http://alexandertechnique.com/
As a young masters student, I had the good fortune to take part in a weekend workshop of Alexander Technique. The teacher was an elderly lady situated in New York (her name escapes me) who saturated us in Alexander Technique for 3 jam packed days.
We spent the first day learning how to sit. One by one, the teacher would round the room to assist everyone in aligning the spine, and placing the head in it's correct position resting on top of the spine. (I assume).
She had the magic touch. It was amazing that she could barely lay her fingers, hand, in a certain spot on the head, neck, and so forth, and immediately one's body felt lighter, easier, and in a different place.
I marvelled at how this could be.
By day 2, we got to walk across the room (none of us particularly well, apparently), and finally the moment we waited for arrived on day 3. We got to sit at the piano.
I left the weekend a new me, and craving more.
As time wore on, I slipped into my old ways, as I was unable to put my body in that special place the Alexander Technique instructor had so effortlessly. My attempts to do so resulted in more tension than previous. I had to resign myself to the fact that Alexander Technique for me would have to be an ongoing thing, if I were to incorporate it into my life.
A recent read, many many years later,urged one to "think up". As I read these words, I did think up, and my body felt suddenly better, different.
Finally my workshop experience makes sense; think up. This is my more comfortable place. The instructor, I think, was lengthening the spine. (No doubt there is much more detail involved than this, but for now, this works for me).
I am a supporter of this technique to enhance ease at the keyboard, and I do recommend that those able to learn more about Alexander Technique take the opportunity to do so.
Ridding the body of tension, restrictions, tightness, opens the pianist up to a marked difference in the quality of sound production.
As a young masters student, I had the good fortune to take part in a weekend workshop of Alexander Technique. The teacher was an elderly lady situated in New York (her name escapes me) who saturated us in Alexander Technique for 3 jam packed days.
We spent the first day learning how to sit. One by one, the teacher would round the room to assist everyone in aligning the spine, and placing the head in it's correct position resting on top of the spine. (I assume).
She had the magic touch. It was amazing that she could barely lay her fingers, hand, in a certain spot on the head, neck, and so forth, and immediately one's body felt lighter, easier, and in a different place.
I marvelled at how this could be.
By day 2, we got to walk across the room (none of us particularly well, apparently), and finally the moment we waited for arrived on day 3. We got to sit at the piano.
I left the weekend a new me, and craving more.
As time wore on, I slipped into my old ways, as I was unable to put my body in that special place the Alexander Technique instructor had so effortlessly. My attempts to do so resulted in more tension than previous. I had to resign myself to the fact that Alexander Technique for me would have to be an ongoing thing, if I were to incorporate it into my life.
A recent read, many many years later,urged one to "think up". As I read these words, I did think up, and my body felt suddenly better, different.
Finally my workshop experience makes sense; think up. This is my more comfortable place. The instructor, I think, was lengthening the spine. (No doubt there is much more detail involved than this, but for now, this works for me).
I am a supporter of this technique to enhance ease at the keyboard, and I do recommend that those able to learn more about Alexander Technique take the opportunity to do so.
Ridding the body of tension, restrictions, tightness, opens the pianist up to a marked difference in the quality of sound production.
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