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Rebalancing: How Alexander Technique Helped Me Embrace My Voice & My Vulnerability

My voice and I were not always friends. She often made me feel fractured, directionless, and so riddled with anxiety that singing became almost impossible. I was seriously considering giving up on performing when a colleague recommended the Alexander Technique. She was in training at the Mind Body Music School and thought it might help. I always wanted to study this method. Why not give it a try? 

The Alexander Technique quickly took hold and profoundly changed my singing and teaching. It has provided a stable yet flexible framework to view myself, my students, and my relationship with music.

Alexander Who?

The Alexander Technique focuses on improving movement and physical coordination through awareness of how we use our bodies. It was developed by Frederick Matthias Alexander, initially as a way to address his own voice problems, which he believed were related to habitual tension in his body. Alexander discovered that the relationship between the head, neck, and spine is crucial to coordinating the entire body properly.The technique also emphasizes that how you think about an activity affects how you perform it. Basically, if you think something will be difficult, then it becomes difficult. If you think that something will be easy then it becomes easy. Your body shows you the quality of your thoughts. I had to ask myself to change my thinking. 

A New Perspective on “Mia Voce”

One of the most profound shifts was in how I viewed my voice. “Mia Voce” used to be this mean little minx who caused nothing but pain and frustration. She was temperamental, tiresome, dusty, and unreliable. I wanted a Sound that could transport listeners, causing them to weep from sheer beauty. Nothing else mattered! “Mia Voce” failed me every time… I failed every time.Then I would berate myself for failing. It was a vicious cycle.

Through Alexander lessons I began to see “Mia Voce” as a living instrument that I needed to learn how to play. Taking a step back, I observed how my habits impacted my singing. “Mia Voce” wasn’t running out of breath on purpose, I was standing in a posture where my ribs couldn’t move. She wasn’t intentionally going out of tune, my neck was too far forward, creating a kink in the tube that made the air weird. Appreciating my instrument’s natural design freed me to begin experimenting with what she could do. “Mia Voce” can do a lot of amazing things if I just step out of her way. Isn’t that an amazing idea?

 

Learning Music with a New Mindset

My perspective on learning music also completely changed this year. My focus was always on perfecting the notes and rhythms so that I could wow the world with my beautiful, awe-inspiring sound. Again, I failed every time with this mindset. My teachers encouraged me to try an experience-oriented approach rather than being driven by results. As my instrument became more reliable, pliable, and enjoyable the end result became less important. I don’t care that much about how my voice sounds anymore because I trust that she will sound decent.

Self-kindness is an essential component. This year I became kinder to myself, to observe without judgment, and to approach learning with a sense of curiosity and openness. I am sharing this attitude with my students, helping them to stay motivated and enjoy the process of learning. My new Artistic Statement is kindness, curiosity, and joy. I hope to instill these profoundly simple ideas in my students. 

Conclusion

Reflecting on my first year of Alexander Technique training, I am struck by how much lightness and creative freedom this work has afforded me. Being aware of the “quality of my thoughts” has been invaluable. The Alexander Technique taught me to see my voice as a living instrument, to approach learning with kind curiosity, and to recognize the importance of listening to “Mia Voce” when she is showing me what I need. The Alexander Technique has made such an impact that I am now training to become an AT teacher. As I move forward in my journey with the Alexander Technique, I am excited to continue incorporating its principles into my teaching and in my personal performance practice. The process will be a lifelong endeavor but I am excited to create new habits and see where they take me. 

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