Alexander Technique for Musicians

Alexander Technique for Musicians

You are more important than your instrument
Many of us have spent years or even a whole lifetime developing and refining skills. We may have spent several hours of our day in a practise room, repeating a technique or a passage of music over and over again until it is mastered. However, muscular discomfort and pain is often disregarded, as we focus on the music rather than ourselves.

Get rid of stage fright and own your performance
As stage artists, many of us put pressure on ourselves to achieve a faultless performance whether it’s playing all the notes right or perfectly executing our lines. However, when this happens, a ‘flight or fight’ response can take place in our body, causing symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, tense muscles and dizziness. Rather than enjoying our experience on stage, the performance becomes a battle against these often paralysing physiological changes, instead of a positive experience to be enjoyed.

Teaching the Alexander Technique to a Violinist
Teaching a Chellist the Alexander Technique

Awareness of physical and mental habits can reduce tension
By helping you to become aware of unhelpful thought patterns and extra effort and strain brought on as a result, the Alexander Technique offers you the conscious choice to let go of unnecessary muscle tension. Over time, as tension is released and the body becomes calmer, playing your instrument will become more comfortable and enjoyable, and upcoming performances will no longer be perceived as something to fear.

The Alexander Technique first sharpens your awareness, then it gives you the tools and shows you how to free yourself from obstacles that stand in the way of expressing your true potential.