Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts

Program

Music

Supervisor

Veblen, Kari

Abstract

Music performance is a psychophysical affair. Like athletes, musicians need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit in order to meet the demands and challenges of training and performing. For over half a century, post-secondary music institutions have been utilizing the Alexander Technique to address young musicians’ psychophysical coordination and playing-related challenges. This unique mind-body method teaches individuals how to move efficiently and carry out activities with freedom and ease by recognizing and changing counterproductive habits. It has noted beneficial effects on posture and coordination, pain relief, and stress management, and its relevance to music performance studies is endorsed by prominent musical artists such as Yehudi Menuhin and Sir Colin Davis and supported by the results of many studies. Despite this, how this unique method has been applied and practiced in the tertiary setting is rarely shared and discussed. The purpose of this study is to explore, describe, and compare how the Technique is implemented and instructed in selected successful post-secondary music institutions, including Curtis Institute of Music and the Royal College of Music, and to document how it impacts the development of their students. Framed as a multiple-case study, this inquiry recruited one Alexander instructor from each of the selected institutions. The data were collected and analyzed from course syllabi, course evaluations/program feedback, and instructor interviews. The findings demonstrate a variety of teaching settings and strategies, highlighting the strengths and challenges of each approach, and providing an informative reference for creating a new or improving an existing Alexander program for post-secondary musicians.

Summary for Lay Audience

Like athletes, musicians need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit in order to meet the demands and challenges of training and performance. The functioning and wellbeing of a musician’s mind, body, and emotions are vital to her development and success. Therefore, the training for music performance requires an education that addresses the wellness and functioning of both a student’s mind and body in order to help develop his innate musical potential and prevent occupational hindrances such as repetitive strain injury and performance anxiety, conditions that can have damaging effects on music-playing skills and professional prospects.

For more than half a century, post-secondary music institutions have been using the Alexander Technique to provide this essential psychophysical education to students. This unique mind-body method teaches individuals how to move efficiently and carry out activities with freedom and ease by recognizing and inhibiting counterproductive habits. It has noted beneficial effects on posture and coordination, pain relief, and stress management, and its relevance to music performance studies is endorsed by prominent musical artists such as Yehudi Menuhin and Paul McCartney and supported by the results of many studies. Despite this, how the Technique has been utilized and practiced in the university and conservatory setting is rarely shared and discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore, describe, and compare how the Alexander Technique is implemented and instructed in selected successful post-secondary music institutions (Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Curtis Institute of Music, McGill University, the Royal College of Music, and the University of Toronto) and to document how it impacts the development of their students. Using the multiple-case study research method, this inquiry recruited one Alexander instructor from each of the selected institutions to participate in the study and collected data from course syllabi, course/program evaluations, and instructor interviews. Although the sampling size is small, the findings demonstrate a variety of teaching settings and strategies, highlighting the strengths and challenges of each approach, providing an informative reference for creating a new or improving an existing Alexander program in a post-secondary music institution.

Download

Share

COinS