Psychotherapy

This ebook, Going for It in Musical Performance: Alexander Technique Guidelines and Other Considerations, is published in a PDF format. It is written to give all performing musicians deep insights into the beliefs and bad habits that performers have that can end careers with pain, strain, tension, and injuries.
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Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)

A few months ago I was talking to a psychotherapist about people who are fantastic at something, like great athletes and great concert artists.

A world class concert violinist name came up who appears to be a happy person even when not playing the violin. I said something along the lines that his thoughts must be self-loving, giving how the performer comes across and how joyous he is when he plays the violin.

THE THERAPIST SAID HOW CAN YOU TELL FROM PERFORMANCES AND INTERVIEWS THAT HE’S A HAPPY PERSON?

I WAS GOBSMACKED!

It was if I had an aha spiritual experience.

IT IS INCREDIBLY EXTRAORDINARY TO ME THAT A GREAT MUSICAL PERFORMER OR A GREAT ATHLETE OR A GREAT SCIENTIST OR A GREAT WHATEVER, CAN BE LIVING A TROUBLED INTERNAL LIFE AND BE SO WONDERFUL AT SOMETHING!

Actually, I don’t believe extraordinary is the right word. INSANE would be the right word.

Think about it. The human race, including it’s great philosophers and great psychotherapists, none of the them don’t seem to have a problem with a person being great at something, and in their thoughts live in a personal hell.

My question here is how can anyone living in emotional pain be great at something?

There are all kinds of answers that allow for pain, and makes happiness not relevant for someone great at something:

They want to make their parents proud.

They want fame.

They want to feel good about themselves through mastering something.

They want money.

They want anything that will take the place of self loving thoughts

What has this to do with the Alexander Technique?

I am an Alexander Technique teacher, and right now I’m really delving into what what it means to change one’s physical destructive habits and technique in sports or on an instrument, which allows a person to be great at what they do, and not hurt themselves physically.

But clearly they can still have harsh cruel thoughts swirling around in their mind.

AS FAR AS I CAN TELL FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE, AS LONG SOMEONE IS GREAT OR EVEN BETTER, WORLD CLASS AT SOMETHING, THE ADULATION FROM THE PUBLIC OR EVEN JUST THEMSELVES MAKES THE PSYCHIC PAIN WORTH IT!

How can this be so?

It is the world we live in. What do I mean?

We admire what someone does on the outside, but usually don’t give a rat’s ass what they live with on the inside, as long as they’re extraordinary at something.

In fact, like I did with the great violinist, I believed how could he be living in anything but joy on the inside, because he was so good on the violin?

He could be in emotional pain on the inside.

Wouldn’t it be worth it to be amazing at something and at peace with yourself?

I actually just remembered something I heard from a therapist years ago. He said outright or implied that being great at something leads to inner peace.

I BELIEVE KIND THOUGHTS AS PART OF ONE’S MINDSET, WITH ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE BODY USE PRINCIPLES, AS AN INSTRUMENT OR SPORT IS MASTERED, MAKES THE LONG HOURS REALLY WORTHWHILE.

YOU GET TO BE GREAT AT SOMETHING AND TRULY HAPPY WITH YOURSELF.