Honing physical organization as a path to refined musicianship

Abstract

Musical performance involves all three aspects of a person: intellectual, emotional and physical. Once a basic technical facility is established, the physical is often relegated to the back burner in favor of musical values such as phrase, character, tone and articulation, emotion. Many highly trained musicians prefer to rely on their intuition to bring their musical ideas to fruition in sound – and yet the body is always there. Life without movement is unthinkable, and musical life depends on the performer’s physical movement.

Performers are paying increasing attention to honing the physical these days, partly because there are so many injuries, and partly because we now know so much more about human movement: how it works and how it is learned. Modalities such as the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method bring a new dimension of perception, understanding and enhancement of movement to anyone, but for the performer there is special benefit. Not only one’s general movement can be improved, but also specific aspects of one’s musicianship: sonority, agility, phrasing and expression can blossom when the movement lesson is tailor-made to the demands of the musician.