Alexander’s early breathing work
The Chapter ‘Evolution of a technique’ in Use of the self describes FM’s voice problems and the discovery of primary control, but in the first fourteen years of Alexander’s working life he was teaching breathing and natural elocution. How do we square these two facts? I am currently working on a second book on how the […]
Many Hands, One Musician ~ Working in the Guitar Circle without Guitars (please bring hands, feet, and voices!)
Orchestral Maneuvers: AT Beyond Hierarchy This is a companion workshop to Robert Fripp’s Keynote Address. Orchestral Maneuvers (OM) offer Guitar Craft (GC) forms for everybody: musicians, non-musicians, audience members, AT teachers, AT trainees, and the general public, even (older) children. The workshop will be led collaboratively by AT teachers who have worked with Robert in […]
On Stage: Back to Yourself!
Am I doing what I think I am doing? Am I a full partner with my instrument? When learning to play an instrument, we were typically taught to concentrate primarily on the instrument and the quality of the sound, with minimal guidance on how we use ourselves in relation to the instrument. The use of […]
The Paradox of Piano Pedagogy
Pianists are the product of pedagogical traditions that tend to have a ‘one–size–fits–all’ approach to the piano. While rules are valuable to the degree that they advance skills, paradoxically, they can also impede progress. Pianists often unknowingly accept inherited assumptions and habits passed down from teacher to teacher, without questioning whether they are suitable for […]
Spontaneity in action
Deepen your awareness to enhance spontaneity in your actions. Performers need both of those qualities. As Alexander teachers, we can help them in integrating these essential aspects into their practice and performance. My background lies in contemporary dance as performer, choreographer and teacher. Over the years, I’ve taught dancers, actors, and musicians, helping them overcome […]
AT in the Booth: Applying AT to Voice Acting
The craft of Voice Acting has its specific and unique challenges. Voice actors mostly work alone in a vocal booth, both in audition preparation and sometimes even in recording sessions. The entire performance is conveyed through the voice and is greatly enhanced when also embodied, which is where AT comes in. Good voice acting requires […]
Expanded Whispered Ah
In this fun workshop we will be exploring how the Whispered Ah is completely integrated with every other part body including our movement systems. So often vocal professionals do not realize how the quality of the rest of the body affects vocal production. Alexander teachers are uniquely qualified to teach them how to adjust their […]
Tuning Ourselves for Peak Performance
In this workshop we will be exploring how the Technique enables optimal organization for movement and performance. There are many ways to define the Technique, but one very important one is as a means whereby to enable the most efficient and effective movement possible. While we are exploring this organization we will experience the coordination […]
Direction of Musical Impulse, Changing the Reaction through Imagination
Musical impulse sends a jolt of energy through the frame of the musician. In the best scenario, the energy is released in a coherent message that flows through the musician into the instrument and out in sound, and energizes the audience too! The desire to play well, to play fast, to hit that high note, […]
Building Connection and Ensemble in the Actor’s Studio
‘Seeing no stranger begins in wonder. It is to look upon the face of anyone and choose to say, “you are a part of me I do not yet know.”’ – Valerie Carr To see and to be seen, to listen and respond, to connect with another fully and fearlessly: the actor trains to strip […]