerated motion, is the Matthay method's most widely employed exercise device, and an important part of most of these routines. The mission of the Matthay study: to expedite your fiercest and most advanced levels of keyboard execution and expression. About me, John Colianni: I've been a professional musician since my high school days. There have been many gigs, recordings, and TV productions with Jazz artists Les Paul, Mel Torme, Lionel Hampton, Stanley Jordan, Larry Coryell, Gerald Wilson, Frank Foster, Jane Monheit, Cleo Laine, Anita O'Day, Arnett Cobb, Georgie Fame, Bob Cranshaw, Doc Severinsen, Larry Carlton, Houston Person, Milt Hinton, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gerry Mulligan, Snooky Young, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, and others. I've also appeared with a lot of Pop-Rock-Blues performers, like Chuck Berry, Steve Miller, Joe Walsh, Steve Lukather, Robert Plant, Robbie Krieger, Eric Johnson, Ted Nugent, Zaak Wylde, Victor Wooten, Mick Taylor, Robert Randolph, Jose Feliciano, J. Geils, Jimmy Buffet, Leo Nocentelli, Albert Lee, Joe Walsh, Nels Cline, Steve Stevens, Billy Squier, Joan Jett, etc...... I've recorded albums for the Concord, Telarc, and Patuxent labels. I was also a cash prizewinner in the First International Thelonius Monk Piano Competition. Some other activities - soundtrack work on films, including Revolutionary Road (2009); extensive appearances in the PBS Special, "Les Paul - Chasing Sound"(2005); a house bandleader stint on the MSNBC show, "After Hours with Dan Abrams"(2008), and I was selected in 2009 as an Official Baldwin Piano Artist. To find out more - check out: www.johncolianni.com