Tag Archives: Self-care for Musicians

Why It’s A Good Idea To Look For Trouble

“You are not here to do exercises, nor to learn to do something right, but to be able to meet a stimulus that always puts you in the wrong and to learn to deal with it.”

F.M. Alexander, founder of the Alexander Technique

The quote from above represents what I think to be the essential value of studying the Alexander Technique. I came to study this work because, as a saxophonist, I was not able to meet a stimulus that was putting me “in the wrong”. As a result, I had significant dysfunction in my hand s that had stopped me from making music.

Today, thanks to using what I’ve learned from the Technique, I’m playing better than ever (enjoying it more than ever, too!) I’ve also had a complete shift in how I approach the problems of playing music. This is something that has significantly aided me in helping the musicians who come to me for lessons.

Before I came to discover the Alexander Technique, I always struggled with consistency in playing the saxophone. If everything was “just right”, then I played very well…freely, expressively, openly, skillfully, joyfully…

But the problem was that often everything wasn’t just right: Not the ideal reed. Not the best acoustic environment. Not hearing my sound the way I’d like to. Not being completely okay with what the drummer was playing. Not liking the dynamics and intonation choices of the trumpet player. Not feeling the thing I think I needed to feel. Not loving every single note I played when I improvised. Not….well, you get the idea. I could find all kinds of things that put me in the wrong.

And when things were less than ideal, I would react differently to playing than when things were better. I’d pull myself into all kinds of distorted positions, amplifying effort, becoming rigid and self-conscoius, thoughts running rapidly through my head like a constant commentary on how I was doing. Lot’s of misdirected energy as I tried “even harder” to play well. Of course, none of this reactive effort did anything but make me play worse.

So to make a long story short, I had to learn to react differently to the thought of playing the saxophone in general, but particularly when conditions seemed less than perfect. And so I have learned to react differently (and am continuing to do so!)

It’s very easy to look outside of yourself and say why you couldn’t perform your best. Unfortunately, you can’t always control what’s outside of yourself. But you can, to a very large degree, learn to control how you respond to what’s outside of yourself.

One of the things I’m often looking for as I teach is how I can “lead my student into temptation.” I want to find the things that put this particular musician in the wrong, then teach her or him how to react differently. How to “deal with it” as Alexander would say.

When my students are doing particularly well during their lessons I jokingly tell them “Okay, that’s going great. Now let’s go look for some trouble.” We always manage to find something. Then my student has a chance to apply the principles that best address whatever the problem is.

Not only does this bring continuous improvement, but equally important, it cultivates confidence in their ability to help themselves. Thats huge. I proceed in the same way in my own musical practice.

So what puts you in the wrong as you play? Here are a few of the things in general that put many musicians in the wrong:

Tempo-whether very fast or challengingly slow.
The acoustic environment-dead, to live, noisy.
Tactile and kinesthetic sensations-things don’t “feel” like your use to them feeling.
Reaction to less than ideal conditions of your equipment.
Challenging registers of the instrument.
Challenging passages in the music.

Make a list of things that put you in the wrong. You can be as specific as you like. Once you’ve made your list, see if you can notice how you react when you encounter these challenging stimuli. Do you:

Stiffen up, particularly in your neck and shoulders? Your jaw? Perhaps your legs and feet as well?
Hold your breath or otherwise interfere with your breathing?
Feel hurried? Are your thoughts unclear and racing? Do you become hyper-critical? Where does your attention go?
Feel like you can’t hear yourself?
Feel angry? Frustrated? If so, how does that impact your breathing and body tension? (See above)

Once you become aware of your reactions, see if you can notice how these reactions negatively impact your ability to play your best. Then modify your thinking a bit to change things, to lesson the tension. If you shift your thought from “how am I doing?” to “what am I doing?” (from judgement to discernment), it can really begin to open some important doors to your self-improvement. This is where a skilled teacher can really be of help, showing you how to become better aware, and able to prevent these habitual reactions.

Playing music can be a joyful experience virtually all the time. Really. So don’t be afraid of trouble. Go looking for it, learn how to deal with it, and rediscover this joy.

An Essential Ingredient For Continued Growth And Improvement

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To improve as a musician, you need discipline, drive, passion, commitment, persistence, a sense of humor, organizational skills, patience and more. But the thing that really fuels (really nourishes!) improvement is curiosity.

And Einstein was speaking from his own experience. His talent was his deep curiosity, and it was directed toward better understanding the physical nature of the world around him. That curiosity fueled his passion to make astounding discoveries about our universe.

To be curious means that you don’t know, but would like to know. It is a source of energy.

As musicians, we can be curious about a great many things that pertain to our music making: equipment, acoustical physics, pedagogical philosophy, musical theory, practice routines of accomplished musicians, and so forth.

But if you want to always grow as a musician, the most important thing for you to be curious about is yourself.

I teach the Alexander Technique to performing arts majors at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Sometimes I’ll have a student come up to me at the end of the first day of class and ask, “What do I have to do to earn an “A” in this class?”

“All you have to do is remain curious about yourself”, is my answer. Of course I go on to explain more specifically what I mean by that. But my own experience has shown me, without fail, that it is the students who have a genuine curiosity in themselves that not only earn a good grade, but also, make lasting and sometimes profound improvements in how they perform and otherwise function.

To improve, you have to make changes in yourself. You can’t change until you are curious enough to start asking how and why you work the way you do. How and why.

In essence, this means to be curious about your entire self: your physical organism (especially as it relates to gravity), your thinking, and how your thinking affects the functioning of your physical organism.

It’s the same with my private Alexander students who are professional musicians. The ones who really progress rapidly with the work are the ones who are really curious about the how and the why of themselves. Part of my job is to help them to discover and cultivate this kind of curiosity.

I’m still amazed at the number of musicians who come to me for help that don’t have the slightest idea about how they’re body works in relation to playing their instrument. (For example, sometimes problems are immediately solved simply by showing the musician where her/his hip joints are, and how they work.)

I often run into musicians who know much more about their equipment than they do about their own bodies (not to mention how their thinking impacts the functioning of their bodies).

Yet ultimately it is your body and mind that is the vehicle for your self expression. When you perform with an inconsistent quality, it is you, not your chosen instrument, that is creating the inconsistency. As important as it is to understand the physical principles of what it takes to produce sound, deal with mechanical design of your instrument, etc. (and that is very important!), it is equally important that you understand your body’s role in working harmoniously with the acoustical and mechanical principles of your instrument. You’re either working with or agains these principles, depending on what you’re doing with yourself as you play.

I also encounter musicians who never really notice their own thinking. They are often unclear as to what the most helpful kind of thinking is. Sometimes they are trying way too hard to do something, bringing not only lots of muscular tension into the picture, but also, a kind of “being in a hurry” mentality that never lets them settle in and actually be present with music they’re playing.

I can often see their thinking by way of all their postural and movement habits: lots of compression and tension, lack of balance, sometimes even fear as they play.

By getting these musicians to observe their own thinking and linking that observation to what happens in their bodies as they play music, they begin to finally understand what leads to consistent performance. This is often when they remain curious about themselves for the rest of their lives. A fundament, profound change. Continuous improvement.

So here are two questions to ask yourself. Seeking the answer to these questions will keep you forever curious (and improving!):

“How does my body work most naturally and efficiently in the act of playing my instrument?”

To answer this question it would be helpful to understand some basic anatomy and physiology. You can find many free resources online for this. If you like books (as I do) , I’d recommend Anatomy of Movement By Blandine Calais-Germain. It’s loaded with illustrations and easily understood text. You’ll gain a great sense of how your musculoskeletal system works.

If you want to start with something even more basic, consider this excellent DVD, Move Well, Avoid Injury by Amy Likar and Barbara Conable. Based on the principles of body mapping, and the Alexander Technique, this has marvelous animated images and advice for giving you a much clearer understanding of how your body naturally works best. Everything from how to stand, sit, maintain balance, use your arms and hands, breathing and more is lucidly explained and demonstrated. Highly applicable to all activities, especially playing music.

And of course, a good teacher can help you with this. In the Alexander Technique you get hands on guidance to gain the experience kinesthetically of lighter, more efficient movement. You also gain clarification on your understanding of how your body functions best in relation to all activities. There is no end to this study. The more you understand, the deeper you understand, the better you’ll play.

“What makes the quality of my performance inconsistent?”

To answer this question you have to not only understand your body’s role in music making, but also, how your thinking impacts this. This is the essence of how the Alexander Technique can help you. By changing your thinking, you change what you do in your body as you play.

I encourage my students to notice their thinking, especially on “bad” and “good” days practicing or performing. They learn to notice what they are doing in their bodies that might be interfering with or (better supporting!) their playing. Then I get them to link that to their thinking. By constructively directing their thinking, they learn to get the best response in their bodies. Rather consistently.

If you need help finding a certified Alexander Technique teacher in your area visit the Website for the American Society for the Alexander Technique.

Whichever path you take, remember, you are the ultimate mystery. Place your curiosity there and ready yourself for continuous discoveries and growth.

Improve The Quality Of Your Playing By Asking Yourself This Question

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Musicians come to see me for Alexander Technique lessons for at least one the following two reasons: They are experiencing pain and excess tension and strain as they play. They simply aren’t improving in their playing , no matter how much they practice. (Many musicians come to me because of both of these issues.)

As they find, both of these issues are closely related and are caused by the same thing: unnecessary muscular tension. Misdirected effort, as it were. All of this misdirected effort is a result of habit and is interfering with their ability to play easily and confidently. Part of my job is to help them become aware of these habits, many of which are below their consciousness.

We can approach this problem from many angles: Where are you tightening and holding on? Where are you closing the space off in your body as you play? Where are you compressing yourself as you play? And so on.

But the one question that seems to get them onto the path of observation and prevention (of their harmful habits) is this: What are you adding on to the act of playing your instrument that is not necessary?

Such a simple question. What are you adding on?

You see, it’s mostly this adding on that is creating the problems. It’s not a matter of what you need to do to improve your playing. It’s a matter of what you need to stop doing. What you need to subtract.

Learning what to subtract begins with understanding balance and poise. How do you sit upright with the least amount of effort? How do you stand with lightness and ease? What do you do to stay in balance as your bring your hands (with or without your instrument) in front of your body. What do you do to take a breath? How do you prepare to play that first note? Etc.

My first aim is to get my students to better understand how to leave themselves alone so that they can sit, stand and move in easy upright balance. To get them to realize how easy, light and expansive their movement and posture can be. Then we use this as a standard to observe and evaluate what they do as they go to play.

Sometimes they find that they disturb this natural balance the moment they even think about playing, already stiffening up in anticipation. Or the moment they bring their hands to the instrument. Or the moment they begin to blow, pluck, hammer or bow.

And this is all good news, because they can then use their new found awareness to prevent these habits. And that’s when things just get better and better.

So ask yourself what you are adding on as you play that is not necessary. If you sit when you play, notice your balance and ease. Let your head balance on top of your spine, and let that balanced head be poised directly above your sitting bones. Don’t collapse. Don’t try to sit up straight. Just let yourself sit in easy, upright balance, the way a small child would.

If you stand when you play, let your head balance on top of your spine as you let the weight of your body travel through your legs into your feet (think ankle and heels). Let your shoulders soften and widen apart. Let your knees be soft (no locked knees). See how lightly you can stand. How little effort can you create to keep nicely upright. Naturally. Again, just like a small child.

Then take your instrument and see how your balance changes. Are these changes a necessary result of of holding your instrument in a natural manner? Or are they simply pre-anticipatory tension? Here are some things to check:

Am I pulling my head down into my neck? If you find yourself making rather noticeable changes in your neck tension as you go to play, and/or otherwise significantly altering the relationship of your head to your neck, ask yourself: Is this necessary?
Am I stiffening my shoulder? Again, ask yourself.
Am I breathing in a strained, noisy manner? Even if you play (especially if you play) a wind instrument, this is never necessary. It’s just more habitual, misdirected effort.
Am I bracing in my pelvis and legs? Not at all necessary to play your instrument.
Am I pulling myself out of balance as I play? Check some of the above questions to answer this question. Where is your head in relation to your neck? Where is the weight of your body going? (If it’s going primarily into the balls of your feet, you’re bringing yourself out of balance.) How much is your lower back working to maintain this posture? Where is the strain?
What am I doing with my hands and arms? Stiffening fingers, tightly flexed or extended wrists, arms pulled tightly against the ribs. These are but a few of the things that are never necessary to play your instrument.
Am I tightening up my face? This is more anticipatory tension that is not only unnecessary, but also, clearly interferes with the balance of the head on the spine. Interfere with that and you’ve opened up a Pandora’s box of other tension issues.

You can ask even more questions if you like. But always remember the most important: What am I adding on that is not necessary. Stop these unnecessary habits and (as F.M. Alexander would say) “you’re half way home”. In my own daily practice sessions this is always the question I’m asking myself. Answering it brings me consistent improvement. Give it a try!

Want Less Tension As You Play? Think About Your Space

Maintaining The Conditions In Yourself To Play Your Best

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Do you ever wonder why things that you practice sometimes get worse, rather than better, as you practice them? The answer is simple: You gradually worsen the conditions in yourself to play your best.

Simply stated, when you’re playing your best it is largely because you’ve been able to maintain the best conditions in yourself to play your instrument.

One of my Alexander Technique students, himself a highly accomplished saxophonist, related to me a story about working with the metronome to increase his velocity on a particular piece he was practicing:

“I was gradually increasing the tempo each time I played through the piece in my practice session. Each time with great results. I was playing freely, easily and accurately. I had worked it up to quarter note = 140. But then, feeling like I wanted to test the waters, I jumped up to quarter note = 160 (the target tempo) and it all fell apart. Not only was I making lots of errors, but also, I was playing with great effort, my breath was no longer moving freely and I felt like I could no longer really hear my sound.”

But here’s where it gets interesting. He continues: “But then when I returned to quarter note = 140, I played just as badly: tense, rushed, unclear tone, lots of mistakes and so forth. It’s as if I had wasted all that practice. Why couldn’t I play at 140, when just moments earlier I could?”

I answered him, “Because you had drastically changed all the conditions necessary in yourself for playing well that you had gradually been working toward. You did this by jumping far ahead of yourself and falling back into your old habits of tension. Then you took those habits and the frustration that comes with them back into your playing at the slower tempo.”

By “jumping ahead” the way he did with the tempo he indulged in something we in the Alexander world call “end-gaining”. (Specifically, placing 100% of your attention and effort on trying for a specific result, as opposed to paying attention to how best to obtain that result.) Because of this he had a difficult time returning to the ideal conditions he had created in himself earlier.

You see, my student started out paying attention to process (in the Alexander Technique we call this paying attention to the “means-whereby”) as he gradually increased his tempo challenges with the piece. Each time he played he was able to use his thinking, to use his conscious attention, to maintain the conditions in himself to play his best at any tempo.

This is what the “means-whereby” is all about. It’s about using your thinking to maintain the best conditions in yourself. The conditions that give you the greatest chance at achieving your desired end.

So what are the “best conditions”? Here are a few of the most essential, from an Alexander point of view:

Your neck is free-This means that you’re not compressing your head down and back into your spine, nor jutting your head forward. Your simply leaving your neck alone so that it can release your head upward off the top of a lengthening spine. This also means that your jaw is not tense, you are not tightening your face unnecessarily, and that your tongue is free to move.
Your shoulders (and arms) are free-Your shoulders can release and widen in gentle opposition to your spine lengthening. This will create the best conditions in your arms, and in your hands as well.
Your back is free and integrated-You are neither arching your lower back (tilting your pelvis forward) nor collapsing and rounding your back. Just let your back stay in neutral as you let your head balance on top of your spine.
Your knees aren’t locked-No hyper-extended knees (locking your knees backwards). This is something that also interferes with the good integration of your back.
You are breathing easily and naturally-No noisy and effortful inhalation. Your torso is free to expand in all dimensions to allow your breath to work its best.
You are not in a hurry– This is perhaps somewhat less tangible, but crucially important. As soon as you get into the “in a hurry mode” you are taking yourself out of the present moment and are dividing your attention, cutting yourself and your good use out of the picture.

When you maintain these conditions, you just plain play better. When these conditions are not present, you not only run the risk of not playing at your immediate potential, but also, of steering yourself toward fatigue and injury.

So what can you do to help find and maintain the best conditions for yourself as you play your instrument?

Start with your thinking-Every bit of muscular effort you make (whether necessary or not) is conditioned by your thinking. It’s not about your body. It’s about how your thinking is inextricably linked to your body. Always keep this in mind and you’ll avoid the frustration of “my hands just aren’t working today”.
Learn about your body-Try to gain an accurate understanding of your joints, how your body functions best with respect to playing your instrument.
Keep the importance of a free and easy use of yourself absolutely primary-It’s not about playing faster, higher, louder, etc. It’s about staying easy in yourself and developing the kind of playing habits that make playing more challenging material easier.
Be patient-Don’t always try to reproduce what you did on another day. If you could play this piece at quarter note = 160 yesterday, don’t expect to go that fast today when you practice. Expect nothing. Instead, cultivate a “wait and see” attitude. If you always stay with maintaining your good use (the good conditions) your ability to play at more challenging tempos will come as a result. Let there be fluctuations. Accept the present situation.
Seek help-Because of your habits it can be difficult to get a true sense of what it’s like to create these ideal conditions in yourself. A skilled Alexander Technique teacher can work wonders here in helping you with all the above.

By learning to shift the emphasis from what you do to how you do it, you insure yourself a chance for consistent improvement.