THE HUMAN BODY AS THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENT: STUDIES IN MUSICAL

WHOLENESS AND ACHIEVING INSTRUMENTAL AWARENESS THROUGH THE

BREATH

by

Eric Kesler

Bachelor of Music Education

Appalachian State University, 1996

Master of Music
Appalachian State University, 1999

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in

Performance

School of Music

University of South Carolina

2015

Accepted by:

Jacob Will, Major Professor

Walter Cuttino, Committee Member

Donald Gray, Committee Member

Kunio Hara, Committee Member

Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

 UMI Number: 3704353

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ii
 DEDICATION
This dissertation document is dedicated to my son Samson Kesler, who at nine

months of age, taught me more about the body and the breath that enables its movement

than any text or other source. His infectious smile and laugh has brought new meaning of

life back into my own singing and music making. And I am full of gratitude that God has

allowed me to be his father.

I also dedicate this document to Korinne Smith: Not only are you a dedicated,

loving mother to our son but, the driving force of our family. Thank you for all of your

encouragement, love, and sacrifice. I could not have achieved this degree without you.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A very special thank you goes to my family, friends, and colleagues. Your aid

during the preparation of this document has enabled me to fulfill this life-long goal.

To the Creative Motion Alliance®: Who over the past twenty years have guided

and taught me how to sing, swing, and play! Thank you.

To Dr. Harold McKinney: Friend, mentor, teacher, colleague. Thank you for

sharing a kindred spirit and for the lessons in kindness and resonance!

To Professor Jacob Will: Thank you for helping to propel my vocal technique to

the next level of performance- And for all of your time and energy spent with me during

my studies at the University of South Carolina’s School of Music.

To all of my students past, present, and future: Let us never hold our breath too

long. Let us rather use our breath to unlock the sounds that our bodies possess- to unlock

musical awareness and to use ourselves (w)hol(l)y to the greater good for humanity.

iv
 ABSTRACT
The body is the primary instrument through which all other instruments’ sound is

created. Just as we tune secondary instruments by listening to pitch frequencies, the body

must also be tuned by listening to the breath. The phenomenon of the breath cycle is the

key to unlocking the body at the joints and creating a body that is in tune and prepared for

any activity. Pedagogy from the principles of Creative Motion®, Body Mapping, and

Alexander Technique will provide the background information for the implementation of

the Attunement Breath: the corresponding location of the breath pattern throughout the

body, the origination of the breath at inhalation and the flight pattern it takes as it unlocks

undesired tensions, particularly at joint locations, and the resulting freedom of expression

upon the body’s exhalation during musical activity.

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION …………………………………………………………………………................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………………...….iv

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………….v

LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………..viii

LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ……………………………………………………………...............ix

CHAPTER 1: THE HUMAN BODY IS THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENT ……………………...1

CHAPTER 2: A BRIEF BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGIES ………………………….5

2.1 BODY MAPPING …………………………………………………………………...11

2.2 SUMMARY OF BREATHING IN METHODOLOGIES …………………………..13

CHAPTER 3: SUPPORTIVE AND CONNECTIVE SYSTEMS DURING RESPIRATION ….15

3.1 SKELETAL SUPPORT ……………………………………………………………...16

3.2 MUSCULAR SUPPORT …………………………………………………………….17

3.3 JOINT CONNECTIONS …………………………………………………………….20

3.4 TYPES OF SYNOVIAL JOINTS …………………………………………………...21

CHAPTER 4: THE ATTUNEMENT BREATH ………………………………………………...24

4.1 AREAS OF BREATHING AWARENESS …………………………………………25

vi
 4.2 UNLOCKING THE BODY ………………………………………………………….28

4.3 BODY TUNING ……………………………………………………………………..30

4.4 MERGING OF METHODS …………………………………………………………30

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………………..33

BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………………………..36

APPENDIX A- ATTUNEMENT BREATH EXERCISE ……………………………………….39

vii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Axial and Appendicular Skeletal Systems .......................................................22

Figure 3.2 Types of Synovial Joints ..................................................................................23

Figure 4.1 Diaphragm and Psoas Connection ....................................................................32

viii
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AB ........................................................................................................... Attunement Breath

AT ....................................................................................................... Alexander Technique

BM ................................................................................................................ Body Mapping

CM .............................................................................................................. Creative Motion

CMC................................................................................................ Carpometacarpal (Joint)

MCP ......................................................................................................... Metacarpal (Joint)

MTP .......................................................................................... Metatarsophalangeal (Joint)

ix
 CHAPTER 1

THE HUMAN BODY IS THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENT

As a whole: life’s first inhalation breath at birth- the life lived- life’s last exhalation

breath at death; the complete musical phrase form. Understanding and using the

instrument well are important considerations in being able to realize musical skills. The

tone of the muscles affects the musical tone that you are producing. MacDonald (1997)

states “…A state of muscular harmony in which you are using the muscles in a

coordinated way is necessary if you are going to be able to realize the harmonic

potentials of the music” (p. 177). 1

“There cannot be any sound where there is no movement or percussion of the air.

There cannot be any percussion of the air where there is no instrument. There cannot be

any instrument without a body.”- Leonardo Da Vinci

The above quote resonates through time and space with its universal truth. It

seems that one of humankind’s greatest artists, sculptors, and inventors understood that

which has been true from the beginning of human existence- The human body and the

breath that creates motion within it, is the primary instrument through which all other

instruments exist.

1
MacDonald, R. (1997). The Use of the Voice: Sensory Appreciation, Posture, Vocal
Functioning and Shakespearean Text Performance. Macdonald Media, London.

1
 There are several energies that make up the human body. The physical body is

made up of a wonderfully complex design of cells. Its operational systems include the

cardiovascular, pulmonary, nervous, skeletal, digestive, muscular, and respiratory to

name a few. But the body is more than flesh and bone. Sense of touch, taste, sight, sound,

smell, and balance (kinesthesia) are all affected by the energies that make the body come

to life. Emotional, mental, and spiritual energies influence the body as well. From the

moment of one’s first breath, sense of intelligence and desires, love and hate, good and

evil begin to take shape. These energies help govern movement throughout life. One

moves and creates as a physical body in motion. Understanding how the breath unlocks

physical movement within the human body is of vital importance to every musician,

artist, and creative person.

According to McKinney (2000) if musicians can learn how to… “let the breath

come in, rather than making it come in, s/he will begin to get a sense of what is meant by

wholeness and resting into whatever one is doing” (p. 11). 2 He goes on to say that “one

simple breath contains the whole pattern for the manifestation of the phrase, period,

movement, complete composition, or any particular willed activity. If one can truly learn

the difference between an allowed breath and a breath that is made through the use of

muscle, s/he will begin to touch upon what is meant by wholeness of response” (pp. 12-

14). 3

2
Harold McKinney. Wholeness of Response: Reflections on the Preface to Creative Motion.
Journal of Creative Motion, Volume 1 (2000): 11.
3
Ibid, 12-14.

2
 Literature on the specialization of the body and its function during musical

development and individuals who have brought attention to whole body awareness

through their methodologies, pedagogies, and exercises have begun to define what it

means to have a body that is free to be musically expressive. These techniques have

paved the way for mapping the breath and respiration pattern that unlocks the body’s

potential for musicality and authentic artistry in wholeness: That wholeness being the

entire body’s responsiveness in music production. A fluid body connected by the

movement of the breath creates the primary instrument through which all other

instruments can express sound.

There are countless books of exercises and musical pedagogies on the broad

spectrum of musical instruments for which they are specifically written. The same is true

for literature about the human body in movement, dance, yoga, chi-gong, etc… as well as

philosophies, psychologies of musicianship and humankind. Methodologies such as the

Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Creative Motion®, Andover Educators® and

Dalcrose Eurhythmics have helped to bridge the gap in music training.

The fundamentals of techniques required to be masterful musicians are taught in

the majority of Western-European based music schools. Students are taught how to stand,

how to breathe, positions for fingers and hands, how to shape vowels- mechanics and

body positions of a very appropriate and proven to work nature. Even so, musicians are

rarely if at all, taught how to unlock the music that is held within the body. The goal of

this document is to provide information on the little known processes of the breath

pattern in the body that are exceedingly vital to all musicians. This document also intends

to convey awareness to all artists who are willing, that no matter what their medium of

3
expression, there is a greater truth to authentic artistry- the understanding that nothing

happens without the body and the breath that moves through it.

It is the desire of the author to bring this information to all musicians and artists

alike: To provide a detailed guide, mapping the pattern of breath as it moves through the

body, releasing unproductive tensions and creating an instrument that is grounded yet

buoyant and free.

4
 CHAPTER 2

A BRIEF BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGIES

As a certified instructor in Creative Motion®, the author of this document has a unique

perspective on how the body moves in lightness, balance, and strength through music.

Creative Motion musicianship is an enlightening system that trains the student to regard

technique and expression as essentially one and the same.

Several books have been listed here with the authors’ insights pertaining to

philosophies and inquiries about the human body as the primary musical instrument.

Margaret Allen (1979) says… “From the dry intellectualizing of musical theory to the

sterility of manuals of technique, thousands of books have been written to teach the

student of music how to play with control and expression” (jacket cover)4. Listed here are

a few methodology books that break the pattern of sterility and mediocrity, strengthening

the patterns of becoming a wholly responsive musician. This document will focus on the

pedagogy and literature of Creative Motion and Body Mapping/Alexander Technique.

Explanations and summaries of these methodologies will be addressed concerning their

approach to wholeness and breathing.

Guides to Creative Motion Musicianship is an illuminating resource that trains

the student to regard technique and expression as essentially one and the same.

“Beginning with the rudiments of Oppositional Forces and body balances”, Allen (1979)

4
Allen, Margaret. (1979). Guides to Creative Motion Musicianship. Dorrance and Co., Ardmore,
Pennsylvania.

5
explains that… “Mechanics of chord color, harmonic beats, phrasing, and analysis form

an aesthetic perspective that insists upon the synthesis of the musician’s physical, mental,

and emotional faculties. The result- music that lives, music in which every note, every

rest, contributes to the sound of perfection” (jacket cover).5 Allen quotes Dr. Richard

Altick, Regent Professor of English, Ohio State University at Columbus who writes:

“Creative Motion draws its strength, as does all great art, from a source deep in the spirit

of the individual human being. It cultivates one’s awareness of the harmonies and

rhythms with which life abounds, and at the same time directs and enriches one’s

response to them” (jacket cover).6

The existing philosophies of Creative Motion explained by Allen (1979) are based

on several very important concepts:

1. The person is the main instrument. A violin, a flute, a piano can only

give back to the world in tone that which the whole person- mind,

feeling, and body- has experienced through the music and projected

onto the secondary instrument.

2. Music is composed of motion. Melody, rhythm, harmony, tonal

dynamics, intervals- these are all expressions of motion. Therefore, no

tone should be a static tone. Its reality lies in the fact that it is related to

the next tone. Therefore, that which happens between the tones, the

5
Ibid. jacket cover.
6
Ibid. jacket cover.

6
 relation of one to the other, is the all-important thing. It is in this “space

between” that true musicianship is realized.

3. What is energy? What is that amazing burst of power that makes motion

possible? We and the earth are the two opposing forces that create all of

the motion of all the people in the universe. How can we protect it and

use it wisely so that it is always effective?

4. Creative Motion is a distinctive process by which the student learns how

to seek out the musical meaning of the manuscript, so that he or she can

recreate the quality of interpretation that the composer intended.7 (p. 3)

Florice Tanner’s Basic Energies in Wholeness looks at the scientific view point of

the patterns that incorporate the human body. The first four chapters cover the pattern of

wholeness, inner and outer processes, man’s potential, and the critical choice as described

by Tanner (1993) “…man’s challenge and responsibility to release or to re-establish the

wholeness with which he was born. ‘Mankind has the capacity to consciously release

energy downward thus relaxing the body as the opposite force simultaneously springs

upward. This opposite reaction provides balance and wholeness’ ” (p. 37). 8

Many of the ideas suggested in this book are from the experimental work of

Martha Russell (founder of the Creative Motion® principals), indicating the process by

which inner and outer, or the manifested and un-manifested processes of life are thought

to merge into a-wholeness. The shift of energy balancing between inhaling and exhaling

7
Ibid. p. 3
8
Tanner, Florice L. (1993). Basic Energies in Wholeness. Al-Beruni Desk Top Publisher’s,
Lahore.

7
during respiration is a pattern basic to her findings. Russell worked extensively with

music, studying the reactions of an impulse-spring and the climax-release in relation to

tone quality. She searched for the universal principle, the inner motion or life energy

which initiated her observation (Tanner, 1993).9

According to Tanner (1993), Russell describes the phrase form pattern of the

energy-breath in the body as being:

In response to an idea, the timing (levitative) element in the energy charge releases upward,

gearing the body to a timed coverance of the completed action. At the moment of initiating

the action, the action (gravitational) element in the charge should automatically release

body tensions and the body then rests down (relaxes)…During the action, the timing

element in the charge continues to hold the coverage for the completed action, while the

action (gravitation) element in the charge remains in the relaxed body, coordinating and

energizing the action…At the completing of the action, the gravitational element working

through the body action reaches the climactic point in the completed action already covered

by the timing element, both elements in the energy charge are released and the energy

charge is ready for the next idea. (pp. 3-4)10

Nelson (2002) believes that “…any action, to be completely efficient and effective,

must involve the whole self. That is, all parts of the organism must support and enhance

the act. The Feldenkrais Method, by helping to reprogram the functioning of our nervous

9
Ibid. pp. 1-2.
10
Ibid. 3-4.

8
system, facilitates our overcoming many of the problems arising from faulty initial

learning, injuries, and structural problems” (p. 4-5).11

In Singing With Your Whole Self- The Feldenkrais Method and Voice, Nelson and

Zeller (2002), describe the methodology’s ideas and development. According to the

authors, there are five key ideas involved in this self- discovery process using movement:

Life as a process; Involvement of the whole self as necessary for effective movement;

Learning as the key activity of humans; Necessity of choice; and Logic of human

development.12

Nelson (2002) also notes:

The voice pedagogical literature is replete with information on how the vocal

mechanism works, what is the “correct” position for best vocal output, descriptions

of the structures involved in making sound, and how to develop the vocal apparatus.

The literature also contains numerous exercises to assist students of voice in the

development and teaching of voice. But nowhere is there an in-depth exploration

of developing kinesthetic sensitivity, what this does for sound, and how to bring all

of oneself into use while singing. This book attempts to fill the gap.13 (Ibid, vii).

In the preface to Creative Motion, Second Edition by Margaret Allan and Anne

Niles (2010), Don Pease writes about the importance of regaining the lost “wholeness of

response” in our music making. He notes that “… our musical training is fragmented. We

11
Nelson, Samuel H. and Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. (2002). Singing With Your Whole Self: The
Feldenkrais Method and Voice. Lanham, Maryland, and London. The Scarecrow Press,

12
Ibid.
13
Ibid. p. vii.

9
concentrate on the fingers, the hand, at most the arm or torso, we do not work with the

whole self.,” Pease goes so far as to suggest that, “the student we recognize as talented

may simply be the one who has not fragmented his abilities, or who responds whole- with

body, mind and feeling. He may be the one who has not learned the unnatural distinction

of categories like physical, mental, and emotional” (Preface to the First Edition).14

Also concerning body wholeness and fragmentation, McKinney (2000,) recounts

an interview with Eileen Auxier (Emeritus CM Instructor). She learned from her study of

child development that “… segmentation of response begins about the same time that the

child begins to be able to consciously control her breath. Before this ability to

consciously control that which before had been a very natural autonomic activity

(breathing) we were all whole responders. Conscious awareness of our ability to control

this previously unconscious life-giving activity brings with it awareness of our bodies’

ability to segment. The response of the child before that time is a whole body response

which means that when the energy is released there is nothing to block it from being

expressed in the whole body. However, after the time we begin to take such conscious

charge of our bodies’ previously unconscious activities, we have to relearn how to allow

our bodies to express wholly without parts of ourselves interfering with the whole

expression” (p. 12).15

14
Allen, Margaret and Niles, Anne. (2010). Creative Motion, second edition. Mary Ann Fritz,
Editor. Creative Motion Alliance, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas
15
McKinney, Harold. Wholeness of Response: Reflections on the Preface to Creative Motion.
Journal of Creative Motion, Volume 1 (2000): 11-14.

10
 2:1 Body Mapping

According to Conable (2000),

The Body Map is one’s self-representation in one’s own brain. If the BM is

accurate, movement is good. If the BM is inaccurate or inadequate, movement is inefficient

and injury-producing. In Body Mapping, one learns to gain access to one’s own BM

through self-observation and self-inquiry. One carefully examines what one believes to be

true about his or her own body by comparing it to accurate information provided by

kinesthetic experience, mirrors, books, pictures, and teachers. One thereby learns to

recognize the source of inefficient or harmful movement and how to replace it with

movement that is efficient, elegant, direct and powerful based on the truth about one’s

structure, function, and size. Body Mapping was discovered by William Conable, professor

of cello at the Ohio State University School of Music. Conable inferred the BM from the

congruence of students’ movement in playing with their reports of their notions of their

own structures. He observed that students move according to how they think they are

structured rather than according to how they are actually structured. When the student’s

movement in playing becomes based on the student’s direct perception of their actual

structure, it becomes efficient, expressive, and appropriate for making music. Conable’s

observations are currently being confirmed by discoveries in neurophysiology concerning

the locations, functions, and coordination of body maps in movement. BM is the conscious

correction and refining of one’s BM to produce efficient, graceful, and coordinated

11
movement. Body Mapping, over time, with application, allows any musician to play like a

natural. (p. 5)16

Associate Professor of Trombone/Euphonium with the Northern Arizona

University School of Music, David Vining (2015) concerning breathing says “… A

common breathing error is a misunderstanding of the function of the diaphragm, one of

the primary muscles used in breathing. Many teachers speak of the diaphragm in general

terms such as “keep the diaphragm firm,” or even “push air out with the diaphragm.”

Such statements cause the student to expend a great deal of misplaced effort in breathing,

thereby creating stress throughout the body. This stress will cause poor tone quality and

seriously inhibit technique. The body mapping reality is that the diaphragm contracts

upon inhalation and it is relaxing upon exhalation. If one thinks of tightening the

diaphragm upon exhalation, this very powerful muscle is at cross purposes with the

abdominal and internal intercostal muscles. These are the muscles of exhalation, not the

diaphragm. In order to breathe efficiently when playing one must understand that the

diaphragm is used for inhalation and the abdominal and internal intercostal muscles are

used to exhale. Conceptual teaching methods (of which there are many) which violate

this fact are counterproductive and may be harmful” (www.davidvining.net).17

16
Conable, Barbara. What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
Application of Body Mapping to Making Music, revised edition. Benjamin Conable,
Designer. Portland, OR. Andover Press, 2000.
17
David Vining. Body Mapping (accessed 1/19/2015). http://www.davidvining.net/bodymapping.html

12
2.2 Summary of Breathing in Methodologies

Creative Motion’s pedagogy involves, but is not limited to, the learning of the

phrase form, body balance, and efficient use of self. Concerning the breath and breathing

there are two specific exercises that bring attention to the “awareness” of the body during

respiration: the yawn and the “ah breath”. Both of these body breathing exercises are

designed to bring awareness of the difference between lung and energy breathing: “ah”

brings awareness to energy, “yawn” brings awareness to the initiation point of respiration

and shows the two aspects of energy in the body. This impulse to climax phrase during

respiration is described as “radiant energy-motion” and “body energy-movement”;

radiant being used as the definition involving transmission of energy from one location to

another. With the energies of motion and movement coordinated, one will experience and

develop a sense of a “light weight body” (Allen, 1971).18 The core of the CM

methodology is the pattern of the diaphragmatic movement that creates a double spiral-

horizontal and vertical. In the 1920’s Russell was able to view this phenomenon by

watching her own diaphragm movement from a fluoroscope reading at John Hopkins

Hospital in Baltimore (Russell, 1952).19 The resulting intertwined figure eight pattern is

the foundational map of the phrase form and for many guiding principles in CM.

Body Mapping’s methodology presents diagrams and instructions for the

anatomical truths about the body during respiration. With whole-body involvement

recognized during breathing, there is an outline of diaphragmatic movement in the

18
Allen, Margaret and Niles, Anne. (1971). Guides to Creative Motion Musicianship. Dorrance and Co.,
Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
19
Russell, Martha. (1952). A Music Lens on History. John D. Lucas Printing Co., Baltimore, Maryland.

13
thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities. The pelvic floor is recognized for free breathing

and balance. Body expansion and recovery is outlined in diagrams and exercises lying

down are explained to bring awareness to the lengthening and gathering of the torso.

Outlines and drawings of the spine and ribs joints remind one that breathing happens at

the joints; spinal gathering with inhalation and lengthening upon exhalation. Muscles of

the diaphragm’s “inhaled and exhaled” positions are presented through diagrams. The

supportive structures of the body are shown in a way that will enable musicians to

develop the awareness to breathe with conscious intention during their music making

(Conble, 2000).20

The author of this document will present the merging of these two pedagogies to

create an outline that brings awareness to both the energy patterns and the anatomical

truths of the body during respiration. This process is called the Attunement Breath and

will be covered in Chapter four.

20
Conable, Barbara. (2000). What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
Application of Body Mapping to Making Music, revised edition. Benjamin Conable,
Designer. Portland, OR. Andover Press

14
 CHAPTER 3

SUPPORTIVE AND CONNECTIVE SYSTEMS DURING RESPIRATION

Support for breathing is critical for the body’s functions and crucial in understanding for

all musicians. Human beings breathe continually throughout their lives. It is when one

becomes consciously aware of breathing that choices are made; about the amount of air

that is inhaled for any particular activity and how long that air is held within the body

before exhalation for those activities. Musicians become very skilled, through practice,

with the manipulation of respiration required to produce an acceptable musical phrase.

Some do so with great instinctiveness and their bodies are free and buoyant. Such people

are often revered in their fields as extraordinarily talented. Singers and players of all

types who have lost their natural born freedom of breathing become disjointed,

fragmented, and full of unwanted tensions; resulting in a body that has become

imbalanced where muscle groupings attempt to compensate for the lack of whole body

balance and readiness. It then becomes necessary for the majority of struggling

musicians, as well as a reminder to accomplished professionals, to compile and put into

action the body’s supportive systems for respiration. Having an understanding of the

skeletal and muscular supportive systems that aid the respiration process is vital; to any

musician, performing artist, or athlete.

The definitions pertaining to breathing according to Conable (2000) are as

follows, “… 1) SUPPORT, v., “to bear all or part or the weight of, or hold up, a structure

15
or mass,” and, 2) SUPPORT, v., “to uphold by aid; back up; second.” You need both: you

need something to bear you up as you breathe, and you need something to aid or back up

your breathing. What supports are available? For bearing you up: for the whole of you-

the floor, your bony structure, and your postural reflexes; for your torso- your legs; for

your thorax- your lumbar spine; for your head- your whole spine. What supports are

available to aid or back up your breathing? The lengthening and gathering of your spine;

the resiliency of the abdominal wall; the resiliency of the pelvic floor; and engaging the

deep musculature of the pelvis as you move into length on exhalation” (p. 88).21

3:1 Skeletal Support

The body’s skeletal muscles are the only voluntary type of muscles in the body.

Every physical action requires a skeletal muscle. Muscles contract to move various body

parts (muscles only work when contracted) and are attached to the bones by tendons

(bones come together at joint locations). The skeletal system is made up of two different,

main sections, the appendicular and the axial skeleton. (Figure 3:1) The main purpose of

the skeletal system is to support the muscles in the body and protect vital organs, such as

the heart and lungs.

Axial bones form the central axis (though they are not a straight line) of the body.

The axial skeleton is composed of the skull, ribs, sternum, and spine. These supportive

bones work with the circulatory system to protect the heart, the respiratory system to

21
Conable, Barbara (2000). What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
Application of Body Mapping to Making Music, revised edition. Benjamin
Conable, Designer. Portland, OR. Andover Press

16
protect the lungs, and the nervous system to provide support and protection for nerves

along the spine.

Appendicular bones function to provide motion to the body. These bones are in

the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, arms, and legs. The skeletal systems appendicular bones

work with the muscles which allow the body to move.

There is also cartilage within the skeletal system that functions as a soft

connective tissue between joints. Skeletal system cartilage works with the respiratory

system and is especially relevant to the motion of breathing in the body with its function

within the ribs and spine. Cartilage is also found in the ears, nose, and bronchial tubes.

The supportive bones of the axial and appendicular skeletons, with attention to

joints that connect them to one another, will provide the framework for the Attunement

Breath discussed in chapter four.

3:2 Muscular Support

Anatomy and Physiology Instructor Tim Taylor (1999) describes the muscles of

respiration and ventilation saying:

Surrounding the lungs are sets of muscles that are able to cause air to be inhaled or exhaled

from the lungs. The principal muscle of respiration in the human body is the diaphragm, a

thin sheet of skeletal muscle that forms the floor of the thorax. When the diaphragm

contracts, it moves inferiorly a few inches into the abdominal cavity, expanding the space

within the thoracic cavity and pulling air into the lungs. Relaxation of the diaphragm allows

air to flow back out the lungs during exhalation. Between the ribs are many small

17
intercostal muscles that assist the diaphragm with expanding and compressing the lungs.

These muscles are divided into 2 groups: the internal intercostal muscles and the external

intercostal muscles. The internal intercostal muscles are the deeper set of muscles and

depress the ribs to compress the thoracic cavity and force air to be exhaled from the lungs.

The external intercostals are found superficial to the internal intercostals and function to

elevate the ribs, expanding the volume of the thoracic cavity and causing air to be inhaled

into the lungs. To exhale air, the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles relax while

the internal intercostal muscles contract to reduce the volume of the thorax and increase

the pressure within the thoracic cavity. The pressure gradient is now reversed, resulting in

the exhalation of air until the pressures inside the lungs and outside of the body are equal.

At this point, the elastic nature of the lungs causes them to recoil back to their resting

volume, restoring the negative pressure gradient present during inhalation.

(http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/respiratory).22

Taylor’s (1999) description of the diaphragm muscles during the respiration

process provides excellent insight into the importance of acknowledging the anatomical

truth in breathing. The connections of these muscles and tendons to their respective

skeletal support are of value concerning the Attunement Breath described in chapter four.

He explains that,

The diaphragm is the dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon that serves as the

main muscle of respiration and plays a vital role in the breathing process. Also known as

the thoracic diaphragm, it serves as an important anatomical landmark that separates the

22
Taylor, Tim. (1999). http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/respiratory (accessed 1/12/2015)

18
thorax, or chest, from the abdomen. The origins of the diaphragm are found along the

lumbar vertebrae of the spine and the inferior border of the ribs and sternum…The lungs

are enclosed in the thoracic cavity by the rib cage on the front, back, and sides with the

diaphragm forming the floor of the cavity. When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and

is drawn inferiorly into the abdominal cavity until it is flat. At the same time, the external

intercostal muscles between the ribs elevate the anterior rib cage like the handle of a bucket.

The thoracic cavity becomes deeper and larger, drawing in air from the atmosphere. During

exhalation, the rib cage drops to its resting position while the diaphragm relaxes and

elevates to its dome-shaped position in the thorax. Air within the lungs is forced out of the

body as the size of the thoracic cavity decreases. Structurally, the diaphragm consists of

two parts: the peripheral muscle and central tendon. The peripheral muscle is made up of

many radial muscle fibers – originating on the ribs, sternum, and spine – that converge on

the central tendon. The central tendon – a flat aponeurosis made of dense collagen fibers –

acts as the tough insertion point of the muscles. When air is drawn into the lungs, the

muscles in the diaphragm contract, and pull the central tendon inferiorly into the abdominal

cavity. This enlarges the thorax and allows air to inflate the lungs. The peripheral muscle

can be further divided by its origins into the sternal, costal, and lumbar regions. The sternal

region is made up of two small muscular segments that attach to the posterior aspect of the

xiphoid process. The costal region is made up of several wide muscle segments whose

origins are found on the internal surface of the inferior six ribs and costal cartilages. The

lumbar region has its origins on the lumbar vertebra by way of two pillars of tendon called

19
the musculotendinous crura. These pillars wrap around the aorta as it passes through the

diaphragm to form the aortic hiatus. (www.innerbody.com)23

3:3 Joint Connections

There are 360 joints in the human body. There are 86 skull joints, six throat joints,

66 thoracic joints and 76 in one’s spine and pelvis. Also there are 32 in each upper limb

and 31 in each lower limb. A joint is the point where two or more bones meet. Joints

make the body flexible and to make movements. There are three main types of joints;

Fibrous (immoveable), Cartilaginous (partially moveable) and the Synovial (freely

moveable) joint. There are many different kinds of joints located in different parts of the

body responsible for different actions. These joints are Saddle joint, Pivot joint, Hinge

joint, Fixed joint, Ellipsoidal joint, Ball and socket joint, Gliding joint, slightly movable

joint and Spine joints.

Teach PE (2015) is a group of experienced professional athletes and coaches

dedicated to anatomy and physiology, health and fitness, training, study aids and

resources for all levels of physical movement. According to their online source, they

define joint types as follows:

Fibrous (synarthrodial): This type of joint is held together by only a ligament.

Examples are where the teeth are held to their bony sockets and at both the radioulnar and

tibiofibular joints. Fibrous joints connect bones without allowing any movement. The

23
Tim Taylor. (1999). Inner Body, Diaphragm (accessed 1/31/2015).
http://www.innerbody.com/image/musc06.html

20
bones of the skull and pelvis are held together by fibrous joints. The union of the spinous

processes and vertebrae are fibrous joints. Cartilaginous (synchondrosis and symphysis):

These joints occur where the connection between the articulating bones is made up of

cartilage, for example, between vertebrae in the spine. Synchondroses are temporary joints

which are only present in children, up until the end of puberty. For example the epiphyseal

plates in long bones. Symphysis joints are permanent cartilaginous joints, for example the

pubic symphysis. Cartilaginous joints are joints in which the bones are attached by

cartilage. These joints allow for only a little movement, such as in the spine or ribs.

Synovial (diarthrosis): Synovial joints are by far the most common classification of joint

within the human body. They are highly moveable and all have a synovial capsule

(collagenous structure) surrounding the entire joint, a synovial membrane (the inner layer

of the capsule) which secretes synovial fluid (a lubricating liquid) and cartilage known as

hyaline cartilage which pads the ends of the articulating bones. There are 6 types of

synovial joints which are classified by the shape of the joint and the movement available.

Synovial joints allow for much more movement than cartilaginous joints. Cavities between

bones in synovial joints are filled with synovial fluid. This fluid helps lubricate and protect

the bones. Bursa sacks contain the synovial fluid. (teachpe.com)24

3:4 Types of Synovial Joints (Figure 3.2)

Synovial joints are the key areas of the body that aid in the definition of the

Attunement Breath discussed in chapter four. Understanding the anatomical location and

24
Teach PE, Anatomy and Physiology, Joints. (accessed 1/31/2015)
http://www.teachpe.com/gcse_anatomy/joints.php

21
function of these moving joints is necessary for one to attain a tuned and unlocked body.

They are the hinge, pivot, ball and socket, saddle, condyloid, gliding, and ellipsoid joints.

Figure 3.1 Axial and Appendicular Skeletal System25: Rib cartilage is shown in
blue.

25
Nicole Okazaki. Axial and Appendicular Skeleton Image (accessed 1/10/2015).
http://faculty.weber.edu/nokazaki/Human_Biology/Chp%205%20The%20Skeletal%20System_files/image
016.jpg

22
 Type Movement at Joint Examples Structure

Hinge Flexion/Extension
Knee/Elbow Hinge Joint

Pivot Rotation of one bone

Around another
Top of the Neck
Atlas/Occiput Pivot Joint

Ball Flexion/Extension/
& Adduction/Abduction/
Socket Internal and External
Rotation
Shoulder/Hip Ball & Socket Joint

Flexion/Extension/
Saddle Adduction/Abduction/
Circumduction
CMC Joint of the Saddle Joint
Thumb

Flexion/Extension/
Condyloid Adduction/Abduction/
Circumduction Wrist/MCP & MTP Condyloid Joints
Joints

Gliding Gliding Movements

Intercarpal Joints
Wrists and Ankles Gliding Joints

Figure 3.2 Types of Synovial Joints26

26
Teach PE. Anatomy and Physiology, Joints. (accessed 1/7/2015)
http://www.teachpe.com/anatomy/joints.php

23
 CHAPTER 4
THE ATTUNEMENT BREATH
Essential for all musicians is a well-tuned instrument. Tuning systems of equal

temperament, mean-tone, the Pythagorean comma non-withstanding; commonly define

our sense of tonality and tuning, especially if music making is done with more than one

person. Before concerts it is commonplace for the orchestra or ensemble to be given a

concert pitch to which they all individually tune their respective instruments. The

majority of these instruments do not fall under the category of a fixed-toned instrument

requiring a particular temperament (piano, percussion, pipe organ); and when played,

their intervals remain close to pure as they weave the tapestry of the music they

collectively create in their given tonality. Even so, the finely crafted and assembled

pieces of metal, wood, and organic materials we call musical instruments can produce no

sound by themselves. The body being in tune has less to do with a reference to pitch-

rather, it is more akin to the tuning of an automobile: when the vehicle or body is

balanced, fueled, timed and unlocked it is prepared for optimal performance. The external

force of the human body (movement and motion) and more specifically the breath that

creates movement and motion of the body is the primary cause of musical tones. It is

therefore necessary to have the body in tune before any attempt is made in tuning a

secondary instrument.

From pedagogical studies and performance techniques musicians learn that the

music comes first from within to then be expressed outwardly. That pattern is first

24
observed as respiration in the body. The inhalation must bring breath inside the body

before the exhalation can carry any musical idea on its energy. Musicians who try to

“make” music happen without this internal process often find their music making

laborious, mechanical, and unpleasant. This often leads to unsuccessful musical offerings

due to holding one’s breath and locking areas of the body necessary for a whole response.

This locking of the body can be the root cause of many musicians’ physical pains; as well

as being out of tune within a tonality of pitch. Similarly as the breath is the initiator of

sound it also serves as the initiator of tuning. Before any secondary instrument is tuned to

a pitch- the body, the primary instrument, must be tuned. This tuning is enabled through

the breath. The specific attention given to the whole body as the respiration process

ensues and unlocks and eliminates unwanted tensions is given the name Attunement

Breath. Here the author of this document will give the justifications and mapping of the

breath pattern- specifically the area of initiation at inhalation and the body’s follow

through at exhalation.

4.1 Areas of Breathing Awareness

In Carl Bamberger, The Conductor’s Art (Jordan, 2011), Leonard Bernstein says

“…Therefore, the basic trick is in the preparatory upbeat. It is exactly like breathing: the

preparation is like an inhalation, and the music sounds like an exhalation. We all have to

inhale in order to speak, for example; all verbal expression is exhaled. So it is with music:

we inhale on the upbeat and sing out a phrase of music, then inhale again and breathe out

the next phrase (p. 19).27

27
Jordan, James. (2011).The Musicians Breath: The Role of Breathing in Human Expression. Chicago:

25
 Concerning the body as a whole instrument with the breath, Conable (2000) states:

Breathing is movement, and musicians move for a living. It’s athletic work, playing your

instruments, and you need a good supply of oxygen. Beyond that, you may need to get air

into your instruments so they can set the air vibrating to produce the sounds you like. If

you are not breathing really well as you play, your mismapping of the breathing structures

may be interfering with your arm and torso freedom. This is common and alarming. Of

course, we breathe with our whole bodies. Every cell is nourished with oxygen and purified

when we breathe. All joints move, some slightly, some greatly. Our heads move as our

spines lengthen and gather in breathing, and our legs support breathing when we stand. The

whole torso participates in the movement of breathing, each area- thoracic, abdominal, and

pelvic- in a different way. (p. 75)28

Jordan (2011) addresses spinal movement saying “…There is an important

awareness that must be in place for the breath to come into the body. As you inhale and

exhale, there is a natural gathering of the spine on inhalation and a lengthening of the

spine on exhalation. You must be aware of this anatomical truth for breath to come into

your body. The awareness of both lengthening and gathering can help achieve a supple

interior space for the breath” (p. 55).29

GIA Publications, Inc.

28
Conable, Barbara. (2000). What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
Application of Body Mapping to Making Music, revised edition. Benjamin Conable,
Designer. Portland, OR. Andover Press
29
Jordan, James. (2011). The Musicians Breath: The Role of Breathing in Human Expression. Chicago:
GIA Publications, Inc.

26
 This space for the breath is described by the Alexander Technique as the “up and

over” and similarly by Creative Motion as the “once further”. F.M. Alexander speaks of

his own body liberation as “forward and up”- the characteristic movement of the head in

relation to the top of the vertebrae (A.O. Joint) as a slight movement toward the spine as

the spine gathers and a slight movement away from the spine as the spine lengthens. In

Creative Motion it is described at the place where the phrase-form of impulse to climax

has reached its apex and turns direction to begin the decent back towards another impulse

(inhalation). The joint areas of the body according to Conable (2000) “…can be felt with

our increasingly sophisticated and sensitive kinesthetic receptors, as buoyancy and

described as space in the joint, or making room for the breath” (p. 43).30

Where in the body does the breath begin? One feels the surrounding air become

the breath as it enters the mouth and nose passing through the throat and into the lungs as

the ribs expand. Scientific studies have made known that the diaphragm is the primary

muscle responsible for contracting and pulling the air into the lungs. But before this

happens, before the air pressure changes and air is turned into breath, there is a point of

impulse at the center of the body that occurs which initiates the inhalation process.

Creative Motion principles describe this area as being just below the sternum at the solar

plexus or xyphiod process. And yes, there is a tiny “spring” or “down/up” sensation that

can be felt here just slightly before inhalation. However, if one brings the area of focus

down and internally toward the center of the body, there is a place where the diaphragm

pillars and psoas muscles overlap on the spine, where the true initiation of inhalation

30
Conable, Barbara. (2000). The Structures and Movement of Breathing: A Primer for Choirs and
Choruses. Chicago: GIA Publications Inc.

27
takes place. (Figure 4.1) These two areas work in tandem as the body begins its tuning.

Jordan (2011) describes this area with an analogy of gravitational forces on a plant saying

“…The plant has two forces. The part that goes up into the light and the force that goes

into the dark, into the earth. There is a place in some plants that is only one cell wide

called ‘the crossing point’- where those two impulses co-exist. This is where our

wholeness is” (p. 34).31 The overlapping area or crossing point of the diaphragm and

psoas muscles is the initiation of the physical movement of the body during respiration;

akin to the two forces in the plant. The unlocking of our body/instrument begins here.

4.2 Unlocking the Body

Bodies are in constant motion throughout one’s lifetime. Sleeping, walking,

running, playing, or just going about daily activities, bodies are breathing and moving at

the joints. The synovial joints described in Chapter three are the places in the body where

freedom of movement is critical, especially for musicians, athletes, and performing

artists. The process of the Attunement Breath is the key to unlocking these joints and

achieving a body that is light-weight, grounded yet buoyant and free, and prepared

(tuned) for any activity.

As inhalation begins, the gathering of the spine and the surrounding muscles of

the overlapping area of the diaphragm and psoas collect potential energy. This area is

located at Thoracic 12 and Lumbar 1 through 4 vertebrae. Inhalation sends a wave of

energy through the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems alerting the body to its

31
Jordan, James. (2011). The Musicians Breath: The Role of Breathing in Human Expression. Chicago:
GIA Publications, Inc.

28
potential activity: first traveling the length of the spine towards the head and coccyx

unlocking the spinal joints; thoracic joints of the ribs allow the expansion of the body as

the diaphragm begins its contraction; neck, head, and jaw joints are released;

sternoclavicular and sacroiliac joints unlock releasing tensions to free the appendicular

skeleton- shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers for the arms; hips, knees, ankles, and toes

for the legs. Exhalation then releases the elastic potential energy,32 simultaneously

unlocking the synovial joints along its fulfilled flight path of energy, creating a body that

is in tune.

There are two crucial joints in the body that often go un-noticed or not thought of

at all during music making. These two significant joints are the primary joints required

for optimal motion of the appendicular skeleton. Because they do not have a separate

name, i.e. shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist, ankle, they are often neglected. The joint

responsible for arm motion is the sternoclavicular. The joint responsible for leg motion is

the sacroiliac. These two joints are the closest to the initial response to the breath from

the spine. Unlocking of the body’s joints occurs from the inside out. Therefore, focused

awareness of these areas is vital to any performer regardless of the medium, if they are to

use their arms and legs. Inhalation prepares the joints of the body for movement and the

exhalation immediately releases undue tensions in the joints. If our breathing and

awareness of the sternoclavicular and sacroiliac joints is neglected, other muscle groups

will try to compensate for the locked areas of the body responsible for limb motion. If

32
EPE is the energy stored in elastic materials as the result of their stretching or compressing. The amount
of EPS stored in the body or device is related to the amount of stretch of the body or device- the more
stretch the more stored energy- the bigger the inhalation and diaphragmatic stretch, the more stored energy.
http://www. physicsclassroom.com (accessed 2/19/15)

29
these areas remain locked the corresponding joints of the limbs that follow (shoulders,

elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles, toes) will never be completely free to move as

they are designed.

4.3 Body Tuning

The process of tuning the body with the breath can be practiced to the point of

mastery; where only one breath is required to tune and prepare the body for the musical

activity desired. In order to achieve this mastery it is necessary to practice the flight

pattern of energy of the breath, bringing attention to each joint along the way. Multiple

breaths are needed for this exercise- See Appendix A for exercise outline.

4.4 Merging of Methods

As described above, the merging of Creative Motion and Body Mapping

principles have given rise to the creation of a new pedagogical tool, the Attunement

Breath. From CM one attains awareness of the spring at the diaphragmatic center with the

resulting two strands of energy giving balance and strength. BM gives the anatomical

truths of muscle and bone positions throughout the body, creating awareness for balance

and freedom of physical movement. The resulting AB contains the methodology to carry

the CM and BM phrases of respiration to the “once further” place; creating an exercise

that will allow musicians to tune their instruments and attain awareness of a whole body

response to their music making. Just as the crossing point of the diaphragm and psoas

muscles on the spine is the beginning body response for inhalation, so too are the two

impulses that co-exist and work in tandem (Creative Motion and Body Mapping) that

share in the emergence of greater body awareness during musical respiration.

30
Figure 4.1 Diaphragm and Psoas Connection33
1)diaphragm 2)diaphragm tendon 3)aortic aperture 4)psoas arcade 5)vena caval aperture
6)esophageal aperture

33
Ron Soft. Tissue Therapist Post. Sankalpa, Visualization and Yoga: The Diaphragm-Psoas Connection,
(accessed 1/22/2015).
https://rhvillegas.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/the-diaphragm-psoas-connection

31
 CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
In her book A Music Lens on History Russell (1952) poetically speaks of the attention to

the breath and how having a tuned “light weight” body creates optimal musical

expression. She says:

The indications are of a beautiful simplicity if we can shift our attention from biological

“emergence” in terms of outer mind and body to biological “emergence” in terms of inner

structural energy. Let us suppose that you are operating in a “light weight body.” Let us

suppose that the up-keep of your light weight body is an energy- respiration (hitherto

obscured by your lung breathing) which, in instant response to your “governing idea” of

the moment, gears the body to the energy level required for the accomplishment of the idea.

Conceive this energy charge to be compounded of two elements working together in

opposition balance: the “Timing”, or levitational element; the Action, or gravitational

element. Conceive that at the moment of initial response to the governing idea, the

levetational element makes instant connection with the governing idea objective, thus

“timing” the ensuing action; conceive that with the expiration of the lung breath the body

“rests”- that is relaxes, wholly and completely- and under cover of its levitational timing

proceeds to carry out your governing idea of the moment with effortless ease and joy of

action. (p. 107)34

34
Russell, Martha S. (1952). A Music Lens On History. Baltimore, Maryland: J.D. Lucas Printing Co.

32
 It is imperative that all musicians develop the understanding that they themselves

are the primary instrument through which all music making begins. This knowledge is

rooted in the fact that without the breath that brings one to life and allows the body to

move, music would cease to exist or have meaning. Without the breath animating the

body, no human being can create music at all. From birth, the body naturally moves in a

musical fashion. Two rhythms govern one’s play; the heart beat and respiration. These

musical phrase forms continue non-stop during life. They speed up and slow down with

various activities, and responses to desires are achieved with a wholeness and tuned

body. It is so very clear to witness the anatomical truth of how the body moves with the

breath when observing an infant reaching for anything he desires. The response begins

with an inhalation at the diaphragmatic-psoas cross-section and with an exhalation, his

whole body reaches with graceful efficiency, strength, and purpose.

Dr. Robert Smith, Professor of Piano and Chair of the Piano Department at

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is also a Level III Certified Instructor in

Creative Motion®. When asked to describe how the awareness of his breath effects his

playing, his response is a direct reflection of a tuned body. Smith (2015) says:

My best description is limited by both linear thinking and by rather flowery descriptions.

I know these limitations to be the two sides of the brain trying to “do the description

justice”. But you know that already! When I open up all of my arches through the

awareness of (the) breath going through them, it keeps my mind from pressing down on

the essence of my performance. In perfect alignment my body is ready to move but doesn’t

have to show that movement on the outside. The energy of the chakras and/or energy

meridians seems to coordinate with my musical intent and it steers me away from the fear

33
of failure (or the fear of success) in performance. It coordinates me with my fingers, arms,

head, and feet, those parts of me which are the most obvious parts which are connected to

the “making” of a pianist’s performance. As for “awareness”, when I open my head arch

while in the standing, sitting, or walking position I become aware of my active alignment;

The one which brings forth more of my confidence, more of my soul, and more of my

spontaneity.35

Musicians and performing artists like Dr. Smith have the natural ability to breathe

“open” joints of the body, which unlocks the body (instrument) to create beautiful works

of art. There is a way for musicians to re-learn this natural ability to have an authentic

musical response. The practice of the Attunement Breath to unlock movement and

motion of the body at the joints is a pedagogical exercise that will aid in the awareness of

the body as a whole, and help develop an instrument (body) that is in tune and ready to

move in any direction that the music may lead.

35
(correspondence with the Author 7/29/2014)

34
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Margaret. Guides to Creative Motion Musicianship. Dorrance and Co., Ardmore,
Pennsylvania. 1979.

Allen, Margaret and Niles, Anne. Creative Motion, Second edition. Mary Ann Fritz,
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Boardman, Susan. 1987. Voice Training for the Musical Theater Singer (Broadway).
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Mauro. The Seventeenth-Century Singer’s Body: An Instrument of Action.
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Conable, Barbara. The Structures and Movement of Breathing: A Primer for Choirs and
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Conable, Barbara. What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
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Johnson, Jennifer. What Every Violinist Needs to Know About the Body. Chicago: GIA
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MacDonald, Glynn. Alexander Technique: A Practical Program for Health, Poise, and
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McKinney, Harold. “Wholeness of Response: Reflections on the Preface to Creative

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Matthias, Alexander. The Use of the Self. Berley, Kentucky: Integral Press, 1955.

Nelson, Samuel H. and Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. Singing With Your Whole Self: The
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Nesmith, David. “What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body”. The Horn
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Okazaki, Nicole. Axial and Appendicular Skeleton Image (accessed 1/10/2015).

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Pearson, Lea. Body Mapping for Flutists: What Every Flute Teacher Needs to Know
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Teck, Katherine. Ear Training for the Body: A Dancer’s Guide to Music. Pennington,
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37
 APPENDIX A
ATTUNEMENT BREATH EXERCISE
The following is a practical guide for achieving wholeness of body awareness and

response from the body tuning theory of the Attunement Breath.

The goal of this exercise is to bring awareness to the joints of the body and how

they respond during respiration. There is no need for forced or deep breathing. Only a

focus on the breathing pattern as your body moves during respiration. When the body is

ready to inhale, allow it to do so. When you notice that the body is ready to exhale, allow

it to do so. Each breath during the exercise will correspond to a particular joint in the

body. During inhalation notice how the joint responds when you place your focus there.

During exhalation sense the space of the joint and notice its freedom, flexibility, and

strength.

1. Seated, standing, or lying down, make yourself comfortable and become

aware of your breathing. When you have a sense of readiness, inhale through

your nose and release the exhalation through the mouth.

2. On the next resulting impulse of inhalation, place your minds awareness to the

overlapping area where the diaphragm pillars and psoas muscles work in

tandem:

(T-12 through L1-4). Notice how your body responds. Exhale and enjoy the

space of the unlocked joints. This energized place will be the beginning of

each proceeding breath throughout the exercise. The joints of the axial

38
 skeleton, vertebrae, ribs, and base of the skull will anatomically always move

and therefore unlock first.

3. With the next breaths (always unlocking the vertebrae at the overlapping area

first) follow the same pattern of breathing awareness up and down the spinal

vertebrae. To unlock all of them may require twenty four corresponding

breaths- one each for each vertebrae. Notice how the arches of the ribs, jointly

attached to the thoracic vertebrae, move and unlock muscular tension through

the center of the body. Notice also how the hips and iliac arches want to

expand and release tension. Notice how the head gently positions itself in

balance over the AO joint and how free the two temporomandibular joints of

the jaw have become (especially important for singers and wind players!). As

you continue to inhale and exhale, each additional joint with each additional

breath remains active and open- the more breaths you take the more

simultaneous release of unwanted tension. Once you are comfortable

breathing and unlocking the joints of the axial skeleton then proceed to

unlocking the arms and legs.

4. On the next inhalation (from our newly found center) release the joints of the

axial skeleton and include the sternoclavicular and the sacroiliac joints. This

will eventually be done with one breath but, for now bring your awareness of

your breath and flight of energy to each of the corresponding joints. To remain

in balance, breath to unlock all four joints simultaneously (you have two of

each!) The movement here will be small, so stay in this area until you are

comfortable with your awareness and that you actually do feel the joints

39
 release. This is crucial for the unlocking of the remainder of the joints of the

appendicular skeleton. Only when the core/center /axial joints are open can

the appendages receive the fullness of the release that the breath brings.

5. Next, when you feel that your body is ready, inhale with the intent to unlock

the two shoulders and two hips- at the same time. Notice how round and full

those areas of the body have become.

6. Release the breath on the exhalation. On the next impulse breath, incorporate

the two elbows and two knees. Feel the strength of the biceps, triceps,

quadriceps, and hamstrings as the energy releases tension along the humarus

and femur of each limb.

7. Again from center, include the two areas of wrists and ankles with the

following breath. At this point you may even feel a tingle in your arms and

legs as the release of tension travels like a wave across the radius and ulna;

tibia and fibula- a very important area for balance and dexterity as the

forearms and calves are engaged.

8. The final breath of awareness comes with the addition of the joints of the

fingers and toes. Visualize the breath unlocking the joints of the fingers and

toes as the energy rides across the arches in the palms of the hands and arches

of the feet; especially important area if you are a pianist, woodwind, or string

player.

9. When all of the synovial joints have unlocked, release an exhalation. When

the body lets you know it is time to inhale again, spring open the body from

its newly awakened center with the breath; unlocking all of the synovial joints

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 and simultaneously releasing undesired tensions. Notice the body’s response

in its entirety as the joints are now unlocked and prepared to fully engage, on

the exhalation, any musical idea that you want to express.

Keep in mind that during this body tuning exercise, the process of unlocking the

joints with energy breathing is immeasurably fast. Practicing the exercise slowly brings

conscious awareness to the body in segments which can then be put together in order.

When awareness of the respiration pattern has been learned, from inside/center out, one

can master body tuning through the Attunement Breath in one breath! Free, balanced,

supported, strong, tuned body; free, balanced, supported, strong, tuned music.

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