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| Who Does It Benefit? |
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Musicians |
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Musicians have unique problems having to deal with instruments often needing to be held in awkward positions, playing seated on uncomfortable seats, craning the head to see the conductor, and practising for hours in cramped spaces. You are the main instrument and it is you that makes your unique sound therefore it makes sense that the better you use yourself the better your sound. |
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In being balanced and not (as the majority of musicians are)collapsed or rigid, fingers, wrists and arms can move freely. The instruments that are held can actually feel lighter. Back ache, neck ache, thumb ache and other pain can disappear. Those debilitating nerves can be a thing of the past and breathing can become a natural part of it all. In keeping your true height and with it, the freedom of your joints, the music can just flow beautifully. Singers can, like Alexander, have problems with their voices. Once they can learn to be balanced and free and not to throw their heads back to open their mouths or to tighten their necks and jaws, the music will just happen. I studied to be an Alexander Technique teacher at a one-off course for Musicians only. During this three year full time course we worked with many full time professional musicians. We also worked with each other every day in a music workshop. As we were all musicians it was very exciting to see and hear radical changes in ourselves and each other. I progressed from barely being able to play solo in front of anyone because of nervous shaking, etc. to playing gigs in a trio and having music written specially for me and loving it. For me, as a musician, the Alexander Technique opened up a whole new world which overflowed into my everyday living. |
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