We’re all for showcasing something a little different here at Creative Reboot. So when Lorraine Robinson (otherwise known as The Painless Piano Coach) approached us and told us a little of her story, we knew we needed her to come on and share it all with you, too.
Lorraine has been playing the piano since she was a child, and teaching it from a very young age, too. But the thing she loved most was also causing her incredible pain. Thinking she might have to give up doing the thing she loved, she found a teacher experienced in biometrics and now she teaches it to her students too. Lorraine’s determination and resilience to keep being her most creative self shines through in this episode and we can’t wait for you to hear it!
Meet Lorraine
Lorraine Robinson is a professional pianist whose journey with the piano began at the tender age of six after being inspired by a family friend from the San Francisco Philharmonic. Her path hasn’t been without challenges; she pushed through severe hand cramps as a teenager and eventually found transformation through biomechanics during her college years. Lorraine is not just any pianist—she’s redefined herself as a teacher, integrating biomechanical techniques to enable pain-free playing for her students. She’s also an alumni of reality show The Blox – you can catch her in Season 7.
What we talked about
Starting piano at 6 and starting to teach at 14 – the determination and passion behind these very early milestones. Pushing through severe hand cramps from intensive practice as a teenager, and not knowing that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Experience with pain leading to developing her teaching philosophy centred around biomechanics – not usually taught in piano, but promoting natural movement and preventing injuries in piano players.
Biomechanics more widely – it’s important to find an instructor in biomechanics or the Alexander method to understand how it can help you and how it can be implemented correctly.
Lorraine’s transformation into playing piano without pain, which in turn transformed her approach to both playing and teaching.
Appearing on reality TV show “The Blox” and rebranding after that as “the painless piano coach”, focusing on pain-free playing techniques.
Tension, and how it affects piano playing, and how long term it can lead to injuries. Relaxation and how important it is both for enjoyment and improved technique.
Getting to grips with simple adjustments like bench heights and relaxation for professional performances.
Mindset influencing biomechanics – how you think your body should move impacts your actual movement, and your anatomical alignment.
Clarity in Lorraine’s career path – it’s rare we see someone with this much clarity and focus from such a young age, still doing it in adulthood. Maintaining passion despite a lack of support and other challenges.
Applying all of this to activities which aren’t piano playing – how your body behaves and moves affects almost everything you do in your life.
“Proper” posture vs natural posture, which babies do instinctively and adults are trained out of. Listening to your body’s responses to movement to prevent discomfort and later on pain.
Emotions – the emotional side of musical performance, and how positive posture can enhance this, while bad posture can give out negative feelings to the audience.
Stage fright and anxiety and overcoming them, mindset coaching around both these things and specifically performance anxiety.
Resilience and determination in all creative pursuits, and in life. And the question we always ask, what advice Lorraine would give to her younger self, or to others on the same journey – she recommends her “5 Practically Perfect Ways to Improve Your Piano Playing” guide.
Get more Lorraine in your life
A shortcut to Lorraine’s most current links
@lorrainespiano on Instagram
Lorraine’s Piano Academy on Facebook
And here’s a link again to The Blox Season 7! (availability may vary by country)