I’ve been teaching the Alexander Technique to young adult musicians for many years now at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich, London. When the pandemic hit, as with many institutions, learning went online. Despite the challenges of learning online, my students at Trinity have come on in leaps and bounds, and this was brought home to me recently by some end-of-year feedback I asked them to give.
In fact, I was unexpectedly moved and surprised by their responses which blew me away with their depth of insight and maturity (just note the ages of the respondents). Occasionally I thought, quite literally, that I couldn’t have phrased it better myself.
I asked my students to write down informally what the Alexander Technique meant to them, and how it had helped them over the last year. Here’s a selection of what they said.
Over the past year of learning about Alexander Technique, I have felt more open and free, and it has helped me take more notice of things around me, rather than rushing past them as I used to do. As a result, a possible byproduct is that I feel that my life is more satisfying and full, and weirdly time seems to pass slower the more I notice the things around me. Overall, I feel less stressed and feel as though life has become easier to live.
EC, 15 years
The Alexander Technique to me means efficiency and comfort; not using any more energy or holding any more tension than you have to, therefore enabling you to carry out actions more comfortably and naturally. Semi supine has helped with my violin as it allowed me to release any tension so that when I came back to practice I felt refreshed, both physically and mentally. The Alexander Technique has also been helpful in everyday actions, especially in school, and my posture which I feel has improved and benefited my confidence as well. I think Alexander Technique in a way helps humans to become more human; to do what they were meant to without complicating simple things.
FM, 14 years
I think the Alexander Technique is a good way of persuading your mind to not get used to negative habits, like slouching, bending your back when performing, etc etc. It really makes you aware of your surroundings, and yourself in general, your senses are opened up, and the more vulnerable you are I think is how much more you are able to correct yourself. It also relies a bit on muscle memory, so if you were to consistently keep your back long, keep your shoulders relaxed and wide, spread your feet out, eventually this will replace your old habit of slouching, bending your back, staying tense and you will automatically start to have better posture and that’s what I think Alexander Technique is all about.
ZK, 12 years
What Alexander tech means to me: I really like Alexander technique and I find it very useful in music and day-to-day life. It helps me calm down and deal with stress or anxiety, and has actually improved my cello playing and how I feel playing. After playing the cello for a long period of time I used to feel quite achy but now that has improved dramatically and I can play for a long period of time without feeling uncomfortable! Alexander technique was really useful in my exams and I was sitting down for a long period of time and was stressed, I managed to sit in a way that was comfy and calm down and centre myself when I was stressed!
ML,13 years
Alexander technique has been an opportunity for me to be able to release the tension that builds up when moving about in everyday life. It has also enabled me to become more aware of the different parts of my body and how they come together to create movement. In doing so I have also realised how effortless our existence can be despite how much stress we are under in a modern society. It has also helped me to make my playing more undemanding and more natural as I haven’t felt the need to force my body into a state and instead take my time. By doing this my playing has improved greatly. Alexander technique is something I incorporate into everyday life and I have reaped the benefits of it.
NT, 17 years
I think that what Alexander means in my mind is slowly realising what quiet sounds and feels like. It’s not something that you notice or realise that you don’t notice until you start Alexander.
MD, 18 years