In Harmony Liverpool and the Till Approach: A New Perspective on String Pedagogy

 
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In Harmony Liverpool and the Till Approach: A New Perspective on String Pedagogy

Alex Dunn, Deputy Artistic Director, In Harmony Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, UK

02-05-2025

Ten years ago, violinist Sophie Till (Till Project Co-founder, Associate Professor of Violin at Marywood University, Pennsylvania, and Director of the Marywood String Project) was in Scotland working with players from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. I was there too, attending her sessions and participating in a lesson. When I returned to In Harmony Liverpool, I did so feeling that Sophie’s work would soon change the way we taught our young string players. I was more right than I’d realized: at that same time, the Musicians’ Performance and Wellbeing program was being developed right here at home by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO), providing health, wellbeing, and career development support for RLPO musicians. And, in a happy twist of fate, Sophie became the RLPO’s first string specialist.

Student string players in concert.

Playing an instrument is a physical craft. There are many studies showing the prevalence of pain and injury among orchestral musicians. And even when discomfort shows up decades into a career, it can often be traced back to something learned as a child. String players are sure to recognize descriptions such as “make the sound float” or “put more weight into the bow.” On the surface, these don’t seem problematic, but the words “float” and “weight” suggest a physicality that defies both the physics of our instrument and the laws of motion governing our bodies. Perhaps the word “float” encourages us to lift up out of the string in order to play quietly, forcing muscles to work in inefficient, illogical ways while developing habits that lead to pain and discomfort.

None of these symptoms may show up for many years, and that’s where the Till Approach comes in. As teachers, we have a responsibility to teach in a way that allows for longevity. The Till Approach provides us with information and tools to help our bodies work effectively and efficiently in all aspects of playing. And the benefits don’t need to take years to show up: with these tools at their disposal, young players can more fully and immediately express themselves through music and also experience the physical joy of playing an instrument. It should feel good!

Sophie Till.

For us, Sophie’s 2015 arrival was fortunate timing. That year, Harmony Liverpool expanded into two new schools. Suddenly, we had an opportunity to rethink our program and curriculum using her teachings. Beginning with our youngest students, we set out to develop progressive, sequenced activities that focus on the specific movements of our bodies to achieve our musical goals in a healthy, sustainable way. We also developed a series of string repertoire books called “Tune Up!” Created by In Harmony Lead Musician Sally Anne Anderson, the books weave the Till Approach into the work we were already doing.

These exercises are supported by a foundation of technical principles put forth by the Till Approach—some referring to the left arm, some to the right. Those principles are informed by six universal principles that refer to our balance and feet; our finger, hand, and forearm alignment; and more. The focus on precise physical skills encourages students to be more intentional with their bodies as they play, to diagnose discomfort, and to better understand their own bodies and sound.

One example is Right Arm Gym, a series of exercises that, in early stages, might be as simple as swinging our right arms rhythmically and feeling the movement through the body. Later, we introduce Holding the Bow, observing the five-finger team as we stroke a rhythm on the floor using claves. Further down the line, we introduce the Friction Equation, asking players to slide the bow along the strings—fingerboard, bridge, fingerboard, bridge—using fingers to tilt the stick—tilt, flat, tilt, flat—to teach them the fundamentals of creating dynamics, color, and off-the-string strokes. Critically, players identify these movements both in and out of the context of the repertoire.

Students in rehearsal.

The difference in young players has been noticeable. Now, in a Year Three performance, when the children are just starting out on their instrumental journeys, families might learn that our feet are the most important part of our bodies when playing! They’ll see the children pretend to lick chocolate spread from their hands, play pieces on the floor with claves, and participate in Left and Right Arm Gym.

And the positive impact has continued to older students as we’ve introduced information such as the Friction Equation and the Four Axes of Movement, which explains that the left forearm can move with ease along four axes that, once combined, allow the arm to feel the full, free range of motion needed to play. For the players of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Academy Orchestra, whom I conduct, these principles help them feel comfortable approaching potentially uncomfortable passages. Of course, it all starts and ends with their awareness of what feels good, what sounds good, and what is good for their bodies.

This work has been all about collaboration, partnership, sharing, and striving for an approach that is relevant to all, from our very youngest musicians to the professionals. As we at Liverpool Philharmonic continue to learn and further integrate this information, we are beginning to explore its applications in wind and brass teaching and beyond. For the sake of our young musicians, our own learning must continue.

Alex Dunn, Collaboration, England, February 2025, Health, In Harmony Liverpool, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Academy Orchestra, Music Pedagogy, Musicians, Musicians' Performance and Wellbeing, Performance, RLPO, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sophie Till, Strings, Sustainability, Till Project, Wellbeing, Youth Education

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