Blog

Shingles all the way...

It’s very hard for an Alexander Technique teacher to admit to ill health or injury. However, it’s often the reason why we trained as teachers. We know what it’s like to feel ill or broken, and we can use that experience in our teaching. So here I am writi...

Finding your True Voice

We sing for different reasons. To express ourselves, whether singing our own songs or those of someone else. It's good for the soul, so we sing for ourselves, for others, for joy, for pain. We use our own voice. To me this is the most important reason...

Alexander Technique for Rock Stars.

In the world of rock'n'roll, it's your job to look like a swaggering star. You have to hang on to yourself. But you can't let people know you're suffering, because, if you look behind you, there's a queue of people waiting to take your place. Once you let...

Emotions Got A Hold On Me.

Gary Barlow from Take That writes about a fist of pure emotion. Smokey Robinson seconded that emotion. Emotion took the Bee Gees over.What is emotion and how does it affect us physically? Can you separate emotion from a physical reaction?Well, habit resul...

Raise Your Right Hand. Or Don't.

The idea that the mind controls the body sometimes comes across as woo or hokum. We are apt to become defensive, as if we are to blame for any problems with our bodies. Well, naturally, things do happen to make us unwell: viruses, accidents, whatever. And...

Imposter Syndrome

A tricky one, this. Find your passion in your art. If you're a musician, it can feel like it's an itch that constantly needs scratching. You create a song, you release it into the world, and now you want people to notice it and tell you it's great.Or wors...

Ain't Whatcha Do, It's The Way That You Do It.

'Tain't whatcha do (it's the way that you do it), as the song goes. Singing for instance.And I'm not talking about loud, soft, vocal fry, whether you use your head or your chest voice. I'm talking about what you do when the sound comes out. You do things ...

A New Year, A New You?

The New Year. The time of year when we love to make promises to ourselves. Here are some suggestions from an Alexander Technique perspective.Always start from where you are. You can't start from anywhere else!Put yourself first. You can be most useful to ...