Sound Being Studio

Musicians tend to have many injuries and physical complaints.  These range from general tension to repetitive strain injuries, including muscles spasms, back pain, tight shoulders and neck, carpal tunnel syndrome, and many other problems.  What most musicians don’t realize is that they are  often creating the problem through bad movement habits and inefficient use of their bodies.  The Alexander Technique is a tool for developing awareness, better kinaesthetic feedback, and integrated, efficient and natural movement.

The most complex instrument of all is the human body.  Every sound and action you make is a result of your awareness and efficiency of movement and thought.  Take time to learn the Alexander Technique, and you will have taken time to allow for change in your life…

Musicians under strain

Over the years, a number of prominent musicians have publicly endorsed the Alexander Technique: Yehudi Menuhin, Paul McCartney, Sting, Julian Bream, James Galway and the conductor Sir Adrian Boult, to name but a few.

The Technique is taught at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York, The Royal College of Music in London, The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and at many other schools of music, universities and colleges.

“The Alexander Technique can be sustaining; it is something that if learned well, can be carried along with you for the rest of your life. It gives you confidence to be who you are when you are up in front of an audience.” –   Patrick Maddams, managing director, Royal Academy of Music

Heather Walker will be presenting an introductory Alexander Technique workshop for musicians in Nanaimo on Thursday, April 23rd, 2015.  This is a closed workshop for musicians in the Wellington Jazz Academy.  If you are interested in booking an introductory workshop for a specific group of musicians, please don’t hesitate to contact Heather.

Do you have back pain?  The Alexander Technique has been proven to alleviate back pain more than classical massage, excercise, and normal GP care.  Below are some excerpts from the British Medical Journal’s clinical trial results.  To see a video or read the whole article, please go to my “Links, Articles, Books, Videos” page.

Relief for Chronic Back Pain Sufferers:  Clinical Trial shows Alexander Technique lessons are effective.

Clinical trial results published in the BMJ show that Alexander Technique lessons provide long-term benefit. The trial results clearly show that 24 one-to-one lessons in the Alexander Technique led to important improvements in function, quality of life and reduction of days in pain for the patients. Following 24 Alexander Technique lessons the average number of activities limited by back pain had fallen by 42%. The number of days in pain was only three per month compared with 21 days in pain in the control group, one year after the trial started.

At three months after the trial started, the group randomly allocated 24 Alexander Technique lessons reported eight days in pain, and the group allocated six lessons reported 13 days in pain in the past month, compared to the control group which reported 24 days in pain. Both Alexander Technique groups showed an improvement in function at three months.

This trial is one of the few major studies to show significant long-term benefits for patients with chronic non-specific low-back pain. 579 patients were involved in a multicentre clinical trial. The trial assessed benefits provided by Alexander Technique lessons, classical massage and normal GP care. Half the patients allocated to each intervention also received a GP prescription for general aerobic exercise (30 minutes of brisk walking or the equivalent each day). Of all the approaches tested, 24 Alexander Technique lessons, at least half taken within the first three months of the trial, proved to be the most beneficial.

Alexander Technique lessons are available in Nanaimo, B.C. with Heather Walker. 250-716-3464.