ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE for musicians at St. Joseph's School of Music

[Emily Sapa]

Introduction to the Alexander Technique for Musicians

You are invited to attend a one-hour workshop introducing the principles of the Alexander Technique to musicians, taught by Lisa First, American Society of the Alexander Technique certified instructor. Open to all ages and levels, we will explore tips for a healthy, balanced approach to performance and will be introduced to practical skills for working with our instruments. Lisa will share information about the Alexander Technique and we will experiment with the concept of freeing oneself in activity in a constructive environment.

Lisa First has been teaching the Alexander Technique for 19 years upon
completion of the AmSAT required 3 year training. She teaches 
privately and in groups in the Twin Cities, nationally and abroad. A member of the AmSAT Board of Directors, Lisa enjoys introducing the
Alexander Technique to professional performing artists and people from
diverse backgrounds.

Date: February 23, 2011

Time: 7:00-8:00
Where: St. Joseph's School of Music

Cost: Free

Address:
450 N. Syndicate St., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55104  
 

Contact info:
Madeline Cieslak, Director
651-690-4364
m...@stjoseph-schoolofmusic.net
Website:
http://www.stjoseph-schoolofmusic.net/   

 

 

ABOUT THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

 

The Alexander Technique is an education/guidance system to "improve posture and movement, and to use muscles efficiently” as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The "Alexander technique" denotes both the educational methods used by Alexander teachers and the individual bodily awareness methods taught.

Students practice the technique to recognize and become free of habituated limitations in their manner of movement as well as for other benefits.

 

The technique takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander, who, in the 1890s, developed its principles as a personal tool to alleviate his breathing problems and hoarseness. He credited the technique with allowing him to pursue his passion for Shakespearean acting.Alexander was a Shakespearean orator who developed problems with losing his voice. After doctors informed him they could find no physical cause, he carefully observed himself in multiple mirrors. His self-observation revealed that he was needlessly stiffening his whole body in preparation to recite or speak. Further, Alexander observed that many individuals experiencing breathing and voice problems commonly tightened the musculature of the upper torso, especially the neck, prior to phonation in anticipation of the act of vocalising. He suggested that this habitual pattern of pulling the head backwards and downwards in relationship to the neck needlessly disrupted the normal working of the postural, breathing and vocal mechanisms.

 

After innovating new substitution strategies that included sharpening his ability to 'inhibit' the habitual undue tension in his neck, he found that his problem with recurrent hoarseness was resolved. The Alexander technique is used to regain freedom of movement. It is used to undo the establishment of nuisance habits by performers, and as a self-awareness discipline and a self-help tool to change specific habits.

 

As an example among performance art applications, the technique is used and taught by classically trained singers and vocal coaches, as well as instrumentalists. Its advocates claim that it allows for the proper alignment of all aspects of the vocal cords and tract through consciously increased air flow. With this increase of breathing capacity, singers, woodwinds, and brass - in particular - are said to be better able to exercise proper technique and tone. Because the technique has allegedly been used to improve breathing and stamina in general, advocates of the technique claim that athletes, people with asthma, tuberculosis, and panic attacks have also found benefits. Along the application of self-help, proponents of the technique suggest that it can help performers manage stage fright, become more spontaneous, and to increase skill repertoire.