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.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
I’m writing this essay from the perspective of the classical musician, but it could be applied to a non classical performing musician or to an athlete.
So many classical performing musicians are never satisfied with how well they sing or play.
Is this a good thing?
Being this way certainly propels a performer to drive ones self mercilessly striving for the ultimate performance.
Is there such a thing as the ultimate performance of a piece of music?
HOW COULD THERE BE, IF YOU’RE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT STRIVING? IF YOU’RE STRIVING FOR THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE, YOU ARE NEVER HAPPY WITH HOW YOU PERFORM A PIECE.
Is there a solution to this living in a state of performance dissatisfaction?
Living this way means when the performance is over, you will look back and remember you didn’t rise to the occasion.
I was thinking, does the audience somehow sense the performer’s dissatisfaction with his or her playing or singing?
THEY MUST, BUT MAY NOT KNOW IT.
What am I saying here? The average concert goer can be so mesmerized by dazzling technique and interpretation, that they aren’t aware that the performer is in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction with their performance, and is using this dissatisfaction to force an extraordinary performance to the surface.
An alternative to dissatisfaction:
WHEN A MUSICAL PERFORMER USES GREAT ALEXANDRIAN POSTURE AND ALEXANDRIAN RULES OF GREAT TECHNIQUE TO PERFORM, THEN THE PERFORMER IS VERY CLOSE TO A PERFORMANCE MINIMIZING NONSTOP STRIVING.
Is there a way for the performer to use the Alexander Technique basics of movement and posture, and add on one more thing to play with total satisfaction with the performance in the moment?
Yes there is!
IT REQUIRES A MAJOR 180 DEGREE SHIFT IN YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM ABOUT WHAT IS MOST LIKELY TO CREATE AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE IN THE MOMENT. THE GOAL IS FOR YOU TO LOOK BACK AFTER THE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT ANY REGRETS.
What am I talking about?
IT IS SOMETHING AKIN TO AN ONGOING STATE OF ENLIGHTENMENT. SIMPLY, WHEN YOU HAVE TOTAL SATISFACTION WITH HOW YOU ARE PLAYING OR SINGING, YOU CREATE THE ULTIMATE LOVING PERFORMANCE.
Constant dissatisfaction with how you’re performing works, but if you look closely into your soul, you’ll have to admit you are beating yourself up to do your best.
You have to look closely though, because over your performing lifetime you have buried in the deepest vault the pain you are causing yourself by never ever being happy with how well you play or sing.
IT COULD BE INCREDIBLY SCARY, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE A REVELATION TO DISCOVER THAT TOTAL SATISFACTION WITH HOW YOU PERFORM, COULD ALLOW YOU TO PERFORM AT A GOD LIKE LEVEL IN A STATE OF JOY.
