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BOSTON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Dissertation

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE & THE ART OF TEACHING VOICE

MARIA URSULA WEISS

Magister artium, Universitat M ozarteum Salzburg, 1990

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

2005

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UMI Number: 3171206

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© Copyright by
MARIA URSULA WEISS
2005

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Approved by

First Reader
TpelyL. Sheveloff,|Ph. D.
Processor of Musik

Second Reader
Andre de Quadros
Professor of Music

Third Reader
Sarah Ameson, D.M.A.
Associate Professor of Music

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I could not have written this thesis w ithout the contributions and support of

m any people.

Thank you to my voice teachers, Norbert Prasser, Ingrid Janser-Mayr, Sarah

Ameson, and William Sharp, for giving me insight in vocal technique. Thank

you to all the voice teachers with whom I studied vocal pedagogy, Marianne

Schartner, who introduced me to Eutony, bioenergetics and Feldenkrais, Joy

McIntyre and Marc Aliapoulios.

Thank you to m y Alexander teachers. A special thank you to Beret Arcaya,

who convinced me w ith a single lesson in Salzburg that Alexander Technique

will help me w ith my vocal development. Much gratitude to Rivka Cohen

who persuaded me to train while doing my doctorate of musical arts and with

w hom I had hundreds of lessons and to Ruth Kilroy with w hom I trained for

three years. Special thanks to all the Alexander teachers w ith whom I had

additional lessons, including Joan M urray and Peter Ribeaux.

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Thank you to all the teachers in body-mind techniques. Thank you to

Corinna Lanner-Holzhausen for teaching me Feldenkrais, Susanne Skov for

teaching breath and m ovem ent education and Tai Chi and Jessica Wolf for

teaching the breath work of Carl Stough in connection with Alexander

Technique. Their expertise in these techniques provided m e with the ability

to compare the body-mind technique w ith the Alexander Technique.

Special thanks to m y prim ary reader Joel Sheveloff for his proofreading of my

writing, for his extremely clear judgm ent and accurate feedback, and for his

trem endous knowledge in m any areas. Thank you to m y other two readers,

Andre de Quadros and Sarah Ameson, for their suggestions.

Special thank to the librarian Rhoda Bilansky, who helped m e locate books

and articles from all over the world.

Thank you to all m y private students, to m y students at Boston University,

and to m y students in workshops whose questions taught me a lot.

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Thank you to Ana Raffo and Josef Weiss, who helped to provide the

necessary pictures of applications of the Alexander Technique. Thank you to

Michael Hamilton for taking the pictures.

Thank you to Petra Hundem er-Friedm an for translating German sources.

Thank you to Daniel Page for proofreading the dissertation.

Thank you to m y husband Josef, who shared as an Alexander teacher himself

m any discussions and hands-on w ork w ith me. W ithout his moral support I

could not have succeeded. Lastly, thank you to m y two children, Lorenz and

Sophia, for being great children.

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THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE & THE ART OF TEACHING VOICE

(Order No. )

MARIA URSULA WEISS

Boston University College of Fine Arts, 2005

Major Professor: Joel L. Sheveloff, Professor of Music

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the principles and applications of the Alexander

Technique and how they can be used to influence and affect the teaching of

voice. Maria Weiss, a certified Alexander teacher, uses her knowledge of the

Alexander Technique together with her knowledge of different body-mind

techniques and of vocal pedagogy to compare these various techniques and vocal

approaches to the Alexander Technique.

In the first part of the thesis she offers background knowledge about the

Alexander Technique. She searched for sources in the vocal pedagogy literature

to find support for F. M. Alexander's ideas. She uses sources from vocal teachers

vii

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such as Pietro Francesco Tosi, Manuel Garcia, Kristin Linklater, and Olga

Averino, to name just a few, to show that the principles of F. M. Alexander's

teachings can be discovered in vocal writings. She also compares some of the

few sources of vocal teachers who teach singing as Alexander teachers

themselves, such as Beret Arcaya or Jane Heirich. She clarifies the principles and

applications of the Alexander Technique mainly against die background of the

different body-mind methods, especially Feldenkrais and Archery by Eugen

Herrigel. She points out similarities and contrasts among these techniques.

The second part of the thesis deals w ith topics related to singing such as

'posture', breathing, practicing and performing. The author discusses them from

the view of F. M. Alexander, various Alexander teachers, body-m ind techniques,

vocal teachers and singers. In addition to the already m entioned body-m ind

techniques of Feldenkrais and Eugen Herrigel, she uses writings about Tai Chi

and the breathing w ork of Carl Stough. She includes anatomical details to shed

light on some misconceptions concerning 'posture' and breathing. She writes

about the connection betw een conscious controlled practicing and performance.

The dissertation does not intend to go into detailed vocal exercises.

viii

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Maria Weiss includes a detailed bibliography of written sources about the

Alexander Technique, body-mind technique, voice books, anatom y and vocal

science books. She indicates the first three sources in the bibliography with

special marks to clarify to w hat field the book belongs.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................xiv

FOREWORD............................................................................................................1

Part I: THE F. M. ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE................................................. 4

1. F. M. ALEXANDER.......................................................................................... 4

Biographical details about the first years of Frederick Matthias Alexander..............4

The development of the Alexander Technique..........................................................7
Definition of Alexandrian terms as ‘mind’ and ‘body’, ‘use’ and ‘s e lf....................11

2. TEACHING ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TO SINGERS................................16

Goals..........................................................................................................................17
Taking Alexander Technique lessons........................................................................ 20
Working with Alexander Technique................................. ........................................ 27
Benefits of the Technique.......................................................................................... 30

3. THE FIVE PRINCIPLES.................................................................................. 35

Principle 1- Recognition of the force of habit........................................................... 37

Principle 2 - Inhibition and non-doing.......................................................................40
Inhibition.................................................................................................... 40
Non-doing................................................................................................... 45
Principle 3 -Faulty sensory awareness.............................................................. 51
Principle 4 - Sending directions...........................................................................58
Let the neck be free...................................................................................... 60
Allow the head to go forward and up........................................................... 62
Allow the back to lengthen and widen......................................................... 65
Secondary directions.................................................................................... 69
'Directions' as a way of thinking................................................................. 70
Principle 5 - The Primary Control...................................................................... 75

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4. ATTITUDES 79

End-gaining.............................................................................................................. 79
Means whereby........................................................................................................81
Right and W rong..................................................................................................... 85
Relaxation and tension.......................................................................................... 89
Change...................................................................................................................... 96

5. APPLICATIONS................................................................................................ 102

Chair w ork................................................................................................................ 103

Table w ork................................................................................................................ 107
Monkey......................................................................................................................I l l
Lunge.........................................................................................................................115
W alking..................................................................................................................... 116
Hands on the back of the chair............................................................................ 118

PARTE:

8. PRACTICING AND PERFORMING...............................................................230

Performance anxiety..............................................................................................230
Practicing.................................................................................................................236
Repetitions.................................................................................................... 240
Cure by transfer............................................................................................ 246
Learning something new everyday............................................................... 249
From simple to complex exercises................................................................. 251
Silent practicing............................................................................................254
Reliance on different devices......................................................................... 255
Preparation..............................................................................................................257
Emotions..................................................................................................................264

xii

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CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................268

BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................274

VITA........................................................................................................................ 348

xiii

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1- Righting reflex of a cat......................................................................... 62

Figure 2 - Vertebral disorders............................................................................ 67

Figure 3 - Chair w ork.......................................................................................... 103

Figure 4 - Table w ork.......................................................................................... 107

Figure 5 - Monkey.................................................................................................. I l l

Figure 6 - Squat.......................................................................................................I l l

Figure 7a - Lunge forw ards................................................................................ 115

Figure 7b - Lunge backw ards...............................................................................115

Figure 8 - W alking..................................................................................................116

Figure 9 - H ands on the back of a chair.............................................................. 118

Figure 10 - F. M atthias Alexander as "specialist in respiration"..................... 121

Figure 11 - Spine.....................................................................................................156

Figure 12 - Balanced head versus retracted head............................................ 163

Figure 13 - Diaphragm while inhaling - view from right side........................ 186

Figure 14 - W hispered 'a h '....................................................................................191

Figure 15 - Muscles of facial expression.............................................................198

Figure 16 - Tongue............................................................................................... 202

xiv

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Figure 17 - J a w .......................................................................................................204

Figure 18 - M outh...................................................................................................209

Figure 19 - Nose......................................................................................................221

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FOREWORD

From the beginning of my singing career, I have also felt a special interest in the

art of teaching singing. From very early on, I visited different master classes and

workshops on either a traditional way of teaching voice or a mind and/or body

approach. My first voice pedagogy teacher, Marianne Schartner, introduced me

to Eutony and the ideas and bioenergetic exercises of Alexander Lowen. I also

took classes in Feldenkrais, Tai Chi, breathing and movement education and

some lessons in Alexander Technique. Coming to the United States to do my

doctorate, I studied the Alexander Technique in a three-year training program

w ith Ruth Kilroy, in Newton, Massachusetts. I finished a two-year postgraduate

study w ith Rivka Cohen and took m aster classes or/and lessons with Beret

Arcaya, Peter Ribeaux, Joan M urray and Jessica Wolf. I have incorporated m y

new knowledge into the teaching of voice since I began teaching seventeen years

ago.

The first chapter of this dissertation presents detailed information about the

Alexander Technique, covering some biographical details, the developm ent of

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the Technique and benefits of the Technique. It describes in length the so-called

'five principles', deals with attitudes for learning and finishes w ith applications

taught specifically in the Alexander Technique. The next chapter continues with

topics im portant for singing such as posture, breathing, - practicing and

performing. Comparisons w ith a few selected body-mind techniques will clarify

their differences and similarities w ith Alexander Technique. In addition, I

provide detailed insight in the differences in the approach of traditional voice

pedagogy schools compared w ith the Alexander Technique.

Reading this dissertation will not necessarily teach you to sing, but it gives an

understanding in the possibilities of a technique, developed more than a century

ago, to improve the voice. Aldous Huxley writes in the chapter 'Education' in his

book Ends and Means about this:

.. .no verbal description can do justice to a technique

which involves the changing...of an individual's
sensory experiences. One cannot describe the
experience of seeing the colour red. Similarly one
cannot describe the m uch more complex experience of
im proved physical co-ordination. A verbal
description w ould m ean something only to a person

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who had actually had the experience described; to the
mal-coordinated person, the same words w ould mean
something quite different. Inevitably, he would
interpret them in terms of his own sensory
experiences, which are those of a mal-co-ordinated
person. Complete understanding of the system can
come only with the practice of it.1

In other words, reading my dissertation gives you an

understanding, but not the personal experience you obtain from the

private instruction of a skilled Alexander teacher.

1 Huxley/ENDS, p. 258.

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Part I: THE F. M. ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

1. F. M. ALEXANDER

Biographical details about the first years of Frederick Matthias Alexander

F. M. Alexander's early life offers a background for his later discoveries. Betsy,

nee Brown (1847-1923) gave birth to her first son Frederick Matthias Alexander

on January the 20th, 1869.1 Frederick Matthias Alexander and his nine siblings

grew up under harsh conditions in Wynyard, a very small town at Table Cape in

Tasmania with about 150 residents.

His father, John Alexander (1843-1936), a highly skilled craftsman, worked as a

blacksmith. He shoed horses w ith his own homemade horseshoes and crafted

1 Excellent recent biographies about Frederick Matthias Alexander's life are written by Michael
Bloch F. M.: the life of Frederick M atthias Alexander: founder of the Alexander Technique (2004) and
Jackie A. Evans Frederick Matthias Alexander: a fam ily history (2001). The first biography about F. M.
Up from down under (1994) written by Rosslyn McLeod is subtitled The Australian origins of
Frederick Matthias Alexander and the Alexander Technique. It covers F. M /s life until 1904, when he
w ent to London. Jeroen Staring self published a two volum e biography The first 43 years of the life
of F. M atthias Alexander: F. Matthias Alexander, Randolph Bourne and John Dewey: playing detective
with man's supreme inheritance (1996-97). Walter Carrington gave short versions in A Biographical
Outline (1979) and Man's Future as an Individual (1969).

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pokers, shovels, plough shares and farm tools.2 John Alexander had married

Betsy Brown on February the 6th, 1866. Frederick Matthias Alexander's mother,

an excellent horsewoman, showed extraordinary talent for nursing, midwifery

and other medical services.

Frederick Matthias, often called just F. M., excelled from early childhood on with

his ever-inquisitive mind. His m any questions led to disruptive behavior, which

caused his first teacher Mr. Robertson to expel him from the classroom. Seeing F.

M /s talents, however, Mr. Robertson started to teach his intelligent student

individually. Mr. Robertson planted in F. M. his love of poetry, especially that of

Shakespeare.

From early childhood on F. M. had difficulties digesting food and often had to

consult a doctor. In 1885, he had to find full-time employment to help his family

financially despite his weak physical condition. He started working as a clerk in

different offices in Waratah, a small tow n in Tasmania w ith a promising silver

mine. After three years of saving money, F. M. decided to try his luck again as a

2 Evans/HISTORY, p. 68.

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clerk in Melbourne, Australia. He used his free time in the evenings to attend

concerts and theatres. He also studied violin on his own. He acted and

produced plays in the Amateur Dramatic Club of Melbourne.

In this club, he started to take elocution lessons and to practice reciting. During

this time he developed hoarseness. Contacting Charles Bage, a doctor in

Melbourne, he received the advice to gargle and to rest his voice while keeping a

special diet. His trouble continued, however, while reciting and working as a

clerk. Frequently gasping for breath, he finally decided to spend a few months

on the sea. W hen he returned to Melbourne, he started to realize his m ain goal to

become a professional reciter, and with his elocution teacher Fred Hill he soon

succeeded.

During this period, his hoarseness continued to bother him. Discussing this

m atter with Dr. Bage, he concluded that he had to study and observe w hat he

physically did while reciting. After months of self-observation and self analysis

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of his own use, he found the underlying causes for his problem3 and changed his

habits. He finally continued to pursue a successful career as a Shakespearean

reciter.

The development of the Alexander Technique

In his third book The use of the self (1932) F. M. Alexander describes in a very

detailed way how he developed the Technique. After years as a reciter, he

experienced severe trouble with his throat. Additionally, friends heard him

"gasping" and "sucking in air" through his m outh. F. M. worried about this

habit more than about his hoarseness. He knew that teachers forbid breathing in

loudly. He actually thought that he did inhale silently. His friends' comment

devastated him, especially because he thought that he did not inhale loudly.

The advice of different doctors and voice trainers did not help. His hoarseness

and his audible breath became worse and worse. Doctors diagnosed a severe

irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat and nose and an inflammation

31 will describe these causes in the next chapter entitled The development of the Alexander Technique

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of the vocal folds. His vocal folds showed too much relaxation and his long

uvula hung dow nw ards causing acute attacks of coughing.

The climax came when F. M. received an invitation to a very important

engagement. After seeking advice from a doctor, he again rested his voice and

spoke as little as possible for two weeks before the event. His hoarseness

disappeared, but halfway through the recital the curtain had to fall, because his

voice showed more distress than ever. By the end of the program he could

hardly speak.

Very disappointed, F. M contacted his doctor again who told him to go on with

the same treatment. But F. M. stated that his hoarseness came back within an

hour of performance. He asked his doctor:

Is it not fair, then, to conclude that it was something I

was doing that evening in using m y voice that was
the cause of the trouble?4

and the chapter entitled Recognition of force of habit.

4 Alexander/USE, p. 412.

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After asking his doctor if he knew the reason causing this devastating trouble, he

got a negative answer. Consequently, F. M. set out on a painstaking exact self-

investigation. Using mirrors, he watched himself in ordinary speaking and in

reciting. He observed three things while reciting. He pulled his head back,

depressed his larynx and sucked an audible breath in through the mouth,

especially w hen he recited dem anding passages.

F. M. found himself not knowing where to begin. After months of experimenting

in front of mirrors, he succeeded in not pulling the head back, which indirectly

seemed to stop the sucking in of the breath and the depressing of the larynx.

This led to the first im portant discovery, which consequently let him finally

discover the prim ary control. He found out that the changes in use he employed

to prevent these three harmful tendencies interestingly effected the functioning of

his breathing mechanism and consequently of his voice.5

5 Alexander/USE, p. 414.

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Cornelius Reid6, father of functional voice training, also stresses this functioning

in connection with use, w hat he calls free organic movement.

Functional vocal training is founded on the belief that

a correct technique m ust be an extension of free
organic movement; that such movement is the
expression of a life process subject to nature's laws;
and that training procedures adopted m ust be based
upon principles which conform to those laws.7

After F. M. Alexander found this connection between use and functioning, he

even w ent further in his conclusion. W anting to prevent his head from going

back, he p u t his head consciously forward. But if he put the head forward

beyond a certain point, he started to pull it down, which caused the same vocal

troubles as pulling the head back. After a long period of experiments, he also

noticed that a certain use of the head and neck not only caused a depressing of

the larynx, but also a tendency to lift his chest and shorten his stature.8

6 In addition to articles, Cornelius Reid published three important books Bel canto: principles and
practices (1950), The free voice: a guide to natural singing (1965) and Voice: psyche and soma (1975).
7 Reid/PSYCHE, preface p.i.
8 Alexander/USE, p. 415.

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This observation of shortening his stature suggested to Alexander that the use of

his whole torso influenced the faulty behavior of his larynx. Originally he had

supposed that only the specific use of the parts concerned w ith speaking caused

his trouble. He now argued that he needed more than only preventing the

wrong use of the head and neck in order to expect improvement in the voice.9

W hen he w anted to lengthen his stature, he had to put his head forward and up,

w hat proved to be the primary control of his use.10 With this discovery F. M.

found the solution to many, m any problems.

Definition of Alexandrian terms as 'm ind7 and 'body', 'use' and 'self'

F. M. Alexander explained in his book The Use of the Self not only the journey of

his discovery but also defined m any of the terms he used. The meaning of

certain key words or beliefs often changes within a lifetime or m ay take

centuries.

9 Macdonald/ALEXANDER, p. 40.
10 Alexander/ USE, p. 416.

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First I w ant to clarify the terms 'body' and 'm ind'. Pedro de Alcantara11

caricatures the different meanings of these two terms:

The ghosts of Descartes and Augustine still haunt us.

The old dichotomies remain; all we did was to
subvert their underlying moral judgments. It used to
be: mind good, body bad. Reason good, emotion bad.
Authority good, free will bad. Today we say: body
good, mind bad. Feeling good, thinking bad, free will
(self-expression, spontaneity, individuality) good,
authority (hierarchy, discipline, control) bad.12

Alexander himself did not separate mind and body. Alexander clearly stated

that we cannot separate 'm ental' and' physical' processes in any form of hum an

activity.13 The Alexander Technique influences the psychophysical mechanism of

the whole individual. Alexander uses the term psychophysical to determine the

11 Pedro de Alcantara, a cellist, earned a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music in
1983. He has studied the Alexander Technique w ith Patrick Macdonald, one of the students of F.
M. Alexander himself, and Shoshana Kaminitz in London. He taught for three years at the
Alexander Institute under the supervision of Dr. Wilfred Barlow. Living in Paris, he also gives
master classes around the world. He wrote two interesting and important books about the
Technique and music; Indirect procedures: a musicians guide to the Alexander Technique (1997) and
The Alexander Technique: a skill for life (1999). Ariel Bybee and James E. Ford (2002) published
Pedro de Alcantara's essay "An Alexander teacher reads the free voice, his mouth agape" in The
modem singing master: essays in honor of Cornelius L. Reid. Furthermore, Pedro de Alcantara
published prose and poetry in literary journals in France and the United States.
12 Alcantara/PROCEDURES, p. 9.
13 Alexander/USE, p. 409.

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impossibility of separating physical operations from mental in a hum an being.14

The body does not control the mind or vice versa. The subconscious does not

control the conscious or vice versa. Mind and body act as a unity.

This unity makes all parts of body and m ind work together. The use of a specific

part depends on the use of the whole psychophysical mechanism. F. M.

Alexander defines 'use':

I wish to make clear that when I employ the word

'use', it is not in that limited sense of the use of any
specific part, as, for instance, when we speak of the
use of an arm or the use of a leg, but in a much w ider
and more comprehensive sense applying to the
working of the organism in general. For I recognize
that the use of any specific part such as the arm or leg
involves of necessity bringing into action the different
psycho-physical mechanisms of the organism, this
concerted activity bringing about the use of the
specific part.15

14 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 228.
15 Alexander/USE, p. 410.

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Besides 'use', another very frequently used Alexandrian term is that of 'self'. Sir

Charles Sherrington16, who always supported F. M. Alexander's work, writes in

The Integrative Action of the Nervous System an im portant definition of the 'self':

Each waking day is stage dom inated for good or ill, in

comedy, farce or tragedy, by a dramatis persona, the
'self'... The self is a unity. The continuity of its
presence in time, sometimes hardly broken by sleep,
its inalienable 'interiority' in (sensual) space, its
consistency of viewpoint, the privacy of its
experience, combine to give it status as a unique
existence. Although multiple aspects characterize it,
it has self-cohesion. It regards itself as one, others
treat it as one. It is addressed as one, by a nam e to
which it answers.17

Familiar with Sir Charles Sherrington's writings, Alexander defines the self as

the psychophysical organism, something in use, which functions and reacts.18

Alexander does not use the term self the same way as psychoanalysts do who

define it as an opposition between the self and the other. He rather refers to it as a

16 Sir Charles Sherrington (1857-1952), the great English physiologist, vividly supported F. M.
Alexander's work. His studies gave scientific explanations to F.M. Alexander's discoveries.
After publishing the books The integrative action of the nervous system (1904) and M an on his nature
1940), he directly praises F. M. Alexander and his teachings in The endeavour o f Jean Femel (1946).
17 Sherrington/ACTION, p. xviii.
18 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. xxxvi.

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whole integrated individual or whole psycho-physical being.19 When you open

the mouth, Alexander does not only consider the act of opening the mouth, but

also the total neuro-muscular activity that the person needs in order to open the

m outh.20

19 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 9.
20 Referring to The universal constant of living b y F. M. Alexander Sir Charles Sherrington states
this fact in his chapter about 'Will and Reflex Action'. Sherrington/FERNEL, p. 89.

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2. TEACHING ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TO SINGERS

Teaching the Alexander Technique to singers demands an immense

responsibility of the teacher. The teacher addresses only indirectly the

immediate reason, for example laryngitis, for which the singer requires help. He

looks at the whole psychophysical being. He will observe that the original

problem points only to a whole panoply of problems on which the singer needs

to work. I will cover these problems in the chapter about goals and about who

takes lessons. Singers frequently ask w hat they have to expect from a lesson,

how it works and w hat benefits they can expect.

First of all, there seems to be an opinion among singers that the Alexander

Technique, i.e. learning to inhibit and direct, will solve every problem that may

arise in singing. Learning the Alexander Technique, however, does not

substitute for a well-directed vocal study. An Alexander teacher does not teach

the technique of singing. He or she rather shows the student not to interfere with

the physical mechanism needed for the process of singing.

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Goals

Most singers, especially students, go about their busy lives in a routine way,

driven by force of habit. Underneath, they may realize that they experience

physical tension, emotional stress, or low energy. Yet they generally pay little

attention to these matters until they reach an unacceptable point of pain, poor

performance, or even injury. Voice problems range from fluctuating degrees of

vocal impairment, called dysphonia, to complete absence of the use of the voice,

called aphonia. Abnormalities can affect habitual speaking pitch, loss of range,

loss of volume, loss of a good piano, quality, resonance, flexibility, and stamina.1

In more severe cases, singers suffer from chronic laryngitis, bowed vocal folds,

vocal nodules, polyps, and contact ulcers, just to name a few of the most

common ailments.2

1 Greene/DISORDERS, p. 121.
2 David Blair McClosky offers a detailed description of the most common ailments in his book
Your voice at its best, originally published in 1959. McClosky/VOICE, p. 69-72.

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Performing artists especially show high risk of injury. The more they seek to

achieve great things at a fast rate, ignoring strain and anxiety, the more they

actually limit their true potential. A performing artist faces complex challenges.

By attending to the whole self, performing artists can achieve the effortless

elegance they seek. By practicing Alexander Technique, performers can free

their minds and bodies to enhance their performance potential w ith reduced

mental and physical stress. W hether singers seek to continue their career for a

whole life, enhance their performance, or simply increase their enjoyment of

singing, Alexander Technique offers a positive way to improve their physical

habits and attitudes.

The way singers use themselves affects every aspect of their functioning,

including their m anner of speech and the timbre of their voice; their

psychomotor skills and reactions to stress; their interpersonal relationships,

emotions, and sexuality. The relationship between use and functioning,

undoubtedly the most practical of Alexander's discoveries, finally leads to

increased effectiveness in all parts of life. If people wish to improve any aspect

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of their functioning, they m ust improve their use.3 People often think education,

society, stress, religion, and other people cause misuse. Singers think that a bad

teacher or bad acoustic in a hall caused their failure. F. M. Alexander believed

otherwise. It is not w hat a singer experiences from the outside that creates a

problem, but how he reacts to a specific stimulus that will trigger either misuse

or good use. Every coin has two sides. Transferring this principle to the

everyday practice of a singer would change, "My jaw feels tight" into "I tighten

my jaw", "My back feels weak" into "I misuse m y back".

The Alexander Technique changes the way the student uses himself. Most

people only see the physical aspect, but the Alexander Technique does not teach

singers the right way of singing. Rather, it helps them pass from normal to

natural, from the known familiar w ay of singing to the unknown, from w rong to

right.4 'N orm al' means the way the singer always has done his activities,

'natural' means to act in a m anner that best suits the situation. Pedro de

Alcantara offers a great definition of both normal and natural:

3 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 10.
4 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 35, col. 2.

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When you react normally, you react the way
everybody else does, according to your habits, with
little consciousness of your actions or control over
them, w ith too much effort, in a hurry or hesitantly, in
a m anner that is inelegant, inefficient, and costly to
your well-being...W hen you react naturally, you react
according to the law of nature, in an ideal manner,
w ith a degree of awareness and control, aided at the
same time by reasoning and intuition, using yourself
with elegance and power.5

Instruction in the use of the self by a certified teacher helps the student to learn

how to better organize mind and body and to change from normal to natural

behavior. I have to stress that theories and concepts only have value w hen the

teacher demonstrates them. Again, writing about the Alexander Technique does

not provide the necessary experience to understand the principles fully, but

offers knowledge about its values.

Taking Alexander Technique lessons

Just imagine singers in the stressful situation of performance who drink alcoholic

beverages before, while and/or after the performances. Some take tranquilizers

5 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 371.

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or anxiety suppressants, and sometimes teachers have recommended these.

Teachers should not regard themselves as doctors. Any medication prescribed to

reduce performance anxiety does not work on the original cause leading to

performance anxiety. Students fight against backaches, headaches, nodules,

nodes and ulcers on one hand, and depression and unhappiness on the other

hand. Many singers experience chronic ailments such as back pain or headache

that seem to resist treatm ent by traditional medical practices. These problems

m ay also hinder their work life, home life and recreational activities. While

certain therapies relieve the symptoms for some time, in m ost cases the problem

itself returns or other problems develop.

When voice therapy, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, drugs, surgery, or

ergonomics fail, the troubled singers finally start to look for teachers of different

methods who can help them. Alexander Technique looks at the whole person

and gives each one the opportunity to find out w hat the individual

unconsciously does to himself or herself in resting periods and in action as

singing. Then it teaches them how to stop this interference.

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Alexander Technique often proves successful even after only a few lessons.

Singers will feel a sense of liberation from various physical strains related to

performing music. They find it easier to sustain long notes or reach high pitches

w ithout their normal effort. These benefits make the technique popular for

singers.6

Misuse of the whole psychophysical mechanism often causes a specific problem

or disease. Alexander Technique helps people to overcome a wide range of

physical problems: respiratory problems such as asthma, shallow breathing,

hyperventilation; muscle pain or joint problems such as backache, headache,

migraine, arthritis, repetitive strain injuries [hereafter RSI]; heart problems;

digestive and nervous problems.7 Interestingly, the Alexander Technique proved

successful in m any cases because the change of the faulty use of the self into a

6 Ben-Or/CONCEPTIONS, p. 28. N elly Ben-Or, an international well-known pianist, trained with

Patrick Macdonald. She teaches as a professor of piano and the Alexander Technique at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drams in London. She published several articles concerning the
teaching of music including piano with the principles of the Alexander Technique such as "A
pianist's thoughts on the Alexander Technique (1978), "The Alexander Technique and
performance" (1978), "The Alexander Technique in the preparation and performance o f music:
The F. M. Alexander memorial lecture, given by N elly Ben-Or to the Society of Teacher of the
Alexander Technique in London, November 1987" (1987), "A pianist's adventure with the
Alexander Technique" (1991), and "Conceptions and misconceptions: the F. M. Alexander
Technique in music" (1991).
7 Brennan/MIND, p. 54-5.

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good use improved the functioning of the whole body. Patrick Macdonald8

states that the Alexander Technique has a long history of success in dealing with

obdurate, chronic illnesses or diseases caused by a misuse of the psychophysical

mechanism.9

Lessons in the Alexander Technique help students to achieve improved health

and energy in their everyday activities, careers, and other personal challenges.

Well-known students who took lessons in the Alexander Technique include the

American educational philosopher John Dewey10, the writer Aldous Huxley, the

musicians Linda and Paul McCartney, the actors Paul Newm an and Robin

Williams, the playw right George Bernhard Shaw and the Nobel Prize winner

8 Patrick Macdonald (1910-1991), son of Peter Macdonald, a doctor who publicly supported F. M.
Alexander, joined the first teacher training course from 1931-1935. Until 1949 he worked as F.
M /s assistant. Many Alexander teachers today were trained in his training course, which he
taught for 30 years from 1957 to 1987. He also ran a well-attended private studio. His book The
Alexander Technique as I see it was published in 1989.
9 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 52.
10 John D ew ey (1859-1952), bom in Burlington, VT, and educated at The University of Vermont
and John Hopkins University, taught philosophy in Michigan (1884) and Chicago (1894) and
became Professor of philosophy at Columbia University, NY (1904). Dewey, influential exponent
of pragmatism and philosopher of education, stressed the importance of individual developm ent
by experiential learning. Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 2, fn. 1.

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Nikolaas Tinbergen.11 Sir Colin Davis, the famous conductor, took lessons with

Dr. Wilfred Barlow and wrote the foreword to Pedro de Alcantara's book Indirect

procedures. G. E. Coghill, the American biologist, wrote an appreciation The

educational methods of F. Matthias Alexander, as a foreword to Alexander's The

universal constant in living.

Alexander trained m any students between 1931 and 1955. Some of them wrote

extensively. Other Alexander teachers wrote about their teaching.12 The

following bibliography presents, in my judgment, the m ost im portant books.

The reader should consult this dissertation's bibliographic supplem ent for

additional information and for articles by the same authors.

11 Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907-1988), one of the founders of m odem ethology, studied animals'
behavior in their natural environment including evolutionary and social factors.
12 Walter Carrington published a complete list of all the students Alexander trained in his book A
time to remember: a personal diary of teaching the F.M. Alexander Technique in 1946. Carrington/
TIME, p. 71-3.

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1931 Marjorie Barstow13 - Conable, Barbara, Marjorie Barstow: her
teaching and training.
Catherine Merrick - Arm strong14, Joe, Never ask why: the life-
(Countess Wielopolska) adventure of Kitty Wielopolska: her experience
with the Alexander work, schizophrenia and the
psychic state.
George Trevelyan, - "The diary of Sir George Trevelyan, part I and
II". The philosopher's stone: diaries of lessons
with F. Matthias Alexander, ed. J. M. O. Fischer.
Lulie Westfeldt - F. Matthias Alexander: the man and his work:
memoirs of training in the Alexander Technique
1931-34.
1932 Patrick Macdonald - The Alexander Technique as I see it.
1933 Marjory Mechin (Barlow) - Davies, Trevor Allan, Marjory Barlow and the
Alexander Technique: an examined life.
1936 Walter Carrington 15
- The act of living: talks on the Alexander
Technique, ed. J. Sontag.

13 Marjorie Barstow (1899-1995), a dancer, trained 1931-34 w ith Alexander. After her training she
worked as assistant for Albert Redden Alexander, F. M. Alexander's brother, in Boston. After a
longer break she developed in the 1970s an unconventional approach to the Alexander Technique
by giving brief, individual work in a group. Barbara Conable celebrates Marjorie Barstow's work
w ith the book Marjorie Barstow - her teaching and training (1988).
14 Joe Armstrong, professional flutist, trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique from 1969
to 1972 with Walter and Dilys Carrington and Peggy Williams. From 1978 to 1988 he also ran an
Alexander teacher training course. Starting w ith a thesis about the Alexander Technique Effects of
the Alexander principle in dealing with stress in musical performance, he published articles as Working
on breathing and vocal production [STAT] and two books in interview form, one with Kitty
Wielopolska. Never ask why: the life-adventure of K itty Wielopolska: her experience with the Alexander
work, schizophrenia and the psychic state (2001), one together with Vivien Mackie fu st play naturally:
Vivien Mackie in conversation with foe Armstrong: an account of her cello study with Pablo Casals in the
1950's and her discovery of the resonance between his teaching and the principles of the Alexander
Technique (2002). He teaches Alexander Technique to professional musicians in Boston.
15 Walter Carrington (bom 1915), one of the leading master teachers, studied w ith F. M.
Alexander him self in the 1930s and he has been training teachers continuously since 1946, first
together with F. M. Alexander at A shley Place and after his death in 1955 off Tottenham Court
Road [Road?] and since 1960 in Holland Park in London. H e was chair of the Society of Teachers
of the Alexander Technique [STAT] 1968-1970. He has traveled worldwide giving workshops,
master classes and lessons. He still gives lessons in his90s. Carrington/WELL-BEING, p. 55.

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- Personally speaking: Walter Carrington on the
P.M. Alexander Technique in discussion with
Sean Carey.
- Thinking aloud: talks on teaching the Alexander
Technique, ed. J. Sontag.
- A time to remember: a personal diary of teaching
the F.M. Alexander Technique in 1946.
- & Carey, Sean, Explaining the Alexander
Technique: the writings ofF.Matthias
Alexander: in conversation with Walter
Carrington & Sean Carey.
1939 Wilfred Barlow - The Alexander principle.
- More talk of Alexander.
1941 Frank Pierce Jones -A Technique for musicians.
- Freedom to change. The development and
science of the Alexander Technique
- Collected writings on the Alexander Technique,
ed. Th. Dimon & R. Brown.
1947 Peggy Nixon (Williams) - & et al, Taking time: six interviews with first
generation teachers of the Alexander Technique on
Alexander teacher training.
1953 Goddard Binkley - The expanding self: how the Alexander Technique
changed my life.

Music schools, conservatories and universities have recently offered introductory

courses and/or lessons in the Alexander Technique. In the U.S.A., Oberlin

College, Juillard School, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, Royal

College of Music, New England Conservatory, as well as Boston University offer

Alexander Technique for their students. The famous music institutions

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Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique [CNSM] in Paris, Maitrise de

Versailles, and the Guildhall School of Music in London incorporate Alexander

Technique into their education plan.16 In Germany and Switzerland, more and

m ore universities recommend Alexander Technique as an elective. In some

states of Europe, insurance companies, convinced by the preventative value of

the Technique and the amazing success in various diseases, cover Alexander

Technique.

W orking with Alexander Technique

Through the teacher's gentle hands-on direction, students learn to notice and

consciously change how they use their bodies in a healthful manner. Alexander

teachers guide the students through general movements that affect their

everyday lives. Lessons m ay include relearning ordinary but complex tasks such

as standing up and sitting. Many teachers also use Tying dow n' or table work,

also called 'constructive rest position'.

16 Bourdat/LIMITES, p. 8.

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The teacher can also help apply the Technique to sports, to playing instruments

and singing, or other particular areas of interest. The num ber and frequency of

lessons people take can vary widely. As a basic rule of thumb, m any people can

begin to use w hat they have learned after six to ten lessons. The greatest benefit

generally occurs over the course of 30-40 lessons over several months or more.

The num ber of lessons often depends on the student's purpose and how quickly

he can achieve the desired changes in behavior.

Some students require only a few lessons plus some additional maintenance

lessons to alleviate physical discomfort. Others w ith chronic back pain or other

ongoing conditions find that an extended course of study can help them to

achieve life-long improvement. Performers, musicians, athletes, and others

studying pursuits w ith high dem ands upon the body often gain the most from

long-term study. With ongoing practice, students experience reduced physical

pain resulting from everyday activities or special interests and increased physical

strength with a natural sense of balance, fluidity and ease of motion. This

promotes ongoing health, m ental concentration and focus at home, w ork or

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recreation. The integration of thoughts, emotions, and movements helps create

outstanding life balance.

F. M. Alexander himself norm ally recommended five lessons a week for a

minimum of three weeks. In very severe cases, some people needed six weeks of

daily lessons. Marjory Barlow17 recalls from her vivid practice, that she could

normally introduce an ordinary person to the work within three weeks, so that

they were able to understand how they had to w ork on themselves. Then she

normally cut the num ber of lessons dow n to four, three, two, or one per week.18

Training in the Alexander Technique requires intensive effort to be truly

effective. According to the standard the American Society for Alexander

Technique [hereafter AmSAT], a trainee has to fulfill a total of 1600 hours within

three years to receive his diplom a as a certified Alexander teacher. That means

17 Marjorie Barlow (b.1915) trained 1933-1936 and assisted F.M. until 1940. In 1940 she married
Wilfred Barlow. Together they ran a teacher training course from 1950 tol982. In 1965 she gave
the annual F.M. Alexander memorial lecture The teaching of F. Matthias Alexander. After the death
of her husband in 1991, she continued to teach privately and master classes. Trevor Allan Davies
published a great book about her and her view s M arjory Barlow and the Alexander Technique (2002).
Carrington/TIME, p. 88.
18 Davies/BARLOW, p. 260.

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three to four hours a day four to five days a week of working with the principles

of the Technique.

Benefits of the Technique

Singers choose the Alexander Technique because of its many advantages. First,

the technique needs no special equipment. The singer applies it before practicing

or performing, while performing and/or afterwards. The Technique does not

require a specific position. As soon as the student has experience w ith the

Alexander Technique, he will start to apply it. With time he does not have to

rely on any teacher to benefit from it, but he has to develop responsibility to

constantly apply the principles of the Alexander Technique.

The Alexander Technique deals with the causes of a problem and not only with

the symptoms. Specific symptoms normally disappear after a while depending

on the seriousness of the case. Because of the non-doing factor, which I will

explain later in the chapter entitled Inhibition and Non-doing, it often works as a

preventative measure for injuries. Improvement in inner and outer movement

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leads to a reduction of energy waste. The fitness level and form of a singer

therefore increases. If the singer has sinusitis, hoarseness or laryngitis, just to

name a few ailments, the period of recuperation and regeneration is often

shortened by employment of the Technique.

F. M. Alexander himself experienced a remarkable improvement in his health

and well-being. His discoveries resulted in a clearing up of his throat and vocal

trouble. His respiratory and nasal difficulties, which he had had from his early

childhood on, disappeared. By choosing to work on themselves, singers can

often decrease recuperation periods. By choosing not to work on themselves,

they risk the loss of the voice and the profession they hoped to pursue. One of

the most popular excuses I hear is that, "I do not have the time". It seems to

escape a large num ber of people that if they have a choice between a few dozen

half-hour lessons and a prolonged hospitalization or early retirement, the lessons

will occupy far less time.19

19 Already Francis Bacon writes in his essay O f Dispatch (1625), "To choose time is to save time".
Partington/QUOTATIONS, p. 43.

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The changes in a singer taking lessons show themselves visibly. Actual

measurements document the physical changes. A singer's body can become

longer in height and wider in the back, the shoulders spread sideways, the

musculature of the legs starts to work. The whole appearance of the singer takes

on a new physiognomy.20 Singers lose or gain weight according to their body

type. The height and length of body parts can change to such a degree that

singers need new clothes and even new shoe sizes.

In an early study done by Wilfred Barlow at the Royal College of Music in

London shortly after World W ar II, forty students showed an increase in height

and shoulder width. The report said that all the students physically improved in

acting and singing. They improved m uch faster than the teachers expected. The

physical improvement influenced the psychological state of the singers. They

showed less or no performance anxiety, helping them to succeed in im portant

competitions.21

20 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 77, col. 1.

21 Stevens/GUIDE, p. 78, 80.

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Gwyneth Lloyd conducted another detailed study in her thesis The application of

the Alexander Technique to the teaching and performing of singing: a case study

approach (1986), one of the rare scientific research studies. Together with a

medical doctor, she documented the physical changes in students w ho received

around 30 to 47 Alexander lessons w ithin a period of 20 -37 weeks.

Noticeable changes showed even after this short period of lessons in weight,

height, neck circumference, shoulder w idth (back), ribs exhaled, ribs inhaled

(actual expansion), chest normal, waist above umbilicus, arm stretch left and arm

stretch right (measured from flat feet to fingertips), left leg lying dow n and right

leg lying down, both m easured from superior iliac rest to medial malleolus.

Measurements changed depending on the original state of the singer. In an

already well-coordinated singer, the m easurements stayed almost the same.

With singers with slouching tendencies, however, the measurements increased.

The measurements decreased in singers w ith tendencies to lordosis.

Unfortunately, no long-term study with Alexander Technique exists yet.

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Another benefit surfaces in the realm of emotion. Increased co-ordination leads

to joy and happiness. F. M. Alexander emphasized the importance of this

attitude in the learning process. When Alexander's students seemed too serious

in their facial expressions, he took them for a walk to get some gaiety and

lightness.22 Only a singer who feels joy, happiness and freedom can perform at

his or her best.

22 Davies/BARLOW, p. 279.

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3. THE FIVE PRINCIPLES

In addition to num erous articles, F. M. Alexander wrote in detail about his work

in his four books: Man's supreme inheritance, Constructive conscious control of the

Individual, The use of the self, and The universal constant in living. We can thank

Patrick Macdonald for having established a short version of the five principles in

his book The Alexander Technique as I see it (1989). He outlined the following five

principles:

1) Recognition of the force of habit

2) Inhibition and non-doing
3) Recognition of faulty sensory awareness
4) Sending directions
5) The prim ary control.1

All these principles w ork one after another, as well as all at the same time. The

division into five principles helps students to discover the origin of their own

particular faults.

1 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 86.

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But before I start to explain these five principles, I will talk about Moshe

Feldenkrais. I often compare Alexander Technique w ith his m ethod to clarify

similarities and differences. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1985) had contact with the

Alexander Technique before and while developing his ow n method. He took

lessons w ith Wilfred Barlow and actually also m et F. M. Alexander. We can

therefore observe similarities between the two techniques.2

The Feldenkrais Method works with two different approaches. In the first,

'Functional Integration', the hands of a skilled teacher guide the student as with

the Alexander Technique. In the other, 'Awareness through Movement'

[hereafter ATM] the Feldenkrais practitioner directs group movements. The

Feldenkrais m ethod aims to teach a person how to liberate oneself from a

restricted and narrow range of stereotypical movement patterns. It works

particularly well in physiotherapy with patients experiencing severe traumata.3

2 A s Feldenkrais show ed F. M. Alexander his book Body and mature behavior: a study of anxiety, sex,
gravity, and learning (1949), the later said, "Actually you copied it from m y book!" This ended
their relationship. Hanna/FELDENKRAIS, p. 114.
3johnson/BREATH, p. 109.

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Feldenkrais published his first book Body and mature behavior: a study of anxiety,

sex, gravity, and learning in 1949. The name for ATM originates in Feldenkrais7

book Awareness through movement: easy-to-do health exercises to improve your posture,

vision, imagination, and personal awareness (1972). After this book, he wrote several

more: Body awareness as healing therapy: the case of Nora (1977), The elusive obvious

or basic Feldenkrais (1981) and The potent self: a study of spontaneity and compulsion.

Harper & Row published this last book in 1985, one year after his death. Moshe

Feldenkrais also worked with Prime Minister Ben-Gurion, which made

Feldenkrais famous. I also can recommend reading the story of a seriously

injured flutist and his recovery, "The Story of Hanoch7s Return to the Flute".4

Principle 1- Recognition of the force of habit

F. M. Alexander, an acute and sensitive observer, spent years using up to three

mirrors to observe himself reciting. The reciting caused painful symptoms, while

normal speech did not cause these symptoms. F. M. discovered through the

means of thorough observation that w hen he recited, three things occurred.

4 Rywerant/FELDENKRAIS, p. 181-90.

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First, he pulled his head back. Second, he depressed his larynx, and third, he

sucked in breath through his mouth, producing a gasping sound. He noticed

that he performed these tendencies much less pronounced during ordinary

speech.

As a first step, the Alexander teacher explains to the students the recognition of

force of habit. It consists of meticulous observation to avoid mechanical

repetition. Moshe Feldenkrais agrees with F. M. Alexander that observation has

to replace mechanical repetition.5 I recommend to my students, following

Alexander's example, to work with three mirrors. In my experience, students

discover their habits m uch faster, because they manage to observe their own

back view with the arrangem ent of so m any mirrors.

Back to F. M. Alexander's first discovery: m ost singers also suffer from precisely

the same symptoms as F. M. Alexander. Sometimes they skillfully cover them

w ith additional problems such as tightening the jaw, fixing the tongue, a lifeless

face, frowning, accessory breathing, nervous ticks in the face, and stereotyped

5 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 137.

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movements such as lifting an arm for high notes. Students first have to recognize

their problems. F. M. Alexander stresses that singers have to find out first w hat

they actually do to their bodies causing their trouble and only as a second step

can they stop doing this behavior. Any other work to improve his condition

comes later.6 No one can change a habit w ithout knowing exactly w hat one does

incorrectly.

The Alexander teacher first points out underlying habits to students, m uch like a

doctor who gives a diagnosis of a particular disease. Having found their

problems, students can continue w ith the next step. They now w ant to change

their wrong habits, but they can run into difficulties in their desire to change the

habit.

The truth is that so far m an has failed to understand

fully w hat is required for changing habit if the change
is to be a fundam ental one, because he has not
realized that the establishment of a particular habit in
a person is associated in that person with a certain
habitual m anner of using the self, and that because
the organism works as an integrated whole, change of
a particular habit in the fundam ental sense is

6 Alexander/LECTLTRE, p. 166.

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impossible as long as this habitual m anner of use
persist.7

F. M. Alexander found that in order to change a habit, he had to stop doing, i.e.

to inhibit, his habitual behavior.

Principle 2 - Inhibition and non-doing

Inhibition

'Inhibition' as a term of art in our times has m any contradictory connotations. F.

M. Alexander gave a great definition of how he w anted the term to be

understood:

The words volition and inhibition .. .are used merely

as names for two respective acts, volition standing for
the act of responding to some stimulus (or stimuli) to
psycho-physical action (doing), and inhibition
standing for the act of refusing to respond to some
stimulus (or stimuli) to psycho-physical action (not
doing). In other words, volition is used to name what
we intend to do, and inhibition to name what we refuse
to do, that is, to name w hat we wish to hold in check,
w hat we wish to prevent.8

7 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 93.
8 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 300.

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As many know, the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud understands 'inhibition' in a

totally different sense w ith a strong negative connotation. He used inhibition as

an unconscious and unhealthy suppression of feelings because of fear. However,

F. M. Alexander used the term w ith a strong positive connotation, to refrain from

reacting in a habitual and harm ful m anner in order to make a conscious decision,

which leads to beneficial results.9

Many singers find inhibition to be the most difficult concept of the Alexander

Technique to comprehend. They feel they hardly have time to think about all

different aspects of the music they perform. Yet the faster the pace of life gets,

the more im portant this ability to attain a thoughtful pause becomes.10

F. M. Alexander teaches one to refrain from any reaction to a certain stimulus,

which he calls inhibition, encouraging to the student to stop before reacting to

the stimulus:

9 Brennan/MIND, p. 42 and Alcantara/LIFE, p. 12.

10 Brennan/MIND, p. 85.

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The instructor explains to the student "that he does
not w ant him to try and be 'right' in carrying out any
instructions, because this w ould only mean projecting
messages which w ould result in his reacting to the
instructions by the habitual use of himself which
'feels rig h t/ but that he can prevent this if, on receipt
of any stimulus to activity (such, for instance, as a
request from his teacher to sit dow n or to perform
some other simple act), he will make the decision to
refuse to give consent to carry out the activity by that
habitual use of himself which is in accord w ith his
conception of HOW the act should be performed.11

The Feldenkrais Method also acknowledges a similar value for inhibition:

There is a delay between w hat is engendered in the

Supralymbic system and its execution by the body.
This delay between a thought process and its
translation into action is long enough to make it
possible to inhibit it. This possibility of creating the
image of an action and then delaying its execution -
postponing it or preventing it altogether- is the basis
of imagination and intellectual judgm ent.12

11 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 102-3.
12 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 45.

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The difference between the two m ethods appears especially in timing. Moshe

Feldenkrais also proclaims the necessity of a pause and time to reflect after the

action while Alexander exclusively talks about a pause before the action.13

This pause before the action, the ability to say stop, plays a crucial role in the

preparation of music. Inhibition means to the singer to wait before reacting in

order to create space and time for choosing an adequate reaction. In this way the

singer does not react in a pre-conditioned way like a mouse in a laboratory maze.

Only when a singer stops his habitual w ay of reacting to a musical text, can he or

she observe and examine the pre-conditioned pattern.14

Selective action of specific parts of the body w ithout interfering w ith each other

becomes possible only by means of inhibition. Any complicated act such as

singing could not function w ithout this inhibitory control of the nervous

system.15 In this way the singer will also develop a true awareness and

sensitivity that mechanical exercises w ould prevent. Inhibition also offers the

13 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 131.
« Ben-Or/PREPARATION, p. 9.
13 Carrington/UNDERSTANDING, p. 239.

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possibility not to react at all, if the situation asks for it16 or to actually choose to

do something else.

In other words, the term 'inhibition' signifies the primary reaction to any

imaginable stimulus. It evolves from a quickening of the consciousness.

Stimulus and reaction often happen too fast without inhibiting. People fail

because they cannot inhibit their reaction to the stimulus, especially if the stimuli

overwhelm them .17 Inhibition means saying stop to the habitual reaction; it does

not necessarily m ean to actually stop a certain movement. As an example, a

singer does not have to and cannot stop breathing, which I consider a m ovement

w ithin the body, but he definitively has to stop his desire to tilt or run forward

w ith his back while inhaling.

16 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 50.
17 Davies/BARLOW, p.131.

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Non-doing

Western societies learn from early childhood on to achieve success by means of

doing. We drive children from one activity to the next. They have tons of

homework. They hardly have time for doing nothing. If they get in the situation

of having nothing to do, they get quite annoyed and confused. Growing up, we

live our lives as 'hum an doers' instead of 'hum an beings'.18 Other cultures still

w ork with the principle of non-doing and letting it 'be' instead. Some ideas of

Zen show similarities to F. M. Alexander's ideas of non-doing:

The Master no longer seeks, but finds. As an artist he

is the hieratic man; as a man, the artist, into whose
heart, in all his doing and not-doing, working and
waiting, being and not-being, the Buddha gazes. The
man, the art, the work- it is all one. The art of the
inner work, which unlike the outer does not forsake
the artist, which he does not 'd o ' and can only 'be',
springs from depths of which the day knows
nothing.19

18 Brennan/MIND, p. 63.
19 Herrigel/ARCHERY, p. 45. Eugen Herrigel describes in Zen in the art of archery (1953) his
struggle to learn archery. Interestingly some principles taught by Zen also mirror the principles
of the Alexander Technique.

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Kristin Linklater20 stresses in Freeing the natural voice that non-doing means for

the singer not sending active messages such as 'take a breath' or 'smile', but

passive messages such as 'allow the breath to fall in' or 'think something

funny'.21 Additionally, Olga Averino22 points out in her book Principles and art of

singing that singing has to happen through a clear inner hearing and mental

thought without the use of any voluntary and conscious muscles.23

Doing w ithout inhibiting often involves excessive muscular effort and muscular

contraction. To use an analogy, we cannot drive a car with the brakes on without

damaging some parts of the car. Moshe Feldenkrais also noticed this

phenomenon in his method:

20 Kristin Linklater wrote her voice training book Freeing the natural voice (1976) for actors. She
emphasizes the unity of mind and body. Elsie Fogerty and her pioneering studies in the physical
mechanics of the voice, and Iris Warren with her psychological addition to the physiological
knowledge became the background to her work. She also came across the book Zen in the art of
archery by Eugen Herrigel Psychophysical techniques such as Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais,
Rolfing, Tai Chi and Yoga helped Kristin Linklater to find a w ay of freeing the emotional and
psychological self by eliminating interferences such as habitual tensions. Linklater/VOICE, p. 4.
21 Linklater/VOICE, p. 34.
22 Olga Averino (1895-1989), a Russian born singer, taught singing parallel to her great career. She
herself suffered from Tuberculosis in her twenties. Diagnosed to die within three years, she
overcame all her difficulties finding out about her voice. This process of teaching herself made
her a great teacher by understanding many of the vocal problems her students encountered. Her
book Pinciples and art o f singing (1989) came on the market in the year of her death.
» Averino/SINGING, p. 9.

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So long as the organs of thought, feeling, and control
are not organized for action that is coordinated,
continuous, smooth, and efficient - and therefore also
pleasant - we are involving parts of the body
indiscriminately, even if they are in no way required
for this action or even interfere with it. One result is
that we quite often perform an action and its opposite
at the same time.24

Non-doing, according to Nellie Melba, creates singing w ith no unnecessary

muscular movements.25 Imagine a singer being told his ribcage has to move out

while inhaling. Being a 'good' student, he obeys and pushes his ribcage out with

too much force leading to unfortunate consequences, even to nodules. If he only

works on his head-neck-back relationship, for example, and letting the shoulders

spread apart, the ribcage would open by itself. As a logical consequence, if he stops

doing the wrong thing, the right thing does itself. This exemplifies Alexander

Technique's version of the Golden Rule.

Singers have to understand that non-doing does not m ean the same as doing

nothing. It involves a very active process. This principle of non-doing versus

24 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 61.
25 Arcaya/VOICE, p. 7.

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doing shows through in many vocal writings, from Manuel Garcia's26 to

Cornelius Reid's teachings, just to name a few.

Developing a healthy attitude towards learning is

only partially a m atter of 'doing nothing'. An even
more im portant step is knowing when it is that needs
being done. Herein lies the real importance of
gaining self-perception through awareness of
movement. By becoming aware of involuntary
actions which occur spontaneously, it becomes
possible to sense the rightness of these movements
and thereby render effective assistance.27

26 As one of the first writings, Beret Arcaya, an Alexander and voice teacher, compared Garcia's
teachings with F. M. Alexander's principles in her article Teaching the Singing Monkey. Beret
Arcaya (bom 1942) studied music at the Juilliard School of Music fl955-1959. After working as
an actress, she returned to singing. She writes that "working with the method of Manuel Garcia
(1804-1906), her voice began to emerge much more fully than previously, and the self-discovery
and freedom she experienced in process set her on the creative path to which she remains
dedicated". Arcaya, www.habitandchoice.com/biographies.html. From 1978 tol981, she studied
at the ACAT-New York teacher-training program under Judith Liebowitz. In 1996 she began
another training course of the Alexander Technique with Walter and Dilys Carrington in London.
Since 1971 she has given concerts and orchestra tours in Europe and since 1974 she has taught
voice. In 1988 she began giving master classes in Europe combining voice and the Alexander
Technique. She has taught and performed in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy and
Venezuela. From 1992 until 1999 she gave an annual two-week intensive workshop in the
Alexander Technique for musicians at the Salzburg Easter festival, under the auspices of the
Kominsky Foundation, where I personally met her the first time in 1997. As a founding member
of the North American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique [NASTAT], now known
as the American Society for the Alexander Technique [AmSAT], Ms. Arcaya teaches as a member
of the Swiss [SVLAT], Spanish [APTAE], English [STAT] and American [AmSAT] Societies for
the Alexander Technique.
27 Reid/VOICE, p. 201.

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In the usual teaching profession, the question of 'w hat' to do outweighed for a

long time the question of 'how ' in regard to the total use of the performer. F. M.

Alexander w ent one step further. He transformed the question of 'how ' to play

or sing into 'how not to'. This prevents reliance on any procedures that create

tension.28 The principle of doing w ithout interfering depends on the principle of

non-doing, i.e. using the necessary am ount of energy for the intended action.

F. M. Alexander also addresses the problem of not taking enough time for

change as a means of non-doing:

Another incentive to end-gaining on the pupil's part

is his desire to gain in a give time the maximum
benefit from his lessons irrespective of the conditions
to be changed. Unfortunately for him, in view of the
nature of his educational training, this very
commendable desire causes him to make a special
will-to-do effort in his desire at all costs to be 'right'.29

» Ben-Or/CONCEPTIONS, p. 29, col. 2.

29 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 104.

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A singer, especially a singer in training, who has to learn a recital program

within a too short period of time, approaches his goal m ost likely by means of

end-gaining. He needs to give himself time to let the program develop. If he

does not sleep enough or/and does not give himself time for breaks, he will start

to practice in a goal-orientate attitude. The singer has to ask the question,

however, of how to gain the end w ithout misusing the body. He has to learn to

manage his available time for the voice in a constructive m anner while attending

all the other classes. Ideally, the curriculum of universities should allow ample

time for the student to explore their use or misuse of the voice.

Beginning singers actually do not take enough time to w ork with the newly

learned material taught in the lessons. They have to learn to carry out the newly

learned material not by a doing process bu t by a releasing process. Singers can

have hundreds of lessons, but if they do not take the time to allow the release to

happen, their singing will not improve.30 Imagine a singer who always turns the

head for singing a high note. The ability to say 'no' to this particular habit will

change the whole attitude of this particular singer. If the teacher gets the student

so Carrington/THINKING, p. 54.

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to say no in order to stop the instinctive response to the stimulus, he already

wins half of the battle. Furthermore, only if the singer can say 'n o ' to his

behavior, does he have a possibility of changing it.

Principle 3 - Faulty sensory awareness

At this point I w ant to consider that the sensory awareness of a singer, which

gives him feedback, will tend to give inaccurate feedback w hen he employs a

deteriorated use of the self. An incorrectly adjusted mechanical instrum ent

obviously cannot accurately measure data. The same is true w ith our bodies.31

Imagine again the singer who turns the head for every high note. Fie will not

notice this turning if he already had established this behavior for a long period of

time. The singer loses objectivity because he experiences too m uch or too little

tension. Sensory awareness then often gives results that do not correspond w ith

reality.

3i Alexander/WRITINGS, p. 11.

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As w e all know, we have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. But

the well-known anatomy researcher Charles Bell found a sixth sense. In his book

The Lost Sixth Sense, David Garlick32 refers to this additional sense, the sense of

limb and body position and movement. Scientific papers interchangeably use

kinesthetic sense or proprioceptive sense to describe this phenomenon. Sir Charles

Sherrington created the later term for the first time. This sense provides the body

w ith information about its position in space, about the am ount of tension it uses

including m easurement of pain, and about time and rhythm .33 The body

contains millions of proprioceptive receptors located in every ligament, tendon

and muscle of the body connected to the nervous system.34

All six senses interact in sensory awareness. Interestingly, strong emotions, high

tension and distraction tend to increase the function of the other five senses. At

the same time they tend to decrease or eliminate the function of the

32 David Garlick (bom 1933), a medical scientist heading the Laboratory of Musculoskelal and
Postural Research at the School of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of N ew South
Wales, Australia, looks at the Alexander Technique from the medical point of view in his book
The lost sixth sense: a medical scientist looks at the Alexander Technique (1990).
33 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 31.
34 Chance/ALEXANDER, p. 31.

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proprioceptive sense.35 Walter Carrington points out that refinement and

development of awareness depends on an inner state of non-doing. An accurate

sensory awareness needs calmness and quietness. The developm ent of a refined

awareness depends on the ability to listen and see inside of the body.36

Take the familiar situation of a singer being unable to stand quietly in one spot.

By standing quietly I do not m ean to be inactive; rather I m ean to focus on the

inner movement that he can only experience if he stands still. Interestingly, the

student cannot change his habit of wiggling and moving around, even if the

teacher points this behavior out to him. The kinesthetic 'noise' around him

prevents this process. The teacher now has the task of giving him the means to

achieve his end. F. M. Alexander found out that only by seriously or actively

thinking about w hat he had to do could he change his behavior.

F. M. Alexander himself had great difficulty trying to coordinate all the physical

parts involved in making a speech properly. Going back to observing himself in

the mirror, he had another startling revelation. F. M. thought he could combine

35 Macdonald/GUIDE, p. 53.
36 Carrington/THINKING, p. 136.

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inhibition and changing his behavior in one activity, but he experienced that he

could not prevent himself from doing his w rong behavior. He consequently

doubted that he actually did something else other than w hat he thought he did.

He therefore decided to use his m irrors once again, only to find a surprising

behavior.37

Just w hen he thought he m oved his head forward and up, he actually pulled his

head back - his senses deceived him! This led him to misdirect his efforts, falling

back on his old habits, which felt right, bu t actually initiated the wrong behavior.

W rong-doing of a singer over a long period of time leads to the sensory

appreciation that his behavior functions in the right and natural way although he

should in reality perceive his behavior as wrong and unnatural. The Alexander

teacher has to recognize the connection between the psycho-physical defects and

incorrect sensory awareness. He cannot expect from the singer to perform any

new task before he establishes a new correct experience within the sensory

awareness.38

37 Macdonald/ALEXANDER, p. 41.
38 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 306.

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Singers can suffer not only from unreliable sensory awareness, but also from

poorly developed sensory awareness, as m any voice teachers often complain.

F. M. Alexander already commented that the unreliability of the sensory

mechanism leads to a deterioration in the accuracy of observation and

awareness.39 Other body-mind techniques also recognize the unreliability of the

sensory mechanisms. Moshe Feldenkrais describes his experience:

Anything that tends to lessen the sensitivity of the

pow er of discrimination will slow down response to
stimuli. Posture will be adjusted only w hen its
divergence from the stable position is already
considerable, that is, when the adjustment has
become more urgent and requires more muscular
effort. This reduces even more precise awareness of
the change; the entire system of action and control has
taken on coarser dimensions. Ultimately there will be
serious failure in control and even damage to the
system.40

Voice teachers often deal w ith students w ith faulty sensory perception by

leading them to make the same mistake over and over even when the teacher has

pointed out the mistake to them. The new way just feels wrong to the student.

Therefore he cannot change his behavior. F. M Alexander points out:

39 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 5 4 .
40 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 75.

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Hence it follows that the unfortunate victim of faulty
sensory guidance and deceptive appreciation of w hat
he is doing will do what he feels is right as soon as he
starts to do the exercises, and since in this he will be
relying upon the same old sensory guidance and
appreciation which led him into wrongness, his
'rig h t/ while he is still so guided, will be wrong.41

Moshe Feldenkrais supports the same idea:

If a person usually stands with his stomach and pelvis

pushed too far forward, with his head tilted back as a
result, there will be far too great a curve in his back
for good posture. If he then brings his head forward
and pushes his pelvis back he will have the feeling
that his head is actually tilted to the front and his
pelvis too far back; and the position will seem to him
abnormal. As a result he will quickly return to his
habitual stance.42

In other words, the inability of our kinesthetic sense to provide an accurate

picture of the use of the body becomes standard. Chronic tension, a familiar

diagnosis of our times, plays an im portant role in our perception. The

proprioceptive receptors of muscles do not provide the brain w ith accurate

feedback if they remain in a state of excessive tension for prolonged periods of

« Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 54-5.
42 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 60.

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time. O ur decisions regarding the health of our body become altered according

to the deviation of sensory awareness.43

Herein also lays the reason w hy exercises very often do not address a change in

behavior. Exercises designed to rem edy a symptom cannot change the

underlying habit. F. M. Alexander stresses:

If people who are in need of physical exercises are

habitually interfering with the working of their
prim ary control to the extent of upsetting their
functioning, it stands to reason that any extra
muscular tension they exert in the practice of
exercises will increase this habitual interference, so
that their daily exercises will simply afford yet
another opportunity of exaggerating their bad
habitual use of themselves, and of repeating and
therefore establishing more and more firmly wrong
sensory experiences.44

For singers, for example, it means that doing breathing exercises while

maintaining bad breathing habits will exaggerate their bad habitual use of

breath. It will lead increasingly to faulty sensory perception w ith the

« Balk/RUNNING, p. 27.
44 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 65-6.

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unfortunate result of gradually losing the m ost im portant basic mechanism of the

voice.

Principle 4 - Sending directions

When developing his Technique, F. M. decided that he had to literally stop and

think before reciting, thus inhibiting his instinctive misdirection. He w ould then

consciously change how he directed his body with a new and improved use of his

head and neck. This led to a true mental challenge, as it m eant replacing old

familiar habits w ith a new way to use his body, which at first felt unfamiliar and

wrong.

In order to change his habitual use, F. M. Alexander employed directions and

invented certain words for them. He started to give these directions in a

repetitive, additive and successive way prior to the intended action.45

A llo w th e neck to be free,

to allow the head to go forward and up,
to allow the back to lengthen and widen.

45 Weed/ALEXANDER, p. 124.

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The singer has to give these directions one after the other and all at the same

time. These directions, i.e. these essential basic thoughts, in connection with

inhibition and non-doing will eventually prevent misuse in the singer.

We all know the difficulty of describing the shade of a color or the taste of an

apple or the sound of a violin to those who never saw, tasted or heard these

things. F. M. Alexander recognized this problem. In order to understand and to

know w hat he m eant w ith the directions and also to think through the process, F.

M. started to formulate specific words. Marjorie Barlow describes that F. M.

struggled for long time to find the adequate words for describing the experience

which the student achieved by F. M /s teaching. He knew and experienced in his

ow n teaching the problem of m isunderstanding and wrong connotation that can

arise from the use of words. In teaching, F. M. actually employed and loudly

said these words, which anchor the process or change a sequence of thoughts

which a student can repeat.46

46 Davies/BARLOW, p. 65.

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Timing plays not only a leading role in music, bu t also in organizing the body.

After inhibition and non-doing, the singer has to give himself the directions in

the right order. He cannot omit any messages that w ould lead again to react

instinctively to a specific stimulus. The goal-oriented thinking, which prevails in

Western societies, causes m any of us to overlook or ignore one or more of these

directions. Singers have to project these preventive or correcting messages in the

right sequence during an activity.47

A singer trying to sing a high C cannot omit any of these messages. Otherwise

he will, for example, tighten the neck, throw the head back and dow n and

narrow his back, which results in a counterproductive behavior for achieving a

beautiful, free sounding high C. If he already achieved a high standard of

coordination, he will continue to give them as a preventive measure.

Let the neck be free

As already mentioned, non-doing plays a powerful part in sending directions. If

a singer shakes his head because he thinks that will free his neck, he probably

47 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 113.

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adds more tension to the already existing tension.48 The student should not do

the direction, bu t should let them happen instead. Freeing the neck does not

m ean making the neck free with muscular activity. Many body-m ind techniques

and vocal schools give advice to nod the head up and dow n or turn the head

sideways in order to relax the lower neck muscles 49 In my experience it often

leads to stiffening of the neck.

If the student does not know w hat freeing means, imagining and experiencing

the opposite, i.e. tightening for a short period of time, helps to create an

understanding of freeing and releasing up.50 Freeing does not mean relaxing, it

means releasing into the up. Relaxing often goes hand in hand w ith a collapse

down, while releasing, as I understand it, has an upw ard tendency against

gravity.

W hen singers observe their faces getting red or their veins popping out for high

or loud notes, they certainly can assume to have tightened the neck. Singers

48 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 47.
« McClosky/VOICE, p. 8 .
50 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 33, col.2.

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have to think their directions in relation to the other directions. A free neck per se

does not help to change faulty behavior. But 'allow the neck to be free' stands in

the first place. Only if the singer frees the neck can all the other directions work

in concert.

Allow the head to go forward and up

Figure 1- Righting reflex of a cat51

51 Jones/WRITINGS, p. 117

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Just as we see in the picture of the falling cat, changing the position of the head

will have an effect on the whole body. Walter Carrington points out:

It is possible to impress upon the whole body

different adapted attitudes by changing only the
position of the head...the mechanism as a whole acts
in such a way that the head leads and the body
follow... the entire body follows the direction
assum ed by the head, this being very often moved in
a certain direction under the influence of the tele-
receptive higher sense-organs. This provides one of
the ways, in which the relation of the body to its
environm ent is regulated.52

A singer m ust not pull the head back and down, or forward and down. Any

singer can easily detect these outer movements in a mirror. As soon as the singer

recognizes the pulling down, he will set out to minimize this habit.53 As soon the

singer liberates his head forward and up, the voice will automatically also project

forward and up.54

52 Carrington/UNDERSTANDING, p. 243.
53 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 47.
54 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col. 2.

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Again, just by doing the opposite of forward and up, the singer will find out

w hat forward and up means. It definitively does not mean that we cannot look

u p to the towers of a beautiful cathedral or dow n to our feet. We have to look for

the process of lengthening and widening of the spine while we look up. A singer

can orientate the head forw ard and up and bend the knees in order to sit dow n

in a chair at the same time. In other words, the head of the singer has to

constantly continue to go forward and up while moving closer to the ground and

while lowering itself in space, which can result in sitting or a squat. Movement

in space can have a direction other than the directions in the singer himself. In

this sense we can speak of two different kinds of direction.55

I w ant to emphasize another im portant detail. The singer m ust not reverse the

order of the direction 'allow the head to go forward and u p '.56 M any students

start to the think 'allow the head to go up and forward', which norm ally results

in a shorting and narrowing of the back in relation to the head. It can also lead to

a donkey like m ovem ent pushing the head back and dow n while elevating the

chin.

ss Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 5.
5« Carrington/THINKING, p. 62.

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'Allow the head go forward and u p ' means to 'roll the head forward and up on

top of the spine'. Images such as thinking of the head supported on the spine as

on a rod can lead to stiffness and rigidity.57 I also w ant to alert voice teachers to

the fact that many singers think that the location of the first cervical vertebra, i.e.

the atlas, is below the skull instead of between the ears. This leads to a bending

of one or more of the other cervical vertebrae which causes stress in areas not

designed for excessive bending. Of course, teachers also have to notice if a singer

bends the head sideways and down, either to the left or to the right. This creates

an imbalance in the neck and w ith it in all the vocal organs leading to excess

tension and finally to a reduction in sound.

Allow the back to lengthen and widen

When the singer frees the neck and allows the head to go forward and up, then

the back can lengthen and widen. The singer should imagine that lengthening of

the stature means the lengthening of the whole being from the feet to the head.58

This lengthening and widening does not show as an obvious movement. It only

57 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 77.
58 Carrington/THINKING, p. 33.

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means not to shorten and narrow the back. Shortening, pressing vertebrae dow n

and narrowing manifest themselves in the prevalence of slipped discs and lower

back pains in our society.

I also have to w arn a singer that lengthening has nothing to do with an eye

movement, neither with looking up to the ceiling nor looking down at the feet.

The singer m ust distinguish between giving directions and moving the eyes.59

'W idening the back' denotes the opposite of not 'hollowing or narrowing the

back'. The singer has to recognize and w ork with the constriction and

interference that result from narrow ing the back. In the effort of widening the

back, the length of the spine m ust not be sacrificed, which w ould lead to a

collapse.60 Back lengthening and widening happen at the same time. One cannot

get one at the expense of the other.

59 Alexander/LECTURE, p. 178.
® Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 48.

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Singers, like all other people, can suffer from kyphosis, lordosis or scoliosis:

kyphosis lordosis scoliosis

Figure 2 - vertebral disorders61

Narrowing the back, i.e. narrow ing of the costal arch or raising of the upper part

of the chest, unchangeably goes with a holding of the breath.62 Some vocal

schools, such as Kristin Linklater, also found this connection between the length,

w idth and the breath:

When the breath goes in, the diaphragm moves

down, pushing the stomach down, which in turn
pushes the lower intestines dow n so that there are
graphic movements in the lower torso in response to
breath. These movements are not confined to the
front of the body, and the lower spine m ust be free of
tension to allow full use of the breathing apparatus. It
will then lengthen and shorten in response to large

61 After Kapit/ANATOMY, p. 27.

62 Carrington/THINKING, p. 120.

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breathing demands, helping to create the greatest
space possible inside the torso into which the lungs
can expand. These spine movements are
imperceptible when standing, but can easily be
observed when lying face downw ards.63

A shortened spine inevitably causes a shortcoming in the breathing mechanism,

leading to a deficiency in the support system for the voice. Fortunately,

lengthening and widening simultaneously happen while exhaling and inhaling.

Changing the use of the body indirectly influences the way of breathing.

All directions work together in concert. Marjorie Barlow warns that with too

m uch forward motion of the head, the student loses the upw ard tendency and

with too m uch up motion the head goes back. She adds that lengthening the

back w ith too much effort leads to narrowing; too much widening leads to a loss

in length and a shortening of the spine.64 The Alexandrian voice teacher has to

w ork together w ith the student to find the optimal balance of the head-neck-

back, for the particular individual in question.

« Linklater/VOICE, p. 32-33.
64 Davies/BARLOW, p. 274.

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Secondary Directions

Secondary directions can be given in accordance w ith the needs of the individual

after the prim ary directions are fulfilled. Walter Carrington adds a fourth

extraordinary and invaluable direction to 'allow the legs to move forward and

aw ay'65, which other Alexander teachers already consider a secondary direction.

I will give m ore secondary directions in the chapter about the table and the

'w hispered ah'. Secondary directions normally deal with the relationship of the

extremities to the torso or the relationship of the separate parts of the extremities

to each other.

Again, the singer employs the secondary directions like the prim ary directions as

a preventive means leading to extension instead of contraction. In summary,

using Walter Carrington's words:

If you stop stiffening your neck, your neck will be

free. If you stop pulling your head back, your head
will go forward and up. If you stop pulling down,

® Carrington/THINKING, p. 59.

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you'll lengthen and widen. If you stop pulling your
knees together, they'll go forward and away.66

The Alexandrian voice teacher has to change the thinking pattern of his students.

He simply can give the command 'think u p', which includes all the prim ary and

secondary directions I just explained.67

'Directions' as a way of thinking

M any different opinions exist about w hat characteristics determine thinking.

Moshe Feldenkrais, as a representative of the side that divides body and m ind in

two separate entities, defines thinking this way:

Thinking includes all functions of intellect, such as the

opposition of right and left, good and bad, right and
wrong; understanding, knowing that one
understands, classifying things, recognizing rules,
imagining, knowing w hat is sensed and felt,
remembering all the above, and so on.68

66 Carrington/THINKING, p. 75-76.
67 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 33, col. 2.
« Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 32.

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F. M. Alexander takes the definition of thinking a step further. Thinking actually

connects to impulses and an inner movement in the body, which leads to

constructive conscious control. Patrick Macdonald summarizes:

The matter of willing certain behaviour patterns while

withholding action (thinking w ithout doing) which
Alexander called giving directions, is extremely
difficult to describe. It is the process of sending
repeated messages from the brain to a part or parts of
the body, and requiring these parts to act in a certain
m anner (usually to extend them). After considerable
repetition and help by the teacher the directions cease
to be merely words but become impulses (analogous
to electrical impulses), which are capable of altering
the orientation and tone of the body.69

Most people know how to do activities w ithout thinking. A voice teacher

subsequently has to teach thinking. Patrick M acdonald explains that during the

first lessons the teacher has to tell the singer w hat to think. The change in

behavior comes then as a result of the changed thinking process.70 One

im portant difference from Moshe Feldenkrais's approach is the fact that I believe

69 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 49.
70 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 19.

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the student has to learn to give the directions on his own. He has to learn how to

think constructively, not only to think with an instructor or a tape.

The singer can apply the thinking of the directions while resting, standing still,

or also while moving. In this sense I agree w ith Moshe Feldenkrais:

The student learns to listen to the instructions while

he is actually carrying out an exercise and to make the
necessary adjustments w ithout stopping the
movement itself. In this way he teams to act while he
thinks and to think while he acts. This is a step up in the
ladder of ability from the m an who stops thinking
while he does something and stops acting when he
wants to think.71

In m y practice, I discovered students w ho said, "I cannot think and breathe".

Remarks like this give a great opportunity to w ork with thinking in a productive

way.

Concentrating on a subject, including thinking in a concentrated way, usually

raises muscle tension. A singer, who concentrates on a particularly difficult

71 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 60.

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passage, often constricts or stops his breathing, stops listening, stares into the

space w ithout blinking.72 But conscious thinking has to function in connection

w ith a general lengthening and widening, including and resulting in an efficient

breathing mechanism.

Thinking has an additive quality. Especially as musicians we need to think about

m ore than one thing at the same time. Singers complain in the beginning that

they have to think about the melody, the rhythm, the phrasing, the language they

sing, the articulation, the breathing, the emotions, the gestures, etc. They

continue that thinking the directions would cost too much time. But other

Alexander teachers and I can confirm that, as their awareness increases, thinking

several things simultaneously in a conscious constructive m anner becomes

possible.73

Many vocal schools agree with the thought that thinking in activity precedes the

actual activity. Olga Averino explains:

72 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 105, col. 1.

73 Alcantara/SKILL, p. 105, col. 2.

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Everything we do is the result of this energy and
muscles working together. The mind gives an order
for action and the nerves carry the energy to the
muscles; the muscles can then be trained to do the
skillful work.74

Giovanni Lamperti agrees w ith F. M. Alexander that mental work finally leads to

an indirect control of the voice:

Mentally anticipating internal sensation of word, tone

and timbre, as well as interior activities that produce
them, leads to control of the voice.75

I have to repeat, the singer m ust not do these directions, but he has to actively

think them, resulting in w hat other body-mind techniques w ould call, energy or

flow. Directions have im portant physical aspects76 resulting in a liveliness and

presence in a singer.

74 Averino/SINGING, p. 10.
75 Lamperti/WKDOM, p. 15.
76 Carrington/THINKING, p. 17.

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Principle 5 - The Primary Control

F. M. Alexander describes how he experimentally discovered the innate

mechanism of prim ary control:

I found that a certain control of the use of my neck

and head in relation to my back brought about a more
satisfactory working of the m usculature, and not only
relieved my special difficulty but improved
conditions generally. In working with my pupils I
have used this experience and have found that as
soon as you can establish this 'prim ary control/ as we
call it, satisfactory control of the rest of the workings
of the organism can be expected to follow in due time,
according to the conditions present.77

John Dewey talks in his forward to the Use of the Self about the difference

between conditioned reflexes and the prim ary control.

The school of Pavloff has m ade current the idea of

conditioned reflexes. F. M. Alexander's work actually
extends and corrects this idea. It proves that there are
certain basic, central organic habits and attitudes

77 Alexander/LECTURE, p. 164.

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which condition every act we perform, every use we
make of ourselves.78

But the hum an being does not depend on an arbitrarily established connection

such as the ringing of a bell and the eating reaction of a mouse. The discovery of

the primary control, the conscious direction enables the individual to coordinate

his activities and explore his potentialities. It changes the possibilities of the

hum an being from the reliance upon means of conditioned reflexes and

dependence to a means of attaining freedom.

The primary control already exists in each animal and hum an being. Primary

control as an inborn mechanism of the whole body defines the relationship

between the neck, head and the back. Sending directions finally leads to an

improvement of the prim ary control. Everybody owns a specific interior

Primary Control causing a good or bad use.79 This prim ary control as a

mechanism or pattern of the whole body determines how all the parts of the

body will work together. Imagine a singer pressing the sternum dow n while

78 Alexander/USE, p. 406.
79 Davies/BARLOW, p. 269.

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singing. Only by changing the faulty head-neck-back relationship will he be able

to coordinate all of the parts of his breathing mechanism, including the sternum.

The primary control does not depend on a single position. It creates the

oppositional forces necessary to move in a given space, to breathe and to support

the voice. Rivka Cohen formulates:

Only w hen 'direction in action' exists, can we move

into space with the dynamic of the pow er of the
opposition. Using the Primary Control in this way,
we discover the unique option to move up into space
by releasing the power of inner directions w ithout
necessarily tilting forward in space.80

M ost animals and babies show good co-ordination and high tonus. Their head

leads and the body follows. A running cheetah shows exactly this phenomenon.

Every cat that falls from a tree or high object will land on its feet, using the head

to turn the whole body. Babies rarely develop hoarseness when they cry and

they can cry for hours w ith an astounding volume.

80 Cohen/CONTROL, p. 9, col. 1.

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As already said, the Alexander teacher does not work directly with the problem a

student experiences. He will not try to change parts or symptoms of misuse. He

only will help him to become aware of how they use the Prim ary Control or,

better, how they misuse it. By stopping the misuse, the total co-ordination will

improve and the initial problem will be diminished or even eliminated as a result

of the better use of the prim ary control. The experience of integration rather than

separation will finally lead to ease and poise in the singer.

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4. ATTITUDES

End-gaining

F. M. Alexander used the term 'end-gaining' in direct connection to inhibition.

We have to remember that F. M. sees everything as a psychophysical approach.

The singer cannot disconnect body and mind. The student has to stop end-

gaining, because end-gaining causes misuse, and misuse causes poor

functioning. Frank Pierce Jones defines end-gaining:

An orientation tow ard an end to be achieved, which

distracts the person from the steps (means-whereby)
needed to achieve the end. An end-gaining
orientation prevents the application of conscious
control and m ay lead to uncoordinated use.1

I discovered for myself that if I took the instructions of my vocal teachers

literally, I was most likely to fail, while applying the five principles of the

Alexander Technique to m y singing caused m y voice - and grades - to improve.

1Jones/FREEDOM, p. 210.

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As another example of end-gaining, imagine now a voice teacher who screams at

the singer for making mistakes. The means, which this voice teacher uses,

actually create the opposite result from the one he wishes to achieve. In my eyes,

taking medications for the purpose of suppressing the symptoms of a cold

follows the end-gaining principle. It can dangerously lead to serious health

problems.

Another end-gaining principle occurs in connection with practicing. Imagine a

singer w ho practices constantly for hours and hours, causing a serious state of

tiredness leading to exhaustion. The teacher certainly will point out to him to

stop and he will suggest, for example, making a break at the end of each half an

hour to work on his Constructive Rest Position, which I will explain later, and

respiratory re-education. Students unfortunately do not w ant to interrupt their

practicing. They consider the break as a mistake destroying the flow of practice,

the train of thought. F. M. Alexander' own experience showed him, that people

actually could easily interrupt their work, if it concerns practicing or writing,

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take a walk and go back to the work. They do not lose the connection to the

thought and they also benefit from the break.2

Voice teachers or the students themselves give certain goals as im portant sources

of motivation, but focusing too quickly on them without m uch thought to how to

achieve this goal can prevent achieving it. Thoughts such as "I m ust learn this

concerto aria this week" or "I have to give a recital this m onth" can destroy the

process the student has to go through to change his habits and to regain or gain

the confidence and knowledge for performance. Students have to consider the

best means whereby they can achieve their end.

Means whereby

N ot only the Alexander Technique uses indirect means or 'm eans whereby' to

achieve indirect control. Moshe Feldenkrais also talks about indirect influence.

We act as a whole entity...From this springs the

possibility of also developing awareness control in the

2 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 329.

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more difficult parts. The changes that occur in the
parts where control is easy also affect the rest of the
system, including those parts over which we have no
direct power. Indirect influence is also a kind of
control. Our work is a m ethod of training that
converts this initial indirect influence into clear
knowledge.3

Frank Pierce Jones offers a great definition of 'means-whereby' in his book

Freedom to Change. He defines 'means-whereby':

The co-ordinated series of intermediate steps which

m ust be accomplished in order to attain an end. The
means-whereby principle is the recognition in
practice that these intermediate steps are im portant as
ends in themselves, and that the m ost im portant step
at any time is the next one. Application of the means-
whereby principle involves awareness of the
conditions present, a reasoned consideration of their
causes, inhibition of habitual or end-gaining
responses to these conditions, and consciously guided
performance of the indirect series of steps required to
gain the end.4

Too often singers go directly for the goals they w ant to achieve. They w ant to

'place the voice', 'to breathe correctly', 'to resonate in the mask', 'to articulate

3 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 51.
4 Jones/FREEDOM, p. 211.

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clearly', just to name a few goals concerning the functioning of the voice. But a

singer w ho omits to w ork on the use and tries directly to control the functioning

follows the end-gaining principle. The problem lies in the fact that the untrained

or even trained singer starts to manipulate the voice, to use the voice w ith undue

effort, causing it to develop the exact harmful byproducts he wants to avoid.

Heading directly for the right functioning of the voice actually initiates a

deterioration of the voice instead of its development. Cornelius Reid already

recognized the value of indirect control:

Since, as is unquestionably true, all im portant vocal

muscles respond involuntarily and operate below the
conscious level, very special techniques m ust be
developed in order to bring involuntary responses
under volitional control.5

The singer should w ork on the use w ith the means-whereby, which indirectly

control the functioning of the voice. In other words he will work in a process-

oriented instead of a goal-oriented manner. The singer constantly has to employ

the means whereby, like sending directions, in his daily life and not only in his

practicing. This will change the use and w ith it his harmful habit.

5 Reid/PSYCHE, preface i.

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Some vocal teachers such as Manuel Garcia, Giovanni Lamperti, Kristin Linklater

or Cornelius Reid recognized this im portant principle of avoiding end-gaining.

Kristin Linklater beautifully describes w hat end-gaining means in relation to

breathing:

In practicing the breathing awareness exercises, it is

vital to realize the difference between saying 'the
breath should be in the front of the mouth, so I will
put it there/ and 'the breath will arrive in the front of
the m outh if it is released freely from inside and there
is not tension on the way out which holds it back/ It
is necessary to condition the m ind to be interested
primarily in the causal, release point, not the
resultant, arrival point.6

Giovanni Lamperti continues:

When the throat does not try to vocalize, and the lungs
make no effort to breathe, you can sing, not before.7

The work on the use always precedes the w ork on functioning. When the singer

lets go of all interferences including the effort to breathe, he m ost likely will sing

w ith a different, rich and free quality of sound.

« Linklater/VOICE, p. 27.
7 Lamperti/WISDOM, p. 99.

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Right and Wrong

Another problem comes up while thinking about possible means-whereby. The

new 'means-whereby' feel unfamiliar and wrong. The new unfamiliar psycho

physical experiences can include irritation and unsteadiness in equilibrium.8

Therefore the singer has to do something that feels wrong to him. But with the

guidance of the teacher the singer will get an entirely new experience leading to

an improved use of the self.

Singers, like all hum an beings, always w ant to do the right thing, an attitude

often trained from childhood on. F. M. describes w hat happens with orthodox

teaching methods:

The teacher expects his pupil to try to be 'right' from

the very start in carrying out whatever he is asked to
do, and the pupil also believes in the idea and acts
accordingly. In expecting this of his pupil, the teacher
is not only asking him to overcome at one stroke the
influence of long established habits of use, bu t also to
accomplish this feat while being guided by the

8 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 122-3 and p. 128.

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unreliable feeling which had led him into his
wrongness.9

The beginning singer has to accept that feeling 'right' can deceive him. In order

to remedy the situation the singer has to stop to judge if he feels right or wrong.

Many singers do not w ant to take the risk of doing w hat feels wrong. Teachers

have to deal with this obstacle or stumbling block, which eventually can lead to

true failure.

Singers have to trust their voice teachers and Alexander teachers. Olga Averino,

the famous Bostonian vocal teacher, well-known for her sympathies with

students who experienced vocal problems, extended her caring to the well-being

of the students in their personal life. Teachers should know their students' joys,

hopes, and fears. Olga Averino often said:

You can't live one thing and sing another.10

’ Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 99.
10 Averino/SINGING, p. xiii.

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In earlier times, singer lived w ith their masters to absorb the whole atmosphere

and the teaching wisdom their m asters had to offer. Today a singer has to trust

his teacher, w hom he should choose wisely. The bond of respect for the teacher

and love for the student is essential for learning a new and unfamiliar way of

singing.

Only if the singer does not care if he is right or wrong, can he set out to explore

his possibilities. Singers should not fear to make mistakes and errors, an attitude

teachers have to encourage. Singers have to gain unfamiliar experiences that feel

w rong to them despite the ultim ate truth that they represent the reality. The

guidance and control of the psycho-physical organism first feels wrong, but with

time it will lead to fundam ental changes in the singer. Only a state of

curiousness and exploration will teach them new experiences.

Time plays an im portant role in positive changing. The perception of right and

w rong will change over a longer period of time until the new way of use will feel

right while the old way will feel wrong. F. M. Alexander points out:

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To pass from wrong to right conditions associated
with posture and functioning means change, and if a
person is to make this change successfully it m ust be
by a gradual process of change from day to day so
that the effect of the readjustment of the bony
structure, the abdominal viscera, the vital organs, the
interference with the habitual sense of equilibrium
and the disturbing influence of experience in doing
w hat feels wrong, may not retard the process.11

Every singer encounters the obstacle in his learning process that the feeling of

w hat is right or w rong changes hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. He has

to modify the perception of the body over a longer period of time, because the

body coordination changes at the same rate the feeling and awareness changes.12

The singer cannot solve the problem by doing the right thing, but by stopping

the wrong one. Patrick Macdonald clarifies this statement:

In the beginning the ideas associated with instruction

in the technique m ust necessarily be mostly negative.
W hat is not w anted is comparatively easy to
recognize. W hat is w anted is subtle and, to some, not
recognizable at all. An instruction that helps to bring
about proper co-ordination of the body always has
two contents - a negative preventive one (to stop the

11 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 101.
12 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 2.

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old, familiar reaction), and a positive one. Attention
to the negative aspect will release the natural forces of
the body and thus will, in time, bring about the
positive aspect, which does itself.13

A singer should not underestim ate this aspect of the work. Therefore I repeat, as

soon as the singer stops doing the wrong behavior, the right one will start to

happen. Over time this right direction will lead to a dramatic change in the

overall use of the singer.

Relaxation and tension

O ur societies excessively use both words relaxation and tension. People feel

tension, as a consequence they look for relaxation. Feldenkrais caricaturizes in

this example how singers should not understand relaxation:

If relaxation that has now become so fashionable were

the correct condition, then the lower jaw would hang
dow n freely and the m outh remain wide open. But
this ultimate state of relaxation is found only among

13 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 45.

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individual born idiots, or in cases of paralyzing
shocks.14

But tension does not necessarily mean something negative. Only too m uch or

too little tension will harm the use and functioning of a body. Many m ind-body

techniques such as Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais m ethod and vocal

schools such as the functional vocal school by Cornelius Reid speak against

relaxation per se. The right tension for a certain activity will lead to the right

relaxation, but not the other w ay around. Cornelius Reid defines:

Perhaps two of the m ost used and least understood

words found in the vocabulary of the teaching
profession are tension and relaxation. Tension is used
so as to consistently imply w rong tension, w ithout
regard for there being such a thing as right tension,
while to relaxation is im puted a state of being in
which the attainm ent of absolute passivity is assumed
to ensure correct activity.15

Relaxation techniques do not consider the fact that a person does need a certain

am ount of tension. A singer can only restore health w hen he has the right

tension, not too much and not too little. The Alexander Technique definitively

14Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 68.
is ReicWOICE, p. 11.

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keeps a distance from all so-called relaxation techniques. Patrick M acdonald

explains in a slightly exaggerated, but true comment:

Many years ago my boxing trainer delivered himself

of this piece of wisdom "Relaxation, boy," he said,
"there isn't such a thing. You're only relaxed w hen
you're dead, and then rigor mortis sets in very soon.
W hat is needed is a due tension of the muscles." It is
one of the objects of the Alexander Technique to bring
about this due tension through the action of the
Primary Control on the postural mechanisms. W hen
you have this due tension, which, remember, will
continually alter during activity, you may call it
relaxation or w hat you will.16

M any vocal teachers proclaim relaxation as the rem edy for too much tension, as

David Blair McClosky does in his voice therapy book Your voice at its best:

Until you are able to relax all the muscles in the face,
tongue, jaw, chin, throat and neck which interfere
w ith the muscles controlling the vocal cords
themselves, your singing and speaking will be
muscle-bound.17

16 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 11-2.
17 McClosky/VOICE, p. 3.

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Kristin Linklater gives another example of the importance of relaxation for excess

tension:

Let the jay muscles relax right beside the ears so that
your teeth are not clenched. Let the tongue relax
inside the m outh so that it is not clamped to the roof
of the m outh.. .Let the scalp muscles relax.18

Proclaiming relaxation can help in the beginning to release some excessive

tension. But the singer always has to find the right am ount of tension needed for

vocalizing. Even as the singer progresses he cannot just release, he has to release

in an upw ard direction all the time.19

O ther vocal teachers recognize and w arn that the singer m ay not employ

relaxation per se. Giovanni Battista Lamperti points out in Vocal Wisdom:

Relaxing a muscle is beneficial only to educate and

discipline outerm ost muscles to do their part in the
process. Otherwise it is weakening to the final
output. It is co-action, not non-action that causes
controlled effort to feel effortless...Singing is
accomplished by opposing motions and the measured

18 Linklater/VOICE, p. 29.
19 Cohen/CONTROL, p. 9, col. 2.

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balance between them. This causes the delusive
appearance of rest and fixity- even of relaxation.20

Faulty sensory awareness again plays an im portant role in finding the right level

of tension. The type of misuse ranges between two extremes, the slouching

person and the stiff, soldier-like person. Each type encounters different

difficulties in restoring the right am ount of tension. Often the too-relaxed

(hypotonic) singer finds it more difficult to find the necessary tension than the

too-tensed (hypertonic) to release the tension. Doctors or practitioners of

different techniques unfortunately often do not recognize the different types of

tension. The teacher can find the hypotonic type slouching in a chair and the

hypertonic type sitting with a too curved lumbar spine and elevation of the chest.

Poor use can lead to tension for the singer in the tongue, anterior or posterior

neck, larynx, shoulders, jaw and masseter muscles and upper chest wall. A voice

therapist will directly check these just mentioned sites of muscular tension.21

20 Lamperti/VOCAL, p. 29.
21 Rulnick/THERAPY, p. 269.

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Romeo Alavi Kia22 uses Steve Reich's seven armor segments, which consists of

areas of tension, in his book Stimme: Spiegel meines Selbst (1992), or Voice: mirror of

the self.23 Steve Reich, a famous psychologist, not to be confused w ith the

minimalist composer, developed character analysis in the realm of orgone

biophysics. He talks about these seven areas of tension which he calls armor

segments; the ocular arm or segment including forehead, eyes and cheek-bone,

the oral arm or segment including m outh and jaw, the neck arm or segment w ith

the tongue, the chest arm or segment including the back, the diaphragmatic

arm or segment, the abdominal arm or segment, and the pelvic arm or segment.24

Romeo Alavi Kia then introduces massage and breath-body-coordination

exercises to work directly w ith these areas of tension.

22 Romeo Alavia Kia wrote two interesting books Stimme: Spiegel meines Selbst (1992) and together
with Renate Schulze-Schindler Sonne, Mond und Sterne: Atemtypen in der Stimmentfaltung (1996).
Both books offer an usual holistic approach to vocal pedagogy. In his first book he includes Steve
Reich's armor segm ents in his approach to the voice. He focuses on massage and breath-body-
coordination exercises by H ilde Langer-Riihl guided by the concept of relaxation. In the second
book he adds the esoteric concepts of the lunar inhaling type and the solar exhaling type of
singing. I came in contact with this concept at the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg and I do not
agree with it. I w ill explain more about concepts of breathing in the seventh chapter.
» Kia/STIMME, p. 37.
24 Reich/CHARACTER, p. 368-88.

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But Cornelius Reid, the well-known vocal teacher, points out in The Free Voice

that the release of tension happens only as an indirect result of changing the

technique, a statement, with which F. M. Alexander w ould agree. The teacher

m ust not directly address the problem of incorrect tension.

All visible, external signs of effort reflect a condition

in which muscles are relaxed when they should be in
tension. If the muscles of the laryngeal and
pharyngeal tract are not properly engaged, the energy
used in singing m ust be directed elsewhere and, as a
consequence, the muscles of the jaw, neck, shoulders,
and chest will come into tension when they should be
relaxed. These muscles can only be made to relax
however, when the coordinative process is reversed.
Successful reversal of a faulty technique will cause
interfering tensions to disappear without their ever
having been made a m atter of direct concern.25

Now I w ant to address one interesting m atter that develops as singers go

through the work with Alexander Technique. They often feel that they create

m ore tension than before despite the fact that they actually start only to be aware

and feel the already long-established tension in their own bodies. This may

trigger the wish not to go on with the work. The teacher has to point out that a

heightened and now accurate sensory awareness can give the feedback of having

25 Reid/VOICE, p.12.

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m uch more tension than before, especially w hen dealing w ith habits that the

singer learned consciously over a long period of time. This problem leads

directly to problems emerging in the process of change.

Change

Two and a half centuries ago, Pietro Francesco Tosi mentioned in his voice book

Observations on the florid song, or sentiments of the ancient and modern singers (1742),

how difficult it is to change habits.

The faults in singing insinuate themselves too easily

into m inds of young beginners, and there are such

difficulties in correcting them, when grown into a

habit.26

26 Tosi/OBSERVATIONS, p. 10-1. Pier Francesco Tosi (1646-1732), son of a Bolognese musician,

madehis career as a castrated virtuoso singer. H e settled in London in 1693. H e devoted his life
to teaching when his voice weakened. His book Opinioni de' cantori antichi e modemi o sieno
osservazioni sopra it canto figurato (1723) received great critics and only 19 years later John Ernest
Galliard translated it into English Observations on the florid song, or sentiments of the ancient and
modern singers (1742).

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Moshe Feldenkrais describes that the nervous system preserves habits. He

thinks a sudden traumatic shock can change an ingrained habit easier and faster

than an effort of the mind.27

First, the singer m ust accept that he carries all the responsibility for his change.

He could attribute the cause of his misuse and malfunctioning to fear, to shock,

to imitation in youth, to faulty instruction of a former teacher, to genetic causes,

to bad working conditions.. .But the singer should take the responsibility for the

mess he created and he should take the responsibility to work himself out of this

state.28 The singer m ust have a desire to find out new things and he m ust allow

change to happen, because he cannot both change and still remain the same.

Now, changing requires time. F. M. Alexander says that a singer can certainly

change a habit of a lifetime in a few minutes if he uses his brain.29 But for most

singers, incorporating new habits into daily life will take time. It often takes a lot

27 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 127.
28 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 17.
29 Alexander/WRITINGS, p. 6.

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of courage to give up long trained habits.30 The teacher only can show the

direction, the student has to go on the way and find out for himself. Marjorie

Barlow recalls F. M. Alexander saying:

Everyone m ust do the real work for themselves. The

teacher can show the way, but cannot get inside the
pupil's brain and control his reactions for him. Each
person m ust apply it for himself.31

My father always repeated an old saying to me, "I can teach you to do this, but I

cannot learn for you. You have to learn it yourself". An old Arabic proverb tells

us the same, "You can bring a camel to water, but it has to drink on its own".

The more time and effort a singer has invested in learning to sing, the more

trained habits he developed as a person and as a professional musician. A singer

may find it easier to change all the counterproductive habits, which right now

define his identity as singer including his muscular, psychological and aesthetic

behavior, without singing. I normally recommend taking Alexander Technique

30 I personally think, that the great image used by Andre Gide describes the difficulties
encountered with the process of changing, "One does not seek new lands without consenting to
lose sight of the shore for a very long time".
31 Davies/BARLOW, p. 275.

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lessons first without singing to avoid habits directly associated with voice

production.

Being confronted right away w ith singing will overwhelm the singer, because the

m uch more complex act of singing obviously asks much more coordination from

a singer than, for example, getting in and out of a chair. As a first step, the singer

has to master easier tasks such as standing up from a chair. Having understood

the principles behind this task, he later can transfer the same principles to the act

of singing.

All changes in daily life will have an effect on the singing person. All the

changes in the head-neck-back relationship will bring a feeling of imbalance. As

already said, he can feel a slight disturbance of equilibrium. The student has to

accept this feeling of being unsafe and insecure. Change costs a lot of energy.

The singer needs to go through the stage of confusion and turmoil in order to

change. The repetition of these new and unfamiliar experiences will lead to more

and more clarity building up his confidence.

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The right new use can occasionally feel uncomfortable or downright painful.

Some singers experience pain while going through the changes, because they will

gradually change not only m uscular behavior, but also, on a deep level, bone

structure. I have to stress that a teacher sometimes has to lead a singer through

pain to achieve the desired result. Patrick Macdonald emphasizes:

Pain is a natural phenomenon designed by Nature to

w arn against w rong doing. A very large num ber of
civilized beings live, in parts of their bodies, on the
wrong side of the pain barrier. In other words, for
them, in certain activities, pain is no longer a warning
of misbehavior b u t an indication of right doing. It is
the teacher's business to find out, if this is so, and to
lead the pupil back through the pain barrier to
physiological sanity.32

Even if the teacher and student cannot see a change from the outside, deep

change will take place:

Sometimes students seem to be stuck in their lessons,

but they are still coming for something. Keep
applying inhibition and direction and "there's a

32 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 34.

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change that you can't see going on at a deep level.
This is why it's such nonsense to try and make
assessments of a pupil. From your point of view not
m uch m ay seem to be happening, but their whole life
m ay have done a one hundred and eighty degree
turn.33

Going through the changes can also momentarily give some problems with

memorizing, because some part of the memorizing process depends on muscular

memory. Changing the relationships of parts in the body every day can

tem porarily disturb the ability to memorize. The memory will function well

again after establishing a good functioning head-neck-back relationship, often

w ith m uch m ore security than before.

33 Davies/BARLOW, p. 220.

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5. APPLICATIONS

The singer should not regard the Alexander Technique as a technique that

occupies only a few minutes or an hour a day. He has to apply the principles of

the Technique to every situation in his life. The Alexander teacher works on

different basic applications in order to teach the principles of the Technique.

These applications include chair work, table work, the monkey, the lunge,

walking, hands on the back of a chair, and, last not but not least, breathing and

the 'w hispered ah'. From there every student will apply all the principles to the

specific tasks they w ant to perform, which include riding, golfing, dancing,

acting and singing, just to name a few possibilities.

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Chair work

Figure 3 - Chair work

A voice teacher ordinarily does not incorporate Alexandrian chair work in their

lessons. Different applications fall under the term chair work. An Alexander

instructor can ask a singer to get in and out of a chair, i.e. standing up and sitting

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down, as a great procedure to teach him all five principles. F. M. favored this

application:

I begin w ith procedures that involve only simple

activities on the pupil's part, such as sitting and rising
from a chair, in order to give him in the easiest way
the opportunity to inhibit his habitual response when
any stimulus to activity comes to him.1

But the Alexander teacher also uses other applications of chair w ork such as

leaning forwards and backwards w ithout shortening the back, properly scooting

back or forward in the chair, which some Alexander teachers call 'kangaroo'.

W ith time the student will find out that he can sit erect in a comfortable way.

Slouching and slum ping will feel more and more uncomfortable and exhausting.

I w ould also like to talk briefly about chairs in general. The structure of the chair

makes a big difference to sitting comfortably. Alexander teachers recommend

chairs with a flat seat, not declined or inclined, and a sturdy lean in a right angle

to the seat. 100 years ago joiners generally built chairs in this way. Today a

person can still find this kind of chair. The Shakers, for example, still build

i Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 99.

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chairs according to the old laws. The singer should avoid chairs w ith the seats

declining backwards and the lean bending backwards w hen leaning against it

and thus w ithdraw ing the support instead of supporting the back. So-called

ergonomic chairs often do not give good back support. Sherry Berjeron-Oliver

writes in Working without pain: eliminate repetitive strain injuries with Alexander

Technique:

In response to the problems generated by the m odern

workplace, an entire field of endeavor has developed.
Ergonomics is 'the science that seeks to adapt w ork or
working conditions to suit the worker'. This term is
largely applied to furniture, workstation design,
scheduling influences and task designs. Focusing on
alleviating stress to the body, m any companies have
invested in costly desks, chairs and other equipm ent
designed to prevent strain and injury. Yet, the
incidence of RSI's [repetitive stress injuries] has
continued to grow.2

A singer w ith long legs can adjust the height of the chair w ith books on the seat.

A singer with short legs can pu t a stool or a book under his feet.

A good chair helps students, especially children and choir members, to establish

a good use, but everyone has to learn to direct forward and up even in awkward

2 Berjeron-Oliver/PAIN, p. 23

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chairs and couches. Pedro de Alcantara quotes a saying of F. M. Alexander that

we do not need to educate our school furniture, but our children.3

W orking in a chair provides plenty of opportunity to w ork on the principles. Let

us take just the movement of standing up from a chair. Singers should, for

example, recognize their habit of pushing the lumbar region forward. They have

to stop and inhibit their desire to execute this particular movement. F. M.

Alexander and Moshe Feldenkrais recommend momentarily abandoning the

intention to get up:

Avoid all direct intention to get up, for this will result
in the unnoticed return to your habitual m anner of
getting up.4

Singers also have to consciously avoid mobilization of the leg or neck muscles,

which equals non-doing. Then they have to give directions to send the knees

away from the back in order to not contract them inwards, which equals the

term, send directions. Some Alexander teachers and Moshe Feldenkrais teach to

rely on m omentum to rise out of the chair, but releasing into the up while setting

3 Alcantara/PROCEDURES, p. 4.
4 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 80.

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free the oppositional forces in the body, show another form of rising out of the

chair, i.e. w ithout tilting forward from the hips. I think the student has to learn

that he has a choice to rise w ith a m ovem ent forward or without. He learns to

find the right head-neck-back relationship under all conditions. By learning to

apply the five principles to every m oment in the movement of rising out of the

chair, he progresses a step further to applying the same principles to singing.

Table work

Figure 4 - Table w ork

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As a great application of the work, the teacher instructs the singer about the so-

called Constructive Rest Position. The student lays in semi-supine position on his

back on the table or at home on the floor with legs bent at the knees, soles of the

feet dow n on the table, arms on sides, elbows bent, hands resting on the belly.

The head rests on a book or a pillow. The height of the books depends on the

neck of the students. F. M. recommended not so few books that the head falls

back and not so many that they force the chin dow n in the front.5 Other body-

m ind techniques, including Moshe Feldenkrais6, also recommend this

Constructive Rest Position, b ut w ithout the books under the head. The book

under the head will help to free the neck and with it to release the head from the

spine. This release in the neck ultimately leads to freedom in the voice.

Lying on the table, the student gives himself primary directions: neck free, head

forward and out, back long and wide; and goes on to secondary directions such

as lengthening from the hip joint up to the knee and from the ankle up to the

knee. Lying on the table gives him a good opportunity just to direct his effort

w ithout the problem of equilibrium and w ithout fighting against gravity. I give

5 Davies/BARLOW, p. 91.
6 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 100.

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a detailed description w hat a singer should think, but not do on the table, i.e. the

singer m ust not consciously tighten his abdominal muscles and he m ust not tilt

his pelvis in order to bring the lumbar region to the table.

Primary directions on the table could look like this:

Allow your neck muscles to release any excess

tension.
Allow your head to go forward and out, away from
your spine.
Allow your back to lengthen and widen onto the
table.

The singer applies the primary directions constantly while going on to the

secondary directions:

Allow your shoulders to widen away from each other.

Allow your elbows to release away from one another.
Allow your right shoulder to spread away from your
left hip and your left shoulder to spread away from
your right hip.7
Allow your knees to move away from the back
towards the ceiling.
Allow your feet to spread apart, including your toes,
to lengthen away from the feet.

7 Richard Brennan added this particular direction in his set of directions for table work.
Brennan/MIND, p. 66.

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I have to w arn the singer not to close his eyes and fall asleep while lying on the

table. Giving directions asks for active participation of the singer. He should

w ork on his Constructive Rest Position as often as needed to restore the head-

neck-back relationship.

I recommend that every student should practice the Constructive Rest Position at

least once a day for ten minutes. The singer could choose the m iddle of a hectic

day as the best time. Pedro Alcantara points out:

In the absence of ideal rest, it may be better to avoid

taking a quick nap that leaves you tense and anxious,
or a longer rest that leaves you heavy and lethargic.
Instead, you may opt for a m om ent of constructive rest,
in which calm, quietude, and good co-ordination help
you regain a measure of energy and alertness.8

Even busy and packed university schedules allow a ten-minute recharging

period. The Constructive Rest Position also proves valuable in the evening after

a long day. Singers find it very valuable to start to practice with the Constructive

Rest Position. It gives them a tool to find a better use of themselves. Their head-

8 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 47, col. 2.

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neck-back relationship starts to w ork efficiently. In addition, errors because of

faulty sensory awareness become less likely in this position.

Monkey

Figure 5 - Monkey

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F. M. Alexander calls the monkey a position of mechanical advantage, which

allows the student to lower himself in space. In the monkey, the singer

distributes his body weight within and along the structure so that he can

lengthen all the muscles throughout the body. He learns to direct the head and

knees forward while keeping the hips back and up, which leads to a balance of

all the muscles, ligaments and bone structure.9 Very useful in daily life, it

provides a great tool for the singer. This position of mechanical advantage

teaches the students all the five principles, from releasing excessive tension to

good balance and coordination, from inhibition to direction. The singer may

turn his feet slightly out for the monkey.10 In a monkey, the teacher notices fast,

assuming the student wears comfortable clothes and not too tightly fitting ones.

The monkey can be extended to a squat. Beret Arcaya and Walter Carrington

point out that the singer activates his extensor system of the back in the monkey

position, which lengthens the spine, frees the legs and triggers the m ost effective

breathing.11

9 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 54-5.
10 Davies/BARLOW, p. 159.
11 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4. and Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 45.

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The singer learns to find the best head-neck-back relationship in different levels

of a monkey and more or less tilted forward. First he will explore the monkey

w ithout singing and then w ith singing. From a low squat to an almost standing

position, the singer can experiment w ith m any possibilities of achieving the best

sound. Having found a very good head-neck-back relationship in one position,

he soon will manage to transfer this head-neck-back relationship to all the other

positions. A well functioning head-neck-back relationship will inevitably lead to

an im proved breathing mechanism and quality of voice.

I w ant to mention another advantage of the monkey. It also helps the singer to

have the feet in a different w ay on the floor, something m any teacher call

grounding or being grounded.12 An improved way of being grounded helps the

singer to achieve a correct head-neck-back relationship and vice versa; an

improved head-neck-back relationship helps the singer to find the ground.

Finding the ground definitively does not involve grabbing the ground w ith the

toes or pressing the heels against the floor. Both can cause additional tension in

the upper body. Finding the floor rather involves an additional thought of

121 w ill talk more about grounding in the sixth chapter, entitled posture.

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sending the feet into the floor and then coming up against them. A change from

a habitual foot position to an unfamiliar position can help in finding the ground.

Jane Heirich also employs a moving monkey in addition to the static monkey

position. The singer starts in standing position and lowers himself in space,

either ending on a chair or in a deep squat.13 The sound will change according to

the various movements. Singing in a deep squat w ith the feet on the ground also

helps to incorporate the extensor muscles.

13 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 112.

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Lunge

Figure 7a - Lunge forwards Figure 7b - Lunge backwards

All the other applications such as the lunge, walking and hands on the back of a

chair can be executed with the same attention to recognition of force of habit,

inhibition and non-doing, faulty sensory awareness, means where-by, sending

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directions and prim ary control. The lunge, a loved position for violinists and

flutists, also helps singers to free their voices.

Walking

Figure 8 - Walking

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An opera singer obviously has to m anage to walk on stage properly while

singing. But every recital or oratorio singer also has to enter the stage and walk

across to the assigned space. Therefore they have to direct their attention to the

walking, not only in the performance setting, but also in daily life. The singer

should walk and run head first and not feet first.14 Walter Carrington describes a

few more errors connected w ith walking:

The other thing connected with walking is that if you

brace your knees back, it tends to throw the pelvis
forward. It throws the top of the pelvis forward, and
throws the head back w ith it.15

14 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 50.
15 Carrington/THINKING, p. 154.

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Hands on the back of the chair

Figure 9 - H ands on the back of a chair

The procedure of hands on the back of a chair has similar effects as the monkey

for the singer. It opens the ribs for breathing while working on the head-neck-

back relationship. The student sits in a chair w ith both hands touching the back

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of a chair in front of him. While giving the directions, the student tilts forward

from the hips while opening the elbows out away from each other and tilts

backwards while straightening the elbows and lengthening the arms away from

the shoulders. In another variation of this application, the singer actually tilts the

chair forwards and backwards while working on the prim ary control. As an

advanced procedure, the singer practices the hands on the back of the chair

standing behind a chair, usually in a slight monkey. All these procedures help

changing the breathing mechanism. The singer can also practice the 'w hispered

ah', which I will explain later, while doing hands on the back of the chair.16

16 I found a nice picture of Walter Carrington showing this procedure in Explaining the Alexander
Technique: the writings ofF. Matthias Alexander: in conversation with Walter Carrington & Sean Carey.
Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 92.

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PART II: RELATED TOPICS FOR THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IN

SINGING

This next part of the dissertation deals with topics that singers and vocal teacher

directly relate to singing, such as posture, breathing, practicing and performance.

F. M. Alexander built up his career very soon as a "breathing doctor". He

published several articles around 1900 regarding breathing and its connection to

a well-functioning body, including Speech Culture and Natural Elocution (1895), A

respiratory method (1905), Mr. F. Matthias Alexander's new method of respiratory and

vocal re-education (1906), Introduction to a new method of respiratory vocal re-education

(1907), The (Fingers of deep breathing (1908), Why "deep breathing' and physical culture

exercises do more harm than good (1908), Why we breathe incorrectly (1909). He then

further developed his ideas in his already m entioned four main works Man's

supreme inheritance (1918), Constructive conscious control of the individual (1923), The

use of the self (1932) and The universal constant in living (1941).

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"T Z * I t tfcs fclfc.-*
“ Saw S ki tfca T**ih **3 ttK&fCHi tft* ilOSIUSUl WHSE.''-

F. Matthias Alexander,
— S i'fC iA U S 'T IN RESPIHATIOW,-------

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*ra| prsco,?daity applied it; ib:: . .

Cultivation & Development of the

HUilAiS VOICE,-----
A nd in PH Y SIC A L fBctSy'j O E V E I.O P M E N T ,

Re/i'r's'.rieta uts kit&Ity (*mhiitevt to terttwg 0/ ikt

Mniie&t Qtf ijZiufihe, irtuf t&eir palifnSf.

K rj^ F -. I tw -'S f i & Z-> \i t.s# ., Vfcfcina R .W ,k *«<f sew.-..

fa c sim ile j : ".4 R esp tra m rv M e th o d * p a m p h le t, c, t eaj.

Figure 10 - F. Matthias Alexander as "specialist in respiration"1

I also will include thoughts of the most im portant writings of international well-

know n teachers and writers of the Alexander Technique, who wrote as

musicians themselves about the connection of Alexander Technique with music

1 Alexander/ARTICLES, p. 49.

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either in the form of articles or books. The following list shows whose writings I

used:

Alcantara, Pedro (cellist), Indirect procedures: A musician's guide to the Alexander

Technique2.
, The Alexander Technique: a skill for life.
, "An Alexander teacher reads the free voice, his mouth agape".

Armstrong, Joe (flutist), Working on breathing and vocal production.

Ben-Or, N elly (pianist), "A pianist's adventure with the Alexander Technique".
, "The Alexander Technique and performance".
, "Conceptions and misconceptions: the F. M. Alexander Technique in music".
, "A pianist7s thoughts on the Alexander Technique".
_, "The Alexander Technique in the preparation and performance of music: The F.
M. Alexander memorial lecture, given by N elly Ben-Or to the society of teacher
of the Alexander Technique in London, November 1987".

Farkas, Alexander (singer), "Coach's notebook: exploring the Alexander Technique and
opera".
, "Alexander and voice".

Fedele, Andrea (oboist), The Alexander Technique: a basis for oboe playing.

Head, Sandra (singer), "Singers, singing teachers and the Alexander Technique".
, Haw the Alexander Technique informs the teaching of singing: the personal
experience of, and analysis by a singing teacher.

Heirich, Jane Ruby (singer), Voice and the Alexander Technique: active explorations for
speaking and singing
, Miracles usually can't be learned.
, "The Alexander Technique and voice pedagogy".
, "Supporting the voice".

Hudson, Barbara Huskey (singer), "The effects of the Alexander Technique on the
respiratory system of the singer/ actor: part I and I".

21 used Italics to indicate books.

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Kratzert, Rudolf (pianist), "The application of the Alexander Technique to piano
teaching".
, Technik des Klavierspiels: ein Handbuchfiir Pianisten.

Lamprecht, Gerlinde (voice therapy), Die F.M. Alexander-Technik: eine ganzheitliche

Methode zur Wiedererlangung der naturlichen Korperkoordination in der
Sprachtherapeu tischen Praxis.

Lewis, Pamela Payne (singer), "Teaching the technique for academic credit".
, The Alexander Technique: its relevance singers and teachers of singing.

Mackie, Vivien (cellist), fust play naturally. Vivien Mackie in conversation zvith Joe
Armstrong: an account of her Cello study with Pablo Casals in the 1050‘ and her
discovery of the resonance between his teaching and the principles of the
Alexander Technique.

Michael McCallion (singer), The voice book: for actors, public speakers and everyone
who wants to make the most of their voice.

McEvenueKelly (theatre coach), The actor and the Alexander Technique.

Murdock Ron (singer), "Bom to Sing".

Rootberg, Ruth (singer), Teaching breathing: results of a survey.

Taylor, Crissman (singer), The direction of musical impulse: the Alexander Technique
and singing.

Weed, Donald L (singer/actor). What you think is what you get: an introductory textbook
to the study of the Alexander Technique.

Zipperer, Daniel M. (singer), "A survey o f Alexander Technique as a supplement to

voice production"

Most of the singers in the list learned singing in connection with acting. Beret

Arcaya m anaged as one of only few to pursue a successful career as a classical

singer and teaching the Alexander Technique during her whole life. With my

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training as a classical singer and as an Alexander teacher, I would like to

explicitly compare these two disciplines.

I will support the most im portant ideas w ith publications by m any other

Alexander teachers about posture, breathing, practicing, and performance. I will

continue especially to refer to Walter Carrington and Patrick Macdonald, both

direct students of F. M. Alexander.

As a sample of body-mind techniques, I w ant to continue to compare F. M.

Alexander's work w ith Moshe Feldenkrais's thoughts. Samuel H. Nelson and

Elizabeth Blades-Zeller published an interesting book based on the Feldenkrais

method, Singing with your whole self: the Feldenkrais Method and voice (2002). I will

include informational material about Tai chi. Stephen Chun-Tao Chen published

a book referring to Tai Chi The Too of voice: a new east-west approach to transforming

the singing and speaking voice (1989). Furthermore I will refer to Carl Stough3, who

3 Carl Stough (1926-2000), w ho had the nickname "Dr. Breath" discovered a method of breathing,
which helped not only the American Olympic team in the high altitudes o f N ew Mexico in 1968,
but also people w ho suffered from asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. He worked in hospitals,
including military hospitals, and founded the "Carl Stough Institute of Breathing Coordination"
in 1965, an organization which dealt with research and education in respiratory science. He

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had trem endous success in breathing re-education. He published together with

his wife Reece Dr. Breath: the story of breathing coordination: an absorbing account of

the most significant advance of the century in knowledge of breathing (1970). I will also

refer to Jessica Wolf who took up Carl Stough's work, especially after his death

in 2000. She published two articles The Alexander Technique (2002) and The

breathing costume.

Based on m y knowledge of the following vocal books4, I will compare ideas

about posture, breathing, practicing, and performance to the Alexander

Technique:

Aderhold, Egon, Sprecherziehung des Schauspielers: Grundlagen und Methoden.

A nnin, George, Das Stauprinzip oder die Lehre von dem Dualismus der menschlichen
Stimme dargelegt fu r Sanger, Schauspieler und Rezitatoren.

collected many data about his patients and also about the Olympic team, for which he worked as
a respiratory consultant. H is method "The Stough Method of Breathing Coordination, called
SIMBIC, wants to achieve maximum efficiency in breathing w ith minimum effort. He discovered
the connection between the improvement of breathing and the development of high performance
standards. Students, w ho he trained in his method, soon could perform up to their full potential.
Unfortunately he did not train teachers and after his death in 2000 only a few Alexander teachers
such as Betsy Polatin at Boston University and Jessica W olf in N ew York, w ho both worked with
him, try to keep his method alive. Carl Stough also worked much with singers as a choral
conductor for different churches bringing the laymen choirs to a high standard of singing. He
frequently toured and recorded w ith his choirs.
4 I used many additional voice related articles as well. You w ill find more information about the
books and the articles in the bibliography marked with a n '+'.

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Averino, Olga, Principles and art of singing.

Caldwell, Robert, Excellence in singing: multilevel learning and multilevel teaching: 1-V.

Caruso, Enrico & Tetrazzini, Luisa, Caruso and Tetrazzini on the art of singing.

Coblenzer, Horst & Muhar, Franz, Atem und Stimme, Anleitung zum guten Sprechen.

Davis, Richard, A beginning singer's guide.

Doscher, Barbara M, The functional unity o f the singing voice.

Duey, Philip A, Bel canto in its golden age.

Emmons, Shirlee & Sonntag, Stanley, The art of the song recital.

Fischer, Emil, Handbuch der Stimmbildung.

Fischer-Meyenberg, Hermann, Stimme und Gesang: Handbuch der Gesangsdidaktik.

Fucito, Salvatore & Beyer, Barnet J., Caruso and the art of singing

Garcia I, Manuel, Exercises and method for singing.

Garcia II, Manuel, Complete Treatise on the A rt of Singing: Part I and II.

Habermann, Gunther, Stimme und Sprache: eine Einfiihrung in ihre Physiologie und
Hygiene: fu r A rzte, Sanger, Pddagogen und alle Sprechberufe.

Haeflinger, Ernst, Die Kunst des Gesangs: Geschichte- Technik- Repertoire

Herbert-Caesaii, Edgar F, The alchemy of voice.

, The science and sensations of vocal tone: a school o f natural vocal mechanics.
, Vocal truth: some of the things I teach.
, The voice of the mind.

Hines, Jerome, Great singers on great singing.

Hong-Young, Arabella, Singing professionally: studying singing for singers and actors.

Husler, Frederick & Rodd-Marling, Yvonne, Singing: the physical nature o f the vocal
organ: a guide to the unlocking of the singing voice.

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Joiner, James Richard, Charles Amable Battaille: pioneer in vocal science and the
teaching of singing.

Kayes, Gillyanne, Singing and the actor.

Kayes, Gillyanne & Fisher, Jeremy, Successful singing auditions.

Kia, Romeo Alavi, Stimme: Spiegel meines Selbst.

Kia, Romeo Alavi & Schulze-Schindler, Renate, Sonne, Mond und Sterne: Atem typen
der Stimmentfaltung.

Klein, Joseph J. & Schjeide, Ole A, Singing technique: how to avoid vocal trouble.

Kopp, Gisela, Leben m it Stimme, Stimme m it Leben: die A tem - und Stimmkunst der Clara
Schlaffhorst und Hedwig Andersen; m it praktischem Ubungsteil.

Lamperti,Giovanni Battista, Vocal wisdom: maxims of Giovanni Battista Lamperti.

Lehmann, Lilli, Meine Gesangskunst.

Lindsey, Charles Edward, Fundamentals of singing for voice classes.

Linklater, Kristin, Freeing the natural voice.

Martienssen-Lohmann, Franziska, Ausbildung der Gesangstimme.

McNaughton, Elizabeth, Breathing for singing and its vocal pedagogy: a critical review.

Melba, Dame Nellie, The Melba method.

Miller, Richard, On the art o f singing

, National schools of singing: English, French, German, and Italian techniques of
singing revisited.
, Solutions fo r singers: tools for performers and teachers.
, Training soprano voices.
, The structure o f singing: system and art in vocal technique.
, Training tenor voices.

Murray, Dena, Vocal technique: a guide to finding your real voice.

Nair, Garyth, Voice tradition and technology: a state-of-the-art studio.

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Nollmeyer, Olaf, D ie eigene Stimme entfalten: Ubungen m it Summen, Sprechen, Singen
fiir mehr Ausdruck und Wohlbefinden.

Potter, John, Vocal authority: singing style and ideology.

Prosser, Sigrid, Gesangsschule: Gesangausbildung durch Kontrolle von Korper, Gefiihl,

Verstand.

Reid, Cornelius, Bel canto: principles and practices.

, Voice: psyche and soma.
, The free voice: a guide to natural singing.

Rodgers, Janet B (ed.), The complete voice & speech workout: the documentation and
recording of an oral tradition for the purpose of training and practices.

Rohmert, Gisela, Der Sanger aufdem Weg zum Klang: Lichtenberger

Musikpddagogische Vorlesungen: Dokumentation Arbeitswissenschaft: XXVIII.

Ross, Erwin, Gesang und Gesangmethode: Hohe Schule der Musik.

Rudiger, Adolf, Stimmbildung im Schulchor: Handbuch fiir den Chorleiter.

Sable, Barbara Kinsey, The vocal sound.

Salaman, Esther, Unlocking your voice: freedom to sing

Schmidt, Jan, Basics of singing

Seidner, Wolfram & Wendler, Jurgen, Die Sdngerstimme: phoniatrische Grundlagen der
Gesangsausbildung.

Shakespeare, William, The art o f singing: based on the principles of the O ld Italian
singing-masters, and dealing with breath-control, production of the voice and
registers.

Stanton, Royal, Steps to singing for voice classes.

Stark, James, Bel canto: a history of vocal pedagogy.

Stockhausen, Julius, A method of singing.

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Thausing, Albrecht, D ie Sdngerstimme: Ihre Beschaffenheit u n i Entstehung, ihre Bildung
und ihr Verlust.
, Stimme und Kunstgesang: Eine neue Grundlegung fu r die Gesangspddagogik.

Tosi, Pietro Francesco, Observations on the florid song.

Vennard, Richard, Singing: the mechanism and the technic.

Ware, Clifton, Basics of vocal pedagogy: the foundations and process o f singing
____ , Adventures in Singing: a process for exploring, discovering and developing vocal
potential.

6. POSTURE

Introductory thoughts

More and more singing teachers or celebrities complain about the low standard

of singing in their students. They ask where this lack of professionalism comes

from.

Children learn posture from their parents, their teachers and all their friends. A t

the time of their birth they show only small differences in the functioning of the

body. During their lifetime they develop through experience their individual

w ay of posture.5 Unfortunately, even children slouch. In school or at home they

s Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 73.

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collapse in their backwards-sloping seats which they cannot adapt to their

height. Sitting there for hours, their backs tire and they begin to slump. In

addition, they have to bend over their desks to read and write. Richard Brennan

accurately describes their dilemma:

Since it is impossible to use their hip joint efficiently,

as the pelvis is already tilting backwards owing to the
shape of the chair seat, they will then bend their
spines, causing unnecessary w ear and tear on the
vertebrae and discs.6

The children develop serious misuse of the self, which causes num erous

problems as soon as they start singing and pursuing a career in singing.

Caroline Bosanquet, a music educator, discovered an additional shocking fact

observing m any 1st and 2nd grader music classes. She describes how the children

usually sang sitting cross-legged on the floor w ith hum ped backs or slum ped on

chairs. She observed that the growlers and poor singers norm ally had the w orst

posture.7 We as voice teachers receive our new beginning singers from these just

6 Brennan/MIND, p. 17
7 Bosanquet/PRINCIPLE, p. 237.

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described classrooms. No w onder fewer and fewer singers show the quality of

voice needed for a singing career.

Singers often falsely recognize the Alexander Technique as a technique for

posture instead as a technique of inhibition and directing. Singers generally

come to Alexander lessons because they w ant to learn how to stand in the right

way or how to get rid of their backaches.8 Actually F. M. Alexander spoke out

against the use of the w ord 'posture', because m any singers connect it with

holding a certain fixed position. I recommend that a voice teacher should never

use the phrase 'keep this posture', because it can cause stiffening and tensing.

Just by talking about posture, people normally react to the word by straightening

up and tightening at the same time.9 They try to hold this fixed position, but

normally succeed only for short period of time before they release into their old

way of use again.

W alter Carrington speaks against the teaching of posture because the results

m ost likely aggravate the underlying misuse. He summarizes:

8 Weed/ALEXANDER, p. 139.
9 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 36.

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Then there are those to whom the w ord 'posture' is
anathema- and somehow the idea has got about that
Alexander deals w ith posture. Indeed, the w ord has
come to have some m ost unhappy connotations. It
calls to mind injunctions to sit up, to stand to
attention, to carry out drill movements - smartly. It
implies effort, unnatural, artificial, painful effort;
effort to a point of agonizing self-awareness and self-
consciousness. There is an instinctive feeling that this
cannot be right.10

I surprise singers w ith the statem ent that the Alexander Technique has only a

little to do w ith posture. Nevertheless it will influence the postural behavior in

the long run. Patrick M acdonald emphasizes that the Alexander Technique does

no t directly w ork as a formula for posture. He suggests using the phrase postural

activity to reduce the danger of thinking about a fixed right position.11

As already discussed in earlier chapters, F. M. does not separate physical and

m ental processes. Especially in the realm of 'posture' this connection becomes

clear. People recognize in their daily language the connection between the

m ental process and the physical appearance. They speak of 'a spineless

creature', 'having no backbone', 'losing their heads', 'a stiff-necked generation',

10 Carrington/UNDERSTANDING, p. 240.
11 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 21.

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just to name a few.12 The Alexander Technique achieves its results in the

postural appearance of a singer by changing the thinking habits. Alexander

Technique does not directly change postural behavior. The w ord posture implies

a static position, bu t the Technique works w ith the directions that will lead the

student to the correct postural activity at this particular moment. Some

Alexander teachers prefer to use the w ord poise, because it gives a sense of

motion.13

F. M. Alexander warns not to rely on a certain position, because of the changes a

person goes through. He warns that a position that a singer rightfully employed

yesterday m ay not the position he has to employ today if his use im proved and

changed.14

Parents and teachers recognized the lack of physical stamina already m ore than

hundred years ago and started to employ exercises to rem edy the situation.

Physical trainers started teaching physical exercises designed as stretching

12 Barlow/TEACHING, p. 1.
13 Weed/ALEXANDER, p. 36.

14 Alexander/LECTURE, p. 172.

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and/or strengthening exercises. These exercises often cause m ore harm than

good, because their students directly elevate their chest, bend their spines

backwards or strain their neck in order to achieve a better posture, instead of

working on their antagonistic pulls15 with the means of direction and instead of

working on the extension of the body while moving.

Voice teachers also correctly recognize the lack of good 'posture'. To prevent

slouching, the alumni hear at the university, 'chest up', 'abdom en in', 'shoulders

back', instructions I myself heard when I started singing at the well-known

Universitat M ozarteum Salzburg. I like to give one of the num erous examples of

direct instructions given to singers, which the Alexander Technique opposes:

To arrive at the proper posture, stand up straight16, one foot

slightly in advance of and apart from the other. Lightly dig
in your toes as if to grasp the floor with them. Tuck your
hips under without allowing the upper part of your body to
change its position. This will tend to keep your knees from
locking (they should be just slightly bent). Next, stretch
the muscles of the lower back from the tip of the spine to
the point of their attachment to the lower ribs. This action
should make you feel an expansion of the lower ribs at the

« Alexander/LECTURE, p. 177.
161 added Italics to all the misconceptions in this quotation, which I w ill explain later more.

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back and a drawing in of the pelvic muscles. Keep this
posture.17

If the singer comes to a voice lesson overly tensed or very collapsed, just to

mention two extreme cases, the teacher may not teach him by direct means. I

w ant to clarify this problem w ith another example. Manuel Garcia I, the father,

recognized as did m any others the wrong appearance in his singing students. To

rem edy the situation, he recommends in Exercises and method for singing (c. 1819-

22):

The position of the body m ust be erect18, the shoulders

thrown back, w ith the arms crossed behind, this will
open the chest and bring out the voice with ease, clear
and strong w ithout distorting the appearance either
in face or body.19

This statement indicates the right idea behind it. The singer has to have an

agreeable and charming appearance. He has to sit, stand, walk and sing with

ease and poise. But singers achieve this state of singing only by indirect means

and not by the m ean of crossing the arms behind the back. Imagine a singer w ith

17 McClosky/VOICE, p. 17
181 added Italics to all the misconceptions in this quotation, which I w ill explain later more.
19 Coffin/HISTORICAL, p. 16.

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severe lordosis, a too strongly curved lumbar area. Crossing the arms in the back

will in this case elevate the chest, but at the same time his lordosis worsens, his

breathing mechanism stops to function properly, and with it singing becomes

more and m ore of an effort.

All instructions to position a student will have an ill effect in the long run,

because he will try to do it w ith holding instead of allowing it to happen. The

Alexander Technique works so that the singer can achieve the same desired

result by applying the principles of the prim ary control, i.e. the head-neck-back

relationship, and long lasting changes will occur. The voices of students will

develop on their own paths according to the improvement of the psychophysical

mechanism. Then the voice has a chance to get healthier and stronger with age.

O ther voice teachers only address the fact that the singer should have a good

appearance. Pietro Francesco Tosi leaves it to his students to find out how to

achieve this desired appearance.

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Let him take care, whilst he sings, that he get a
graceful posture, and make an agreeable
appearance.20

In general, the less specific postural information the singer gets about how to

stand, the more he can find out by himself. Now, F. M. Alexander stresses that a

right position does not exist, only a right direction.21 He points out that the

singer cannot make any further improvement if teachers advocate in the first

lesson a certain position of standing or sitting as the right one.22 F. M. Alexander

gives the singer a tool or means-whereby he can achieve this graceful 'posture'

and agreeable appearance by means of coordination that he can find in almost

any position:

The question is not one of correct position, but of

correct co-ordination (i.e. of the m uscular
mechanisms concerned). Moreover, anyone who has
acquired the pow er of co-ordinating correctly, can re
adjust the parts of his body to m eet the requirements
of almost any position, while always commanding
adequate and correct movements of the respiratory
apparatus and perfect vocal control.23

20 Tosi/OBSERVATTONS, p. 25.
21 Alexander/WRITTNGS, p. 4.
22 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 101.
23 Alexander/BREATHING 3, p. 93.

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Moshe Feldenkrais agrees that he accepts any posture as long as it does not work

against the law of nature. He explains in more detail that the person should

balance the structure of the skeleton in a way that it counteracts gravity and

leaves the muscles free for movement. If muscles designed for m ovem ent have

to carry out the job of the skeleton, they cannot work freely for changing the

position of the body.24

The Alexander Technique works with indirect influence and control of the

posture. Patrick M acdonald talks about the aftermath of some body/m ind

techniques such as yoga. He criticizes that yoga teachers give exercises that

w ork on the direct control of the muscular behavior of the body. This works

against the Alexander principle that the primary control or head-neck-back

relationship indirectly controls the musculature.25 Again, as long as the prim ary

control works, the singer can choose any position in space. W estern yoga

practioners tend to w ork more on direct control than Eastern. In m y eyes,

» Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 68.
25 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 28.

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singers can gain deeper insights from practicing yoga if they apply the principles

of the Alexander Technique at the same time.

The Alexander Technique recommends working on the psycho-physical

mechanism for a while before applying the principle to the much more complex

task of singing. After that the teacher can proceed with the singer to apply this

im proved psycho-physical behavior to all tasks in singing. Voice teachers

recognize the importance of postural activity, which they call sometimes

alignment, a term I do not use because of its tendency to create stiffness. Olga

Averino points out that the technique or skill of a singer consists of the task to

w ork on the alignment while changing pitch, mood, and volume dem anded by

the music.26

The teacher can only achieve postural change in a singer by changing the way of

thinking. Active thinking reflects in activity and action. Heinrich Neuhaus, a

famous piano teacher, defines in The art of piano playing (1973) knowledge of an

artist as an active force which includes understanding and action. He even goes

26 Averino/SINGING, p. 40.

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further in his conclusion that correct acting can only happen on the basis of

correct thinking.27 The re-education of the kinesthetic systems w ith the m eans of

thinking will change the way of bodily postures and respiration. F. M.

Alexander points ou t that the re-education of the use of the body and the

kinesthetic system has priority over posture and the act of breathing.28 A new

w ay of using the kinesthetic mechanism indirectly changes postural activity and

then indirectly influences the act of breathing.

Voice teachers such as Luisa Tetrazzini also stress this relationship of breathing

and the use of the body.

In singing in public as well as w hen practicing the

singer m ust stand so that the body will be perfectly
and firmly poised. One should always stand in such
a position as to be able to inhale comfortably and
control a large breath, to allow the throat absolute
freedom ,...to let the inflowing air penetrate all the
resonance cavities.29

27 Neuhaus/ART, p. 87.
28 Alexander/BREATHING 3, p. 93.
29 Caruso/SINGING, p. 37-8.

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Anatomical knowledge

Manuel Garcia invented the laryngoscope in 1855 to observe and describe

laryngeal activity during voice production. He studied w ith the laryngoscope

the throats of famous singers trained by him, including Maria Malibran, Pauline

Viardot, Jenny Lind, Mathilde Marchesi, and Julius Stockhausen. Since this time

the technique of vocal science has developed. Unfortunately, the new studies

often describe how the larynx of an untrained singer or a mediocre singer works.

In the early 1960s, Carl Stough participated in studies with doctors to produce X-

rays and dnefiuorographic videos. They clearly described how the diaphragm

works. Recently more and more electromyographic techniques30 allow

m easuring the am ount of tension in specific muscles.

A strong controversial question arises among voice teachers about the necessity

to learn anatomy. Do singers have to have an understanding and knowledge of

30 More and more electromyographic studies come on the market. They help to show the change
of tension in muscles after lessons in the Alexander Technique such as the PhD dissertation A n
electromyographic stu dy of preparatory set in singing as influenced by the Aelxander technique (1989) by
Robert James Englehart.

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basic anatomy and does it help them to sing better? Voice teachers found out

that understanding anatomy does not directly help the singer to sing better.

First I w ould like to define the difference between understanding and

knowledge. Understanding means the pow er of abstract thought, intellect, the

perception or judgm ent of a situation while knowledge covers all the facts,

information and skills acquired by a person through experience or education.

This follows the distinction in the New Oxford American dictionary.31

John Dewey writes in the preface to F. M. Alexander's The use of the self:

The anatomist m ay 'know ' the exact function of each

muscle, and conversely know what muscles come into
play in the execution of any specified act. But if he is
himself unable to co-ordinate all the muscular
structures involved in, say, sitting dow n or in rising
from a sitting position in a way which achieves the
optim um and efficient performance of that act; if, in
other words, he m isuses himself in w hat he does, how
can he be said to know in the full and vital sense of
that word?32

31 Jewell/DICTIONARY, p. 943 and p. 1842.

32 Alexander/USE, p. 404.

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In my opinion, the understanding of anatomy, does not necessarily give you a

tool to change your habit, but it can clarify some misconceptions that singers

often encounter. Singers normally learn the anatomy of the breathing

mechanism and the vocal organs in their programs, but they do not learn about

the neck, the head, and the back, just to name a few parts im portant for postural

activity.

Some vocal teachers oppose at all to give the student anatomical information

w ith the argum ent that this information will confuse them. I personally think

that some, but not too detailed information can clarify concepts. Teachers of

functional voice training encourage their students to learn about anatomy. As

already said, teachers narrow this information to the anatomy of the breathing

mechanism and the vocal organs. The singer can read typical statem ents of voice

teachers such as Luisa Tetrazzini's:

The singer m ust have some knowledge of his or her

anatomical structure, particularly the structure of the
throat, m outh and face, w ith its resonant cavities,
which are so necessary for the right production of the
voice. Besides that, the lungs and diaphragm and the
whole breathing apparatus m ust be understood,

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because the foundation of singing is breathing and
breath control.33

The singing voice depends not only on the vocal organs, i.e. the larynx with its

cartilages, muscles, ligaments, and m ucous membranes, but on the functioning of

these parts to each other and their relationships to other parts of the body. Gisela

Rohmert, a German voice teacher, describes the relationship of the larynx to the

windpipe, lungs and diaphragm .34

The Alexander Technique also takes into account the head-neck-back

relationship and the relationship of the back to the extremities, in short the whole

body. The singer has to gain knowledge not only about the functioning of the

mechanism, but also the use of the mechanism. He has to experience the

fundam ental changes before the understanding turns into knowledge.

33 Caruso/SINGING, p. 11.
» Rohmert/SANGER, p. 8- 9.

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I cannot go into m uch detail in describing posture, but I will take a few

im portant and often m isunderstood parts of the body to show some relationships

and insights about the whole body functioning.

In m y experience and from the view of the Alexander Technique, singers have to

understand, experience and know how the whole body functions, including the

structure of the spine, the neck, the head and also the relationship to the

extremities. It gives them the opportunity to find errors of how they perceive

their bodies and in consequence to change the use of the body. They should of

course familiarize themselves w ith all the anatomical terms concerning the vocal

organs and breathing such as vocal cords, diaphragm, epiglottis, vocal folds,

external intercostal muscles, internal intercostal muscles, glottis, hyoid bone,

jaw/mandible, larynx, soft and hard palate, pharynx, ribs, uvula, tongue,

trachea/windpipe, ventricular folds (false cords), etc... But singers also have to

gain knowledge about anatomical terms concerning the structure of the body,

especially the head-neck-back structure, such as atlas, axis, breastbone, cervical

vertebrae, chest, clavicle/collarbone, coccyx, femoral joint, hips, lumbar

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vertebrae, pelvic bowl, pelvic floor, psoas major, rectus abdominis, thoracic

vertebrae, scapula/shoulder blades, sit-bones, sternoclavicular joint, sternum and

so on.

Having an understanding of these terms does not necessarily change the use of

the body and the technique of singing, but it can help to discover the

relationships w ithin the body. Walter Carrington points out that even the new er

technique of electromyograms and the resulting information about the am ount of

tension in the particular muscles do not help to get a better co-ordination.

If we did very detailed laboratory studies with

electromyograms and all the rest of it, we could
probably measure in an individual case the exact
am ount of tension or tonus that was required in each
muscle to bring them into a balanced state w ith each
other. But even if w e could do it, we w ouldn't be
much better off. As far as you're concerned, if you
w ant to w iden across the upper part of your arms,
then the information that it's this muscle or that
muscle doesn't really help you because you're not in
direct contact w ith the muscles, you haven't got
means of knowing directly w hat's going on in the
muscles.35

35 Carrington/THINKING, p. 109.

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All these techniques helped develop the understanding of the functioning of

breathing mechanism and the voice, but this understanding does not necessarily

change the underlying use of the body.

Postural problems

I will explain some details in posture that every singer needs to know in my

Alexander Technique trained eyes. I will focus on the most im portant insights

for singers. Pedro de Alcantara makes clear that:

The part reflects the whole. The use of your voice reflects
the use of your whole self: it reflects who you are.
Further, the use of each part of your choice
(vocabulary, intonation, gesticulation) also reflects the
use of your whole self. Indeed, your every activity
engages your whole self, and is representative of your
uniqueness.36

The reader has to keep in m ind that the parts only reflect the whole. Despite

always looking at the whole, I w ant to bring some focus on several postural

details im portant for the singing process.

36 Alcantara/PROCEDURES, p. 12.

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Standing

Most of the time voice teachers primarily connect posture w ith the way of

standing. Pietro Francesco Tosi writes about the advantage of singing in

standing position.

He should always make the scholar sing standing,

that the voice m ay have all its organization free.37

Tosi understands by organization all the parts involved in the process of singing.

Thinking in activity again leads to a proper way of standing. F. M. Alexander

himself, as already mentioned, gave explanations of how to stand properly,

which led to some confusion because he talked against giving fixed ideas about

positions. F. M. Alexander never meant a fixed position.

He gave for example clear instructions about how to place the feet. Marjorie

Barlow recalls that he wanted to have the feet in the same distance apart as the

hips. If the singer places them too far apart, they will strain their hips and

37 Tosi/OBSERVATIONS, p. 25.

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pelvis. If they place them too closely together, they will start wobbling.38 F. M.

Alexander stressed in his earlier works that the singer places the feet at a forty-

five degree angle while the weight of the body rests on the rear foot. The hips

have to aim as far back and u p as possible.39 Later on in his life he stopped

describing any posture, because he experienced that students w anted to have a

certain right position they can rely on.

A singer on stage has to find a state of activity in standing so that he can change

positions in a fast pace. The pianist Heinrich Neuhaus observes:

Strange as it may seem, pupils sometimes mistake the

concept of 'favourable position', 'convenience', for the
concept 'inertia'. These are not only two entirely
different things, they are also contradictory. The
attention required for ensuring well-ordered,
organized playing, that same 'reasoned playing' of
which I keep on speaking, excludes both physical and
spiritual inertia.40

38 Davies/BARLOW, p. 138.
39 Cam ngton/W Rm N G S, p. 37.
40 Neuhaus/ART, p. 105.

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The singer can take as a clue for being in the best position that he can alter this

position w ithout any preparation and w ith maximum of ease and speed, a

thought N euhaus confirms.41

Kristin Linklater, an Alexander trained voice teacher, calls one of her chapters in

her book Freeing the natural voice "The spine: the support of breath". She uses the

technique of m ental imagery to achieve better standing:

Stand easily with your feet six or eight inches apart.

Be aware of your weight evenly distributed over both
feet; be aware that you are balanced equally between
your toes and your heels. In your m ind picture the
bones of your feet. Picture the shin bones growing up42
from your ankle joints. Picture your thigh bones
growing up from you knee joints. Picture your hip
joints and the pelvic girdle. Picture your spine
growing up from the pelvic girdle, through the small
of the back, between the shoulder blades, w ith the rib
cage floating round it and the shoulder girdle on top.
Feel the arms hanging from the shoulder sockets.
Picture the upper arm bones, the elbow joints, the
forearms, the wrist joints, the bones of the hands and
fingers. Let your m ind flow back up through your
arm and into the neck. Picture the neck vertebrae
going u p into the skull. Picture the skull floating, like
a balloon, off the top of the spine.43

41 Neuhaus/ART, p. 101.
42 The words in Italics show what I focus on.
43 Linklater/VOICE, p. 21-2.

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Compare these instructions w ith F.M. Alexander's directions: Allow the neck to

be free, allow the head to go forward and up, allow the back to lengthen and

widen, and the singer can observe some similarities. The forward and up in

relation to the back causes the body to aim up and stay back. Kristin Linklater

also emphasizes the up direction or as she says the growing up from the ground.

She does not write about the staying back in the back and she does not

consciously employ the head forward and up. I've heard that she taught her

students the correct head-neck-back relationship because of her knowledge of the

Alexander Technique, but she does not consciously employ it in her written

instructions, which can lead to m isunderstandings.

Kristin Linklater mentions another im portant detail in the quotation above. I

agree w ith her statem ent that the tip of the spine goes into the head. Actually the

singer can picture the tip of the spine between the ears. Singers will hear instead

of the phrase 'the tip of the spine' the atlas, which is the first of the seven cervical

vertebrae. The singer has to understand that the spine does not end at the bottom

of the skull.

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Kristin Linklater also uses another application of the F. M. Alexander Technique

w hen she talks about the arms, elbows, wrists and fingers. The Alexander

Technique finds out about the relationship of these parts in the application of

'hands on the back of the chair', which I explained in detail in the fifth chapter.

Other vocal teachers such as Richard Miller found out that the alignment of the

head to neck and torso (back) gives the basis for the voice. In the following

quotation he stresses the importance of an 'u p ' while relaxing:

Head skull axial alignment alone permits proper

relationships among the muscles of neck and torso
that control breath m anagem ent in singing. The
singer ought to be 'keyed up and relaxed,' as for any
athletic event or for activities involving heightened
emotion, and ought not to be de-energized under the
assum ption that the act of singing calls for 'relaxed'
posture.44

Grounding

In connection w ith standing, voice teachers advise singers to ground themselves.

W hat does it mean? Advised by his teacher, Mr. James Cathcart, F. M. Alexander

44 Miller/ART, p. 78.

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learned to take hold of the floor w ith his feet. Even today voice teachers and

therapists use advice such as 'dig the toes into the floor/45 F. M. Alexander

noticed w hen obeying this advice that he consequently tensed up. While

discovering his Technique he found out that his taking hold of the floor had a

direct connection to his misuse. Marjorie Barlow describes that the singer does

not need to ground himself because gravity does the grounding for him.46

Singers often confuse grounding w ith thinking down. But Rivka Cohen, an

Alexander teacher w ith dancing background, formulates:

The ground activates the reflexes to go up. Ground

brings pow er of opposition. This is w hat we call,
'direction in action47

The singer has to place his two feet on the floor either standing or sitting to allow

the grounding to happen. If students do not use the ground to come up against,

they m ost likely pull down. Marjorie Barlow stresses that students never should

« McClosky/VOICE, p. 17.
46 Davies/BARLOW, p. 63.
47 Cohen/CONTROL, p. 9, col. 1.

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sit w ith their legs crossed48, because they p u t the weight only on one seat-bone. I

also forbid my students at least in the beginning to cross their legs. If they

achieved the best prim ary control in the world, then it w ould not m atter if they

cross the legs or they do not. Again, not the position matters, but how the singer

carries it out. There exists even a picture of F. M. Alexander w ith his legs crossed

reading a newspaper and petting his d o g 49

Lordosis

If singers hear the command 'stand straight' or 'stand erect' they normally pull

themselves up by direct means. Most of the time they elevate the chest and they

produce in connection w ith it a pronounced lordosis. F. M. Alexander speaks

strictly against this posture often used in military training.50 Carl Stough found

out in his breathing m ethod that attaining a military posture im peded the

breathing efficiency.51 Beret Arcaya explains that the arch in the lum bar spine

and the lift in the ribs and the sternum in the front will actually create a

« Davies/BARLOW, p. 53.
49 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. ii.
50 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 67. F. M. Alexander gives a superb exam ple of wrong use in
standing position showing a picture of a stiff and rigid soldier w ith severe scoliosis.
si Stough/BREATH, p. 70.

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dow nw ard pressure on the spine causing an interference w ith the ease and flow

of the breath.52

F. M. Feldenkrais focuses on the structure of the skeleton. Referring to the

famous anatomist Albinus, he defines standing straight, m eaning vertical, as

anatomically impossible, because only two of the vertebrae sit m ore or less

vertically on top of each other; the top vertebrae of the neck and the vertebrae

between chest and the hips.53 Albinus shows all the other vertebrae in a m ore or

less tilted way.54

52 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col. 2.
53 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 67.
^ Hale/ALBINUS, p. 33.

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Figure 11 - Spine55

If the head goes forw ard and up, the spine can form an 'S' while lengthening and

widening the back. There exists the among vocal teachers w idespread exercise of

flattening the spine against a wall. This triggers, what I can confirm w ith my

ss Kapit/ANATOMY, p. 27.

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ow n experience, a distortion of the pelvis56 and an undesired activation of the leg

muscles. In addition, singers w ho try to directly straighten their spines actually

press on the discs and can cause serious injury.57

Legs

Another advice I heard from vocal teachers addresses the stiffening of the legs.

Correctly recognized as a problem, teachers recommend 'unlocking the knees' or

'bending the knees slightly' to rem edy the situation. When singers stiffen their

legs, they flatten the feet onto the floor and they tighten the arch of the foot.

Glynn Macdonald points out in her book The complete illustrated guide to Alexander

Technique: a practical programme for health, poise and fitness (1998):

As the legs relate muscularly to the root of the

diaphragm, there is a subsequent tightening in this
muscles that produces a restricted sound. ...W hen the
legs and feet are freely connected to the back and
diaphragm, the voice can come like a fountain.58

56 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 90.
57 Conable/MUSICIAN, p. 9. Barbara Conable developed with her husband William Conable a
system called body mapping, in w hich she points out all the errors a student can have in mind in
connection with posture or breathing.
58 Macdonald/GUIDE, p. 130, col. 2.

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But the advice of bending the knees does not necessarily address the problem of

tight knees. Singers manage to have tight and stiff knees even when they bend

them. In order to free the legs they have to send directions, i.e. they think their

hips back while they send the legs away from the back.

Pelvis

Vocal teachers like to give advice to 'tuck your pelvis under' in order to

straighten the lumbar region out.

Tilt the pelvis forward, move the buttocks inward to

straighten the spine, drop the chest, and squeeze the
anal sphincter for good support on the high notes.59

Vocal teachers such as Richard Miller vividly speak against this advice. It

actually creates a kind of holding often done w ith the abdominal muscles and

pelvis muscles that the singer should keep free for breathing. W alter Carrington

s’ Miller/ART, p. 71.

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also speaks vehemently against the twist of the pelvis in order to eliminate the

hollow in the back, because it will interfere w ith the widening and respiratory

mechanism.60 The singer can release tension in the lumbar region w ith the

Constructive Rest Position and by constantly directing up.

Moshe Feldenkrais, w ho had Alexander Technique lessons with Wilfred Barlow,

developed the so-called pelvic clock, a device some vocal teachers love to use.

Samuel Nelson describes this technique in his book Singing with your whole self:

the Feldenkrais method and voice:

Sit in a chair that has a firm, flat bottom. Come

forward so that your feet are firmly on the floor. Tilt
your pelvis backward so that your back rounds. Then
return to n eutral.. .Now rock your pelvis forward as
your back arches...Then combine the two
movements.61

The pelvic clock has a relaxing effect w ith singers who rigidly hold their lumbar

spine, b u t it can also lead to a collapse if the singer ignores the upw ard direction

of the spine.

60 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 90-1.
« Nelson/SINGING, p. 61.

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Head

Vocal instructors also talk about the position of the head in singing. They often

ignore the relationship between the head the neck and the back. Then you can

read instructions as such:

Lift the head and chin to Tree the larynx'.62

One should stand w ith the head sufficiently raised to

let the inflowing air penetrate all the resonance
cavities.63

Richard Miller opposes these statements, because he recognizes the danger that

the singer will throw his head back and down. He recommends as a solution for

the position of the head,

The head m ust be in an axial position, not forward,

downward, or upward.64

62 Miller/ART, p. 71.
63 Caruso/SINGING, p. 37-8.
« Miller/ART, p. 234.

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I w ould like to clarify again this misleading statement. The head should not

hang forward and downward, and the singer should not place it upw ard by

lifting the face, creating a shortening of the cervical vertebrae.

Moshe Feldenkrais also points out that the head does not drop forward. Instead

it goes forward, because of the heavier part of the face and front of the skull, and

up.

The head itself does not drop forward. Its center of

gravity is well in front of the point at which it is
supported by the spine (it lies approximately between
the ears), for the face and front part of the skull are
heavier than the back of the head. Despite this
structure the head does not fall forward, so obviously
there m ust be some organization in the system that
keeps it up.65

From the perspective of the Alexander Technique, singers should not focus on

the position of the head at all. They have to find the relationship of the head to

the torso. In order to find this relationship they give the directions that they

allow the head to go forward and up. Before F. M. Alexander discovered the

« Feldenkrais, AWARENESS, p. 69.

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relationship between neck, head and back, Rudolf M agnus66 gave a scientific

explanation of how the position of the head influences the body. Walter

Carrington beautifully writes about the connection of the head to the back:

It is possible to impress upon the whole body

different adapted attitudes by changing only the
position of the head...the mechanism as a whole acts
in such a way that the head leads and the body
follows... the entire body follows the direction
assumed by the head, this being very often moved in
a certain direction under the influence of the tele-
receptive higher sense-organs. This provides one of
the ways in which the relation of the body to its
environm ent is regulated.67

66 Rudolf Magnus (1873-1927) had interests in pharmacology, pathology, clinical medicine and
physiology. In 1908 the University of Utrecht appointed him as a professor of Pharmacology.
W hile working on anaesthetized animals he discovered that any interference concerned with the
use of the head and neck in relation to the trunk modified and changed the use of the limbs.
Rudolf Magnus demonstrated that head-neck relationship as a central mechanism influenced the
orientation of the animal to its environment (Macdonald/GUIDE, p. 17) H e published a very
important book on the physiology of posture Korperstellung (1924), which appeared in English as
Body Posture (1987).
67 Carrington/UNDERSTANDING, p. 243.

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Imagine a singer sings w ith a retracted head.

balanced head retracted head

Figure 12 - Balanced head versus retracted head68

The shortening of the cervical vertebrae causes a narrowing of the neck creating

tension on the vocal organs. A freely balanced head on top of the spine allows

the vocal organs to work freely w ithout interference.

68 Macdonald/GUIDE, p. 13.

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The re-education of the use of the self will correct the posture and breathing

mechanisms. As soon as the singer has a basic knowledge of the primary control

or psycho-physical mechanism, the Alexander Technique will continue with

w ork on breathing. Unfortunately, m any Alexander teachers omit this work

because they assume that the breathing mechanism will change according to the

improvement of the use of the self anyway or because they do not have sufficient

knowledge in this area. But F. M. Alexander himself worked constantly on the

breathing mechanism.

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7. BREATHING

General thoughts

Babies can create amazingly strong sounds in comparison to the size of their

bodies and cry for hours w ithout getting hoarse. Their psychophysical

mechanism works perfectly. As babies become toddlers they unfortunately

change their use and their breathing mechanism and with it often lose the ability

to use the voice freely. Talking about breathing always heats up conversations

because of m any different and often controversial ideas about it. All agree,

however, that the breathing mechanism works at its best if the singer uses it in a

healthy way.

F. M. Alexander w rote in Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual that the

majority of men, wom en and children show signs of 'bad breathers'.

Deterioration generally becomes obvious already in two to three year old

children. Having to sit still in school, slouching hundreds of hours in front of the

TV takes its toll. This condition of mal-use worsened in adults, w hen they sit for

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hours daily in front of a computer. As long as people do not w ork actively

against this decline of use, this deterioration will carry on. Self-made problems

such as smoking or pollution from the environm ent can also increase respiratory

irritation and m ay even lead to fatal disease. Interestingly, habitually bad

breathing is only the symptom and not the prim ary cause of mal-condition. The

standard of breathing directly depends on the standard of general co-ordination

of the psycho-physical mechanisms.1

F. M. had faulty habits of breathing himself, which also caused his chronic

hoarseness. He describes in The use of the self:

I was told by my friends that w hen I was reciting m y

breathing was audible, and that they could hear me
(as they pu t it) 'gasping' and 'sucking in air' through
m y m outh.2

After recognizing this problem and his long struggle to change the underlying

cause, F. M. Alexander soon succeeded in teaching his newly discovered method.

1 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 330.
2 Alexander/USE, p. 411.

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Singers and actors alike knew him as a 'breathing doctor' already in the early

1900s.

F. M. Alexander had the chance to teach m any students w ith respiratory

problems. He observed that most people w ith poor functioning of the breathing

mechanism also suffered from a poor use of the self. Most of the voice teachers

today share this observation. In the recent study Teaching breathing: results of a

survey by Ruth Rootberg (2002), all interviewed voice teachers agreed that good

posture relates to good breathing.3 Moshe Feldenkrais stresses that the singer

can only induce proper breathing if the skeleton balances satisfactorily against

gravity. He states:

The reorganization of breathing alone succeeds only

to the degree that we succeed indirectly in improving
the organization of the skeletal muscles for better
standing and better m ovem ent.. .Good breathing
therefore also means good posture, just as good
posture means good breathing.4

3 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 20.
4 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 38 and p.166.

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Most of the voice teachers agree with the concept that the use of the self, which

they generally call 'posture', influences the breathing mechanism. But the

opinions and m ethods differ greatly on the question of how to get this good

breathing mechanism to function properly. Voice teachers often try to achieve

this goal by teaching how to breathe.

F. M. Alexander opposes this practice and accurately describes a possible

reaction of a singer, whom the teacher asks to "stand upright and take a deep

breath".

It will be found that he immediately makes

movements which tend to retard the proper action of
the respiratory processes rather than to promote such
action. For instance, it is almost certain that in the
attem pt to make the m ovem ent referred to he will
stiffen the muscles of his neck, throw back the head,
hollow the back, protrude the stomach, and take
breath by audibly sucking air into the lungs. The
muscles over the entire surface of the bony thorax will
be unduly tensed, tending to more or less harmful
thoracic rigidity at the very m oment w hen the
maximum of mobility is needed.5

s Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 118.

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F. M. Alexander warned that even thinking to 'take a deep breath' led to harmful

consequences if the psycho-physical mechanism did not w ork properly. He

insisted on a re-education of the whole body.6 He experienced with himself and

his students that im proved coordination of the self will automatically trigger a

good breathing behavior. He actually regarded the w ork on breathing of

subordinate importance.

Carl Stough states in Dr. Breath: the story of breathing coordination (1970) that an

inborn breathing coordination exists.7 The singer possesses a breathing

coordination, but he can use this breathing coordination in an efficient or

inefficient way. That means the singer has to w ork to reduce and eliminate

interferences in order to improve breathing coordination. In Alexander's terms it

means to w ork w ith inhibition and non-doing.

Cornelius Reid addresses this non-doing approach:

Perhaps the best example of w hat is m eant by first

doing 'nothing' and then learning how to assist that

6 Alexander/WRITINGS, p. 46.
7 Stough/BREATH, p. 109.

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which is being done, is breathing. Breathing is both
voluntary and involuntary. By removing all
disciplines affecting the way one breathes, the act of
inspiration and expiration will proceed naturally on
an involuntary basis.8

Different voice teachers focus on different parts of the breathing mechanism to

achieve a foundation for the support of the voice. I encountered m any terms for

breathing such as abdominal breathing, accessory breathing, active breathing, at-

rest breathing, autonomic breathing, belly breathing, low belly breathing, chest

breathing, clavicular breathing, combination breathing, deep breathing,

diaphragmatic breathing, dynamic breathing, light breathing, lower abdominal

breathing, lower torso breathing, m uscular breathing, natural breathing, over

breathing, passive breathing, rib breathing, shallow breathing, silent breathing,

structured breathing, three-dimensional breathing, thoracic or torso breathing,

and yoga breathing.9 The problem arises that m any teachers understand the

same term s to m ean something totally different. Basically there exist three

different types of teaching breathing. Some teacher focus on the inhale, some on

the exhale and the third group stresses the concert of both.

8 Reid/VOICE, p. 201-2.
9 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 41 and p. 57-8.

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F. M. Alexander opposed vehemently the schools which worked directly on the

inhale. He regarded the exhale as the m ost important part of a full breath, an

opinion m any different schools share. He observed that most students needed

m ore w ork on the exhale than on the inhale.

Most people- teacher as well as pupils- when thinking

of or practising breathing exercises, have one fixed
idea - viz., that of causing a great expansion of the
chest, whereas its proper and adequate contraction is
equally important. There are indeed, many cases in
which the expiratory m ovem ent calls for more
attention than the inspiratory.10

F. M. Alexander vehemently speaks against breathing exercises or lessons per se.

He discovered that teachers introducing these breathing exercises, referring to

mostly as deep-breathing exercises or abdominal breathing exercises, direct their

goal towards a specific im provem ent and disregard the general use. He regards

this as an end-gaining attitude11, which will not lead to the desired goal.

10 Alexander/THEORY, p. 61.
u Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 330-1.

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This end-gaining attitude in the area of breathing starts already m uch earlier in a

child's life. Teachers introduce children in very early age or adults in gymnastics

or physical education to deep-breathing methods, having no knowledge about

their interrelation w ith the use of the body. I experienced myself that a teacher of

m y son introduced a deep-breathing exercise in order to calm the children down.

Breathing can have a calming effect. But this pre-school teacher dem onstrated

this deep breathing procedure by rising her shoulders, loudly breathing in, she

contracted her neck backwards and dow n causing a severe hollowing of the

lum bar area. H er w ay of using herself influenced the children, because children

imitate their environment. This teacher did not only behave as a bad role model,

b u t additionally taught a harmful breathing procedure. If qualified teachers

would w ork on breathing education and re-education of the whole self from a

very early age on, we w ould have m any talents for singing.

F. M. Alexander observed that with methods focusing on the inhale, the singer

m ust not consciously and unduly depress the diaphragm for inspiration. He

often realized:

There is, then, a sinking above and below the

clavicles, a hollowing in the lum bar region of the

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back, undue protrusion of the abdomen, displacement
of the abdominal viscera, reduction in height, undue
depression of the larynx, and the centre of gravity is
throw n too far back. The striking feature in those who
have practised customary breathing exercises is an undue
lateral expansion of the lower ribs.12

Despite focusing all the time on the psycho-physical reeducation, F. M.

Alexander gives some advice to help correct singer's errors in breathing. H e tells

the singer not to breathe, because the singer's conception and habit of breathing

norm ally consists of sucking in air.13 By the phrase not to breathe F. M. Alexander

does not mean holding ones breath. Singers often found out under the hands of

F. M. Alexander that if they did not consciously take a breath, they actually

breathed.

I see at last that if I don 't breathe, I breathe.. .w

12 Alexander/THEORY, p. 60.
13 Alexander/BREATHING 2, p. 75 and Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 334.
14 Alexander/APHORISMS, p. 193.

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They soon recognized that faulty sensory awareness influenced their

understanding of breathing. They had to change their whole concept how

breathing functions.

If I breathe as I understand breathing, I am doing

something w rong.15

F. M. Alexander also w arned of the danger of fixing the posture in order to

breathe correctly. The singer can only improve the breathing if the singer

constantly adjusts the use of the self. He will have to work on it all of his life.16 If

the singers finds a certain position for singing today and thinks he does not have

to change it anymore, he restricts his possibility to grow. It creates physical

tension leading to breathlessness and rigidity.

F. M. Alexander rejects any form of breathing exercises that address parts of the

body. He speaks against back breathing, deep breathing exercises and

abdominal breathing exercises.17 Carl Stough points out that the following forms

« Alexander/APHORISMS, p. 193.
16 Alexander/LECTURE, p. 172.
17 Alexander/BREATHING 3, p. 92.

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of breathing will m aintain the life, but not more: belly breathing, diaphragmatic

breathing, and breathing through the nose or m outh.18 He stresses that if a

person does not have any respiratory disease he still could suffer from

respiratory faults.19 Freedom from respiratory disease does not m ean freedom

from respiratory faults.

As already said, good use does influence the functioning of the breathing

mechanism and consequently the functioning of the voice. Imagine a singer with

a beautiful voice and an extraordinary musicianship. If he does not have an

effective use of the extensor musculature of the back, his voice will not serve him

for the rest of the life. The aging process will shorten the longevity of the voice.

Walter Carrrington recalls that F. M. Alexander always said:

There's no such thing as breathing as such.20

F. M. meant that the activity of breathing should involve the entire

psychophysical mechanism. I will now give an example from m y own practice

« Stough/BREATH, p. 73.
19 Stough/BREATH, p. 78.
20 Carrington/WRITINGs, p. 44.

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to document how this knowledge about working w ith the neuro-muscular

mechanism influences my teaching.

As I started to w ork w ith Susan21, she inhaled very loudly. H er voice showed

characteristics of breathiness and the voice seemed to belong to a little girl and

not to a forty year old woman. She looked for a voice teacher, because she could

not hold long phrases. A larger picture of misuse caused the symptom of her

breathing problem. H er use had distinct characteristics. Susan, an overweight

woman, habitually retracted her head backwards and down. She interruptedly

shifted weight from one foot to the other. She constantly held her rounded

shoulders in a high position and suffered from pain in the neck and shoulders.

From the point of the Alexander Technique I had only one choice. I started

working on the underlying constant, on her use. I addressed the mechanism of

the head, neck, and back that affected the total use of the self. My work w ith

Susan consisted largely of helping her change the use of the prim ary control. I

did not directly address her problematic breathing pattern and I did not give her

211 changed the name.

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breathing exercises which should prolong her exhaling capacity. After a period

of time she noticed her ability to sing longer musical phrases and even

challenging long phrases w ithout any effort. She managed to let the breath fall

in silently, because she used her body in a different, more coordinated way.

The singer always has to bear in mind that breathing in occurs as a reflex. The

singer cannot actively dominate this reflex. He has to allow it to happen.22 He

has to allow it to happen as he allows the directions to happen. The voice

teachers norm ally notice all the superfluous efforts in the neck, the throat, the

jaw, the m outh, and the facial muscles happen. These unnecessary efforts

happen because the breathing mechanism does not function properly. The

singer replaces the support of the voice in these areas. The muscular tension

found in a slouching body can also cause a restriction in the capacity of the lungs

to inhale. The normally effortless act of breathing then becomes hard work.23

This hard w ork decreases the flexibility of the breathing mechanism and leads

often to shallow breathing using only a small percentage of the possible lung

capacity.

22 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col. 2.
23 Brennan/MIND, p. 144.

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The question arises of how to deal w ith breathing problems. First, the singer has

to work on the underlying constant behavior of the body. He should

anatomically know some of the (sometimes taught) misconceptions leading to an

inefficient breathing mechanism and w rong functioning of the voice.

Anatomical background

Spine

I will not give a thorough anatomical background, but I will talk in detail about

misconceptions singers can run into, beginners or teachers alike.

The spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae and five

lumbar vertebrae and the coccyx. These vertebrae do not move forward or

backwards for the act of breathing. The breathing does not involve movement

such as lifting or collapsing at the vertebral joints. The breathing happens at the

joints of the ribs w ith the spine and at the cartilage.24 The vertebrae of the spine

will not bend for the exhale, but the spine will lengthen for the exhale.

24 Conable/BREATHING, p. 29, col. 2.

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The beginning of the spine and the trachea run parallel to each other. The

trachea or w indpipe lies in the front of our neck. The esophagus or food tube lies

behind the trachea. Barbara Conable, an Alexander teacher, stresses in her book

The structures and movement of breathing: a primer for choirs and choruses (2000) that

singers w ith tight throats often think their esophagi in front of the trachea.25 The

w indpipe functions as a passageway for air on inhalation and exhalation. If the

spine bends while breathing, it will harm fully narrow this passageway.

The Alexander Technique avoids any exercises involving a bending or twisting

of the spine. Voice therapists, such as W alburga Brugge and Katharina Mohs in

their book Therapie funktioneller Stimmstorungen (Therapy of functional voice

disorders) (1996), or some relaxation techniques, such as Anita Aschenbrenner in

Fiihlen lernen, fliefen lassen, leben (Learn to feel, let it flow, live) (1994), use exercises

standing or on the floor that bend the spine forward. They design such bending

and stretching forward to help singers loosen u p their rigid spine structure. This

bending over indeed has the effect of opening the back of the back, bu t it actually

25 Conable/BREATHING, p. 24, col. 1.

179

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prevents the breathing mechanism to work, because the position squeezes the

front part of the abdomen. Other voice teachers also like to introduce the

twisting of the spine in order to free lower back muscles and to achieve a lower

breathing.26 All these exercises address only a certain part of the problem

compromising the use of others, a concept which F. M. Alexander considers an

end-gaining approach.

Chest

The chest has a bony structure m ade of the vertebrae of the spine, the different

ribs and the sternum. The lower ribs, called 'floating ribs' can move more freely

because they attach only to the spine. All the others attach to the spine and the

sternum. This attachm ent to the sternum nevertheless allows small movements

because of the cartilage between the ribs and the sternum.

Some vocal teachers give the advice to drop the chest to avoid high-chest

breathing, w h ich m o st o f the tim e actually in itiates a collap se. R ichard M iller, for

26 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 115 and p. 120. Christine Adaire, a Linklater voice teacher, and
Natalie Stewart, an Assistant Professor of Voice and Speech at East Carolina University.

180

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example, correctly opposes this tendency.27 F. M. Alexander always taught that

breathing does not involve a lifting and collapsing of the chest.28

The lungs lie within the ribs. The singers can picture the larger part of the lungs

based tow ard the m iddle of the body. Carl Stough m ade an interesting

statement, that proper breathing fills the lungs from the base at the m iddle of the

body as if someone fills a container. He observed that the lungs have the ability

to fill partially from the top. He describes that this partial breathing alters the

breathing pattern in a w ay that it changes the position of the chest leading to a

weakening of the breathing muscles. He also found as F. M. Alexander did that

wrong breathing often leads respiratory infections and disorders.29

A big controversy arises about the question of w hether the ribs should move or

not move while breathing or singing. Most of the vocal schools, body mind

techniques and the Alexander Technique agree that rib m ovem ent does not

include an up or dow n m ovem ent of the collarbones and a m ovem ent of the

27 Miller/ART, p. 71.
28 Alexander/APHORISMS, p. 193.
29 Stough/BREATH, p. 205.

181

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shoulder blades. A singer showing this m ovem ent uses accessory breathing

instead of coordinated breathing.

The Alexander Technique opposes the idea that the singer should open the ribs

and hold them open. Many vocal techniques proclaim singing with an open

ribcage, which actually creates a holding audible in the voice. The use of the

w ord ribcage itself indicates a holding, because the bars of a cage do not move.

The singer will breathe properly if he allows the ribs to move. If a singer learned

holding in his education, he has to undo this holding and he has to let the ribs

move again.30 Carl Stough also stresses the expansion and contraction of the ribs.

He clarifies that the singer will experience back motion in breathing.

Proper breathing always fills the lungs from the base

at the middles of the body, and the action of breathing
occurs principally in this m iddle area. The entire
circumference of the mid-region should contract and
expand w ith the m ovem ent of air out and in the
lungs. Back m otion in breathing generally is
neglected, but it is of vital importance. W hen the
back muscles are inoperative, accessory breathing
begins.31

so Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 6.
3i Stough/BREATH, p. 206.

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Only a few vocal teachers consider the importance of the moving ribs for singing.

Ruth Rootberg found in her survey that only three of the thirteen interviewed

teachers talked about it.32 M arth Munro, a director for musical theatre and coach

for voice and movement, correctly states that primarily focusing on movement of

the ribs in horizontal and/or sagittal orientation limits the breathing

mechanism.33 Some vocal teachers call this kind of breathing thoracic breathing or

rib reserve. But the elimination of rib movement at all actually creates holding

and leads to a deterioration of the use of the self.

The spine actually helps to facilitate the movement of the ribs. I wrote before

that the vertebrae of the spine m ust not move forward or backward. The

Alexander Technique also looks for an increase34 or lengthening of the spine.

This does not contradict the minimal movements the spine executes while

breathing. Barbara Conable describes these tiny impulses and their result:

32 Rootberg/ BREATHING, p. 174.

33 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 47.
34 F. M. writes in The use o f the self that a person, in our case the singer, could also use the words
increase the stature and decrease the stature instead of shorten the stature or lengthen the stature.
Alexander/USE, p. 415, fn. 5.

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The spine's gathering on inhalation facilitates the
excursion of the ribs up and out and it facilitates the
excursion of the diaphragm. The spine's lengthening
on exhalation facilitates the return movements of the
ribs and diaphragm.35

The singers and teachers have to watch the use of the language. The ribs

themselves do not expand or contract. They swing up and out in relation to the

spine as the breath falls in and they swing dow n and in as the singer exhales.36

The external intercostal muscles help to move the ribs up and out. The internal

intercostal muscles help to move the ribs dow n and in. Some vocal schools use

side stretches to facilitate the stretching of these muscles.

The Alexander Technique does not approve of any strengthening exercises.

Vocal teachers and therapists love to give strengthening exercises especially for

the intercostal muscles:

Lean over, grasping your bent knees. Take a large deep

breath37 abdominally and keep it. Then, rise on your

35 Conable/BREATHING, p. 40, c o l 2.
* Conable/BREATHING, p. 28, col. 1.
37 I added Italics to all the misconceptions in this quotation, som e of which I already explained
earlier or w ill explain in the chapter about diaphragm and holding of the breath.

184

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toes and draw in your abdominal muscles strongly,
arching your back w ith your head down. Now,
w ithout releasing your breath, spring up from your
knees and toes, feeling a strong upw ard pressure in
your back rib muscles. Repeat this several times
without breathing. This will strengthen the muscles
used for resisting any collapse of the chest.38

The Alexander Technique regards any exercise designed to strengthen some

parts of the body as end-gaining. Especially exercises designed to hold the

breath while executing them teach the singer to hold the breath under other

conditions.

A n extended exhale will actually indirectly increase the excursion of the ribs.39 A

singer who needs more flexible ribs will w ork m any hours w ith the whispered

'a h ' in connection w ith a monkey or hands on the back of the chair.

» McClosky/VOICE, p. 18-9.
39 Stough/BREATH, p. 166.

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Diaphragm

sternum

diaphragm

Figure 13 - Diaphragm while inhaling - view from right side40

The diaphragm muscle actively contracts while inhaling. Its dome shape

structure separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. The lungs and

the heart lie in the thoracic cavity, all the other organs in the abdominal cavity.

The diaphragm has a convex surface towards the chest. The diaphragm attached

to the vertebral canal of the lumbar vertebra w ith the descending aorta has two

openings, the esophagus and the foramen for the inferior vena cava. These

openings are not directly connected with the diaphragm. But the esophagus

40 After Gorman/BODY, p.138.

186

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connects w ith elastic fibers to the diaphragm circa two centimeters above the

stomach-esophagus junction.41

If the singer shortens the spine, he will squeeze the diaphragm into another

position, affecting the esophagus. The common disease of acid reflex can

originate in my eyes in a wrong use of the self and breathing mechanism. If the

singer holds in any part of the breathing mechanism, this rigidity and fixity will

cause problems.

First of all, singers cannot directly feel the diaphragm, but they can feel their

abdomen. The diaphragm not only participates in breathing, but also regulates

the pressure in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Many vocal teachers

recognize a relationship between the abdomen and the diaphragm, w hat led to

the misleading terms abdominal, diaphragmatic or belly breathing. In cases of

overeating, overweight or pregnancy, the lower abdomen does not have ability

41 Gorman/BODY, p. 135. David Gorman took on the task to draw and write a beautiful anatomy
book from the view of an Alexander teacher. He published this opus as The body moveable:
blueprints of the human musculoskeletal system : its structure, mechanics, locomotor and postural
functions (1997). Theodore Dimon also published an anatomy book from the view of an
Alexander teacher A natom y of the moving body: a basic course in bones, muscles, and joints (2001).

187

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to support the diaphragm, leading to a restriction of the breathing. Carl Stough

describes beautifully the connection between diaphragm and abdomen. He

stresses that the abdominal muscles support the diaphragm. They do not apply

any force. If the abdominal muscles weaken, the viscera sags causing a harmful

descent of the diaphragm. The end result leads to a weakened diaphragm.42

Functional voice training also opposes the use of misleading images such as

placing the tone on a flowing column of breath sent from the lower abdominal

regions up to the larynx.43 The breath cannot originate from the abdomen,

because the diaphragm as the lowest part of the breathing mechanism lies above

the abdominal cavity.

Some singers such as Enrico Caruso started to use a belt in order to m aintain his

beautiful voice. Luisa Tetrazzini, a great singer, restricts the use of tight corsets

to the abdominal area. She talks against wearing corsets higher than the lowest

rib.44 F. M. Alexander vehemently rejects the use of bandages or corsets, because

42 Stough/BREATH, p. 210.
« Miller/ART, p. 71.
« Caruso/SINGING, p. 11.

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this artificial support of the abdominal wall has harmful effects. If a singer

suffers from a protruding abdomen, he has to apply means whereby he can

change this problem. W orking in the monkey and squat helps especially with

this problem.

If singers suffer from a protruding abdomen and a weak diaphragm, vocal

teachers ask them to employ their abdominal muscles to activate the motion of

the diaphragm. They use the voluntary muscles of the abdomen to force the

diaphragm to work. The singer has now to rely on the abdominal muscles to

pum p air in and out the lungs. Carl Stough also notices that this abdominal

breathing tended to force the ribs upw ard and outw ard on the exhale changing

the position of the chest. He also found that this kind of breathing applies excess

pressure on the already weak diaphragm causing further deterioration of the

diaphragm.45

F. M. Alexander stresses that the change of the bony structure of the thorax will

indirectly change the behavior of the diaphragm:

45 Stough/BREATH, p. 163 and p. 205-6.

189

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It m ust be remembered that in all these contractions
and expansions, the floor of the cavity (diaphragm)
plays its part, moving upw ards or downw ards in
sym pathy with the particular adjustment of the bony
thorax.46

F. M. Alexander mainly worked on the psychophysical re-education of the self.

He gave us some procedures for indirectly improving the breathing mechanism.

In normal breathing the inspiration - expiration cycle consists of parts of almost

the same length. Studies of respiration show that the exhale norm ally is slightly

longer than the inhale.47 In phonation the singer prolongs the expiratory phase.

As already said, F. M. Alexander considered the work on exhaling m ost of the

time more im portant than on the inhaling.

F. M. introduced the so-called whispered 'ah' to practice this elongation in

connection w ith all of the five already discussed Alexandrian principles. He

stresses that the singer has to establish a satisfactory re-education of the psycho

physical mechanism, including a good breathing mechanism, before he can start

to w ork on the w hispered 'ah'. F. M. Alexander chooses the w hispered 'ah',

« Alexander/WRITINGS, p. 45.
47 Carrington/THINKING, p. 67.

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because the singers rarely use this procedure and rarely developed bad habits

w ith it.48 Unfortunately, m any Alexander teachers omit the work w ith breathing

in their studios, thinking the work on the psycho-physical mechanism will fix

breathing problems. But F. M. Alexander employed the whispered 'ah ' regularly

in his teaching.

The application of the whispered 'ah '

Figure 14 - W hispered 'ah'

F. M. Alexander considered the whispered 'ah ' as one of the m ost im portant

applications of the technique. Sir George Trevelyan, a student of F. M.

Alexander's first training course, wrote in his diary:

« Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 336.

191

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Asked w hat he considered the essential way for a
sedentary worker to keep in condition, F. M. said
w ithout hesitation: "The whispered 'ah', particularly
over the chair".49

F. M. Alexander found out that w ith the procedure of the whispered 'a h ' which

singers rarely connect w ith bad psycho-physical habits in vocalization, teaches

the complex interaction between the specific parts of the body used for the

singing process and the whole. The singers m ust have

knowledge of the psycho-physical 'means-whereby'

of the use of the organism in general, and of the acts of
opening the mouth, using the lips, tongue, soft palate,
etc., w ith freedom from stress and strain of the vocal
m echanisms...The process involved prevents sniffing
and 'sucking in air', undue depression of the larynx
and undue stiffening of the muscles of the throat,
vocal organs and neck. It also prevents the undue
lifting of the front part of the chest during inspiration,
its undue depression during expiration, and also
m any other defects.50

49 Trevelyan/DIARY II, p. 96.

30 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 336.

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The singer will im prove the general use while using the w hispered 'ah'.

Indirectly the whispered 'ah' helps with respiratory trouble such as asthma, hay

fever and other allergies, if the singer daily works with this procedure.51

Singers working on the whispered 'ah' exercise do not only practice a breathing

exercise. They w ork on the psycho-physical co-ordination. The stim ulus to say

the whispered 'ah' teaches the student to become aware of his habits in

connection w ith breathing and vocalization. W ith his acquired knowledge

about the principles the singers can find out w hat they actually do w ith their

psycho-physical mechanism while vocalizing. Carl Stough found out in his w ork

that the sound gave a good indication if the breathing worked properly.

W hen a voice sound is em ployed..., the vocal cords

are the isometric resistance against which the muscles
of breathing m ust act. The resistance of the vocal
cords to the column of air expelled from the lungs
confines the activity of the muscles to the limits of
their strength. As soon as the respiratory muscles are
no longer capable of supporting the pressure of die
air necessary to make sound, the sound weakens.
Efforts to force the sound will damage muscular tone

51 Armstrong/BREATHING, p. 33.

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over a time just as will enforced operation of any
muscles of the body.52

The singer can practice the procedure of the w hispered 'a h ' in the Constructive

Rest Position, in sitting, in sitting while putting the hands on the back of the

chair, in a static or moving monkey or in standing. Walter Carrington considers

the work with the hands on the back on the chair the m ost useful for the

whispered 'ahs'.53

After recognizing their habits, singers have to w ork again on inhibition and non

doing. Any form of force, muscular or mechanical, restricts the breathing. When

breathing becomes forced, it destroys the inborn breathing mechanism leading

often to accessory breathing.54 The singer has to observe the whole psycho

physical mechanism, the breathing mechanism and the vocalization process at

the same time. In order to find a new head-neck-back relationship while

vocalizing, the singers give directions. I give detailed directions to make the

thinking process clear.

52 Stough/BREATH, p. 173.
53 Carrington/WRITINGS, p. 141.
54 Stough/BREATH, p. 207.

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1. Allow the neck to be free.
2. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up.
3. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen.
4. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen, to allow the knees to go forward and away.
5. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen, to allow the knees to go forward and away, to
allow one shoulder to spread out sideways, to
continue the extension to the elbow.
6. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen, to allow the knees to go forward and away, to
allow one shoulder to spread out sideways, to
continue the extension to the elbow,
7. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen, to allow the knees to go forward and away, to
allow one shoulder to spread out sideways, to
continue the extension to the elbow, and on to the
wrist.
8. Allow the neck to be free, to allow the head to go
forward and up, to allow the back to lengthen and
widen, to allow the knees to go forward and away, to
allow one shoulder to spread out sideways, to
continue the extension to the elbow, and on to the
w rist and dow n to the tips of the fingers.55

55 Macdonald/TECHNIQUE, p. 81.

195

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After giving the prim ary directions, the singer continues repeating in the same

additive m anner as before.

1. .. .to smile up above the teeth

2. to pu t the tip of the tongue against the lower teeth
3. to allow the jaw to go forward and away
4. to allow to open the mouth
5. to exhale on a whispered vowel ‘ah'.56
6. to allow to close the m outh forward and away
7. to allow the air to fall in through your nose.

If a singer finds this work too repetitive, he avoids the work. He needs to give

the directions one after the other and all at the same time. In order to prevent

deviations from the correct head-neck-back relationship, the singer has to go

back to the prim ary orders again and again. Learning the whispered 'ah ' takes

time. If somebody starts to learn an instrument, he does not expect to play

perfectly from the beginning. The same principles apply to the whispered 'ah'.

The singer has to observe and listen in order to realize w hat she can change and

improve.

56 Alcantara/PROCEDURES, p. 160.

196

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I will now explain in detail w hat Alexander m eant with these seven directions

regarding the w hispered 'ah ' and w hat misconceptions and opinions vocal

teachers share w ith them. I will cover questions about the smile, the tongue, the

jaw, the m outh, the exhale, the whispered vowel 'a h ' and the nose.

197

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Smile

Procerus
I Frontalis of
e p ia a n iu s

muscle muscle

Gthfcuiaris
C ornigotor
oculi muscle

ZygomoKcus
Levator artguli oris - major muscle

levator lobii Zygomatic us

superioris aloeque minor
nasi levator b b it
superioris
Buccinator musde
Orbicularis Risorius muscle
oris muscle
Depressor
angulf oris Wafysma
Muscle

Depressor
lobii inferioris Mentalis muscle

Figure 15 - Muscles of facial expression57

Dimon/ANATOMY, p. 38

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W hat does 'smile up above the teeth' mean? Teachers of different vocal schools

quarrel over the question of w hether a singer should smile while singing or not.

Some vocal schools teach the lateral position of m outh for smiling. Others

proclaim hanging cheeks as essential for a free voice. Pietro Francesco Tosi finds

the golden mean between the two opinions.

Let him rigorously correct all grimaces and tricks of

the head, of the body, and particularly of the mouth;
which ought to be composed in a m anner (if the sense
of the w ords perm it it) rather inclined to a smile, than
too m uch gravity.58

Interestingly, Pietro Francesco Tosi, like F. M. Alexander, talks about the smile in

connection to the head and back. The singer has to understand that smiling does

not mean an artificial grinning. First he can find this inner smile as a result of a

funny thought. The inner smile also happens as a deep inner connection

between m ind and body.

Some vocal schools focus on the smiling, because it sometimes tends to

successfully lift the soft palate. Walter Carrington points out that the raising and

ss Tosi/OBSERVATIONS, p. 25-6.

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lowering of the soft palate has to do with a general pulling dow n tendency of the

singer. If the head goes back and down, the soft palate collapses at the same

time. The singer should know that the direct lifting of the cheeks does not

trigger a lifting of the soft palate, especially if the whole psycho-physical

mechanism does not work. Walter Carrington stresses that only

going up, getting yourself in balance and

coordination, takes the soft palate into place, gets the
whole vocal mechanism into better condition.59

Some vocal teachers truly claim that a fixed smile prevents the singer from

expressing his thoughts freely. But the inner smile comes from an inner joy of

life and singing. It does not prevent the singer to express all the emotions.

In addition, the singers will learn that the lift of the soft palate works

independently of the face and its expressions. Manuel Garcia II, the son, does

not directly address the problem of smiling, but he tells us that the singer should

w ork on avoiding and non-doing certain behavior in front of a mirror. The

freedom of movement in the face will free the voice.

59 Carrington/THINKING, p. 69.

200

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Since it is im portant that the singer m aintain all the
freedom of movement of the face which will perm it
him to express all the various nuances of emotion, no
contortion, no annoying habit contracted in his
studies should hinder this ability; we urge him
therefore to place himself before a m irror in order to
avoid the movements of the body, the eyebrows, the
eyelids, the forehead, the head, the mouth, and, in
general, every gesture and every grimace which
w ould sully his talent.60

Olga Averino points out that the inner smile, not the imitation of a smile, has the

effect of opening the throat. She describes this inner smile as a delightful feeling

which starts deep in the body and makes you laugh.61

60 Garcia/TREATISE I, p. 7.
« Averino/SINGING, p. 20.

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Tongue

Upper (ip -- Soft palate

Oral -
vestibule
MaxMa -< Palatine tonsil

Salpingopharyngeal foW
Dorsum of
tongue
Palatopharyngeal atch
(posterior pffiar of faucas
Lower tip
Oropharynx
Oral
vestibule
Foliate Supratonsfflar fossa
Oral cavity proper Palatoglossal arch {anterior p te r of fauces)
Vallate papillae Ungual tonsil: tonsiar crypts
Foramen eaeewn of tongue

Figure 16 - Tongue62

The second direction regarding the whispered 'ah ' 'to put the tip of the tongue

against the lower teeth' needs some anatomical clarification. Singers often do not

know the full size of their tongue. It helps to know that at least a third of the

tongue lies vertically forming a part of the front of the throat. The singer should

62 Sobotta/ANATOMY 1, p. 108.

202

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w ork on his understanding of the full length and w idth of the tongue in the

throat and in the m outh. This will give him the full dexterity of the tongue.63

If F. M. talks about putting the tip of the tongue on the lower teeth, he does not

m ean to push it there w ith force. The singer should only place the tongue on the

lower teeth in order to prevent from pulling the tongue back into the throat.

Olga Averino stresses:

Two things are helpful: 1) the true, inner smile (not an

imitation), and 2) the thrust of the tip of the tongue
tow ard the lower teeth, which will keep the thick part
of the tongue from sagging dow n in the throat and
interfering with the flow of breath. This forward
thrust will help to keep the tongue vital.64

For some singers the w ord thrust the tongue forward can already initiate a

pushing forward, something the teacher does not intend. Any other instruction

to place the tongue in a certain m anner and holding it in a certain position can

harm the freedom of the voice.

« Conable/BREATHING, p. 18.
64 Averino/SINGING, p. 13.

203

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Jaw

-temporalis

tem porom andibular

joint

The third direction regarding the whispered 'ah ' 'to allow the jaw to go forward

and away' touches the controversial area of the functioning of the jaw. The

singer can read m uch different advice of how he has to treat his jaw. It reaches

from advice to place a cork between the molars, or to insert two or three fingers

in the mouth, to make certain that the jaw drops. This latter advice, given to

65 After Heirich/ALEXANDER, p. 18.

204

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open the throat, creates a 'dum b jaw ' position. Richard Miller rejects this advice

in On the art of singing (1996).66

Olga Averino states in The art of singing that the singer should never drop the

jaw, because he needs to open the top of the throat w ithout pulling the larynx

down. She connects the position of the jaw directly to the inner smile such as F.

M. does in his whispered 'ah ' procedure. Olga Averino states that a singer

cannot sustain a smile when he drops the jaw. Olga Averino m ade another

interesting observation. She noticed that singers try to drop the jaw as an attem pt

to release tension in the neck or/and the back of the tongue.67

M any schools talk about relaxing the jaw. First of all, the singer cannot move the

upper jaw, also called maxilla, because it belongs to the skull w ith its 29 bones68.

The lower jaw, also called mandible, has a joint that allows different types of

m ovement such as opening, closing, sliding, chewing and crushing. The jaw

« Miller/ART, p. 71.
67 Averino/SINGING, p. 38.
68 Bateman/ANATOMY, p. 187.

205

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cannot rotate.69 The opening or closing of the mandible happens from the two

temporo-mandibular joints, the so-called TMJ's. Barbara Conable emphasizes

that m any singers have a wrong perception of where the tem poro-mandibular

joints lie.

Our TMJs are just in front of our ears, not behind

them, as some people think, not at the forward
protuberances which slide along our cheekbones, not
just behind the teeth, not at the bumps near the
bottom of the ear lobes.70

Marjorie Barlow recalls F. M. teaching the position of the TMJ. If the singer puts

his fingers in front the ears and lets his jaw come forward and away, he will feel

a great big hole.71 This hole lies directly in front of the tem poro-mandibular joint.

Singers who try to open both the upper and the lower jaw at the same time most

likely involve the occipital joint, the joint where the skull balanced on top of the

spine. This leads to an undesired participation of the head and neck.72

69 Macdonald/GUIDE, p. 41.
70 Conable/BREATHING, p. 19, col. 2.
71 Davies/BARLOW, p. 106.
72 Conable/BREATHING, p. 19, col. 1.

206

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Many schools recognize the jaw as an im portant topic. Romeo Alavi Kia, for

example, gives partner exercises for the jaw in lying position. After lifting the

head on top of the right leg of the partner, he lets the singer fall the head slightly

back to expose the chin. The fingers of the partner will try to open the jaw more

and more.73 An Alexander teacher w ould point out that the singer w ithout

knowledge in Alexander Technique most likely does not maintain optimal head-

neck-back relationship while doing this exercise. Adding the prim ary control to

this exercise will help to achieve better results. Otherwise the falling back of the

head will teach the w rong use of the head while opening the jaw. The singer has

to differentiate between the occipital joint and the tem poro-mandibular joint.

Singers learn that they can move these two joints independent from each other.

The area of the jaw gives a great possibility to work on the non-doing principles

of the Alexander Technique. Two big muscles help to move the jaw, the

temporalis and the masseter muscle.74 Many singers hold these muscles too

m uch in a state of constant contraction, preventing the gravity to help the jaw to

open. The ability to release these muscles helps to create a freer voice. The

73 Kia/STIMME, p. 117-8.
74 Heirich/ALEXANDER, p. 18.

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whispered 'ah ' helps also as a complementary therapy by the so-called

Temporal-Mandibular Syndrome and by grinding teeth and skeletal problems

related to overly tightening muscles and misuse of the jaw.75

The direction that the jaw has to go forward means that the singer m ust not pull

the jaw back or stiffen it, because it will directly interfere in a harm ful way w ith

the tongue and the laryngeal suspensory muscles, which are attached to the

tongue bone.76 By allowing the jaw to open, the singer can create the space he

needs for vocalizing.

75 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 46.
76 Murdock/SING, p. 146.

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Mouth

renulum of upper lip

vestibule of mouth

hard palate
upper lip
ilatine raphe
soft palate

palatopharyngeal
supra-
arch
tonsilar
cheek (cut)
fossa _

uvula

para glossal
arch
dorsum of
palatine tonsil
tongue
posterior wall of
pharynx lower lip

frenulum of lower
lip
gingiva or gum
vestibule of mouth

Figure 18 - M outh77

77 After Gorman/Body, p.211.

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'To allow the m outh to open' seems a simple direction. I w ant to add two

thoughts about it: the anatomical shape of the m outh and the question how far

the singer should open his mouth.

Barbara Conable points out that the singer should picture the m outh as an oral

space

bounded by the roof of the m outh above, the

m uscular floor of the m outh below, the muscular
facial cheeks at the sides, and the tongue within, so
the m outh is not a thing but rather a space among
things!78

While doing the w hispered 'ah', the actual vocalizing of the 'ah ' sound, the

singer m ay not close the m outh. The opening of the jaw goes forward and away.

The singer m ust not pull the jaw dow n and in to create an open mouth. The jaw

w ould indirectly push on the hyoid bone and consequently the hyoid bone on

the larynx. M anuel Garcia points out in Hints on Singing (1894) that an

exaggerated opening does not help to sing low or high notes:

78 Conable/BREATHING, p. 17, col. 2.

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In the latter case, it may help the vocalist to scream,
b u t that is not singing; the face loses charm and the
voice assumes a violent and vulgar tone.79

Exhale

The fifth direction 'to exhale on a whispered vowel 'ah" implements the w ork on

the 'exhale', on 'elongating the breath' and the 'w hispered 'ah". The Alexander

Technique works mainly on the exhale, because it assumes that if the singers

coordinates himself in the m ost efficient way and lets the air out of the lungs, the

inhale will be a simple reflex, not controlled by conscious will.

Jane Heirich states:

If we focus on training an efficient outgoing breath,

the incoming breath will happen, unless we get in the
way. If we focus on taking the in coming breath, we
will never find out natural springy elasticity of
ribcage muscles and the attached diaphragm. The
inbreath will enter as the result of using up the breath
efficiently, as long as we don't interfere. However,
some kind of interference goes on in most of us at
least some of the time; we interfere with out own
good function. The Alexander Technique is all about

79 Quotation of Manuel Garcia in Arcaya/VOICE, p. 9, col. 1.

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observing and removing those habitual
interferences.80

Moshe Feldenkrais focuses on the exhale, but he thinks that pushing the stomach

out or forward will expel the air from the lungs, which contradicts the Alexander

Technique.81 Controlling the breath directly often causes strain.

M any techniques connect the exhaling practice w ith a particular sound. F. M.

Alexander uses the whispered 'ah'. I could find that the connection of sound

w ith the exhale played as an im portant role in other body/mind techniques as it

does in the Alexander Technique. That does not exclude that the singer can also

form the sound silently in the mouth. Eugen Herrigel describes that his Master,

teaching Zen in the archery, used a slow and steady exhale combined with a

humming note for better practice and control.82

I would like to introduce a breathing technique taught by Carl Stough that

startled me because of its similarities to Alexander Technique. Carl Stough

80 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 34.
81 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 102.
82 Herrigel/ARCHERY, p. 20.

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worked in supine position first, then in sitting, then standing and then moving

about. With light touch he corrected the faulty breathing mechanism. Students

had to count while breathing out. Carl Stough starts working a few sighs, silent

prolonged exhales w ith counting and then loud counting, and then vowel work.

Carl Stough starts the counting from one to five, extends to one to ten, and then

one to ten and two and so on. As long the abdomen does not protrude, the

singer can go on increasing the num ber of counts. He looks at a time frame of 15

to 20 seconds which the singer can extend w ith m ore developed muscles to up to

forth seconds.83 As F. M. Alexander did before, Carl Stough regarded the exhale

as the m ost im portant phase of breathing.84

A natural device for prom oting a long, relaxed exhale

is the sigh. The aftermath of the sigh is an intake of
air. Sighs generally follow a period during which
breathing has become slow and needs to be increased.
The long, relaxed exhale, which is the principle of the
sigh, can be cultivated to advantage. Like the sigh
itself, it should be a product of m uscular tone, never
of force.85

83 Stough/BREATH, p. 208.
84 Stough/BREATH, p. 156.
85 Stough/BREATH, p. 207.

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While exhaling, singers have to watch for an im portant detail. Carl Stough also

found while working on his emphysema patients that a weakened diaphragm

will 'buckle7on an exhale and m ove dow nw ard causing a protrusion of the lower

abdomen. A weak diaphragm cannot support die breathing and cannot m aintain

a stabilized pressure in the abdominal cavity causing side stitches, abdominal

pain or even nausea from exertion.86

Elongating the breath

Singers have the understandable desire to increase the length of their breath. In

their wish to extend the length of their outbreath, they start to interfere with their

breathing reflex, leading to excessive tension and a direct control of the breath.

Vocal teachers such as Olga Averino w arn about the danger of consciously trying

to take a slow and big breath in, because it creates tension.87

Some vocal schools advocate belly breathing or abdominal breathing,

recognizing the faulty breathing behavior of accessory breathing. This active

86 Stough/BREATH, p. 156 and p. 168

87 Averino/SINGING, p. 19.

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abdominal breathing causes a dow nw ard pull of the larynx. Often a tightening

of the pharyngeal muscles goes hand in hand w ith it, causing an audible inhale.

Teaching to take a breath instead of allowing the breath to happen as a response

to exhaling leads to m anipulation of the natural breathing reflex.

If the breathing mechanism works naturally, the singers feels a movement in the

abdomen. The abdomen supports the breathing mechanism, but the singer

should not directly activate it by pulling in or out. Exercises with a book on the

belly in lying position or pushing the piano with the abdominal muscles have in

m y eyes a harm ful effect on the breathing. F. M. Alexander and all the

Alexander vocal teachers such as Beret Arcaya and Jane Heirich oppose the

thought of abdominal breathing per se.88

Working on the breathing mechanism calls for w ork on inhibition and on the

indirect means. Thousands of people have found better health and increased

sensory awareness through the Feldenkrais Method, but in some parts of his

88 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col. 2.

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m ethod Moshe Feldenkrais employs wrong ideas, especially in the realm of

breathing. Besides working on the exhale, he directly works on the inhale:

Draw in air to fill your lungs, increasing the volume of

your chest as far as you can w ithout discomfort.89

He continues at another place:

Fill your chest w ith air, draw in your stomach, then

compress your chest while expanding the stomach
again.90

I think that Moshe Feldenkrais w anted to w ork against the idea of singers that

they have to hold the chest for breathing in a certain position. He directly

wanted to influence the expansion and contraction of the chest. In my eyes

Moshe Feldenkrais chose the w rong means to change the rigidity of the chest. I

found that his approach leads to a reversed breathing mechanism, messing up

the natural breathing mechanism. F. M. Alexander supports the idea that a

singer has to learn the proper and adequate contraction of the chest, but he

89 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 101.
90 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 106.

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employs different means to achieve this goal. F. M. Alexander describes in detail

that the singer has to work on his inhibition:

For instance, suppose that a pupil has a special desire

to increase his chest capacity. This desire acts as a
stimulus to the psychophysical processes involved
and sets in motion all the unreliable guiding and
directing sensations associated w ith his established
idea of chest expansion. The only way, then, by
which he can prevent the old subconscious habits from
gaining the upper hand is for him to refuse to act upon
this idea. This means that as soon as the idea or
desire comes to him he definitely stops and says to
himself: "No. I w on't do w hat I should like to do to
increase m y chest capacity, because, if I do w hat I feel
will increase it, I shall only use my mechanisms as I
have used them before, and w hat is the good of that?
I know I have been using them incorrectly up to now,
else w hy do I need these lessons?" In other words, he
inhibits his desire to act.91

Jane Heirich also states that she does not w ork directly to increase the length of

the exhale. She experienced that it leads to an over-preparation of the inhale.

She focuses on a m ore efficient, less breathy exhale. The more the singer uses the

voice in an economic way, the less air he needs.92 This automatically leads to the

» Alexander AVRmNGS, p. 47.

92 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 82-3.

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ability to hold longer phrases. The thought of the next musical phrase will, with

time and experience, automatically trigger the right am ount of inhale.

Exhale on the whispered 'ah'

The exhale on the whispered 'ah ' helps the Alexander teacher to hear

interferences. The quality of the sound directly reflects the use of the self. The

whispered 'ah ' never should sound forced. The singer should not round or

darken the vowel sound. F. M. Alexander used the 'ah ' vowel, because the

neutral position of the tongue helps to reduce tension in this area. The lips also

do not have any task to form the vowel 'ah'. W ith lips I do not m ean the lipstick

lips, but the 'm ovem ent lips', which laterally go from dimple to dimple and from

the base of the nose to the base of the gums.93

Many vocal schools, voice science and voice therapy w arn about the harm ful

effects whispering can have.

M any patients, especially singers, are aware that

whispering should be avoided. During whispering in
m any instances, the anterior two thirds of the vocal

93 Conable/BREATHING, p. 22.

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folds approximate. Forced or loud whispering
appears m ost harmful.94

They refer to the so-called stage whisper, where the singer involves a part of the

vocal folds. If the psycho-physical mechanism does not work properly, and the

singer forces to get some sound out for singing, it definitively has harmful

consequences.

The whispered 'ah', which F. M. Alexander means, does not involve any

tightening of the throat and any force and it does not involve a partial closing of

the vocal folds.95 Alexander teachers frequently differ in the way of teaching the

whispered 'ah'. The confusion lies in the question how loudly the singer should

perform the whispered 'ah'. In m y opinion it is easier in the beginning for the

singer to exhale audibly but not loudly, because the singer's ear tells how freely

the breath flows out of the m outh. This kind of whispered 'ah ' helps with

chronic hoarseness. Later the singer will also use the silent w hispered 'ah'. In

the act of phonation the am ount of air used in the silent whispered 'a h ' can

sufficiently produce a free and healthy sound.

94 Rulnick/THERAPY, p. 271.
95 McCallion/VOICE, p. 177.

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If the singer constantly uses excess air pressure, he can develop the feeling that

he has constantly to clear his throat, the feeling of a sore throat or hoarseness.

These three symptoms often indicate the development or presence of polyps or

nodules.96 The whispered 'a h ' teaches the singer to use less air pressure while

working on the psycho-physical mechanism. Already Wilfred Barlow m easured

the excursions of the diaphragm while performing the whispered 'ah'. In the

process of practicing them and employing indirect means, the excursions became

bigger and bigger.97

^ Murdock/SING, p. 145.
97 Davies/BARLOW, p. 107.

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Nose

Olfactory nerves [1] Frontal sinus

Olfactory bulb Olfactory nerves [1]
Olfactory tract
Sella turcica Middle nasal concha

Sphenoidal sinus Inferior nasal concha

Limen nasi
Pharyngeal tonsil

-N asal
Torus tubarius
vestibule
Pharyngeal
opening of fi
auditory tube S

Pharyngeal recess
S I
s
Figure 19 - Nose98

The last direction 'allow the air to fall in through the nose' touches the question

about nose breathing versus m outh breathing. All the vocal schools and m any

body/m ind techniques focus on the silent breath intake, either through the nose,

the m outh or both. John Lash, a Tai Chi practitioner, stresses that the student

should not force the breath and should not make a lot of noise. Instead he

should allow the breath to flow naturally and silently.99

98 After Sobotta/ANATOMY, p. 91.

99 Lash/SPIRIT, p. 236.

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The singer m ust think of the nose not only as the facial part, bu t also all the way

back to the pharynx. The nasal cavities consist of the inferior concha, the middle

concha and the superior concha.100

Many vocal teachers have oppositional opinions of w hether the inhale should

happen through the nose, through the m outh or both. If time allows it, the singer

should be encouraged, in my eyes, to breathe in through the nose. Breathing in

through the nose allows a moistening, filtering and warming of the air as a

protection of the lungs. The danger of over-breathing is diminished. Ron

Murdock, an Alexander teacher and singer, emphasizes in his article Born to sing:

In addition, breathing through the nose is the most

efficient way of releasing the contraction in the
muscles surrounding the ribs when breathing out. If
the next breath is to enter as quickly and easily as a
singer needs it to, this tension m ust be released at the
end of the out breath, and released quickly.101

The nostrils should not collapse. Again the singer should not directly try to

change the collapse of the nostrils by holding them open. F. M. Alexander points

out that excessive lowering of air pressure in the respiratory tract leads to a

*» Bateman/ANATOMY, p. 274.
101 Murdock/SING, p. 159-60.

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collapse of the nostrils, also called alae nasi. The intake of air in the whispered

'a h ' procedure helps to regulate the respiratory speed. F. M. Alexander also

points out that the collapse of the nostrils often go hand in hand w ith a

congestion of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, setting up a

susceptibility for colds, bronchitis, loss of voice, and even asthma.102 Walter

Carrington noticed that a person who pulls his psycho-physical mechanism

down, especially w ith throwing the head back, will also create a collapse in the

nose, which can lead to an inability to breathe through the nose at all.103 With the

re-education of the breathing mechanism, the symptom of collapse nostrils will

disappear.

The noisy inhale through the nose caused by collapsed nostrils and by a narrow

passageway will change w ith the regular practice of the whispered 'ah'. If the

singer breathes through the mouth, the noise comes from a restricted

passageway in the larynx. The vocal folds often do not release for the breath

intake. Thinking about expanding, lengthening and widening the restricted area

Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 188.
103 Carrington/THINKING, p. 69.

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will soften the overly tensed muscles, allowing the vocal cords to release for the

inhale.

Holding of the breath

People tend to interfere w ith breathing in m any ways. Fortunately they can

easily recognize w hether they breathe or not. Carl Stough describes from his

practice that m any children habitually hold their breath. W hen they experience

pressure of any kind in school they tend to raise the shoulders while inhaling

and they tend to tense the chest muscles to hold it, leading to a destruction of the

breathing pattern.104 Many people hold their breath in daily life, w hen they think

about something, w hen they lift a heavy object, when they feel pain. People

interfere and hold their breath because of physical, muscular, mental

psychological and emotional reasons. Holding the breath actually worsens the

situation, because if the breathing out does not work, the cleaning process of

breathing out does not take place and poison accumulates in the body.

104 Stough/BREATHING, p. 190.

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One of F. M. Alexander's students describes in her diary that F. M. constantly

tapped on her ribs to remind her to keep them moving. She remembers that F.

M. said that the ribs m ust constantly expand and contract for good breathing.105

W alter Carrington used the breathing through the nose as an indication if air

flows or does not. If the singer can observe m ovem ent of air in the nose, it tells

the singer if he holds the breath or not.106

Jane Ruby Fleirich writes in her recent book Voice and the Alexander Technique

(2005) that she noticed

that m editators with years of breath training, yoga

practitioners w ith years of Pranayama work, actors
with deep-breathing relaxation training, singers with
various kinds of breath training, and students who
have worked with Herbert Benson's 'Relaxation
response' training usually hold their breath w hen
thinking about of focusing on something.107

Any conscious control of holding the breath will destroy the breathing

mechanism. Kristin Linklater stresses the reflexive character of the breathing:

105 Morgan/DIARY, p. 53.

106 Carrington/THINKING, p. 65.
107 Heirich/ALEXANDER, p. 73.

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Conscious control of the breath will destroy its
sensitivity to changing inner states, and severely
curtail the reflex connection of breathing and
emotional impulse. It is w orth repeating here the
warning, that you cannot imitate a reflex action.
N atural breathing is reflexive, and the only work you
can do to restore its potential is to remove restrictive
tensions and provide it w ith a diversity of stimuli.108

Richard Miller talks against the practice that some vocal schools recommend of

holding the breath during long phrases in order to save it.109 Many vocal schools

also teach to hold tire breath after the inhale or the exhale. They love to work

with measured inhale/exhale routines. I found m any statements such as:

Holding the breath after a large intake of air can

potentially strengthen the muscles of inhalation,
leading to greater control of the breath pressure for
voice production.110

The Alexander Technique teaches that the singer does not have to consciously

strengthen the muscles. This misconception only arises because teachers observe

that the breathing mechanism does not work properly and the student shows

108 Linklater/VOICE, p. 25.

109 Miller/ART, p. 71. Richard Miller talks against this practice.
110 Natalie Stewart in Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 29.

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signs of weakness. As soon as the re-education of the psycho-physical

mechanism gets m ore reliable, the breathing mechanism will function properly

and the desired strength of the mechanism will develop. Moshe Feldenkrais

correctly points out that incorrect posture or acture, as he calls it, tends to lead to

holding the breath. Holding the breath means that singers have then to prepare

to speak, or to move in space.111

Applying the whispered 'a h ' to daily life will stop holding. I can recommend

working on it right before brushing the teeth or every time the singer answers or

makes a telephone call. I personally include whispered 'ah ' exercises in m y daily

warming up routine.

Conclusion

The work with the whispered 'a h ' focuses on the exhale. But it also includes the

inhaling part. Depending on the problem of the student, the Alexander teacher

will point out misconceptions in order to achieve a natural breathing cycle.

111 Feldenkrais/SELF, p. 114.

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Natural means in Alexander's view breathing according to the law of nature.

Kristin Linklater uses the term natural breathing as quiet respiration.112 In the

vocal literature the singer finds terms natural rhythm of breathing and natural

breathing rhythm, natural breathing pattern, your own rhythm of breathing, quiet

breathing, quiet respiration, breath cycle at rest. Vocal teachers use these terms

interchangeably to express the body's capability to breath w ithout interference.

The singer observes the breath and allows the breath to happen.113

As soon die breathing mechanism works, the voice has a foundation to rely on.

Carl Stough goes a step further. He defines voice in relation to breath,

For me, the voice was not an entity that required

breath for its activation and embellishment. The voice
was the breath acting upon tissues and passages of
the body to produce sound. The sound so produced
bore a direct relationship to the effective function of
the respiratory system. The sound could not be
correct unless the breathing were correct.114

112 Linklater/VOICE, p. 25.

113 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 23.
114 Stough/BREATH, p. 126.

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If a singer experiences a problem with the voice, m ost likely he has to change his

psycho-physical mechanism and the breathing mechanism. F. M. Alexander

himself recommends the training of a voice. Working on 'posture' and

'breathing' does not substitute for the training of the voice.

Nature may endow a person w ith splendid vocal

organs but they cannot possibly be used to anything
like proper advantage until thoroughly trained.115

Alexander/ELOCUTION, p. 7.

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8. PRACTICING AND PERFORMING

Many sources write about practicing or performance, including performance

anxiety. Young vocal students in the beginning of their study often do not

experience tension in their practice or their performance, because their bodies

still show great flexibility. They do not notice how wrong practicing has a

constant negative influence on them. W hen they grow older, various problems

and vocal disorders seem to appear suddenly. Good practicing habits go directly

hand in hand w ith good performances. As I explained before, m any ideas come

into play in the context of practicing and performance.

Performance anxiety

F. M. Alexander regularly perform ed Shakespearean plays w ith his Alexander

Technique training students. He writes that all of his students showed a lack of

performance anxiety.

My friends and critics naturally anticipated a

wonderful exhibition of 'stage fright' on the evening

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of the first performance, but as a m atter of fact not
one of my young students had the least apprehension
of that terror. By the time they were ready to appear
the idea of 'stage fright' was one that seemed to them
the m erest absurdity. It may be said that they did not
understand w hat was m eant by such a condition.1

M any different reasons lead to performance anxiety. Before I talk about how to

reduce or eliminate performance anxiety or stage fright, I like to talk about stress

and its manifestations in the body.

Stress, a beloved w ord of our times, affects us not only before, during or after a

performance, but also in our daily lives. Richard Brennan describes it in his book

Mind and body stress relief with the Alexander Technique (1998):

Stress is a problem that affects us physically;

mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It can cause
anxiety, which in extreme cases m ay permeate our
whole existence until life is hardly w orth living. It
affects us physically in such a w ay that our whole
system is constantly on 'red alert', ageing us before
our time...Stress affects us mentally by over-
stimulating the mind, eventually causing mental
blocks, or, conversely, and overactive mind which

1 Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 85.

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gives us little or not control over persistent unw anted
thoughts, cause endless worry for no reason.2

The physical reactions of the body in stress situations helped our ancestors to

survive w hen in danger. Even today these reactions such as increase of the

heartbeat rate, release of sugar into the bloodstream producing an increase in the

insulin level, an increase of the cholesterol in blood; an increase of endorphins,

and an increase of thyroid horm one in the blood stream have their benefits in

dealing w ith stress and help us to deal w ith dangerous situations.3 Performing

on stage definitively does not represent a life-threatening situation, although

singers w ith trem endous stage fright m ay perceive it as such. Stress causes

increased tension w ith each performance.

If prolonged periods of stress cause these physical reactions to exist in the body

over a long time, detrimental effects show up. Singers can experience m any

symptoms of stress: fatigue because of increased tension in the body or/and

because of the inability to sleep, tension-related headaches such as migraine,

2 Brennan/MIND, p. 2.
3 Brennan/MIND, p. 58-60. Richard Brennan gives a detailed overview about the benefits o f the
natural responses to stress and their detrimental effects over prolonged periods of stress.

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change in the breathing mechanism causing breathlessness, dizziness, asthma or

even fainting, heart problems such as palpitations; increased perspiration,

physical tension such as hypertension or hypotension leading to trembling of

hands, backache, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and digestive problems

causing in extreme cases nausea or vomiting.4 High cholesterol levels and

diabetes are also stress-related a condition and disease of our time. Singers often

experience a few or m any of these physical reactions according to their

individual stress level and endurance.

Frank Pierce Jones conducted a valuable experimental study. He described

exactly the reflex which a person executes w hen he reacts to a sudden loud noise.

This reflex, called startle pattern changed the good use of a person into a bad use.

Frank Pierce Jones describes:

The two sets of neck muscles have contracted

simultaneously, thrusting the head forw ard but
keeping the Frankfurt plane horizontal. The postural
change does not stop w ith the head and neck. The
shoulders are lifted and the arms extended, the chest
is flattened, and the knees are flexed. The change,

4 Brennan/MIND, p. 8 and p. 55.

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which is not instantaneous, begins in the head and
neck, passing dow n the trunk and legs to be
completed in about a half a second.5

I found that singers w ith serious performance anxiety show similar reactions.

They stiffen their neck, they throw the head back and dow n and they narrow and

shorten their backs. If they do not release the tension caused by a single startle

reflex, these tendencies can become chronic, changing their whole physiognomy.

The singer can reduce or eliminate performance anxiety by giving attention to

several different ideas. Certain stress and performance anxiety the singer can

easily avoid. If he worries about arriving late for a rehearsal, he can plan extra

time for the actual commute. Planning extra time for make-up and changing into

the costumes can also help to reduce unnecessary stress.

The singer has to understand that he has to regularly tune his instrum ent the

same way as a violinist tunes his violin. The singer can only sing w ith an

instrum ent that is in tune. And the singer is the instrument. Alexander points

out this thought:

5 Jones/FREEDOM, p. 132.

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We m ust build up, coordinate, and re-adjust the
hum an machine so that it may be in tune. We are all
acquainted w ith the expression 'tune up' where the
automobile is concerned, and when we wish to
command the best expression of this machine we
avail ourselves of the 'tuning up' process of the
mechanical expert. And as the hum an organism is, as
Huxley says, a machine, we m ust remember that if we
wish it to express its potentialities adequately it m ust
be 'in tune'.6

Learning to sing is learning about life. The singer also m ust tune up during daily

life. A singer cannot allow himself to slouch or stiffen up at any time. He works

on his good use every second in his life. If he has a practice session, a voice

lesson or a performance, the singer consciously works on the coordination of all

the parts leading to great singing. He coordinates mind and body, musical

phrase and breath, melodies and the vocal folds, so that every part of the mind

and body works simultaneously and spontaneously in service to music. But he

also has to work on the same good use in daily activities w hether he cuts

vegetables, walks dow n the hallway or brushes his teeth. Tai Chi masters

express this same attitude. If a lesson ends, the singer does not stop his good

6 Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 85-6.

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use.7 The quality of singing depends on the quality of his use in daily life. He

has to behave as a singer twenty-four hours a day.

In order to deal w ith stress, the singer will first observe w ithout judging w hat he

does to the body as a reaction to stress. With the now-leam ed principles in

m ind, he has a chance to change his way of reacting to the stimulus and change

his whole attitude tow ards performance. He stays more and more in the process

and does not primarily look for the goal of an outstanding performance.

Practicing

F. M. Alexander answered the interesting question of how a singer has to work

to eliminate even the thought of performance anxiety. The singer will notice that

he executes the symptoms of the startle pattern in a minute form, which tends to

m ultiply under the pressure of a performance. He has to improve his use while

practicing before he can go on stage.

7 Lash/SPIRIT, p. 7-8.

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I already explained the five m ost im portant principles of the Alexander

Technique: the recognition of the force of habit, inhibition and non-doing, faulty

sensory awareness, sending directions, and the primary control. If any one of

these five principles misses in the process of practicing, the student will fail. F.

M. Alexander points out that most methods ignore the primary control. I have to

add that most singing methods ignore the prim ary control. They ignore the fact

that the singer who needs physical development also suffers from a wrong

sensory guidance, leading to a constant bad influence before, during and after

they work on breathing or vocal exercises. Singers with a bad use have to learn

to change so that their primary control becomes a constant influence for a better

use of the self, leading to a higher standard of their functioning.8

Singers gains an attitude of not judging being right or wrong. This helps them

develop self-esteem and confidence in the actual appearance in a performance,

because they learned to work on the psycho-physical mechanism. They continue

to find out more about this mechanism in a performance, the same way as they

did before in practicing. They use inhibition and direction to m anage developing

* Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 63.

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tension in a performance. Pedro Alcantara describes the means of the Alexander

Technique as a preventative measure to deal w ith tension and stress.

Through awareness of w hat is happening to himself

(or, more precisely, w hat he is doing to himself), the
prevention of inappropriate automatic habits of use,
and the redirection of his neurom uscular system, the
actor organizes his good use and attains poise, co
ordination, freedom, and openness to the moment.
Engaging in this process, it is possible for the actor to
m aintain perspective on, w hat is happening and not
to become unduly anxious or tense.9

In addition, working on the five principles reduces performance anxiety. F. M.

Alexander calls this excitement of fear reflexes, because the w ork on the principles

does not allow the student to think about right or wrong.10 If the singer has

many instructions on his m ind such as 'Do not do this' or 'D o not do that', he

works with being right or wrong. This leads directly to failure, because he cannot

obey all theses instructions while performing. Fear in singing arises from a fear

of making mistakes. This fear of making mistakes prevents the singer from

hying new ways and expanding his horizon. Olga Averino stresses the same

9 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 110, col. 1.

“ Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 58.

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thought, that a singer cannot be the critic and audience while he performs on

stage. If he tries to be his own critic at the same time, he m ost likely develops

nervousness.11 The m ind of the singer should constantly focus on the psycho

physical mechanism in connection with the music.

F. M. Alexander emphasizes that the Alexander Technique does not w ork with

exercises. Singers do not learn to do something right. They m eet a stimulus that

puts them w rong and they learn to deal w ith it.12 We all see differences in

walking, standing, speaking. Singers bring the same difference to their practice

of exercises. Imagine a teacher giving the same kind of exercises to totally

different singers. They will m ost likely practice their exercise according to their

standard of use or mal-use. Mal-condition will then cause by-products not

intended by the teacher. Carl Stough also confirms in his teaching of breathing:

Teaching had often shown me that w hat was 'correct'

for one was not necessarily so for another.13

11 Averino/SINGING, p. 48.
12 Alexander/WRl'llNGS, p. 9.
13 Stough/BREATH, p. 74.

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This explains the question by m any vocal teachers of w hy some students do not

make progress or even deteriorate while they successfully offer the same vocal

exercises to all the other students of their studio, w ith often terrific results.

Repetitions

Many vocal teachers know that a singer will not succeed on stage if he cannot

carry out musical tasks in a practice session. Teachers therefore assign exercises

to build up the singer's voice and to get the singer ready to perform. These

exercises deal with physical exercises, breathing exercises and then vocal

exercises. Mindless repetitions of exercises cause m any problems. F. M.

Alexander vehemently opposed any kind of exercise that teachers base on

m ethods of drill and mindless repetition.

The almost universal call for physical drill, or

physical exercises, in schools, for training in posture,
breathing exercises, etc., coming from parents,
teachers and all concerned, is an admission that there

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is a great need in this direction, but, unfortunately,
these methods will not give the necessary help.14

M any unfortunate singers have actually experienced that the practice of exercises

triggered a physical deterioration of the voice while practicing diligently the

assigned vocal exercises. Cornelius Reid confirms:

There is ample proof to refute the contentions of those

who believe an exercise to have value in itself. How
m any thousands of students have faithfully practiced
Marchesi exercises, and how few have derived benefit
from them! The key to vocal development is not to be
found in the exercise but in the manner in which it is
performed!15

All disciplines ask for repetition and practice. The Alexander teacher and pianist

Nelly Ben-Or stresses in her article The Alexander Technique in the preparation and

performance of music (1987) that practice does not im ply m any hours of

mechanical repetition w ith an unconscious mind. Learning rather involves a

dear, conscious m ind that guides the practicing.16 The singer m ay not practice

14 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 286.
15 Reid/VOICE, p. 128.
w Ben-Or/PREPARATION, p. 11.

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like a machine. Nevertheless, the singer needs repetition of vocal exercises in

order to build up his instrument. Beret Arcaya adds:

Unlike other musicians who buy their piano or cello

ready-made, the singer m ust build his instrument
simultaneously w ith learning to use it. This is done by
means of various scales and other vocal practice- in
other words, 'voice building exercises/ Any stress or
pressure used to do these exercises will corrupt the
very instrum ent he is attem pting to construct.17

But strength in the voice results from a good use. A singer has a strong voice and

stamina because he uses himself well and not voice versa: H e does not use himself

well because he has a strong voice and stamina.18

Eugen Herrigel points out in his book Zen in the art of archery the importance of

practice and repetition and repetition of the repeated. He stresses that the

practicing person has to increase the intensity with every single repetition for a

long time.19 I w ould like to clarify that he does not understand intensity as force

or physical strain. In Alexandrian terms it means more a flow and un-doing of

17 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col.1.
m Alcantara/PROCEDURES, p.17.
is Herrigel/ARCHERY, p. 40.

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tension while repeating. F. M. Alexander also points out that conscious control

will lead w ith time to less physical strain and less physical repetition.20 He

describes this conscious control not as the conscious control of a certain part, but

of the total.

Conscious control applied in a specific way in

unthinkable, except as a result of the principles
primarily applied as a universal. For instance, the
conscious controlling of the movements of a
particular muscle or limb, as practiced by athletes and
others, is of little practical value in the science of
living. The specific control of a finger, of the neck, or
of the legs should primarily be the result of the
conscious guidance and control of the mechanism of
the torso, particularly the antagonistic muscular
actions which bring about those correct and greater
co-ordinations intended to control the movements of
the limbs, neck, respiratory mechanism and the
general activity of the internal organs.21

F. M. Alexander rem inds us to work on underlying principles and not learning

just an exercise. Singers practice the relationship of body and m ind, i.e. their

thinking. Otherwise the singer has to learn one exercise after the other w ithout

understanding the concept behind it. The singer who learns the principles

20 Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 131.
21 Alexander/INHERITANCE, p. 132.

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behind it will have a tool for life. His independence and confidence will increase

more and more with his knowledge of how to practice.

A person who learns to work to a principle in doing

one exercise will have learned to do all exercises, but
the person who learns just to 'd o an exercise' will
m ost assuredly have to go on learning to 'do
exercises' ad infinitumP

As one of the most im portant principles teachers should focus on is teaching self

observation in practicing. Singers should spend time in front of a mirror, not

because the singer should admire himself, bu t because he w ants to find out w hat

he does and how he can undo it. Some singers in my studio actually had a hard

time looking into the m irror because they did not like their looks. The teacher

has to guide the singer in this case to look for specific details such as throwing

the head back and dow n in relation to the back. This focus on certain details

helps them to overcome their aversion against the m irror and their own feelings.

Practicing requires a high degree of observation. Singers should not practice

w hen they feel tired or sick. This seems obvious, but, based on experience from

22 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 216.

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my own students and watching singers practice in the practice rooms at the

universities of conservatories, I find it extremely im portant to stress that a singer

m ust not practice in a state of exhaustion or sickness.

Observation relates not only to music, but also to the physical behavior while

performing the music. Olga Averino states:

To achieve a high level of continuous, conscious

concentration on music and yet keep track of physical
coordination requires a great deal of self
observation.23

Singers who practices one scale after the other w ithout paying attention to their

use sometimes fall into a trance-like state of practicing and repeating old habits

over and over. Many vocal teachers such as Olga Averino w arn their students:

Prolonged exercises inevitably result in falling into

old habits of unconscious use of the vocal tools and
blur self-observation which is so necessary in
singing.24

23 Averino/SINGING, p. 41.
24 Averino/SINGING, p. 44.

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The singer should never practice on an unconscious level. As soon as this singer

goes on stage, all his sensory awareness will heighten because of the body's

reaction to stress. He will have trouble to deal w ith this additional energy if he

did not already balance it in practicing sessions. Musical performances dem and a

high level of energy and coordination. The Alexander Technique helps to

develop a very high level of sensitivity and awareness in the singer already in

the practicing session, giving the singer a tool to deal with the stress related to

performance.

Cure of transfer

I will give an example of a vocal exercise leading to frustration in a singer and the

vocal teacher. Suppose the teacher struggles w ith a singer w ho has trouble

singing long phrases. If the teacher, for example, asks the singer to practice

prolonging the breath, this singer will set out to practice w ith the same old habit

of trying to directly change the fault that the teacher pointed out to him. But if

the teacher does not alter the prim ary control in the student, he will extend the

length of the breath perhaps after one week of practicing. He can now sing long

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phrases and the original problem is cured. But he transferred his problem to

another problem, because he used the w rong means to achieve this result. He

often starts to interfere w ith the breathing reflex and creates holding and tension

in different areas. The teacher keeps trying to change the singers fault from week

to week w ithout making any real progress, often blaming the student for not

practicing enough. He goes in circles leading to serious self-doubt and a

lowering of self-esteem, which is counterproductive to building up confidence

for performing.

Moshe Feldenkrais bases m any of his exercises on the principle of lateral transfer.

If one side learns to behave in an improved way, the other side will learn

simultaneously. Pedro Alcantara shares this idea:

If you use your left arm poorly, your right one will
suffer, and vice-versa; let us call this 'bilateral
transfer'. I you use one of your legs poorly, both the
other leg and the two arms will suffer; let us call this
'quadrilateral transfer'. Bilateral and quadrilateral
transfer can be a force for good too; if you use your
right arm well, your left one will benefit.25

25 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 105, col. 2 - p. 106, col. 1.

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F. M. Alexander goes a step further and explains that cure by transfer cannot be

mistaken for perm anent change.

It is true that the activity, which up to a certain time

has habitually manifested itself in one form of
reaction, m ay in response to some new stimulus
manifest itself in another form, and one which, when
taken by itself, m ay be considered according to
individual outlook to be a great improvement on the
old reaction(habit). But unless our aim is merely that
of suppressing one specific symptom, or of dropping
some specific form of indulgence w ithout reference to
the effect upon the organism as a whole, the value of
the improvement brought about by any m ethod or
change m ust be judged entirely according to whether
or not the standard of general functioning is being
raised or lowered in the process, and in the latter case,
w hether by-products harm ful to the general
functioning have been brought about.26

We cannot simply use the same old w rong pattern to make the change. Working

only a specific part will have a detrimental result to the use of the whole self. We

have to change fundamentally. Only an im proved use will make the singer

succeed in singing a beautiful legato or any other specific task the teacher assigns

him.

* Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 94.

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Learning something new everyday

Every artist has to practice. Practicing is an art itself. I hear singers in their

hundredth performance of Donna Elvira complain, "Oh, God, not another

performance". The danger of routine can lead to statements like this one. In a

fresh state of mind, the singer can stop this attitude while working on her

psycho-physical and a new way of interpreting the piece. She will succeed in

reacting to the audience and be open for interaction with the other singers. She

cannot sing her part of Donna Elvira in a semi-comatose or trance-like state

because she did has perform ed this part m any times. W hen she works on

herself, on m ore clarity of the character, on less interference w ith the vocal

production, on m ore control of the whole self, she will find something interesting

and new in every performance. Pablo Picasso wrote, "Every child is an artist.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up". An inquisitive and

observing mind lets the artist bloom.

Vocal teachers say that practicing vocal exercises helps the singer to build up his

voice. But if the singer hamm ers his vocal scales up and dow n for hours w ithout

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physical connection, i.e. focusing on the use and without a feeling for music, he

will not achieve his goal. If the singer continues practicing technique separated

from the body and the music, he will most likely not master it.

The beginning singer knows that he has to start on the beginning of a long road,

that he has to learn so m uch and cannot produce a perfect sound yet. He thinks

that his voice will profit from these exercises in the future, and so he keeps

practicing diligently. The vocal teacher assures him that it will work. The reader

can imagine how awfully frustrated the singer will feel if he detects that all the

years of practicing lead only to the experience of his voice deteriorating instead

of growing. Teachers who talk about the future teach in a goal-oriented instead

of a process-oriented manner. The singer has to stay in the present every

m oment of his life, including performances. A process-orientated practicing

does not focus so m uch on the training of the voice as on establishing and

refining the coordination between body and m ind.27

27 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 104, col. 2.

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From simple to complex exercises

The Alexander Technique works from giving simple applications to more

complicated ones. Most singers have an easier time applying the technique to

standing and sitting. Applications such as the monkey, lunge, or hands on the

back of a chair ask for a more coordinated use of the singer. Voice teachers

similarly start giving simple exercises and then more complicated ones. The

vocal teachers have to observe the connection between an exercise and the

psycho-physical mechanism. Beret Arcaya points out that she lets the singer

simplify their vocal exercises and scale until they use no effort or strain.28 From

there the singer can choose more difficult ones. W ith any slight sign of strain

they have to stop and undo excessive tension. If necessary, they have to go back

to simpler exercises. Olga Averino stresses that the singer should focus on the

connection of every exercise w ith the use of the body and that too complicated

exercises distract the singer's attention from the use.29 Cornelius Reid concludes

that all exercises to develop technique have four m ain purposes:

28 Arcaya/MONKEY, p. 4, col. 2.
» Averino/SINGING, p. 44-5.

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1) to re-establish basic functional principles,
2) to reduce complex problems to simpler and more
manageable components,
3) to correct errors of technique, and
4) to exercise the voice.30

The teacher has to bear in m ind that the re-establishing of basic functional

principles can only happen in connection w ith an improvement of the use. I just

talked about the second purpose that Cornelius Reid mentions. The reduction to

simpler exercises gives the singer a chance to work on his use. Singers can only

correct errors in the singing technique if they work on a psycho-physical change

at the same time.

The tempo of how the singer perform s the exercises can play an im portant role.

It also plays a significant role in eradicating vocal faults. The Feldenkrais

M ethod works especially w ith exercises in slow movements to gain voluntary

control. Cornelius Reid states:

In general, slower moving passages are used when

the student is being encouraged to think, fast moving
passages to bypass his wrong thinking.31

30 Reid/VOICE, p. 127.
31 Reid/VOICE, p. 129.

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The Alexander Technique works w ith the same principle. The teacher normally

employs movements such as the monkey as a possibility to practice conscious

control and constructive thinking. Sometimes using fast movements helps to

undo holding from the side of the student and to overrun his thinking pattern.

But as a goal the teacher works on constructive conscious control at all times.

Cornelius Reid mentions exercising die voice as the forth purpose of exercises. I

have to repeat that the voice itself gains strength and stamina because the singer

uses himself well. F. M. Alexander stresses:

A bad m anner of use, on the other hand, continuously

exerts and influence for ill tending to lower the
standard of general functioning, thus becoming a
constant influence tending always to interfere with
every functional activity arising from our response to
stimuli from w ithin and w ithout the self, and
harmfully affecting the m anner of every reaction.32

32 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 9.

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Silent practicing

F. M. Alexander decided after directing either to react to a stimulus, not to react

at all, or to do something totally different. With not reacting at all he created a

pause or silence that helped him to establish a new way of reacting to a stimulus.

In singing, using silent practicing and mentally anticipating the musical phrase

helps the singer to observe his habitual reaction to the musical phrase, the

stimulus. Nelly Ben-Or stresses in her piano teaching die importance of mental

practicing before actually playing the particular phrase or piece:

We can organize mentally a run of notes, so as to be

able to represent them to ourselves fluently, w ithout
the physical tensions which arise w hen we try to play
fast just through an impetus of body. If one can really
perceive a passage of music w ith all clarity, and
represent it to oneself mentally as it relates to the
instrument, then there is no obstacle left for the body
to freely express it in sound. And so w hat previously
seemed to be a difficult piece becomes easy to play
fluently.33

33 Ben-Or/PREPARATION, p. 10.

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Olga Averino and m any other vocal teachers talk about the value of singing a

song silently in one's imagination. The singer sings completely w ith his whole

self, but w ithout sound.34 Silent practicing requires an alert mind. It helps a

singer to more easily detect fault in their psycho-physical mechanism. Practicing

in the mind prevents the singer from training in robot-like reflex responses.

Singers will m aster difficult phrases if he works on thinking in a clear and

cohesive way while paying attention to the general use.35

Reliance on different devices

Many vocal teachers who notice excessive or not enough tension in their singers

rely on devices such as the use of elastic bands, balls, trampoline or ice skating

discs. I came across the ice skating discs in a m aster class w ith Kurt Widmer. He

used this disc, which speed skaters use to train off the ice, to release tension before

the start of difficult phrases or single high notes. The student stands on the disc.

Just before he hits the note, he has to turn the disc under his feet so that he

cannot tighten up. Kurt W idmer also used the exercise of throwing or catching

34 Averino/SINGING, p. 46.
33 Ben-Or/CONCEPTIONS, p. 29, col. 1.

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balls for the same purpose. The value of these exercises lies in their likelihood of

helping the singer to relax. The singer experiences the possibility of singing the

particular phrase w ith decreased effort, but the exercises do not teach him a better

use. If the singer stops using these devices, he often falls back into his old habits

of holding.

I already w rote against the use of belts in the section about the diaphragm in the

seventh chapter. Teachers also recommend putting books on the abdomen to

build up strength. I even found a recent voice book recommending sand bags on

the head to improve posture. I definitively reject the use of such devices. If the

singer has a bad use, he will carry out all the exercises with this w rong use,

leading to dangerous injuries. H e has to learn to use his psycho-physical

mechanism in a better way. Then he can execute whatever exercise he chooses.

Some voice teachers use Alexander Lowen's36 bioenergetic w ork in their lessons.

Bioenergetics links physical pain, muscle tension and postural disorders w ith the

36 Alexander Lowen wrote several books on his work: The betrayal of the body (1967), The language
o f the body (1971), Bioenergetics (1975), The w ay to vibrant health: a manual of bioenergetic exercises
(1977), Fear of life (1980), and The spirituality o f the body: bioenergetics for grace and harmony (1990).

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state of mind. Suppressed emotions, anger, fear and unhappiness decrease the

energy flow. With specially designed exercises, Alexander Lowen initiates a

tremor of the muscles to release physical tension and blocked emotions.

Alexander teachers do not look for any trem or in the work, but it can sometimes

happen in the process of letting tension go. Muscles can jerk and shudder in

certain situations because of an imbalance in the muscular forces. The Alexander

Technique works to release and eliminate excess tension w ithout initiating

tremor.37

Preparation

I already said that mechanical practicing w ithout conscious control leads to

performance anxiety. Performance anxiety definitively comes from an

inadequate standard of preparation. Nelly Ben-Or points out that the Alexander

Technique does not necessarily cause the singer to stop feeling nervous in

performances, but it helps to prepare in a better way so that the singer can

37 Rootberg/BREATHING, p. 121.

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perform better despite feeling nervous.38 I w ould like to clarify w hat a singer

should understand under preparation.

First of all, singers should not physically prepare for singing. I noticed in m any

singers that they had to do some superfluous tightening of the neck, a m ovem ent

of the head or an expansion of the ribs in order to prepare for singing. It proved

impossible for them to start to sing w ithout their habitual preparation. But

preparation in this sense leads to excessive tension, as Moshe Feldenkrais

comments:

People who know how to operate effectively do so

w ithout great preparation and w ithout m uch fuss.
Men of great will pow er tend to apply too m uch force
instead of using m oderate forces m ore effectively.39

Singers, on the other hand, have to prepare for a performance in a sense by

working on integrating all their knowledge of the coordination of body and m ind

w ith the musical requirements. As Nelly Ben-Or points out:

The ultimate aim in music m aking is to arrive at a

point where the performance brings about a sense of

38 Ben-Or/CONCEPTIONS, p. 29, col. 2.

39 Feldenkrais/AWARENESS, p. 58.

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unification of the work into an integral whole, so that
the piece has an almost biological unity. W hat a clear
parallel one can draw between this and Alexander's
aim of bringing about the integrated use of the self. It
is for that reason that I stress so m uch the importance
of turning the preparation of music for performance
into m uch more of a mental process rather than
physical work.40

The preparation for a performance of a singer does not only involve his new

improved use, bu t also a conscious preparation of the m any specific details of

singing. The principles of the Alexander Technique help to incorporate all

elements of music into one unity. Nelly Ben-Or adds constructive, conscious

musical preparation to Alexander's constructive, conscious control of the use of

the self:

That aspect of preparation will not have been

included in the education received from Alexander
lessons. A conscious preparation for musical
performance means giving attention to m any specific
details of playing or singing in which aspects of the
technique can of course be very helpful, though only
after a long study and experience of i t 41

« Ben-Or/PREPARATION, p. 14.
« Ben-Or/CONCEPTIONS, p. 30, col. 1.

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One aspect of preparation deals w ith memorization. Singers experience memory

loss because of performance anxiety. The startle pattern triggers a different use

of the body, leading to a change of tension in the muscles. The singer then

cannot rely on his muscle m em ory anymore, leading to the threatening black

outs. Training in the Alexander Technique can cause additional memory loss for

a short period of time. Singers cannot rely at all on muscle m em ory for a while,

because the training in Alexander Technique changes their whole psycho

physical behavior on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. But as soon as the

singer establishes a new use and goes through dramatic changes in the psycho

physical behavior, the m em ory returns and works m uch more efficiently than

before. F. M. Alexander stresses that the work on inhibition will change the

memory and awareness. Better m em ory and heightened awareness go hand in

hand.

The employm ent of inhibition call for the exercise of

m em ory and awareness, the former for remembering
the procedures involved in the technique and the
proper sequence in which they should be used, and
the latter in the recognition of w hat is happening. In
the process both potentialities are developed, and the
scope of the use of both gradually increase. Moreover
the experiences thus gained, not only help in

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developing and quickening the recalling and
connecting memory, but cultivate w hat I shall call the
motor-sensory-intellectual memory.42

Angela Caine, an Alexander teacher and singer, describes her experience and

different factors that finally lead her to memory gain:

My memory returned, along w ith m y ability to learn

w ord and recall them at will. I am convinced that this
was due to the renewed freedom in the movement of
m y eyes which occurred as m y posture and balance
improved. Singing w ith a constricted larynx
produced staring. This destroys communication
through blanking off the audience. With no stimulus
to trigger them, m em ory and recall do not function.43

Angela Caine m ade the connection between m em ory and freedom in the eyes. A

singer should never practice w ith his eyes closed. He tries to feel from the inside,

b u t this does not help because he employs his faulty sensory awareness.

Catherine Wielopolska remembers F. M. Alexander stressing that students had to

send directions while having their eyes open.44 Singers who shut their eyes

practice a disconnection w ith their world. They have to practice to communicate

« Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 114.
43 Caine/FEAR, p. 2, col. 2.
44 Calder/ALEXANDER, p. 21, col. 1 - col. 2.

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with the audience. Marjorie Barlow found that staring with die eyes can often go

hand in hand w ith stiffness in the neck.45 Crissman Taylor points out that if the

eyes take on a strained look, it indicates m isdirected attention.46 Peter Grunwald,

an Alexander teacher and vision specialist, found a direct relationship between

different weaknesses or diseases of the eyes and body behavior. In general,

people w ho use focused vision all the time show signs of contractions in different

parts of the body. People, who use peripheral or panoramic vision, can let the

body react with the principle of the Alexander Technique of expansion rather

than contraction. The reader may read Peter G runwald's book Eyebody: the art of

integrating eye, brain and body for more detailed information. Tension in the eye

comes from tension in the body and vice versa. Singer should observe while

practicing how their eyes behave. The undoing of tension in the eye leads to

undoing of tension in the body and vice versa.

Singers have to p u t in a great deal of self-discipline and work to achieve unity of

body, mind, emotions and music. Walter Carrington formulates w hat so many

singers experience:

45 Cavies/BARLOW, p. 156.
« Taylor/DIRECTION, p. 27.

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I'm not pretending for a moment that it is sweetness
and light, everything is roses, roses all the way. It is a
dam ned hard struggle. It is inevitably a hard struggle
in whatever sphere or direction it is, because there is
the unrem itting dem and of the constant and because
of the unrem itting dem and of the constant, there is
the unrem itting requirem ent of the constant response.
It is a constant stimulus and a, constant response.47

All the elements of the singer's musical knowledge in connection w ith his

physical and m ental being lead to a creative performance. If everything works

together, a great performance happens. As the level of awareness rises, the

singer becomes aware of all of the whole psycho-physical mechanism. Olga

Averino points out:

The last technical step is the same for all performers.

It is the 'awareness.' Instead of thinking and sensing,
you become aware of all the functioning parts, and
you are free to make the music.48

Singers find it helpful to work on the table before a performance to recall all their

experiences and to extablish improved use. Many singers who experience

performance anxiety can successfully employ the whispered 'a h ' right before a

47 Carrington/THINKING, p. 96.
48 Averino/SINGING, p. 47.

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performance because of its calming effect. Singers who have problems sleeping

the night before a performance also found the 'w hispered ah' a beneficial tool.

The whispered 'ah ' helps singers to anticipate the performance situation. While

thinking about the performance, he continues to give preventive directions in

order to stop his old habitual behavior. Singers prepare for the actual

performance by practicing in the concert clothes and shoes of this particular

performance. They also can make a recording or sing for a few friends. The

w ork on inhibition and non-doing, giving directions helps them to create a

readiness and willingness to communicate already in the practice. They can ask

themselves if they acted in a goal-oriented way in these practice sessions or if

they could undo tension while singing.

Emotions

The singer also has to work on his ability to express emotions. F. M. Alexander

w rote that losing one's temper will manifest in a loss of control in use and

functioning. He continues that the tendency to react too quickly to a stimulus of

264

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the environment leads to 'emotional gusts'.49 Most people accept that emotions

manifest themselves in the body. Emotions such as anger or elation trigger

certain physical sensations. The emotion of fear triggers a reflex, the already

explained startle pattern. It helps the singer to inhibit the habitual response of

throwing the head back and then to give directions which lead the head forward

and up in relation to the back. It helps to counteract fear if the singer sends

directions. When the singer succeeds in doing so in less im portant situations

such as in daily life, he will be able to conquer it on stage.

Changing the perceptions w ith the help of the Alexander Technique will

inevitably lead to a change in emotions.50 That does not m ean that the singer has

to suppress his emotions. Donald L. Weed51 came across the opinion of some

people that they are not allowed to have emotions, because F. M. Alexander

49 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 115.
50 Alcantara/LIFE, p. 50.
51 Donald L. Weed studied with Marjorie Barstow 1971-1973, additionally with Margaret Goldie,
Frank Pierce Jones. He holds undergraduate degrees in human biology, music a n d d ra m a a n d a
Doctor of Chiropractic degree. His extensive background as actor, singer, director, performance
coach shows in his book What you think is what you get: an introductory textbook to the study of the
Alexander Technique (1998). H e started teaching the Alexander Technique in 1975, originated the
Interactive Teaching Method [ITM], Currently he trains teachers in Switzerland, Germany and
Great Britain.

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spoke against them.52 F. M. Alexander w anted to give the singer a tool to control

his emotions and to consciously choose his emotions according to the situation.

His colleagues told that he could express his anger and rage about a certain

m atter and continue seconds later w ith another student in calm, reassuring

manner. He could use his emotions by choice.

The singer's misuse of the voice and the self actually causes an inexpressive way

of singing. Singers sometimes get the feedback that they sing w ithout emotion

while they think they strongly express their emotions. The audience cannot

experience the force of the emotions because the singer wastes too m uch energy

by his inefficient use of himself and his voice.53 The singer will m anage to

eliminate all the unw anted gestures he subconsciously involved in singing.54

W hen he achieves a beneficial coordination of head-neck-back, he can choose his

gestures. All the gestures, including the activity of his limbs, hands, fingers, and

his facial expressions will finally w ork harmoniously in concert with each other.

52 Weed/ALEXANDER, p. 139.
53 Arcaya/VOICE, p. 7, col. 1.
54 Westfeldt/ALEXANDER, p. 147.

266

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One of the greatest factors in hum an development is
the building up of a form of confidence which comes
as the result of that m ethod of learning by which the
pupil is put in possession of the correct means whereby
he can attain his end before he makes any attem pt to
gain it. By this method, the attem pt he makes will be
more or less successful from the outset, and a series of
satisfactory instead of unsatisfactory psychophysical
experiences will follow, and with them that intelligent
confidence and state of happiness associated
therewith which is the "consummated conquest" of
the hum an being on a conscious plane.55

As an end result of consciously guided practicing, the singer will experience

freedom and happiness while performing.

55 Alexander/CONSCIOUS, p. 387.

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CONCLUSION

Singing should be a great and wonderful experience. Most vocal teachers aim for

the utmost freedom and beauty in the voice of their students, even if they do not

attain them. I include a definition of a beautiful voice by the German functional

voice teacher Gisela Rohmert. She describes all the qualities an extraordinary

and successful voice should have:

The singing voice carries far and is full of

energy.
It is unmistakably clear and brilliant.
It has a range that has been underestim ated
until now (around four octaves).
It transports and transforms all-encompassing
emotion.
It is adaptable to all of its aspects independent
of age and does not wear out.
It is almost inexhaustible.
Its capacity for improvement seems w ithout
limit.
It has spiritual energy.
It is a healing force.1

1 Rohmert/SANGER, p. 5-6, translated by Petra Hundemer-Friedman. Die Sangerstimme ist sehr

weittragend und energievoll. Sie ist unmipverstandlich klar und brillant. Sie hat einen bisher
unterschatzten Umfang (ca. 4 Oktaven). Sie transportiert and transformiert umfassende
Emotionalitat. Sie reagiert in alien Parametem altersunabhangig und ohne Verschlei{3. Sie ist
w enig ermudbar. Ihre Optimierungsmoglichkeit erscheint unbegrenzt. Sie hat spirituelle Karft.
Sie ist heilkraftig.

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When everything works well, singing gives the most gratifying experience.

Singers often feel uncomfortable, however, or even develop serious vocal

injuries. Alexander Technique can be a great tool to deal w ith the problems in

these cases. Applying the Alexander Technique helps the singer refrain from

interfering w ith the vocal mechanism and helps to build an instrum ent the singer

can enjoy all his life. More and more singers use the Alexander Technique as a

preventative measure because a good use of the whole self will, in the long run,

help retain a youthful voice even in an advanced age. F. M. Alexander reassures

us that constant w ork on the use of the self will constantly improve the psycho

physical state of the person, and I add that it will also constantly improve the

voice:

A good m anner of use of the self exerts an influence

for good upon general functioning which is not only
continuous, but also grows stronger as time goes on,
becoming, that is, a constant influence tending always
to raise the standard of functioning and improve the
m anner of reaction.2

2 Alexander/UNIVERSAL, p. 524.

269

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F. M. Alexander learned how to deal with his chronic hoarseness and his other

health problems through a thorough process of observation. By establishing

several principles, he found an improved head-neck-back relationship.

W ith hands-on teaching, he taught his concepts to his students who could

overcome unw anted habits w ith this technique. He wrote four books and a vast

num ber of articles which express and explain all of his concepts in m inute detail.

These books, articles and the books of his ow n trainees gave me the foundation

to explain the Alexander Technique from the view of a singer and vocal teacher.

Comparing the Alexander Technique to body-m ind techniques led me to an

improved understanding of the Alexander Technique. Similarities and

contradictions of body-mind techniques such as the Feldenkrais method, the

breathing m ethod by Carl Stough, Tai Chi and Zen in the art of archery gave me

and hopefully you as reader more clarity about w hat the Alexander Technique

tries to achieve. I did not find one body-mind technique that encompassed all of

the principles of the Alexander Technique.

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M any written vocal books and articles offered me additional help for

understanding the Alexander Technique. Beret Arcaya m entioned in one of her

articles that she loved the writings about Manuel Garcia. This gave m e the idea

to compare the Alexander Technique w ith many, m any vocal schools. I found

that the m any ideas of the almost forgotten teachings of Manuel Garcia II, the

Alexander Technique based m ethod of Kristin Linklater, the vocal teachings of

Olga Averino, the functional voice training of Cornelius Reid and the recently

published book by the Alexander and voice teacher Jane Ruby Heirich confirmed

Alexander's writings in detail. Many other vocal teachings had interesting ideas,

bu t they missed one or more of the Alexander Technique principles. Other

books stood vehemently in contrast to the teachings of the Alexander Technique.

Functional voice teachers talk about the functioning of the voice. I added

anatomical misconceptions of singers in contrast to the Alexander Technique

which help to clarify the singer's ideas of his voice.

Alexander Technique has now been taught for over one hundred years. About

three thousand [3,000] teachers worldwide teach it. Using the Alexandrian

271

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applications of table work, sitting, standing, walking, the monkey, lunge, hands-

on the back of the chair, and last not least the whispered 'a h ' to the daily w ork of

a singer helps to establish a great foundation for the voice. The Alexander

Technique is an especially w onderful tool for voice teachers w hen traditional

vocal techniques fail to improve the quality of a voice.

This dissertation did not intend to go into detailed vocal exercises, but the singer

can transfer all the principles that he learned w ith the different applications to

his vocal studies. The vocal exercises of M anuel Garcia provide a valuable

resource for vocal work.

The intention of this thesis is to improve the singer's understanding and

knowledge of the Alexander Technique and its influence in daily activities,

including singing. I have to stress that the singer will only receive a complete

understanding of this thesis by taking lessons in the Alexander Technique.

Applying the five principles to singing and working on posture and breathing

will influence the practicing and performing skills of the singer.

272

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I would like to end this paper with a quotation by Romeo Alavi Kia:

The voice of a hum an being is not only the

m ost im portant means of communication, but
also a barom eter for all that happens in the
hum an interior - a m irror of the self.3

3 Kia/STIMME, p. 10, translated by Petra Hundemer-Friedman. Die Stimme eines Menschen ist
nicht nur sein wichtigstes Mittel zur Kommunikation, sie ist auch ein Barometer fur alles, was
sich in diesem Menschen abspielt - ein Spiegel seines Selbst.

273

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Brennan/STRESS _, Stress: the alternative solution.

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Brennan/WORKBOOK *____ , The Alexander Technique workbook
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Brown/VOICE *Brown, Oren L, Discover your voice: how to

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Brown/KINESTHETIC *____ , Kinesthetic and cognitive determinants

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Brown/RESEARCH *____, "The research contributions of Frank

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Burge/LECTURE " Burge, Paul. The matter about words: the

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Caldwell/HEALTH Excellence in singing: multilevel

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learning and multilevel teaching: vol. V:
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Caldwell/PROCESS _, Excellence in singing: multilevel

learning and multilevel teaching: vol. I:
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Caldwell/TECHNIQUE 1 Excellence in singing: multilevel

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Caldwell/TECHNIQUE II t , Excellence in singing: multilevel

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Caplan/BACK *Caplan Deborah, The Alexander Technique:

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1869-1955: a biographical outline. London:
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Carrington/BALANCE Balance as afunction of intelligence.

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Carrington/F.M. "F.M. Alexander as I knew him".

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Carrington/FUTURE *____ , Man's future as an individual: the

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Carrington/TIME * , A time to remember: a personal diary of

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Carrington/WELL-BEING _, The foundations of human well-being &
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F. Matthias Alexander Technique. London:
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Cairington/WRITINGS "Carrington, Walter & Carey, Sean,

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Chance/ALEXANDER *Chance, Jeremy, The Alexander Technique.
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Cohen/CONTROL *Cohen, Rivka, „The primary control: some
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Conable/MUSICIAN * ,What every musician needs to know
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Dart/SKILL ‘‘'Dart, Raymond Arthur, Skill and poise:
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P.M. Alexander, unpub. DMA thesis:
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Dimon/SELF *____ , The undivided self: Alexander

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Fedele/OBOE *Fedele, Andrea, The Alexander Technique: a
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Gray/ACTOR *Gray, John, „The Alexander Technique

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Gray/ALEXANDER *____ , The Alexander Technique: a complete

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Hanna/FELDENKRAIS JHanna, Thomas, "Moshe Feldenkrais.
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Heirich/ALEXANDER Heirich, Jane Ruby, Voice and the Alexander
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Hines/SINGERS tH ines, Jerome, Great singers on great
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Hodgkinson/ALEXANDER Hodgkinson, Liz, The Alexander Technique

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Hudson/ALEXANDER I Hudson, Barbara Huskey, "The effects of

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Hudson/SINGER *____ . The effects of the Alexander Technique

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Hurtig/TECHNIQUE *Hurtig, Brent, „Inside the Alexander
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Jacobson/TENSION Jacobson, Edmund, „A manual of tension

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Jones/FREEDOM *____ , Freedom to change. The development

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Kia/ATEMTYPEN f Kia, Romeo Alavi & Schulze-Schindler,
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Kosminsky/BALANCE *Kosminsky, Jane & Hurt, W illiam, The
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Langford/MIND *Langford, Elizabeth, Mind and muscle: An
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Miller/SOPRANO t ____ ,Training soprano voices. Oxford, NY:
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Stimmtherapie (MST): Eine Therapie, die
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Murry/EDUCATION Murry, Thomas, „Vocal education for the
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Cambridge University Press, 1946.

Sherrington/NATURE , Man on his nature. Cambridge, UK:

Cambridge University Press, 1963 (1st ed.
1940)

Simpson/DYSPHONIA Simpson, C. Blake & Fleming, Daniel J,

"Medical and vocal history in the evaluation
of dysphonia". The otolaryngologic clinics of
North America: voice disorders and
phonosurgery I: XXXIII/ 4, ed. C. A. Rosen &
Th. Murry. Philadelphia, PA, W.B. Saunders
(August 2000), p. 719-30.

Sobotta/ANATOMY 1 Sobotta, Johannes et al., Sobotta atlas of

Human anatomy: vol.l: head, neck, upper limbs,
skin. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins, 2000 (21th ed.)

Sobotta/ANATOMY 2 , Sobotta atlas of human anatomy: vol.2:

thorax, abdomen, pelvis, lower limbs.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins, 2000 (21th ed.)

Sontag/CURIOSITY *Sontag, Jerry (ed.), Curiosity recaptured

Exploring ways we think and move. San
Francisco: Momum Time, 1998.

Spiegel/DYSPHONIA Spiegel, Joseph R. et al., "Dysphonia

related to medical therapy". The
otolaryngologic clinics of North America: voice

337

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disorders and phonosurgery, ed. C. A. Rosen &
Th. Murry. Philadelphia, PA, W.B. Saunders
(August 2000), p. 771-84.

Stanton/VOICE tStanton, Royal, Steps to singing for voice

classes. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 2000
(3rd ed.; Is*ed. 1971).

Staring/LIFE I ’''Staring, Jeroen, Thefirst 43 years of the life of

F. Matthias Alexander: F.Matthias Alexander,
Randolph bourne and John Dewey: Playing
detective with Man's supreme inheritance: I.
Nijemekgen, NLD: J. Staring, 1996.

Staring/LIFE II •Staring, Jeroen, The first 43 years of the life

of F. Matthias Alexander: F.Matthias
Alexander, Randolph bourne and John
Dewey: Playing detective with Man's
supreme inheritance: I. Nijemekgen, NLD:
J. Staring, 1997.

Stark/Bel Canto tStark, James, Bel canto: a history of vocal

pedagogy, Toronto, CAN: University of
Toronto Press, 1999.

Stein/MUSICIANS •Stein, Charles Jay, The Alexander Technique

for musicians.
www.alexandertechnique.com/articles/stein

Stein/SCHLEP •____ , "To schlep or not to schlep". Music

Teacher. LXXV/5, (May 1996), p. 8.

Stevens/ALEXANDER •Stevens, Chris, Alexander Technique.

London: Optima, 1993; rev.ed.

Stevens/GUIDE • fAlexander Technique: an introductory

guide to the techniques and its benefits. London:
Vermilion, 1996; rev.ed.

338

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Stevens/PHYSIOLOGY _,Towards a physiology of the F.M.
Alexander Technique: a record of work in
progress. London: STAT Books, 1995.

Stevens/STUDIES * /'Experimental studies". The congress

papers: towards unity: 2ndinternational
Alexander congress, Brighton, England, August
1988. ed. J. Chance. Bondi, NSW, Australia:
Direction, 1988; 136-156.

Stockhausen/SINGING tStockhausen, Julius, A method of singing.

London: Novello, 1884.

Stommel/KORPERHALTUNG Stommel, P. et al., „Der Einflup einer

veranderten Korperhaltung auf die
Stimmeigenschaften und die myoeletrische
Aktivitat phonationsrelevanter Muskeln bei
Ausiiben der Stimmfunktion". Beitrage zum
1. Kolloqium Praktische Musikphysiologie:
Dokumentation Arbeitswissenschaft Vol XXIV,
ed.W. Rohmert. Koln: Schmidt, 1990, p.
127-37.

Stough/BREATH |Stough, Carl & Stough, Reece, Dr. Breath:

the story of breathing coordination: an absorbing
account of the most significant advance of the
century in knowledge of breathing. New York:
The Stough Institute, 1981(2nd ed.; I s*ed.
1970).

Stransky/ALEXANDER *Stransky, Judith, The Alexander Technique:

joy in the life of your body. New York:
Beaufort Books, 1981.

Sundberg/RESONANCE Sundberg, Johan, "Vocal tract resonance".

Professional voice: the science and art of clinical
care. ed. by R. Th. Sataloff, Robert Thayer.
New York: Raven, 1991, p. 49-68.

339

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Sundberg/SCIENCE .The science of voice of the singing
voice. Dekalb, IL: Northern Illinois
University Press, 1987.

Tasker/LINKS *Tasker, Irene, Connecting links. Florence,

MA: AmSAT Books, 1967.

T aylor/ALEXANDER *Taylor, Anthony James, Whatever you're

doing now you can do it better!: Your guide to
enhanced mental & physical performance
inspired by the Alexander Technique. Bristol,
UK: Gil, 2004.

Taylor/DIRECTION *Taylor, Crissman, The direction of musical

impulse: the Alexander Technique and singing,
unpub. DMA thesis: Music conservatory of
the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Utrecht,
NLD, 2001.

Tesarek/KULTUR tTesarek, Leopold, Kleine Kulturgeschichte

der Singstimme von derAntike bis heute mit
einem phoniatrischen Beitrag von Univ.-Prof
Dr. Friedrich Frank. Wien: Bohlau, 1997.

Thausing/SANGERSTIMME tThausing, Albrecht, Die Sdngerstimme: Ihre

Beschaffenheit und Entstehung, ihre Bildung
und ihr Verlust. Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche
Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1924.

Thausing/STIMME tThausing, Albrecht, Stimme und

Kunstgesang: Eine neue Grundlegung fur die
Gesangspddagogik. Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche
Buchhandlung N achfolger, 1938.

Thompson/VIEWS ^Thompson, Lester W, „Frank Pierce Jones's

Views on the Alexander Technique". The
scientific and humanistic contributions of Frank

340

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Pierce Jones on the Alexander Technique, ed. R.
A. Brown. Long Beach, CA: Centerline,
1988, p. 34-48.

Tillman/V OICE tTillm an, Rochele Ann, Voice and body

incorporated into actor training, unpub. .MA
thesis: University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
1999.

Tinbergen/ORATION *Tinbergen, N, „Ethology and stress

diseases: the Nobel oration, 1973". More talk
of Alexander, ed. W. Barlow. London:
Gollancz, 1978, p. 249-55.

Tittel/ANATOMIE Tittel, Kurt, Beschreibende und funktionelle

Anatomie des Menschen. Jena, DEU: Gustav
Fischer, 1970 (5th rev. ed.)

Titze/PHYSIOLOGY Titze, Ingo R. (ed.), Vocalfold physiology:

frontiers in basic science. San Diego, CA:
Singular, 1993.

Titze/VOICE , Principles of voice production.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993.

Tolle/STAGE *Tolle, Ulfried, "Stage fright".

Direction: a Journal on the Alexander Technique.
1/8 (September 1991), p. 24-6.

Tosi/OBSERVATIONS tTosi, Pietro Francesco, Observations on the

florid song. New York: Johnson Reprint, 1968
(2nd ed.; I s*ed. 1723 as Opinionioni de' cantori
antichi e modemi o sieno osservationi sopra it
canto figurato; 1st English ed. 1743).

Tottle/BODYSENSE !fTottle, Sally A, Revolutionize your riding

with the Alexander Technique. North Pomfrey,
VT: Trafalgar Square, 1998.

341

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Trevelyan/DIARY I Trevelyan, Sir George, "The diary of Sir
George Trevelyan: part I: Why I took up
Alexander's work." The philosopher's stone:
diaries of lessons with F. Matthias Alexander,
ed. J. M. O. Fischer. London:
Mouritz, 1998, p. 65-72.

Trevelyan/DIARY II *____ , "The diary of Sir George Trevelyan:

part II: diary 1936-38". The philosopher's
stone: diaries of lessons with F. Matthias
Alexander, ed. J. M. O. Fischer.
London: Mouritz, 1998, p. 73-101.

Trevelyan/TRAINING *____ , "Training with F.M." The Alexander

Journal, ed. A. Nott. XII (Autumn 1992), p.
13-28.

Trevelyan/WHOLENESS *____ , "Sir George Trevelyan: the true

wholeness". The Alexander Journal, ed. A.
Nott. XHI (Autumn 1993), p. 23-30.

Tucker/BODY Tucker et al., Body movement for inner

harmony. New York, NY: Lorenz Books,
2002.

Ulualp/REFLUX Ulualp, Seckin O. & Toohill, Robert J,

"Laryngopharyngeal reflux: state of the art
diagnosis and treatment". The otolaryngologic
clinics of North America: voice disorders and
phonosurgery I, ed C. A. Rosen & Th. Murry.
XXXm/ 4. Philadelphia, PA, W.B. Saunders
(August 2000), p. 785-802.

Valentine/MUSICIANS ^Valentine, Elizabeth R, "Alexander

technique for,, musicians: research to date".
Psychology and Performing Arts, ed. G. D.
Wilson. Amsterdam, NLD:

342

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Swets & Zeitlinger, 1991, p. 239-47.

Valentine/PERFORMANCE ’‘’Valentine, Elizabeth R. et al., "The effect of

lessons in the Alexander Technique on
music performance in high and low stress
situations". Psychology of Music.
XXXII/2 (1995), p. 129-41.

Vennard/SINGING tV ennard, Richard, Singing: the mechanism

and the technic. New York: Carl Fischer, 1967
(5* ed.; I s*ed. 1949)

Vittud/REID tV ittu d , Sebastian, "Accessing the organic

logic of the vocal mechanism: the teaching of
Cornelius Reid from the perspective of a
Feldenkrais Practitioner". The Modem
Singing Master Essays in Honor of Cornelius L.
Reid, ed. A. Bybee & J. E. Ford. Lanham,
MD: Scarecrow, 2002, p. 260-89.

Ware/PEDAGOGY tW are, Clifton, Basics of vocal pedagogy: the

foundations and process of singing. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Ware/SINGING _, Adventures in singing: a process for

exploring, discovering and developing vocal
potential. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2004
(3rd edition; 1st ed. 1995).

Warrack/SINGING *Warrack, Joyce, "The indirect approach to

singing". More Talk of Alexander, ed. W.
Barlow. London, UK: Gollancz, 1978, p. 196-
99.

Waterhouse/MUSICIAN 1 ^Waterhouse, Elisabeth, "Alexander

Technique & the musician". Direction: a
Journal on the Alexander Technique.

343

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www.directionjoumal.com/congress/sc/
waterhouse.html

Waterhouse/MUSICIAN 2 *____ , "Helping the musician". ". Back to

Basics: the Congress Papers: 5th international
congress of the F. M. Alexander Technique,
August 14- 20,1996, Jerusalem, Israel, ed. Sh.
Nelken. Jerusalem, ISR: Maor Wallach,
1999, p. 207-8.

Webb/DIARY *Webb, Eva, "The diary of Eva Webb". The

philosopher's stone: diaries of lessons with F.
Matthias Alexander, ed. J. M. O. Fischer.
London: Mouritz, 1998, p. 15-35.

Weed/ALEXANDER *Weed, Donald L, What you think is what you

get: an introductory textbook to the study of the
Alexander Technique. Bristol, UK: Groups in
Learning, 1999.

Weissman/HEALTH Weisman, Roanne (ed.), Own your health:

choosing the bestfrom alternative &
conventional medicine. Deerfield Beach, FL:
Health Communications, 2003. also:
www.ownyourhealth.info

Westfeldt/WORK *Westfeldt, Lulie. F. Matthias Alexander: the

man and his work: memoirs of training in the
Alexander Technique 1931-34. London:
Mouritz, 1998 (1st ed. 1964).

W hite/SINGING tW hite, Brian, Singing techniques and vocal

pedagogy: outstanding dissertations in music
from British universities. New York: Garland
1989.

344

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Whittaker/ALEXANDER *Whittaker, Erika, „Alexander's way". The
Alexander Journal, ed. A. Nott. XIII (Autumn
1993), p. 3-12.

Williams/GENERATION ^Williams, Peggy et al., Taking time: six

interviews with first generation teachers of the
Alexander Technique on Alexander teacher
training. Aarhus, DNK: Novis, 2000.

Winsel/ANATOMY W insel, Regnier, The anatomy of voice. New

York: Exposition, 1966.

Wodeman/TENSION *Wodeman, Joyce, "Tension and the actor".

More talk of Alexander, ed. W. Barlow.
London, UK: Gollancz, 1978, p. 200-3.

Wolf/ALEXANDER *Wolf, Jessica, „The Alexander Technique".

Selected breathing masterclasses. Malibu, CA:
W indplayer, 2002.

Wolf/BREATHING *____ , "The breathing costume". Direction.

III/2, p. 16-20.

York/POSTURE tYork, Wynn W, "The use of imagery in

posture training". The NATS Bulletin. XIX
(May 1963), p. 6,27.

Zemlin/ANATOMY Zemlin, W illard R, Speech and hearing

science, anatomy and physiology.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Practice-Hall, 1968.

Zi/ART fZi, Nancy, The art of breathing: thirty simple

exercises for improving your performance and
well-being. T oronto, CA N: Bantam , 1986.

Zi/BREATHING J. , The art of breathing: a course of six

simple lessons to improve performance and well
being: CA: Vivi Glendale,1994.

345

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Zimmermann/ANATOMIE Zimmermann, Elke, Funktionelle Anatomie:
Knochen, Gelenke-Muskeln: StudienbriefVI.
Schomdorf, DEU: Hofmann, 1989.

Zipperer/SURVEY *Zipperer, Daniel M, "A survey of

Alexander Technique as a supplement to
voice production". Journal of Research in
Singing and Applied Vocal Pedagogy. XIV/2
(June 1991) p. 1-40.

Zur Lippe/LEIB Zur Lippe, Rudolf, „Es ist der Leib, der die
Musik macht". Musikpddagogische Forschung:
vol XI. Essen: die blaue Eule, 1990, p. 43-55.

Alexander Technique-websites
Societies

International Affiliated Societies of the Alexander Technique

www.alexandertechniqueworldwide.com

American Society for the Alexander Technique [AmSAT]

www.amsat.ws

Alexander Technique International [AH]

www.ati-net.com •

Australian Society for the Alexander Technik [AUSTAT]

www.alexandertechnique.org.au

Gesellschaft der Lehrer/innen der F.M. Alexander-Technik [GLAT], Germany

www.alexander-technik.org

346

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Society of Teacher of the Technique [STAT], Great Britain
www.stat.org.uk

Alexander publications/ publisher

Direction www.directionjoumal.com

Mornum time press www.mtpress.com

347

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VITA

Maria Ursula (Felber) Weiss saw the light of the world in Bad Reichenhall,

Germany, in 1965 and grew up in Bavaria. Maria pursued her Master of

Music degree in music education [Musikerziehu ng] and in instrumental music

education [Instrumentalmusikerziehung] at the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg

[former: Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst], Austria, graduating

summa cum laude [mit ausgezeichnetem Erfolg] in both subjects in 1990. She

additionally received a M aster's degree in flute pedagogy at the Universitat

Mozarteum Salzburg in 1992. In 1997 Maria went to Urbana, Illinois, to start

to pursue a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in voice performance with Sarah

Ameson at the University of Illinois. After one year Sarah Ameson

transferred to Boston University, Massachusetts. Maria Weiss continued her

vocal studies first with her and later with William Sharp.

For years Maria Weiss studied different body-mind techniques such as

Feldenkrais with Corinna Lanner-Holzhausen, Tai Chi and breath and

movement coordination with Susanne Skov. She also attended a workshop

for breath coordination according to Carl Stough with Jessica Wolf.

348

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In January, 1999, she started to pursue an Alexander teaching certificate. In

December, 2001, she completed the three-year training course at tire

Alexander Technique Training Center [ATTC] in Newton, Massachusetts,

directed by Ruth Kilroy. She also finished a two-year professional

development program at the Rivka Cohen School for the Alexander

Technique in Boston, Massachusetts. In April, 2002, she received Certification

as an Alexander teacher from the American Society for the Alexander

Technique [AmSAT]. She also received lessons in the Alexander Technique

from Joan Murray, Peter Ribeaux and Jessica Wolf.

Maria taught music education as a teacher for music classes at the Middle

School [Realschule] in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, at the Music High School

[Musikgymnasium] in Salzburg, Austria and at the German Saturday School in

Boston, Massachusetts. She taught flute, recorder, piano, music theory, ear

training, children's choir, and instrumental ensembles in music schools near

Salzburg and in Upper Austria. She helped as a committee member to create

a new curriculum for flute for the music schools of Austria. In addition, she

taught for five years as a teacher of flute, instrumental ensemble, ear training

349

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and music theory in summer camps for wind instruments. She taught voice

as a teaching assistant at Boston University, Massachusetts. She taught

workshops in Alexander Technique at Boston University and Brown

University in Providence, Rhode Island. She currently gives workshops in

Alexander Technique and voice for choral societies and music schools.

Maria has sung opera at the Theaterhof near Munich, Germany. She has

experience in numerous solo and ensemble concert performances and recitals

in voice in Austria, Germany, Italy and the United States of America.

When she returns to Munich, Germany, Maria and her husband Josef plan to

open an Institute for Alexander Technique and music, to be called the Weiss-

Institute.

350

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日常练习

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日常练习

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BOSTON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE & THE ART OF TEACHING VOICE

MARIA URSULA WEISS

Magister artium, Universitat M ozarteum Salzburg, 1990

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

All rights reserved.

ProQuest Information and Learning Company

Thank you to my voice teachers, Norbert Prasser, Ingrid Janser-Mayr, Sarah

Schartner, who introduced me to Eutony, bioenergetics and Feldenkrais, Joy

McIntyre and Marc Aliapoulios.

Thank you to m y Alexander teachers. A special thank you to Beret Arcaya,

who convinced me w ith a single lesson in Salzburg that Alexander Technique

will help me w ith my vocal development. Much gratitude to Rivka Cohen

additional lessons, including Joan M urray and Peter Ribeaux.

Corinna Lanner-Holzhausen for teaching me Feldenkrais, Susanne Skov for

teaching the breath work of Carl Stough in connection with Alexander

Technique. Their expertise in these techniques provided m e with the ability

to compare the body-mind technique w ith the Alexander Technique.

Andre de Quadros and Sarah Ameson, for their suggestions.

and articles from all over the world.

Thank you to all m y private students, to m y students at Boston University,

and to m y students in workshops whose questions taught me a lot.

necessary pictures of applications of the Alexander Technique. Thank you to

Michael Hamilton for taking the pictures.

Thank you to Petra Hundem er-Friedm an for translating German sources.

Thank you to Daniel Page for proofreading the dissertation.

Thank you to m y husband Josef, who shared as an Alexander teacher himself

Sophia, for being great children.

MARIA URSULA WEISS

Boston University College of Fine Arts, 2005

Major Professor: Joel L. Sheveloff, Professor of Music

This paper focuses on the principles and applications of the Alexander

Alexander Technique together with her knowledge of different body-mind

approaches to the Alexander Technique.

Averino, to name just a few, to show that the principles of F. M. Alexander's

few sources of vocal teachers who teach singing as Alexander teachers

applications of the Alexander Technique mainly against die background of the

different body-mind methods, especially Feldenkrais and Archery by Eugen

the view of F. M. Alexander, various Alexander teachers, body-m ind techniques,

light on some misconceptions concerning 'posture' and breathing. She writes

The dissertation does not intend to go into detailed vocal exercises.

Alexander Technique, body-mind technique, voice books, anatom y and vocal

special marks to clarify to w hat field the book belongs.

Part I: THE F. M. ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE................................................. 4

Biographical details about the first years of Frederick Matthias Alexander..............4

2. TEACHING ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TO SINGERS................................16

3. THE FIVE PRINCIPLES.................................................................................. 35

Principle 1- Recognition of the force of habit........................................................... 37

Chair w ork................................................................................................................ 103

RELATED TOPICS FOR THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IN SINGING... 120

8. PRACTICING AND PERFORMING...............................................................230

Figure 1- Righting reflex of a cat......................................................................... 62

Figure 2 - Vertebral disorders............................................................................ 67

Figure 3 - Chair w ork.......................................................................................... 103

Figure 4 - Table w ork.......................................................................................... 107

Figure 7a - Lunge forw ards................................................................................ 115

Figure 7b - Lunge backw ards...............................................................................115

Figure 9 - H ands on the back of a chair.............................................................. 118

Figure 10 - F. M atthias Alexander as "specialist in respiration"..................... 121

Figure 12 - Balanced head versus retracted head............................................ 163

Figure 13 - Diaphragm while inhaling - view from right side........................ 186

Figure 14 - W hispered 'a h '....................................................................................191

Figure 15 - Muscles of facial expression.............................................................198

Figure 16 - Tongue............................................................................................... 202

workshops on either a traditional way of teaching voice or a mind and/or body

approach. My first voice pedagogy teacher, Marianne Schartner, introduced me

some lessons in Alexander Technique. Coming to the United States to do my

doctorate, I studied the Alexander Technique in a three-year training program

w ith Ruth Kilroy, in Newton, Massachusetts. I finished a two-year postgraduate

Alexander Technique, covering some biographical details, the developm ent of

topics im portant for singing such as posture, breathing, - practicing and

performing. Comparisons w ith a few selected body-mind techniques will clarify

their differences and similarities w ith Alexander Technique. In addition, I