I’m humbled by, and grateful to, my many wonderful students and collaborators. —Julia

 

I found Julia from a google search for a Taubman instructor a little over two years ago. That was the best google search I ever did! I was suffering from wrist tendonitis and couldn’t play for very long and I would be forced to stop playing. She helped me correct my twisting and the tendonitis went away. Besides being very patient she is a wonderful person as her students can attest!

I look forward to each lesson as we are continue to get rid of remaining tension that I carry from years of playing incorrectly. I have found the Taubman approach to be very practical, efficient and very helpful for improving tone production especially with Julia as my guide.
—Chris Griffin, Houston, TX

 

I’ve been taking lessons with Julia for over 2 years now. My technique and approach to playing piano has improved dramatically. I highly recommend her, especially for people wanting to reduce tension and strain in their fingers and hands.
—Nate, Dudley, MA

 

Having to re-train after years of unhealthy playing, I found that the Taubman approach while transformative, needs patience and time. It also needs a sure guide who can encourage and remain positive during the long learning process. Julia has all of this in spades. She is always positive and rejoices every time progress is made. As an accomplished and fine player herself, her wealth of experience in and very deep knowledge of the Taubman approach  allows for very thorough-going teaching, even in its most subtle aspects.  As a student I find myself with a teacher who is both student orientated and fun to be with.  Whatever the issue, musical, technical, etc. Julia finds a way forward, tailored to the particular needs, and does it in a way that leaves me, the student feeling more positive than when I began. I cannot recommend her enough.
—Marisa Taylor, Voss, Norway

 

Julia taught me to love the piano again, after a period of stagnant growth with another teacher, a loss of confidence in my own playing and a waning commitment to the instrument. Julia re-energized my playing with an emphasis on control through new technique that has allowed me to overcome the uneven sound that irked me. She is an excellent and affirming coach, who has challenged me to play more sensitively, cleanly and with polish. Interpreting a new piece with Julia is always a joy, and leaves me a more agile and pointed performer.
—Nick Roblee-Strauss, Providence, RI

 

Through gentle patience and careful instruction, Julia teaches her students to grow as both people and as pianists. Her kindness and expertise are second to none, and her ability to personalize teaching experiences is exquisite. The technical and mindful skills that I learned as a young adult have stayed with me many years later. Julia’s skills as an instructor are incredible, and her piano-playing is breathtaking.
—Megan Thompson – Munson, Boulder, CO

 

Julia is a gem! She describes the Taubman Approach more clearly than I’ve ever encountered, and is without a doubt the most constructive and patient teacher that I’ve ever had. You’ll be remiss if you don’t try a lesson.
—Ian McNeaney – North Brookfield, MA

 

I cannot overstate how much I’ve benefited from your instructions. I’m striving every day to better apply the proper alignment and rotational techniques we discussed, and I am now playing at a more advanced level which would not have been possible to attain otherwise. Also, I haven’t had any need to suspend practice due to injury for almost a year now. You have my gratitude. Thank you.
—Zach

 

Julia Bady…a much respected Pioneer Valley pianist…(an) exquisitely sensitive one-woman piano-orchestra…
—Joseph Marcello, “Encores & Curtain Calls: An uncommon glory in Old Deerfield” – The Recorder [Greenfield, MA] 22 August 2013: D5. Print.

 

When I started lessons with Julia, my hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and torso were stiff and tense, and my relationship with my body and the piano was one of discomfort. Julia is teaching me – with great patience – the principles and techniques of moving, of “choreographing” my hands, arms and body so every move can be as comfortable, effortless, precise and efficient as possible. Gradually, I’m losing my awkwardness, developing a great enjoyment of the physical aspects of playing the piano, creating a warmer and more beautiful tone, and increasing my control and freedom.
—Carlin Barton (Greenfield, MA)

 

Julia Bady and I have been musical partners since 2010. It has been a wonderful experience collaborating on recitals and making music! I always feel the support of Julia’s accompaniment as we collectively interpret vocal literature.
—Irwin Reese, tenor (Metropolitan Opera of NYC, retired)

 

I began piano lessons with Julia a year ago, as a novice with an injured hand. Julia appears to be a miracle worker.
Besides being an exquisite musician, she is a patient, kind, understanding, encouraging, and delightful teacher. Her empathy is uncanny and her diagnostic teaching skills are unbelievable. I’m confident that she can elicit piano skills and musical expression from any student.
Julia creates an environment that is completely stress free and conducive to learning. She’s sweet and generous and shows real enthusiasm for her student’s progress. I would recommend her, without reservation, to anyone.
—Jean Fielding (Greenfield, MA)

 

As professionals…there is a certain and inexplicable quality of collaboration in music-making that can sometimes just happen or it needs to be worked on for hours. With Julia, it just happened. Brava, Julia, you were a dream collaborator!
—Kathleen Shimeta – mezzo-soprano – New York, NY

 

When I came to Julia about 6-7 years ago as an advanced pianist, I was expecting maybe a handful of lessons, and some tips on wrist alignment perhaps, to help me with my tendency toward tendonitis and arm fatigue. I wasn’t expecting to become a completely different pianist.
Although it took many more lessons than the “quick fix” I was looking for, Juliaʼs technical expertise, sensitive teaching and unparalleled patience has reshaped my approach to the piano in such a way that I feel as though I could play anything and play it well. I now choose pieces based on how they move me versus whether they fit into the confines of a limited repertoire of ‘technique tricks that sometimes work.’

Julia herself is a masterful technician and one of the most musical and evocative pianists Iʼve ever met. Her approach to music and her dedication to teaching her students the Taubman technique is inspiring; our lessons together are fascinating, long-reaching, and fun. She has not only kept me at the keyboard, she has shown me how to break down barriers that I didnʼt even realize were there. As only the best teachers can do, she has helped me transform myself!
—Lauren McCrann Bell (Southampton, MA)

 

I came to Julia after years of experiencing pain in my elbow. She listened to my concerns, helped figure out what was going wrong and, after just a few months, the pain was gone. With Julia’s help and encouragement, my technique has improved, and I feel capable of expressing myself on the piano much more than I ever have before. Working with Julia has had a huge impact on me.
—Maya Eddon (Amherst, MA)

 

Julia Bady has done wonders for me and I am grateful that I found her and this wonderful method, the Taubman Approach. I attended the Eastman School of Music but the teachers there were not of this caliber. Difficult passages are now a lot easier. Rhythm, expression, and tone are all taught.
—Linda Adams (New Salem, MA)

 

Not just a wonderful musician herself, Julia is also a skilled and sensitive teacher, always respectful and patient. She understands the varied skills and goals of her students and differentiates her approach accordingly. She is extremely knowledgeable about everything piano-related: the instrument itself, the literature, composers and the context in which they wrote, as well as theory, technique and musicianship. I love my lessons with Julia!
—Roxann Kriete (Montague, MA)

 

Julia’s a wonderful teacher! I’d been playing chamber music for many years, but felt blocked by technical difficulties and lack of control over tone and dynamics.

With Julia’s help, I’ve ‘relearned’ how to play, using the Taubman technique, which is both simple and sophisticated. My tone is much improved, my playing is more expressive, and I’m able to play difficult passages with greater ease and technical skill, and much less effort.
Julia’s patience, keen observational skills, and positive, supportive attitude have been key to my improvement.
—Anon

 

Julia’s teaching is very unique, focused, and supportive. She emphasizes an attention to detail that I have rarely seen in other teachers, and this quality gives me a thorough understanding of the pieces we are working on.

There are no shortcuts to learning an instrument or a craft, and Julia’s teaching will give you the knowledge of how to improve for the next lesson and a sense of growth after the lesson is over. In addition, she is a greatly skilled pianist herself, which is an inspiration to all of her students, whether beginner or advanced!
—Brian Wendel (Conway, MA)

 

I studied piano as a child and, although I was competent, I never achieved the level of playing I felt I was capable of. After deciding to return to piano study as an adult, I knew that I had to find just the right teacher.
Julia came highly recommended to me through a musician friend of mine who thought we would be a “good match.” How right she was! I found Julia to be passionate about helping me achieve my goals, and incredibly knowledgeable about technique while being warm, supportive and attentive to the emotional part of me that often throws up road blocks to progress.
For the first time in decades I feel that I am beginning to understand just what is involved in overcoming technical and artistic challenges, because I’ve found a teacher who understands how to impart her wealth of knowledge to her students.
—Ellen Jahos (Keene, NH)

 

I feel my brain growing in my lessons with Julia!
—Joseph River Timmins (Haydenville, MA)

 

I’ve been taking lessons with Julia for the past two years, starting with very little experience playing piano. I was nervous when I started lessons that I’d spend years playing boring ‘beginner’ pieces, but my experience with Julia turned out to be quite the opposite.
Half way into my first year I brought Julia a very difficult piece that I dreamed of playing, but thought I wouldn’t have the skill set to play for a number of years. Rather than telling me to wait until my skills were further developed, Julia helped me work through the theory and technique, and I was able to play it by the end of the year!
There has never been a piece Julia has told me I can’t play, she is always positive and patient in helping me figure out whatever it is! She is an excellent pianist, who cares deeply about her students.
—Esther Glovacki  (Greenfield, MA)