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MUED 581
The Articulate Body (Alexander Technique)

Prof. Laury Christie
Certified teacher of the Alexander Technique

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE: Choices/changes to improve the quality of musical movement.

Excerpts of an Article for "Health Notes" (News of Performing Arts Medicine-USC School of Medicine)

S U M M E R  I   2 0 0 8

The Alexander Technique/Bodymapping MUSC 581, MUSC 582x (for participants who have completed MUSC 581)
June 2 - 26
Time: 10:30-12:45pm
 School of Music Rooms 107, 040
2 credits
For registration/enrollment contact:
Jamie Turner: 803-777-4335 - JTurner@mozart.sc.edu
For further information contact:
Prof. L. Christie - LChristie@mozart.sc.edu

Course Mission: To provide clear specific information about our bodies and how to move in any activity we choose to do. An in depth study and practical application of the Alexander Technique and Bodymapping in order to develop a strong basic foundation in somatic education as a basis for any technique (eg- music, sports, computor work, any given activity. To have more choice in solving problems of overuse, stress, tension in musical as well as other disciplines and to prevent injury or harm.

F A L L   2 0 0 8

MUSC 581 Alexander Technique and Bodymapping for Musicians.
Tuesdays 2-4:00pm
Music Building, Rm. 107 and 040
2 credits
Limited enrollment(12). Sign up early.
For registration/enrollment contact:
Jamie Turner: 803-777-4335 - JTurner@mozart.sc.edu
For further information contact:
Prof. L. Christie - LChristie@mozart.sc.edu

This course will introduce and apply the principles of the Alexander
Technique as well as bodymapping.

Required Text includes:
(available at USC Bookstore, Russell House and Carolina Bookstore)
  • Albinous on Anatomy
  • Barbara Conable- How to Learn the Alexander Technique
  • Barbara Conable- What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body
  • Conable and Jordan- The Structures and Movement of Breathing
  • Michael- Body Learning
  • Phil Jackson- Sacred Hoops
  • Various selected readings from Dr. Oliver Sachs, Jacques Lusseyran,
  • Legend of Bagger Vance and selected poems.
 

Please contact Prof. Christie for permission to take the course. Students must have taken 581 or had previous studies in the Alexander Technique.

Continue to look for additional summer courses posted here in the near future.  

Upcoming Workshops

Summer I 2008
The Alexander Technique/ Bodymapping
USC School of Music
Course for credit or teacher re-certification.
Meets Mon. - Thurs.
June 2 - 26
Time: 10:30-12:45
For more information contact:
Jamie Turner
Tel:803-777-4335
JTurner@mozart.sc.edu

Call the School of Music (803) 777-4280
or Prof. Laury Christie (803) 777-5105 for more information.

Prof. Laury Christie
University of South Carolina
School of Music
813 Assembly St.
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-5105 FAX (803) 777-6508

Email: lchristie@mozart.sc.edu

MUED 581: The Articulate Body (Alexander Technique)

A course designed for musicians and music teachers. The USC School of Music is the first School in the Southeast to offer this course as a part of the curriculum for over 10 years. See catalogue for course offerings, Summer School Workshops or call School of Music 803-777-4280 or Professor Laury Christie, certified teacher of Alexander Technique 803-777-5105.

Course Mission

The mission of this course is to introduce students and music teachers to the Alexander Technique and its benefits in re-educating postural habits and muscular tensions for greater ease and flexibility in performance, practice, classroom teaching and daily use. Taught by Professor of Voice and Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique, Laury Christie.

What is the Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique is a simple, effective method that enhances movement ease, balance, alignment, flexibility and coordination in all activity. The technique teaches you how to become aware of habits resulting in tension, stress and fatigue; how to release them to have more choice in the quality and flexibility of using yourself. The principles of the technique are basic and can be applied to any activity. Musician, actors and dancers have benefited from from this method for the past 80 years.

P O I S E

"Change involves carrying out an activity against the habits of life."

F.M. Alexander

Who was Alexander?

FM Alexander was an actor who developed his technique when he had serious vocal problems in the midst of his performing career . Doctors could not determine the reasons for his chronic hoarseness, fatigue and vocal collapse. By observing himself, he discovered that how he used his body affected his voice. What he thought he was doing was different from what he was actually doing.

For over 80 years this self-learning process has been used by people from all walks of life, including such people as G.B.Shaw, Aldous Huxley, John Dewey, and Yehudi Menuhin. Nicolas Tinbergen, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1975 who devoted much of his acceptance speech to Alexander's discoveries reported the effects on himself and his family--"between the three of us, we already noticed, with growing amazement, very striking improvements in such diverse things as high blood pressure, breathing, depth of sleep, overall cheerfulness and mental alertness, resilience against outside pressures and also such refined skills as playing a stringed instrument."

"The Alexander Technique doesn't teach you something new to do. It teaches you how to bring more practical intelligence into what you are already doing."

Dr. Frank Pierce Jones
Clinical Research Psychologist
Tufts University

"I can't tell you how much we enjoyed your session on the Alexander Tech and Bodymapping at our String Session of the SCMEA State Convention 04. I learned many wonderful things and am working on balancing myself. It has given me a new insight into my playing and teaching."

Sarah Fitzgerald, Violinist
Charleston SC School of the Arts High School Orchestra
Director

"This Technique should be a part of everyone's education beginning in elementary school."

Dr. Stephen Taylor
Asst. Professor of Piano
USC School of Music

"As a result of applying the principles of this technique to my posture while performing on the french horn, I was able to extend my endurance and therefore improve my playing. As a side benefit, shortly after completing the course at USC I went for my annual physical and my height was measured a full inch taller than usual!"

Basil Kerr, Director
The Charleston School for the Arts
Charleston, SC

"Inspiring and informative sessions. The students have been commenting as to how informative and how much fun it was."

Jane Dillard Professor of voice
Dept. of Music
University of North Carolina-Charlotte

"The response from both students and faculty has been overwhelmingly positive from the workshop. Your informative bodymapping classes and the afternoon masterclasses were wonderful experiences for our students; many have indicated a desire to pursue more advance Alexander Technique and Bodymapping studies in the future."

Dr. Liana Valente
Assistant Professor of Music
Dept. of Music
Wesleyan College - Macon, Georgia

"This class has been such a help and encouragement for me. The Alexander Technique and Bodymapping releases the music inside the musician. It does even more than that. It improves my health and I would expect it would even lengthen my life span."

Stephen Beall
Violinist
Artist Diploma USC School of Music
Alexander Class MUSC 581

"The class has truly changed my life and awareness of my body through music."

Amy Tully
Instructor of Applied Flute and Music history
Coastal Carolina University - Conway, SC

"Your class was extremely helpful to me. Ireally left with some solid kernels of truth which have benefited me and my students."

Professor Madeline Darmiento
Dept. of Music
Millersville University - Millersville, PA

"I just wanted to say again how much we appreciate you coming and working with our students and faculty at Coker College.  Everyone is still talking about how much fun they had and how much they learned in just one session.  It is really taking our Studio Classes to a new level.  The students are able to recognize healthy and potentually unhealthy behavior in themselves and others.  Their level of awareness continues to improve, and it makes reinforcing good use of the body a lot easier.  Thank you for everything!"

Serena Hill
Vocal Instructor
Dept. of Music
Coker College - Hartsville, SC

 

 

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Selected Student Papers from Alexander Technique Classes

Links to other pages:

Updated for LC: November 22, 2002 by RET
Copyright ©1996-2003 by Laury Christie

Prof. Laury Christie | University of South Carolina | School of Music