Welcome

This blog is written and created for the Whole Musician: in mind, body and spirit. The possibilities for practice, playing and performing are infinite...In this blog I share Practice Ideas for the Whole Musician as inspiration, information and as a portal into your musical imagination.

Happy Practicing!

Heartfully,
Jennifer

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Creative Practice Circles #4, Alexander Technique



So, lets take a Circle from the Body Circles and make another more detailed circle from it. 
How about Alexander Technique as a way into knowing ourself and our whole body. 


First here is some information about F.M. Alexander and the Alexander Technique:



Every single thing we are doing in the work is exactly what is being done in Nature where the conditions are right, the difference being that we are learning to do it consciously...”~F.M. Alexander 



Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in 1869 in Tasmania, and moved to Australia as a young man to pursue a career in Shakespearean recitation. When he encountered difficulties with his voice that threatened to end his new career, he consulted doctors and speech experts to find a cure for his troubles. Not finding any lasting relief from their suggestions, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He reasoned that the cause of his ailment must lie in something he was doing to himself, since there was no disease in his body.
Setting about to discover what he was doing, F.M. Alexander carefully observed himself with mirrors, undertaking a scientific process of observation and experimentation which he continued for over a decade. Besides solving his vocal problem, this process ultimately led him to make many startling discoveries dealing with how an individual’s use of mind and body affects general functioning.


Because he felt that his discoveries were of a vital importance to humanity, Alexander decided to give up his acting career, which had become quite successful as soon as he cured his vocal problems, in order to devote himself to what is now known as the Alexander Technique. He began to teach others through the use of his hands and words, how to improve their own use and functioning. In 1904, Alexander moved to England in order to make his Technique better known.


In addition to teaching, Alexander wrote four important books, my favorite is The Use of The Self, about his discoveries. Alexander started a school for children, where he hoped to make the most impact by preventing misuse of habits at a young age. At the start of World War I, Alexander brought his Technique to the United States and divided the next ten years between teaching there and in London, taking on an assistant teacher in each place. In the last years of his life and until he died in 1955, he ran a training course for teachers in London. The Alexander Technique is now taught by qualified teachers all over the world.


What is the Alexander Technique?


How we talk about the Technique is rather important. It sets our thinking in certain ways, for better or worse. ... the objective of our work is neither health nor posture, but lightness and freedom of movement... ~ Walter Carrington


Alexander Technique is a hundred-year old educational method, Neuromuscular re-education, given in lessons, that increases understanding of our balance, coordination, poise and freedom of movement for the whole self. Just by living we can develop physical and emotional habits that create stress and tension in our body. By enlivening our awareness we can choose to free ourselves from these habits. Alexander lessons will help to re-educate the full potential of your whole self and discover a “lightness and freedom of movement”, an expressive ease of organic movement. An Alexander teacher will facilitate your process through hands-on guidance as well as verbal instruction to enhance your overall awareness. 


Here is a video by Marjorie Barstow,  the first student of F.M. Alexander and a beautiful Alexander teacher, talking about what the Alexander Technique is.:



Monday, July 9, 2012

Creative Circles #3, Body As The Principal Instrument





I consider my body, my Principal Instrument, to which I add the flute and make music. 


So, the Body Circle it is a very important part of my Practice Circles. Let's take just one Element of our Practice Circle at a time and make that into a set of Circles too. We will start with the BODY.  Please remember your Body includes your mind, brain and imagination too! Here are a few ideas to explore in this Circle. 
You could also take each of these Elements of Practice and Create another Circle of more detail and de-light. 


The possibilities are infinite :-).


What is in your Body Circle and how do you activate these during your Practice?


Here are some that are in mine:



Saturday, July 7, 2012

Creative Circles - Elements of Practice- #2

Here are some Elements of Practice that are in my Circle. What is in yours?
Let me hear from you and share your Creative Circle.
1.jpg

Friday, July 6, 2012

1st of 9 posts on Creative Practice Circles, #1




You are your own window into knowing your self, your practice, your musical life. Consider your practice life and how it is a mirror of your musical life. What would you put in your Circle that represents the design of your whole musical life? Write your name in the window and freely write, doodle, draw, the elements of your practice in the circle of your musical life.

Next Post will continue on with more ideas about what is inside your Circle of Practice!

Let me know what you came up with :-)

Here are some ideas about Circles, Communication, Community and Connection:




Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Creative Practice Circles


Creative Circles              
We acquire the strength we have overcome. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Creative Circles are a way of tapping into the natural flow of our creativity. The brain works in non linear ways and takes an idea, connecting it by associations & images. Creative Circles  is another way to organize your self and to tap into your creative side. Use this for any idea, subject, goal, dream... anything that you are trying to understand, play with, learn bring to life. Here is a creative circle for you to look at that I created. Play with one today to explore your self and dreams... your tone... a musical idea, or ______?
Enjoy, be playful and free!
More Circles soon!
More Ideas: See my book and classes Creative Circles.
Listen: to inspirational music.                                                               CD: make your own play list of music that inspires you.     
 Look : Mandalas

Monday, March 19, 2012

NEW BOOK!

I am so excited to introduce you to my new ebook/PDF Book, 


Creative Practice Ideas & Exercises for the Whole Musician ~ Flute .


You can find examples and order the book on my website.
About this Book: 
Creative Practice Ideas for the Whole Musician~Flute, is a collection of Ideas that I have written down for myself and my students over the years. These are a combination of my ideas and ones I  have learned from my teachers, their teachers, teaching students and from talking with colleagues, and friends. All are expressed here in this book, in my original way. It is my hope that you will enjoy using, creating and playing with the ideas in this book. May we continue to inspire each other, be playful, generous and lively in this adventure of learning and loving music and life.
Creative Practice Ideas for the Whole Musician~flute  is divided into 5 parts.  
Ideas and Exercises on:
1. Preparation & Performance 
2. Creative Practice Ideas  
3.  Body & Breathing  
4. Tone & Exercises
  1. Technique & Exercises
Each page has an inspirational quote, listening suggestions and links. 
  Listen: to a flutist, string  player or vocalist.   CD’s: to a specific recording.                             
Look: at links to a video, or a website.
Thank you! 

Please let me know your thoughts and how you are enjoying the Book!

Heartfully,
Jennifer

Friday, February 24, 2012

Practice Journal Questions


Here are some Ideas of some questions to consider during your practice. I have been talking to my students about their practice and how to create more awareness and to have a practice that is present, playful, positive and productive.     

Let me know how these questions effected your practice and playing.

Heartfully,
Jennifer



Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves... Live the questions now. Perhaps gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.  
 ~Rainer Maria Rilke 



Practice Journal Questions:
Please journal a bit during your practice to help yourself be 
present, playful, positive, productive.
Here are a few ideas I would like you to consider and write down some notes about:
How is your connection to yourself and your instrument at this moment in time?
What is your intention for your musical practice?
What is your practice plan for the day and week?
Be specific!
During your practice right now, how are you bringing your practice intentions to life? 
Are you allowing your practice to transform you? How?
Is this different from your intention? How?

What are your thoughts on:  
What you just taught yourself,  how you grew,
what you discovered about the music and yourself?

What are some other ideas that you would like to play with next practice session?
What insights did you have by listening and watching recordings you made during your practice session today?

What questions do you have??? Other Ideas, Thoughts, Feelings?: