This ebook, Musical Performance and Letting Go of the Beliefs that Limit You, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is written to give all performing musicians deep insights into the beliefs and bad habits and technique that performers have that can end careers with pain, strain, tension, and injuries. I look at all of the instruments from piano, to guitar to clarinet, to singing etc.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
IT IS AMAZING TO ME HOW BAD A PERSON’S POSTURE AND BODY USE CAN BE, AND HE OR SHE STILL EXCEL AT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES!
Examples are a slumped over great pianist in performance, a slumped over great golfer driving or putting the ball, a great violinist forcing her head forward to grip the violin with her chin as she leans backwards as she plays, and a great runner hunkered down and falling forwards as he scrambles to the finish line.
I am amazed and thunderstruck when I watch how badly organized peoples bodies are and HOW GOOD THEY ARE AT WHAT THEY’RE DOING. They play beautiful music. They win races. Of course most activities do not reward good posture or good form. The rewards are given on the basis of beautiful music made, winning a race, or a golf tournament won (winning UGLY doesn’t matter).
I’ve written about this before, and I’ve explained that doing highly repetitive activities with extensive practice, poor posture, and poor technique will invariably lead to a shortened career at the top, because you wear out your joints.
What I want to look at in this essay that is new is, “HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, OR WIN A RACE, OR CLEAR THE BAR IN POLE VAULTING WITH REALLY BAD BODY USE AND BAD TECHNIQUE?”
Our bodies are not unlimited in the kinds of postures or positions we can get into, but if you look at all of the postures possible in yoga, we are pretty darn flexible.
Our muscles, tendons, and bone joints are very flexible. That is why we have so much postural variation (even if our ligaments and bones themselves are not flexible).
With all of this extraordinary flexibility in our bodies, our bodies can do some pretty weird things, and compensate for poor technique and posture to reach a goal we refuse not to give up on.
As I look at this issue of how badly we can use our bodies and get an amazing job done, I’m drawn to thinking about walking. WATCH A 1,000 PEOPLE WALK AND YOU WILL INVARIABLY SEE A 1,000 WAYS TO WALK WITH INCREDIBLE DISORGANIZATION. But, they all seem to get to where they’re going.?.?
The problem is that most people, in shape or not, begin moving like old people after 50. This postural disintegrating is totally unnecessary, but it means for most people they become FROZEN in poor posture and poor body use, in mind and body.
This also means that activities they really excel at go downhill. The main reason given by the experts for playing golf or an instrument worse and worse is getting older.
THE REASON GREAT ATHLETES AND MUSICIANS PREMATURELY LOSE THEIR EDGE IS EXTRAORDINARILY BAD POSTURE AND TECHNIQUE. WHEN AN ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE EXPERT LOOKS AT HOW SOMEONE’S POSTURE IS IN EVERYDAY AND SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES, THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE EXPERT MAY SEE EXTRAORDINARY POOR BODY ORGANIZATION, WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE SEES JUST A NORMAL PERSON. If normal is really normal, how come so many people go downhill so early in their lives?
