Alexander Technique

There's a class in the music department that some students don't know about and others aren't interested in, but everyone should take. It's called "Movement for Performers" and it teaches about the Alexander Technique. For a long time I didn't really know what the Alexander Technique was all about. I guess I had heard of it before, but it was something for string players with shoulder problems, not people like me. I was incredibly wrong in that assessment.

Alexander Technique is for everyone, and almost anyone can benefit from applying its principles, though many of the people who study it are dancers, musicians, or athletes whose careers rely on proper bodily functioning. It cultivates an awareness of the way we move our bodies in our daily lives, which in turn allows us more freedom of movement and a more natural state of existence. In Alexander Technique you begin to learn how all of the parts of your body are connected, what your habits of creating tension are, and the means to say "no thank-you" when unnecessary tension begins to creep in.

Already in just two classes (it meets once a week) I have discovered something of which I was unaware that impacts my performance on horn. By learning to allow my head to balance, instead of holding it where I think it belongs, I've freed the muscles in my neck and shoulders, allowing me to breathe deeper and more fully than I ever have before. It's done amazing things for my lower register and tone. I'm very excited about the possibilities which this discovery opens, and I can't wait to see what else I will learn over the course of the semester. It almost makes me wish I wasn't graduating so I could take it again. If this has sparked your interest, you're in luck. You'll all learn much more about the history and main concepts of the Alexander Technique at the end of March when I give my seminar presentation. If you're here next semester, you should consider taking the class if you've got the time because it's a good one.