Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been on vacation and it was wonderful. Let me know if you have had any questions since my last post.
While I was working on my Master’s degree in Flute Performance, I had to file for disability. The Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD) I had developed made it impossible for me to maintain my rigorous playing schedule. The university allowed me to cut my recital time down to 30 minutes instead of a full hour. After my recital, I put my flute in its case and didn’t take it out for three years.
During that time, I took Alexander Technique lessons and gradually began to feel some relief from TMD. Once I started training to be an Alexander teacher, my body reorganized itself and I could consider playing the flute.
But I couldn’t “go back” to playing the flute. I had to find a new way to play that would not cause pain. When I started, I could only pull out the case, open it, close it, and put it away. Excess tension crept in as I anticipated playing, so I needed to retrain my brain and body to release tension with each action. I did this a few times until I could do so with freedom. Then I added assembling my instrument, and finally playing.
I learned a bit from Alexander Murray (a flutist and Alexander teacher from Chicago) but also from the wonderful teachers at the American Center for the Alexander Technique (ACAT). Eventually, I could play slow passages, but struggled to play fast technical in music. I found that two other ACAT trainees who were musicians experienced the same difficulty. What we found was that our fingers needed to be retrained.
When you apply your Alexander thinking, you move slowly because it’s a new experience. Increasing your tempo without clenching muscles won’t happen on its own. Each finger needs to be retrained by using short, quick movements. One note at a time, one finger at a time.
One note at a time, one finger at a time.
I know you’re thinking this sounds too pedantic to be something you’d want to try. Maybe it isn’t something you need, but for the musician who is returning to an instrument after an injury it might be necessary in order to prevent re-injury. No matter what state your body is in, training yourself to use the right amount of tension will benefit your body, your musicianship, and your career.
If you get stuck, contact me!