|
|
|
As many people know, F M Alexander was himself a performing artist, and the
links between particularly the theatre and the Alexander technique date back
to the early 1900’s. But it was following a research project carried out at
the Royal College of Music in the 1950’s that the strong connection between
musicianship and the technique began to grow. Now, nearly all the major
conservatoires in the UK and overseas offer Alexander work to their pupils.
The most immediate benefit for musicians is the relief that
it can bring from the pains and strains of playing an instrument for several
hours a day, but quickly one begins to see that it is the quality of
awareness and attention cultivated in Alexander lessons that offer the
musician the most dynamic possibilities in relation to their music. This
awareness and attention is not only mental, but relates also to the body.
For many performers and listeners, the most exciting thing
about music is that it is a medium for the expression of emotion. The body
is the vehicle for this expression, and unless it is free and responsive it
cannot play its part. Tense arms, locked shoulders, restricted respiratory
mechanisms are not conducive to a free-flowing performance. Alexander
technique can provide a real basis on which to cultivate an understanding of
how the human organism supports itself against gravity, and how it can move
with lightness and freedom.
One-to-one sessions, with the emphasis on “hands-on” work,
give a very direct and focused experience of how to let go of tensions and
of what it is like to move in a more co-ordinated way. Group classes develop
the faculty of observation which is a prerequisite to change, and give scope
for exploring old and new responses to situations in an interactive way. It
can be very mutually encouraging for musicians to see and hear the change in
the quality of movement and sound that can come about in a few minutes when
there is a change in attention and coordination.
|
|
|