The Piano Duet Paradigm - A New Model for Human Relationship

What if there was a doorway into an entirely new kind of human relationship, one in which physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional limitations are transcended; where creativity flourishes; separation dissolves; true equality is achieved; and the outcome far exceeds what either individual could manifest alone?

Over the course of thirty years, I’ve developed an approach to piano duet improvisation that is yielding extraordinary results with people of widely diverse backgrounds. As a result, the remarkable possibility I describe above is becoming an actual reality.

Here are several examples. In the videos below, you’ll observe piano duets with three very different individuals. In each instance, you’ll hear the person create music of striking originality. Both the student and I flourish. I believe this "Duet Paradigm" has profound implications for parents, educators, business leaders, spiritual teachers, professionals, and practitioners in every field.

Duet with Hope Garner
Hope is a 15 year-old girl with Down syndrome. This duet was, for me, a defining moment. As you'll see, Hope created music of disarming beauty. As a result, I found myself bearing witness to a human capacity entirely unfettered by her “disability.” She confirmed that EACH of us must have extraordinary creative abilities, no matter our background.




Duet with Sevyn Smith
Two years ago, I improvised in duet with 2½ year-old Sevyn, the son of Robb and Tiffany Smith. This improvisation models a dynamic relationship between adult and child, one that frees a youngster to become fully him- or herself. Observe how, through the music, I sustain my connection with Sevyn from the outset. When he finally sits with me at the keyboard, you’ll see him respond with a sensitivity and nuance that transcends his age. Ultimately, what transpires could not have been premeditated!




Duet with Pam Parsons Dupuy
Pam had limited background in piano. Yet, if you listen carefully to the beauty of tone and musical phrasing, you’ll hear playing that defies her lack of experience. Fully fledged music was already there inside her, waiting to come forth. She wrote later, “I remember wanting to find the right note, feeling self-conscious, a bit worried about doing it ‘wrong.’ Yet I was soothed by the music, the warmth and encouragement...” The result is stunning.




The Duet Paradigm - A Model of Human Relationship for Our Time
The traditional idea of the piano duet, recast in the 21st century, becomes a model of relationship for our time. As an individual is supported in a dynamic field of trust and exploration, she or he ventures into the unknown, often becoming freed in dramatic ways from physical and/or psycho-emotional conditioning. This can occur with or without the use of music. It arises when someone extends to you presence, trust and unconditional listening. In the space that arises, a person is inspired to let go, to express him or herself in new ways. The unique qualities of individuality are revealed--her or his true "voice." The transforming potential inherent in relationship is realized. People have described this experience as one of "loving remembrance," "of immense joy that washes away residues of pain," "of doubtlessness," of "childlike vulnerability," "where no fear can hold sway."

The next phase of my work involves bringing this miraculous paradigm to individuals and groups throughout the world via the internet. For instance, I have worked with children via SKYPE who are part of the Integral Heart Foundation in Guatemala and the Cakike Music Program in Bogota, Colombia. Many of these children are impoverished and often abused. Other recent in-person and virtual events have taken place with: teen girls in protective custody in Sydney; dozens of primary school children in southern New South Wales, Australia; women of economic privilege who never thought they could improvise; people in recovery from heroin and other addictions; young girls struggling to find a sense of identity; people challenged with every form of developmental and physical disability.

In the three videos above, you witnessed some of the ways individuals have transcended their disability, age, or background through the duet experience. Based on these and dozens of other striking examples, I believe that the liberating power of duet--which can occur in any human relationship--is a catalyst for widespread change, allowing people to rise above the challenges they face and realize their potential, no matter who they are or where they live. In my thirty years of experience, the Duet Paradigm has never failed to activate the glorious creative energy that exists within each and every one of us.

More on The Piano Duet Paradigm...
Jessica’s YouTube Channel, featuring dozens of solo and piano duet videos

"DIFFERENCES IN DUET: Musical Expressions from the Heart with Jessica Roemischer" - The best Multimedia Presentation of Jessica’s work to date, by Debbe Kennedy and the Global Dialogue Center

PERSONAL REINVENTION: Discovering New Pathways to Leadership with Jessica Roemischer Presented by Debbe Kennedy at the Global Dialogue Center

Music Reaches Across Cultures

I want to share with you extraordinary evidence that music DOES, indeed, heal people, no matter what they have experienced and regardless of cultural background.

My good friends, Debora Prieto and Mick Quinn are working to better the lives of impoverished children in Guatemala. Debora decided to show a group of her teenagers the video of my piano duet with a 15 year-old girl named Hope Garner, who has Down syndrome. (This photo shows the teenagers as they are watching Hope's video.)

Debora explained how she came up with the idea to show the video: "When the teenagers first told me of their backgrounds, I had to make a huge effort not to cry in front of them. Every story was so sad and painful that just listening to them was like torture....I decided to use this video because I work in an environment where there is not room for vulnerability on the part of children. Any sign of "weakness" would open a huge space for abuse. The only way I could bring that intimacy back to my kids was to show them the video of you with Hope."

Here is the video these teenagers saw:



Hope's video had a profound impact. Debora described it to me this way:

"What happened was amazing. Most of the children couldn’t even talk, others said that they didn’t have words to express their feeling; it was too big for them to explain and to understand. One was almost crying. Then they began to express a deeper self-confidence. They began to realize that THEIR voice was important, too!"

Debora and Mick interviewed me recently for their "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Action" series. I highly recommend that you listen to the audio below, Debora describes these children in more depth and the extraordinary effect that seeing this video had on them. It is a VERY special conversation. Indeed, when music speaks from the heart, it touches the heart in another and gives a new sense of self-worth and of possibility, even amidst extreme hardship.

Click Here to Listen

Mick and Debora run "The God's Child Project," a sponsorship program in Guatemala, which makes it possible for children in need to have their basic requirements met--shoes, a bed, books for school. For $25/month your sponsorship will give them new hope. Please see this website to learn more about these children and how you can sponsor a child in Guatemala.

For more information on Mick Quinn, author of the award-winning book, The Uncommon Path, and Debora Prieto click here.

Flying Free: Music without Limits

By Jessica Roemischer

This video is taken from a performance called, "Flying Free: Music without Limits." It features improvised and semi-improvised piano duets with the women I teach at Riverbrook Residence in Stockbridge, MA. Riverbrook is home to twenty-three women. Under the direction of Joan Burkhard, a committed staff is creating the optimum conditions for women with developmental disabilities to be supported in every dimension of life. This is the environment I entered as a piano teacher in Fall, 2007. In my work with the women, I became disarmed by the result. As you’ll see, these women confirm that beauty arises from the deepest level of being, unfettered by any limitation. They demonstrate why music is, arguably, our most powerful and universal means of human expression and is present in us all!