This month I have the great pleasure of teaching an Alexander Technique class for a course at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Langely, B.C.  This course is taught by a colleague of mine, Paula Wise, who also plays in the Vancouver Opera Orchestra with me.  Paula and I both love working with musicians, exploring all the connections of mind/body/intellect/emotions…the whole SELF, in music and life. As in all my guest workshops and classes, I take the students through active exercises and experiments to explore kinaesthetic awareness, efficient design of the body, and ease in all activities to come back to natural, tension-free, poised movement.  What great fun!

Psychophysiology of Music Performance

Students will explore the psychological/physical relationship in music performance as well as the mental and emotional factors that affect learning and teaching. They will develop body awareness (posture, movement, and breathing) and its relationship to musical performance, as well as learn how to amend their physical movements to play more efficiently with less effort. Students will also investigate different approaches in developing musical skill, expressivity, interpretation, musical memory, and motivation, as well as survey different techniques for managing, and utilizing, performance anxiety.