The three pillars of Alexander Technique are: Mentally DIRECTING the body to expand through lengthening and widening the musculature, INHIBITING negative physical habits that are in the way of more psycho/physical freedom, and the PRIMARY CONTROL of all activities, which is the relative result of using the first two pillars  (Mental DIRECTION- expansion of the musculature, and INHIBITING - stopping the unwanted older ineffective habits).

 

When I work with students either on singing or piano playing, I spend approximately half the lesson doing some gentle hands-on Alexander, resulting in a more free use of the musculature, which improves the student’s breathing, circulation, digestion (general functioning). Now the student is ready to sing or play. The head, neck and back are freer, and so is the rib cage.

 

In this part of the lesson, the student plays or sings a piece, and then we begin to improve the student’s way of “using” ( as Alexander called it) themselves in order achieve a freer, more expressive result, and a more pleasurable experience for the student (and the listener!).  Much of the process is about learning to understand (little by little) what is in the way of that freer result, so that the student can begin letting go of certain habits that are preventing it. So, all the while we are working to free a stronger result through direction and release, through inhibiting (and directing).

 

Little by little the singing or playing becomes more pleasurable, and the student can begin to tell that they are actually more in control of the outcome, when they learn to release what they don’t need, and as is often the case, learning to give up even those habits that at one time were prized as necessary!

 

One could say that the Alexander Technique is a way of organizing the body for the best, most effiicient outcome.  In many ways, since what human beings have done for thousands of years has been to "try to control“ outcomes through direct muscular attempts to control, and through holding muscles or body parts which is a form of  "trying  too hard!". The Alexander work was a revolution, moving away from this frankly, ineffective means.

 

To sum it all up, if we release all of that trying, and we learn to free our necks, lengthen our spines, and widen our backs to free our rib cage, and if we let our limbs be free as well, and then the head is free on the top of the spine, that really will give us the result we want.   However, since all of us have many ideas about what we think needs to be done, we have to learn along the way that perhaps some of those things are no longer valid, and so the combination of learning the new habits, plus learning to realize that some of our old habits never really worked all that well, will lead us to greater freedom, and more joy in music making, and indeed, more joy in living!

 

Of course, playing an instrument has differences from singing.  Nevertheless, free breathing, and easier mobility will help both an instrumentalist and a singer.  What I work towards is a freer tone that

is rich in overtones, which comes about when the body is functioning freely.  I also work with the student to engage their artistic and creative selves to improve their ability to form an interpretaion based on carefully analyzing and studying the musical text, and for singers, analyzing the verbal text and making sense of the music that supports that text.

 

Words only reveal so much about the process that I am writing about. The only real way to understand it is through direct experience in lessons, and in ones own direct study of the Technique!

 

WILLIAM BARTO JONES