Alexander Technique Workshop Benefits Musicians, Vocalists
In May, Grier invited a guest instructor to provide a workshop to Grier voice and music students in the Alexander Technique. The presenter, Gwendolyn Walker, is a voice instructor at Penn State’s School of Theatre where she trains musical theatre students who often perform on Broadway in their post-graduate years. The Alexander Technique is about reducing tension and stress, both mental and physical, to allow the body to perform its best.
Through exercises in body mapping and some skeletal-muscular anatomy lessons, Grier students gained awareness of their body, its connection to the brain via the nervous system and consciousness. The idea is that by increasing knowledge of the skeletal-muscular system and altering thoughts from negative ones like, “This is too hard!” or “I’m no good!” to positive ones, such as “What didn’t I like about the way I did that?” and “What can I do differently?” musicians can perform not only better, but also reduce wear and tear on the body.
Grier students who attended the sessions offered by Gwen Walker throughout the day appreciated the wisdom she shared and could immediately apply it to their lives. Thank you to Gwen Walker and to Grier’s Mrs. Ginger Reinhardt for organizing the workshops!