Violinist in Balance. Alexander Technique for Musicians: Postural re-education for musicians in London. Home Page. The Double Spiral Arrangement of the Human Musculature. Excerpt from The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland by Carol Porter McCullough Raymond Dart identified and drew attention to the double spiral arrangement of the human musculature (Carrington and Carey 1992, 113). Dart, Australian by birth, emigrated to London after graduating from medical school in 1917. He was appointed Professor of Anatomy in Johannesburg in 1923, retaining the post until his retirement in 1958. For many years, Dart was dean of the medical school at University of Witwatersrand. The spirals of the human musculature are mirror images of each other. The diagonal pull of these spirals of muscle accounts for the flexibility and upright capabilities of the human structure.
The Double Spiral The pelvis and the head are connected not only by the bony, vertical structure of the spinal column, but also by the winding diagonal ribbons of muscles that make up the voluntary musculature of the torso. About the Author References Alexander, F. Alexander, F. Www.joearmstrong.info/manufacAT1.htm. As a method for developing and maintaining a balanced coordination, the Alexander Technique has grown enormously popular among students and professionals in the performing arts. It is taught at leading music and drama schools such as Juilliard, the Royal College of Music, and the Paris Conservatory; and Alexander teachers are employed at such performing centers as the Metropolitan Opera and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, to mention only a few. The Alexander Technique provides musicians, in particular, with a refined understanding of the obstacles they must contend with in mastering their instruments or their voices.
Thus, it inevitably confronts the difficulties that many violinists and violists find in dealing with current designs of shoulder rests—particularly the common “bar" type. The Problem The Solution This secondary contact on the chest seems to function best if it is situated on the rib area just beneath the collar-bone. Joe Armstrong, B.S. November, 2006. Noam Renen and Violinist. A Piano Lesson with Noam Renen Part I of II. The Alexander Technique for String Players. Excerpts from: The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland by Carol Porter McCullough Introduction An awareness of the Alexander Technique gradually seeps into the consciousness of performing artists of all kinds; schools for the performing arts, teachers and students are beginning to avail themselves of its benefits.
The purpose of this study will be to explore the implications of the Alexander Technique for string players and string teachers. One of the main issues of the Alexander Technique, the head/neck relationship, is also a profound concern of string players. The violin and viola are the only Western instruments to be tucked under the chin. The potential for upsetting the delicate balance of the head and neck is great. Paul Rolland (1911-1978) began to develop his string pedagogy in the 1950s. Like the pedagogy of Paul Rolland, the technique of F. The author of this study came to the Alexander Technique while doing graduate work at Arizona State University. Top. Alexander Technique. One technique for avoiding musician injuries is called the Alexander Technique.
This technique focuses on studying one's own mannerisms and posture. It takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander (1869–1955), a former Shakespearean recitalist, who first observed and formulated its principles during 1890 – 1900. Alexander trained teachers of his Technique from 1931 until 1955. Marshaling Your Body’s Intelligence: Alexander Technique for Musicians by Joan Arnold In a memorable performance, we know when there is a sense of rightness and ease, when we’re buoyed up by the rhythm, the feel of other musicians or the responsive pulse of the audience. The Alexander Technique is a way to return to the kind of balance that invites a consummate performance.
When Anne Mette Iversen wheeled her acoustic bass into my studio, I was struck by how her delicate 5'4", 108 pound frame managed her gargantuan instrument. Practicing an instrument is all about building skill through repetition. The Violinist' Alexander Technique - Royal Academy of Music. We have been teaching the Alexander Technique at the Royal Academy of Music since 1984. Every student at the Academy has the opportunity to have individual lessons in the Alexander Technique for one year. Although FM Alexander was not a musician, it is musicians, possibly more than any other profession who have recognised its benefits.
The Technique is taught in all the major conservatories of music in the UK, as well as in specialist secondary music schools. Many performers believe the Alexander Technique to be an indispensable foundation for such a demanding and competitive profession. The Technique helps us to allow the release of unnecessary tensions, the changing of habits acquired through years of physical misuse, and the prevention of interference with delicate mechanisms of balance. Photo of FM Alexander courtesy of Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique Teaching Staff. Alexander Technique and Horn Playing. The Alexander Technique is just one among several mind/body disciplines which can be of great benefit to performing musicians. Having had personal experience with Alexander Technique, I thought it would make a good blog topic. I’ll give a bit of informal background, and relate my experiences with Alexander Technique as a performer.
The captivating photo to the right is from the cover of Michael J. Gelb’s book Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique, which we used in Alexander Technique classes at Appalachian State University during my undergraduate degree. “The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. Based on that definition, it does seem that the A.T. would have several applications for performing artists, as we rely in many ways on balance, coordination, and efficiency to do what we do.
It is much easier to stop an undesirable habit when you replace it with a desirable one A.T.