Musical Performance (Musicians)

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Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)

Now, let’s look at directing. I have rarely seen a bassoonist with a fully upright posture with the head leading a lengthening spine upward, unless the bassoonist had worked with an Alexander Technique teacher. Alexander Technique teachers do not see a held upright posture as truly upright. The moment you “hold good posture”, you are interfering with your ability to control your breath on the bassoon with ease. You are interfering with the freedom and flow in your hands and arms on the keys, so you are not letting yourself be as good as you could be on the bassoon.

In the opening section of this ebook I defined the Alexandrian concept direction or directing. Here it is again: Direction is the Alexander Technique principle that the head wants to lead the spine into lengthening in an activity, and your head leading a lengthening spine creates organized, elegant, graceful, and powerful bassoon performing. So, core to this technique is that when you play the bassoon, you do so with a lengthening spine. This will organize and coordinate your whole body, so that when you play, you won’t damage your discs and impair the efficiency of your nervous system.

The reason many bassoonists play with such poor posture and without direction, is because everything about the instrument takes you forward, sideways, and collapsed. In supporting and aligning the bassoon with your arms, bassoonists bring their heads forward unconsciously to make it easier on the arms. So, the instrument is in front of you, the music is in front you, and if you’re in an orchestra, the conductor is in front of you.

Stand or sit with the bassoon. Choose a three octave scale to play and play it with no specific intention. Now, release your neck and direct your head to lead your spine into lengthening upward as you play. Continue to repeat the scale, as you place all of awareness on your head leading a released neck and spine upward. Notice if you can play the scale being aware of directing the whole time. Now, choose a piece of music to play that you know but need to look at and play it. Choose either a short piece or a passage from a piece. Play it with no specific intention. Now, play it with all of your awareness on a free neck and your head leading a released spine upward.

It does not matter what comes out of the instrument. The only thing that matters is can you gently and continuously direct and experience your head leading your spine into lengthening upward. Now, look across the room, as if you were looking at the conductor and play this same piece of music, looking back and forth between the “conductor” and the music and continuously directing.