Performing well
Getting better at anything you love doing
Where you are
You know the moment. The hall goes quiet, your breath shortens, your hands feel less like your own, and the note you’ve sung a hundred times suddenly seems far away.
Or it isn’t a stage at all. It’s the swing that tightens under pressure, the presentation, the exam, the long hours at the bench or the desk. Something you care about doing well, and a sense that more effort alone isn’t getting you there.
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What the work is
The Alexander Technique began on stage. F. M. Alexander was an actor whose voice kept failing him, and he found the cause in how he went about speaking.
Lessons work directly on what you do: your instrument, your voice, your sport, your craft or your work. You learn to meet pressure with readiness rather than bracing, so your effort becomes effective and your skill and expression have room to come through. For musicians, controlled trials suggest it can help with performance anxiety.
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The ideas behind it
BodyMinded teaches in the tradition of Marjorie Barstow and Cathy Madden, applying the work to the activities people care about, often in groups where you learn as much from watching others change as from your own turn.
At its heart is the Yes Plan: a clear plan for what you do want to happen. Your coordination responds to whatever is in your mind, so “don’t tense” tends to bring tension. Plan for what you want, and let the right thing do itself.
A gentle next step
In their words
I found the Alexander Technique like an instruction book on how to use my body. It has really helped me use my voice better and be more comfortable in virtually every movement I make, on or off stage.
Gregory North, bush poet
I find myself applying the principles all the time, in driving, walking, Pilates classes, with more ease and awareness. I would highly recommend it to musicians of all levels looking to play with greater ease, fluency and enjoyment.
Andrew Blanch, classical guitarist
