Exploring and Applying the Alexander Technique for Choral Conductors Jeshua Switzer Franklin A ...

125 Pages·2016·1.32 MB·English

A Way of Doing Things:
Exploring and Applying the Alexander Technique for Choral Conductors

Jeshua Switzer Franklin

A dissertation
submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

University of Washington
2016

Reading Committee:
Geoffrey Boers, chair
Thomas Harper
Giselle Wyers

Program Authorized to Offer Degree:
School of Music
© Copyright 2016
Jeshua S. Franklin
ii
University of Washington

Abstract

A Way of Doing Things:
Exploring and Applying the Alexander Technique for Choral Conductors

Jeshua Switzer Franklin

Chair of the Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Geoffrey Boers
Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music
School of Music

The human body is a machine of extraordinary design and intricacy, and musicians widely
recognize the role the mind and body play in making music. Despite the problems that affect
performing artists, there is a surprising lack of an empirically verified method of teaching unified
psychophysical performance to musicians. For choral conductors, the problem is significant.
Conductors rely heavily on non-verbal communication to convey their musical intent and
understanding of a given work. However, few experiences in a conductor’s traditional training
take full account of learning the psychophysical unity of the body that allows for the greatest
freedom of expression.
The purpose of this study is to introduce choral musicians to the Alexander Technique
and its suggested applications within choral music making. The Alexander Technique is a
psychophysical method of directed thinking activities and heightened kinesthetic awareness
leading to the best possible use of the body, defined colloquially in this study as “a way of doing
iii
things.” As choral conductors improve their understanding of the history, study, and application
of the Alexander Technique, they can begin to make better choices about incorporating the
Alexander Technique into their conducting gesture, musical performance skills, choral
pedagogy, other educational curricula, and even their everyday movement habits. In addition, in
this study, choral conductors will gain a clearer picture of how to distinguish the Alexander
Technique from other somatic methods popular in the performing arts. This study seeks to
inspire choral conductors to pursue training in the Alexander Technique and illustrate the need
for continued empirical research into the Alexander Technique.
iv
Table of Contents
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter
1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1
a. Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................1
b. Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................6
c. Need for the Study ...................................................................................................7
d. Definition of Terms ................................................................................................10
e. Scope and Limitations of the Study .......................................................................11
f. Organization of the Dissertation ............................................................................12
2. Literature Review ...............................................................................................................13
a. Useful Books About the Alexander Technique .....................................................13
b. The Alexander Technique in Music .......................................................................16
c. The Alexander Technique in Other Performing Arts ............................................23
d. The Alexander Technique as Pedagogy .................................................................26
e. The Alexander Technique in the Medical Field ....................................................29
f. Summary ................................................................................................................36
3. An Introduction to the Alexander Technique ....................................................................37
a. What is the Alexander Technique? ........................................................................37
b. Coordination, Kinesthesia, Awareness, and Psychophysical History ...................38
c. F. M. Alexander .....................................................................................................42
d. Principles of the Alexander Technique ..................................................................44
e. My Journey with the Alexander Technique ...........................................................53
v
f. Evolution of the Technique Since F. M. Alexander ..............................................56
4. Comparison to Other Somatic Methods .............................................................................60
a. Laban Movement Analysis ....................................................................................60
b. Body Mapping .......................................................................................................63
c. Feldenkrais Method ...............................................................................................66
d. The Alexander Technique as Psychophysical Re-education .................................68
e. Summary ................................................................................................................69
5. Choral Applications ...........................................................................................................71
a. Posture & Movement .............................................................................................73
b. Conducting Gesture ...............................................................................................81
c. Empathy/Mirroring ................................................................................................89
d. Teaching Coordination through Warm-ups ...........................................................90
e. Avoiding End Gaining ...........................................................................................94
f. Means Whereby for All Activities .........................................................................97
g. Summary ................................................................................................................98
6. Conclusion .........................................................................................................................99
a. Summary ................................................................................................................99
b. Recommendations for Personal Study of the Alexander Technique .....................99
c. Implications for Further Study .............................................................................101
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................103
vi
List of Figures
Figure Number Page
1. Figure 1: Lateral view of cervical vertebrae ......................................................................47
2. Figure 2: Lateral view of the spine ....................................................................................75
vii
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Cherrie Llewellyn for first interesting me in the Alexander
Technique, as well as my Alexander teachers, Bruce Oliver and Cathy Madden. Thank you, also,
to Dr. Geoffrey Boers, Dr. Giselle Wyers, and Dr. Steven Demorest, who most profoundly
guided my choral experience at the University of Washington.
I am grateful for each member of my graduate choral conducting cohort at the University
of Washington, but especially to my friends Wendy Moy, Bryan Nichols, and Jeremiah Selvey.
Because of you, I am a better choral conductor, a better educator, a better colleague, and a better
person.
Many teachers not already mentioned have helped shape my musical journey over the
years and I am grateful for each one of them. They include Jerry DeYoung, Ella Webb, William
Aprile, Elise Osner, Dr. Stephen Stroud, Anne Martin, Dr. Wishart Bell, Dr. Michael Kendall,
and Dr. William Skoog.
I am thankful for my parents, Phil and Pam, who have been so loving to me and present
with me throughout this project. Thanks also to Paula Wiseman, who spent selfless hours editing
this document. To all the others who read, proofread, edited, and gave other feedback, I offer my
thanks as well.
Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for my loving and devoted wife, Sara. She
knows best the ups and downs, the elations and frustrations, and the laughter and tears that this
entire journey has brought. Finally, I am in awe of the unfailing love of my Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. Soli Deo Gloria.
viii
Dedication
Dedicated in loving memory of Robert N. Ham,
who was the first to inspire me toward a deep love of choral music.
ix
Chapter 1: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
I have very vivid memories from my time as a master’s student of being a chorister at a
dress rehearsal of Berlioz’s Te Deum with a large university symphony chorus and professional
orchestra and tenor soloist. As a tenor myself, I was enamored with this soloist’s apparent ease
with the demanding musical lines in a taxing tessitura. In the middle of one particularly dramatic
phrase, the tenor’s voice suddenly broke, emitting a warble of pubescent proportions. The soloist
marked his part for the remainder of the rehearsal. While I felt bad for the soloist enduring such
an embarrassing moment in front of literally several hundred other musicians, I also empathized
with his experience. Why is it despite the best training and extensive study of technique that our
bodies sometimes fail us when we need them most?
Musicians widely recognize the role the body plays in making music. Beyond the specific
techniques of any given voice or instrument, one’s poise, posture, and general physical health
play a role in making excellent musical performances. Musicians are aware of the ways in which
their bodies can betray them during a performance. Vocalists fear undue laryngeal tension or a
lack of abdominal muscular support. A wind player fears a tendinitis flare up and conductors
worry about lower back pain or the baton slipping through their fingers. For many musicians, the
ideal situation is one in which the body does not malfunction, so that they are free to focus on the
music itself and are not distracted by the body’s failures. Clearly, concern over physical
problems impeding performance is a serious matter for performing artists of all kinds.
Performers often gather and discuss physical issues that affect their ability to perform as
desired. Whether the issue is back and joint pain, tendinitis and carpal tunnel, hoarseness and
vocal fatigue, the ever-present repetitive strain injury, or overall general physical health, many
1