Biographies

Faculty

Lisa Marsh

Lisa Marsh is a member of the adjunct piano faculty at Portland State University. As Director of the Coordinate Movement Program at Portland State University she specializes in retraining injured musicians. Her courses focus on injury prevention, health and well being for musicians and mind-body connections for increased artistry and creativity. She received her Bachelor of Science in Music and Master of Music in Performance from Portland State University. Additional background in somatic education includes 19 years as a Registered Nurse in the fields of Neurosurgery and Emergency Medicine, 8 years of piano technique study at the Taubman Institute of Piano and 10 years of study of the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping with Barbara Conable. Ms. Marsh is a certified Andover Educator.

As a solo performer, she specializes in presenting 20th century music, original compositions and works by Northwest composers. Ms. Marsh is pianist with the Marsh-Titterington Piano Duo, former Principal Keyboard with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and collaborates frequently with Portland area chamber musicians. For more information on Lisa's musical scores and latest album, visit LisaAnnMarsh.com.

Barbara Conable

Co-Founder Coordinate Movement Program

During her twenty-two years as an Alexander Technique teacher Barbara Conable helped to save hundreds of musical careers and to enhance hundreds more. She experienced frustration, however, because she knew that thousands more musicians were losing careers and capacity. To enhance her effectiveness, she wrote the book What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body and developed a Body Mapping course by the same name which is now taught by Andover Educators around the world. She co-founded the Coordinate Movement Program at Portland State University in 2002 to help retrain injured pianists. Barbara Conable is the author of How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students, What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body and The Structures and Movement of Breathing. Now retired from teaching, Barbara Conable continues to develop the theory and practice of Body Mapping.

Stephanie Bernards

Stephanie is a versatile pianist, performer and instructor with a passion for making music education and artistic expression a reality to all levels and ages. She is a confident classical, jazz, and pop artist who incorporates aspects of each genre into her teaching and performing. After receiving her Master's degree in Classical Piano at Portland State University, Stephanie spent two years touring internationally as the pianist for indie-pop group The von Trapps in addition to making guest appearances with internationally-renowned ensemble Pink Martini. Stephanie's music and live performances are an expression of raw vulnerability and honesty; Stephanie believes that by owning her authentic voice, she can empower herself and her audience. Stephanie's mission is to encourage others to embrace their own creative, unique voices. Stephanie is adjunct faculty at Portland State University, where she co-teaches Body Mapping for Musicians with Lisa Marsh, and is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Coordinate Movement Program. She is host and founder of the musicians wellness podcast Artistry with Heart. Visit stephaniebernards.org for more information.

Liz Kohl

Liz Kohl is a pianist, piano/wellness instructor, collaborative musician, and composer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 2016, Liz has been an adjunct faculty member of the music department at Portland State University, where she teaches her original course, “Yoga for Musicians.” She maintains a thriving, private piano studio in SE Portland, teaching students of all ages. An in-demand collaborative musician, Liz can often be found playing with local musicians, subbing at churches, or working on her next solo, collaborative, or original works program. In March of 2023, Liz released her first two albums of original music with a heartfelt concert debut at the Old Church. Her music is now available for streaming on all major platforms. Liz holds degrees from University of Washington (B.A. in Music & Dance Minor) and Baylor University (M.M. in Piano Performance & Pedagogy) as well as a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification (CorePower Yoga, Portland, OR). More info at: LizKohlpianist.com & LizKohl.bandcamp.com. You can find her on YouTube as Liz Kohl pianist or reach out at lizkohlpianist(at)gmail.com.

Todd Marston

Todd Marston grew up in northeastern Connecticut, studying classical and jazz piano from an early age. In high school he played guitar in punk bands and piano in jazz combos. He earned a bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music ('04) in Boston. While at Berklee he won the Ray & Grace Hornfischer Award for excellence in the performance division, as well as “Best Berklee Original Jazz Quartet” during a competition sponsored by Bacardi.

During his time at Berklee, Todd developed a performance-related injury and found yoga to be helpful in rehabilitation. This led him to participate in a 200-hour yoga teacher training with Open Hearts Yoga School in 2010. This helped him start building the wellness skills necessary for becoming a full-time pianist and teacher.

In 2015, Todd moved to Oregon to pursue a graduate degree at PSU under the tutelage of Lisa Marsh. While at PSU, he studied Body Mapping and Wellness For Musicians with Professor Marsh, further helping him to explore holistic wellness at the piano.

Since graduating from PSU in 2017, Todd has gone on to received the Oregon Music Teachers Association Composer of the Year Award (2024). Todd's composition, “Emo Chi” won both the Great American Song Contest (2024) and the Indie Song Contest (2025).

Zoe Schlussel

Zoe Schlussel is a violinist, fiddler, teacher, and Body Mapping educator based in Portland, OR. She holds a Master's Degree in violin performance from Western Michigan University and a Graduate Certificate in violin performance with a focus on Body Mapping and ergonomics from PSU.

As Outreach Representative for the PSU Coordinate Movement Program, Zoe presents Body Mapping workshops to musical organizations in the Portland community.

Consultants

Dr. Marshall Chasin

Hearing Loss Prevention Consultant

Dr. Marshall Chasin is Director of Audiology at the Musicians' Clinics of Canada, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto (in Linguistics), and Associate Adjunct Professor in the School of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Western University. He is the author of over 200 articles and 8 books including Musicians and the Prevention of Hearing Loss, and Music and Hearing Aids.He writes a monthly column in Hearing Review called Back to Basics.Dr. Chasin has been the recipient of many awards over the years including the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Award, the 2017 Canada 150 Medal, and the 2025 Richard Seewald Career Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Audiology. He has developed a new TTS app called Temporary Hearing Loss Test app. And he is not as boring as this bio makes him sound!

Dr. Mandy Moreno

Research Consultant

Dr. Mandy Moreno serves as the Choral Music Education specialist at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has also served as a teacher and choral director in Oregon, California, Washington, North Dakota, and Germany. In addition to classroom teaching, Mandy has maintained a private voice and piano studio, worked with church and community choirs, adjudicated for local and state festivals, and music directed for musical theatre productions at all age levels. Mandy holds a BA in Music Education from California Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from George Fox University. She also holds a PhD in Music Education from the University of North Dakota, where she completed a fully quantitative research study on the use of Body Mapping instruction for singers. Besides her work with ABME, Mandy is a member of NAfME, CMS, NATS, and ACDA.

Dr. Richard Nichols

Neuroscience Consultant

Richard Nichols received his undergraduate degree in biology and mathematics from Brown University, and his Ph.D. in Physiology from Harvard Medical School. Following postdoctoral training at the University of Alberta and Johns Hopkins University, and a first faculty position at the University of Washington, he was appointed to the faculty of Physiology at Emory University, where he remained for 24 years, attaining the rank of Professor and Interim Chair. In 2007, he took the position of Chair of the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech and was appointed Professor in the newly formed School of Biological Sciences in 2016. He received an honorary membership in the American Physical Therapy Association in 2017. He served as President of the Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology in 2016 he was appointed Fellow of the American Physiological Society in 2022. He is currently Professor emeritus in the School of Biological Sciences. His research has been focused on the role of proprioceptive pathways and muscle mechanics in motor coordination, with applications to spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries. Nichols also serves as the science advisor to the Association for Body Mapping Education (Teaching the Art of Movement in Music). He was awarded the Bernstein Prize in 2025 by the International Society of Motor Control for his work on neural mechanisms of motor coordination.

Guest Speakers

Eve Bernfeld

Eve Bernfeld is an AmSAT Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. She owns In Balance Alexander Technique, teaches at the University of Portland, and gives workshops and talks around the region, including as a guest lecturer at PSU. Eve holds an MFA in Applied Theatre and has been helping performers find their most authentic, free and expressive selves for two decades. She is also a writer, a singer and a mother, all of which give her ample opportunity to practice what she teaches. www.inbalanceat.com

Jen Marsh

Jen is the Head of Corporate Strategic Planning at Columbia Sportswear Company, where she develops and oversees long-term company goals to drive business growth. Passionate about problem-solving and innovation, Jen brings creativity and precision to every challenge. Outside the office, Jen translates her strategic mindset to fuel a health-conscious lifestyle where fitness is a top priority. She lives in Portland with her husband and son where you'll find her running ultramarathons, kayaking, or hiking Forest Park.