The Riverbrook Piano Improv-a-thon

There are marathons and bike-a-thons and walk-a-thons, but on Sunday, June 22, Riverbrook Residence in Stockbridge, MA hosted what may have been the world’s first Piano Improv-a-thon!

Riverbrook, the oldest facility for women with developmental disabilities in New England, is where I teach music. In collaboration with Riverbrook director Joan Burkhard and the many wonderful people on the staff, this event helped fulfill my aspiration to show that, no matter who we are, beauty is inherent to us all by virtue of being human.

Over the course of the afternoon, people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of musical experience—including many of the Riverbrook women—improvised with me on the beautiful Samick grand piano that graces the Riverbrook living room.

The Piano Improv-a-thon was a fundraiser for the Riverbrook music program, which is giving women with developmental disabilities a powerful and transformative means of self-expression. We raised almost $4500—far more than anticipated.

The Improv-a-thon performers collected pledges for their participation from family, friends, and colleagues. (For example, many of my husband’s fellow teachers at Taconic High School supported his participation in the event.) Contributions also came from dozens of individuals and businesses throughout the Berkshires, the Hilltown area and beyond. The Red Lion Inn, The Taggart House, Bardwell, Bowlby and Karam Insurance, Consolati Insurance, Boston Seafoods, Zabian’s Jewelers, Guido's Marketplace, and Once-Upon-a-Table restaurant, were among the many who donated.

Children as young as four years old participated, as did some of the Riverbrook residents and many of my older students. As you’ll hear in the audio clips below, each improvisation was completely individual. Yet, a sweet interconnection manifested itself, arising from that deeper level where beauty is born.

Riverbrook is a rare and special place for women with disabilities. It is an environment where beauty and interconnectivity can flourish among everyone who walks through its doors. As our piano improvisations released the creative impulse in each participant, an unusual alchemy of music, ease and freedom emerged that afternoon. I actually think this was a world's first!

Here is a sample of the twenty-four Riverbrook Improv-a-thon performers. Click on “audio recording” to hear their performances. More photos and audios are coming--stay tuned!

Nancy Babcock, Worthington, MA

Nancy studied piano for a short time when she was a girl, but was told that she had "no musical talent."

Click here for audio recording





Carol Ray, Riverbrook Residence

Carol has lived at Riverbrook for many years and is beloved by residents and staff alike. Carol expresses her exuberant relationship to life through playing music and dancing. She participated in our performance, "Flying Free: Music without Limits."

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Isabella DeFelice, Richmond, MA

Isabella is four years old. Her two sisters and brother--Gabriella, Daniella and Dominic--study piano with me. Isabella is just beginning. Our occasional forays into music are entirely improvisational.

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Tracy Salvadore, Riverbrook Residence

Tracy loves singing and playing the piano. Occasionally, when we're improvising something upbeat, a staff member or resident will start dancing to our music. This gives Tracy great joy and amusement!

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Frieda Pilson, Chappaqua, NY and Richmond, MA

Frieda has played piano for much of her life. Classically trained, she longed to free her creative musical voice. She began studying with me a number of years ago and now improvises freely, as well as composing her own strikingly original piano pieces.

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Tom Weeks, Southfield, MA

Tom works for the New York Life Insurance Company. He sings with the Berkshire Choral Festival and has a beautiful tenor voice. Tom began studying piano with me in 2008. His improvisations have a distinctly "vocal" quality: beautiful melodies are always emerging from him!

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Bram Fisher, Richmond, MA

Bram and his brother, Satchel, both study piano with me and play in the school band. They clearly love music! Each boy has a distinctly individual sensibility, as expressed in their performances of jazz and blues pieces and familiar songs, improvisations, and their Garageband compositions.

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Tanny Labshere, Riverbrook Residence

Tanny and I played a semi-improvised interpretation of "We Shall Overcome" and "America the Beautiful." Two weeks prior, we had played this duet for Governor Deval Patrick.

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More photos and recordings from the Riverbrook Piano Improv-a-thon are coming soon--stay tuned!