Piano instructor helping rehabilitate injured musicians

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Playing an instrument and being able to play it well is an incredible talent. However, many musicians at all skill levels can develop injuries like carpal tunnel or tennis elbow.

These type of injuries can make playing painful and cause fatigue. Thankfully, a groundbreaking technique is teaching these musicians to play longer and pain free.

Piano instructor Matthew Camastro has been teaching private lesson for more than 8 years. He teaches his students classical and church music, and specializes in teaching a healthy technique called the Taubman Approach.

Camastro attended Bob Jones University and went on to graduate with a degree in music education. It was during this time that he hit a wall with his musical abilities. He found himself pushing through the traditional piano techniques that he had been taught.

Everything changed when Camastro discovered the Taubman approach but switching to this approach required him to relearn everything he knew about piano and it was a challenge he was ready to accept. After he graduated with his undergraduate degree, he continued his education at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College in New York. There he studied the approach in depth all while learning from some of the country’s best instructors.

“It’s the study of movement and how we use our body in the most natural way in order to make sounds on the instrument. My teacher developed it to rehabilitate injured musicians. After going through the whole retraining process I am virtually able to play whatever I want,” Camastro said.

Camastro now spends his time investing in his students and teaching them this approach so they can continue playing all the songs they like or want to learn to play. One of his students is 16 year old Ien Santiago, a talented musician who plays both the piano and violin. Like Camastro, Sanitago had to relearn how to play the piano with the Taubman approach. Although relearning everything was not an easy task, he continued to chip away at it and says the process has been worth it.

“It’s just so rewarding in the long run to be able to play the pieces you enjoy and the pieces that you have been wanting to play but couldn’t because you have been so limited to the pain. It’s been a really good way to learn music.”

Camastro is adding to his list of impressive accolades by working towards getting certified in the Taubman Approach. He has studied a wide variety of piano literature and has performed across the country playing various pieces from Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Prokofiev, and so many more.

His life and musical experiences are giving musicians of all ages and skill level to feel confident in their musical talents. Teaching music is his passion but he says his favorite part about teaching is seeing his students light up when they understand something and seeing them fall in love with music just like he did.

For more information on how you can get lessons click here.