7 By Gabriella Minnes Brandes, Jennifer Condie and Aleah Wielinga
Using Alexander Technique
Principles with Beginning
Piano Students
A Collaborative “Duet” Between an Alexander
Technique Teacher and a Piano Teacher
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a PDF and open in Adobe Acrobat to view.)
J
oyful music making at the piano
requires functional technique. “Since
the beginning of the twentieth century,
many piano approaches are based on
the conviction that technical mastery
provides the key to injury-free technique,
physical and musical freedom—and for many,
the guiding principle is that this is achieved
by avoiding excessive muscular tension.”1
This introduction from the Journal of Arts and
Biomechanics cleanly summarizes the popu-
lar opinion that reducing muscular tension
is necessary when playing the piano. In his
book, What Every Pianist Needs to Know about
the Body,2 Thomas Carson Mark thoroughly
explores the whole body and its relation-
ship to playing injuries. Barbara Lister-Sink’s
popular approach to injury-free technique
echoes this sentiment, using “Freeing the
Caged Bird,”3 as a metaphor for the freedom
that comes from releasing the physical and
mental entrapment of tension. The approach
that tension is a major contributing factor to
playing-related injuries and technical limita-
tions inspired Carola Grindea to found the
International Society for the Study of Tension
in Performance.4
Despite general consensus that learning to
play injury-free involves balanced energies,
with muscular engagement where it is neces-
sary and muscular release where it is not,
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information about how to achieve this is not
readily available to teachers of beginning stu-
dents. For example, it is not well understood 17
that a collapsed spine may cause shoulder
FEBRUARY 2020
tension and thereby poor coordination in the
hands and arms. Seymour Bernstein explores
this relationship between the fingers and
movement in the whole body: “Your fingers
are quite obviously of paramount import-
ance in playing the piano. Only seemingly
independent, they are actually influenced by
all the other movements in your body.”5
Most information in these sources, and
others similar to them, is oriented toward
pianists playing senior-level repertoire who
are finding their playing limited by injuries or
their physical or technical abilities.6 However,
in The Art of Practicing, Madeline Bruser cites
Dr. Fadi J. Beijani who alerts piano teachers
to the importance of attending to how piano
students use themselves when they play
because, “Before the age of ten the skeleton
is still malleable and is shaped by how you
play your instrument.”7
Accurate and detailed information about
piano playing and its physical challenges is
readily available. This growing awareness
is encouraging, but it really only “trickles
down” into elementary piano teaching from
the teachers who have directly participated
in these programs. The independent studio
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
teacher, even one with a university degree, is
often left to piece together new understand-
ings from books, online videos and whatever
pedagogical training they have been able
to access. This often results in “telling stu-
dents what to do” rather than giving them a
new experience. Teachers are more likely to
address the student’s hand, wrist or arm as
individual parts, without seeing the student
as a whole.
Concern still remains about the ways in
which teachers, if they have limited access
to an experiential understanding of physical
aspects of piano playing, can use this infor-
mation to support and nurture their students’
learning. Alexander Technique provides a
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unique framework that may support musi-
cians as they seek efficiency to achieve full
artistic expression.8
In recent years there have been studies that
examine the application of Alexander Tech-
18 nique (AT) to music making. Stephen Parker
described a project whereby AT is taught in
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music institutions in Norway.9 In his project,
AT was taught separately from the instrument
and students were left to integrate the two
on their own. Parker’s findings show there
were varied levels of collaboration between
the music teachers and the Alexander teach-
ers. Only on some occasions did the music
teachers continue to use the observation
skills and language from Alexander Technique
as an integrated aspect of their teaching.
Fung, Loo et al.10 set out to test the effect-
iveness of Alexander Technique in reducing
tension in piano playing working with 15
undergraduate piano students. Students
received 14 weekly group AT lessons that
focused on: recognition of habit, inhibition,
direction and primary control (definitions
and discussion of these AT terms appear on
pp. 5–8). Students went through pre- and
post- tests that identified problems of ten-
sion (fingers, hands, arms, wrists, shoulders,
back, legs and neck). “After a fourteen-week
intervention of the Alexander Technique, the
outcome reveals a positive effect in reducing
tension in pianists. There is a significant
reduction in tension that was reported by the
participants relative to their pre-test survey.”11
The results of this study highlight the poten-
tial of the Alexander Technique in aiding the
relief of tension in piano playing.
Similarly, our study is designed to explore
ways in which a piano teacher, in particular,
who is studying Alexander Technique, may
develop a whole-body approach to teach-
ing young piano students. It is our intention
to find and try out tools that support piano
teachers in nurturing a functional technique
for teaching a broad range of young students.
Research Questions
1. In what ways can Alexander Technique
teachers provide piano teachers with
increased access to information and
experiential learning about the psycho-
physical aspects of playing the piano,
which they can, in turn, pass on to their
students?
2. What are some effective strategies avail-
able to piano teachers for incorporating
AT principles in teaching elementary level
piano?
3. What are the necessary bridges and pos-
sible tensions between the goals of a
piano teacher and those of an AT teacher,
when they are collaborating and each is
teaching in their own specialized areas?
Alexander Technique: A Short
Introduction and Definition of Basic
Terms
Alexander Technique is an educational
method by which a person learns to apply
the basic principles of the body’s natural
coordination to improve the quality of his
or her own movement. The basic principles
of the coordination of the body, principles
which are followed unconsciously in infants
and animals, can be learned and applied con-
sciously to improve the functioning and inte-
gration of the individual. This coordination
may provide relief from stress and pain, make
repetitious or boring tasks easy and provide
a new opening for excellence in performers
and others who need to use their bodies for
maximum efficiency and endurance. Those
who study the Alexander Technique often
experience a sense of ease of movement, an

increased sense of integration of their whole
selves—body and mind—and a reawakened
joy in making choices in daily activities, while
seeking awareness and efficiency.
Australian Frederick Matthias Alexander
(1869–1955) was embarking on a promis-
ing career as an actor in the 1890s when he
began to develop voice problems that failed
to respond to any conventional medical treat-
ment. After a particularly important engage-
ment where he could not use his voice well,
he realized that it must be something he was
doing in the act of speaking that was causing
his difficulties. He set out to discover the root
cause of his voice problems and seek a meth-
od of overcoming them. Through his meticu-
lous observations and experimentations, he
devised his technique, which is process ori-
ented and geared toward gaining awareness
of and efficiency in movement.
The following Alexander Technique terms12
will help clarify the approach in this case
study.
Psycho-physical unity: As early as the
turn of the previous century, Alexander
argued that all human actions and activities
are both physical and mental. He called for an
integrative and holistic approach to describe
any human activity. He asserted that learning
new ideas or making any changes in one’s
practice involves both psychological and
physical elements. Learning to play the piano
has elements that are simultaneously physical
(for example, releasing the shoulder to allow
more fluid movement of the arm and appro-
priate touch of the keys) and psychological
(for example, noticing the emotional reac-
tions to playing a challenging piece and how
those reactions manifest in the pianist’s ways
of playing).
Manner of use affects functioning: Alex-
ander named the way one moves and func-
tions “use,”as it refers to the ways in which
the different body parts relate to others and
the ways in which one moves as a whole.
Alexander claimed that when people use
themselves well, in an integrated whole-body
way, they function with efficiency. To play
well, musicians need to become aware of and
Using Alexander Technique Principles
attend to the ways in which they use them-
selves as they play their instruments.
End-gaining: End-gaining is the term
Alexander used when one is directing all the
attention to the end result and not on the
process. Alexander argued that when one
attends to the process, and specifically to
the relationship between the head, neck and
back, it is more likely for the person to move
with ease and efficiency while maintaining
poise. Musicians face tension between play-
ing music accurately while simultaneously
paying attention to how they play so that
they are able to achieve and express their
musical intentions. Alexander teachers often
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invite students to attend to the process,
the means-whereby they can achieve their
desired goal, and not to focus solely on
end-gaining.
Habit: Alexander observed that he was
constantly responding to internal or exter-
nal stimuli. He noticed his initial responses 19
were often unconscious, automatic and
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habitual. As long as the responses were
unconscious, automatic or habitual, he could
not bring about any real and lasting change.
He understood that becoming aware of
habitual responses is a crucial first step in
having choice or being able to change such
responses. Many musicians develop habits
that pertain to music making and stem from
the repetitive nature of musical practice. Alex-
ander teachers often encourage those who
teach music to focus on developing habits
that will support efficiency and good use in
their students.
Inhibition: Inhibition is the process of
creating a wedge in time between a stimulus
and any response to it. That wedge allows
the response to be different from the habit,
and therefore, it becomes a response that is
conscious, thoughtful and with intention. It
is the process of consciously not reacting, of
withholding the initial reaction to stimuli and,
thus, providing the space to respond in ever-
changing ways.
Primary control: Alexander observed that
the way in which the head is aligned at the
top of the spine is dynamic and determines a
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
person’s ease of movement and use of voice.
That dynamic and conscious relationship can
enhance efficiency and balance in move-
ment. Initially, Alexander lessons are directed
at having the student become aware of the
dynamic relationship between the head, neck
and back, seeking length and width while the
teacher guides the student in simple, often
daily movements. In this way, the student is
given the experience of easy, fluid motions
made possible by attention to the dynamic
relationship between the head and torso.
Then the student learns to generate this
awareness and choice available to enhance
an integrated way of moving. Playing the
piano is an activity directly impacted by the
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way students use themselves, move in space
and move their arms to connect with the
piano.
In this introduction, we have defined and
explained some basic concepts of the Alex-
20 ander Technique and provided a short review
of pertinent piano technique literature. We
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have also analyzed research exploring the
links between piano technique and Alexander
technique. These two bodies of knowledge
serve as the backdrop for this case study and
support the research questions listed previ-
ously.
Methodology
Before detailing the data sources and
research methodology, let us introduce the
participants in this case study. There are
three authors of this paper, Gabriella Minnes
Brandes, an Alexander Technique teacher;
Jennifer Condie, the piano teacher who
taught the piano lessons in this case study;
and Aleah Wielinga, an Alexander Technique
and piano teacher. Gabriella had been giv-
ing Jennifer Alexander Technique lessons
for a few years prior to the study, and these
lessons have become the impetus for this
exploration. She suggested the structure for
the data collection and led the analysis pro-
cess. Jennifer taught all the piano lessons in
this study and participated in data analysis.
Aleah, who is both a piano teacher and an
Alexander Technique teacher, was invited to
observe all the data, comment on the data
and participated in data analysis. We also
wanted an external review of our data from
a piano teacher who had no Alexander Tech-
nique background, so we invited Leslie Chen,
an established piano teacher, to observe the
data and comment on it.
The data for this case study were collected
in two tiers: First, the data was generated
from six piano lessons of a student in Jen-
nifer’s studio. The second tier of data was
generated from structured observations of
videos of the six lessons. Each video record-
ing was uploaded to WeVu,13 a computer
platform that allows for time-specific com-
ments. The video recorded lessons were
subsequently viewed by the four observers:
Gabriella, Jennifer, Aleah and Leslie.
Using codes14 from piano pedagogy and
Alexander Technique, each observer watched
and coded the videos. The time-specific
comments of each lesson were then coded,
categorized and analyzed in terms of identi-
fying key moments of teaching and learning.
We wondered in which ways each observer’s
background impacted their analysis of the
lessons and how each observer defined key
moments of teaching and learning, specif-
ically exploring piano pedagogy and the
experiential psycho-physical aspects of play-
ing the piano.
To provide further context for this study, we
will now describe Jennifer’s studio in some
detail.
Jennifer’s Studio
In Jennifer’s piano lessons, she integrates
attention to both the physical aspects (how
to sit and have the arms supported by the
back) and the musical aspects of playing
piano (rhythm, intention, flow, tempo and so
on). Taking Alexander lessons with Gabriella
has expanded her repertoire of activities to
connect these two aspects of her teaching
and also to connect these activities to Alexan-
der Technique principles of primary control,
manner of use affects function, and end-gain-
ing. For a number of years prior to this pro-
ject, Jennifer had been actively cultivating
awareness in her students of how to sit at the
piano so they gain more balance and support

while playing. Simultaneously, Jennifer has
also explored balance and support in her own
playing through her Alexander Technique les-
sons with Gabriella.
To teach her students an efficient rela-
tionship between the torso, limbs and head,
Jennifer introduces an Alexander Technique
procedure called active rest (often referred to
as constructive rest or semi supine), whereby
students lie on the floor for 10–15 minutes
with their knees bent and support under their
heads (see below). This procedure provides
students with an experience of support for
the head (on the book), support for the torso
(on the floor) and a particular relationship
between the torso, arms and shoulders. When
students get up from the floor, they are invit-
ed to explore these relationships while stand-
ing and sitting at the piano. Jennifer sees that
consistent use of active rest before practicing
makes noticeable changes in students when
they play the piano. Active rest heightens stu-
dents’ awareness of the relationship between
the arms and the back and often positively
impacts their playing.
Active rest position.
Another aspect of Jennifer’s teaching
inspired by her Alexander lessons with Gab-
riella was the dynamic use of the mirror. Jen-
nifer observed how Gabriella used the mirror
as a teaching tool in their lessons. Gabriella
explored with Jennifer where and how to
place mirror(s) in her teaching studio, and she
made suggestions about the ways in which
Jennifer could enhance her teaching using
them. Using the mirror to learn to observe
how each arm moves gives students oppor-
Using Alexander Technique Principles
tunities to visually connect their felt sense of
arm release and what they actually see in the
mirror. It also makes explicit the connections
between the head/neck/back and limbs, and
each student’s perception of their move-
ments.
The mirror also proved useful for Jennifer
in a way that she did not anticipate. Jennifer
noticed that when she observed her students
in the mirror, it gave her a bit more distance,
making it easier to see changes or challen-
ges in how the students moved. She learned
to observe the students by watching them
in the mirror, similar to the ways in which
Gabriella observed her during the Alexander
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lessons.
Following our discussion of how Jennifer
taught in her studio, we now turn our atten-
tion to Fiona, the student in this case study.
The Student: Fiona
Fiona began studying with Jennifer at 21
age 6, after a year of piano lessons in China,
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where she lived. She had forgotten much of
what she had learned, so they began their
work with Faber Piano Adventures Book One,15
to work on building note-reading skills, tech-
nical skills and interpretive skills. During this
time, Jennifer began to systematically use
Alexander Technique concepts in Fiona’s les-
sons. Fiona worked through books One16 and
2A17 quickly, and by the end of the term had
advanced through the Royal Conservatory of
Music Level One18 for her festival and recital
repertoire, and to Faber Piano Adventures
2B19 for quick study material. She could play
two-octave scales hands separately for C, G,
D, A, E, A minor and E minor, and could play
triads broken, followed by a solid triad, in root
position and inversions. At the beginning of
this study, Fiona was age 7.
Fiona’s Six Piano Lessons
For the six weeks of the study (see Appen-
dix 1 for Table of Progression of Lessons),
Jennifer chose to focus on teaching the skill
of continuous broken triads (not separated by
a solid chord) to address the common, tech-
nical challenge of keeping the wrist flexible as
it follows the fingers in circular configurations
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
at the keyboard. For the repertoire, she chose
“The Silent Moon,” by Nancy Telfer20 (RCM
level 2) because it requires the ability to use
this skill (see Appendix 2 for other possible
repertoire that use this skill). The left hand of
the “Silent Moon” contains triad-like patterns,
some just on white keys and some on black
and white keys. To play this piece, Fiona had
to learn how her wrist movement related to
the shape of the chords. She also needed to
learn to maintain her wrist flexibility as she
moved toward and away from the fallboard.
Jennifer incorporated Alexander principles
to support Fiona’s learning. Fiona learned to
FEBRUARY 2020
observe herself, focusing on the relationship
between her head, neck and back; she learn-
ed to track the movement of her arm and
fingers away from the piano using a mirror,
a ball and an adjustable table. Jennifer sup-
22 ported Fiona in connecting these activities
highlighting her physical awareness to play-
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ing the piano.
Using the mirror, Fiona learned how to
observe her arm movements to gain infor-
mation about her shoulders, arms and hands.
This became the opportunity for Fiona to
become aware of her habitual movements
of each arm, to explore new levels of release
and find an integrated relationship between
the head/neck/back and arms in movement.
Jennifer often placed her hand on Fiona’s
shoulder to enhance her kinaesthetic aware-
ness. Fiona was asked to observe each arm
separately and see the differences in the
movement of each arm. Fiona learned that
her head/neck/back and shoulders are inter-
connected, and this relationship impacted
the quality of movement in her arms and was
therefore relevant to piano playing.
Similarly, Jennifer worked with Fiona stand-
ing and releasing her arms facing the mirror
and then when she sat on the piano bench
in a balanced way, she could glance at her
reflection in the mirror to get a visual cue that
helped her connect her work away from the
piano and at the piano.
Jennifer used “The ball exercise” to teach
the difference between releasing and hold-
ing the arm. In this exercise, Jennifer stood
opposite Fiona with a lightweight ball slight-
ly smaller than a soccer ball. Jennifer and
Fiona each held a ball above their heads and
dropped the balls, leaving their arms up,
while observing what it is like to keep the
arms in the air without lifting the shoulders.
Then, Fiona was asked to let go of the ball
and let her eyes and hands follow the move-
ment of the ball as it was dropping. To do
this well, Fiona needed to learn to have the
neck stay connected to the back, the arm stay
supported by and isolated from the torso,
and to have the eyes lead the movement of
the arms in following the ball. This activity fol-
lowed Alexander’s concept that it is possible
to change a habit when one understands
their habitual response, chooses to stop that
response and approaches the possibility of
new movement patterns. In other words, if
a student tightens their arm when playing
the piano, it is often challenging for them
to change that tightening while playing
the instrument. It may be more helpful to
approach this difficulty moving away from
the habitual use of the arm, through learning
to release the shoulders following the move-
ment of a ball, while enjoying the support
that standing provides. Once the ball was let
go, gravity pulled it to the floor. Fiona’s arms

imitated that movement with release. Jen-
nifer often added the verbal cue, “Follow the
ball with your eyes,” as an additional indirect
instruction, instead of asking Fiona to pay
attention to her arms. Another important
aspect of this activity was Jennifer’s model-
ling of the arm movements as the ball fell.
She demonstrated to Fiona how to move the
arms with ease.
The third activity away from the piano was
using an adjustable table. Standing work can
be used in piano pedagogy with younger
students to bring movement into what can
be considered a sedentary activity and to
accommodate the size challenges that come
with a small person playing an instrument
better designed for a larger body. As part of
this project, Jennifer was curious to see what
a table with an adjustable height would do,
so that the forearm angle was optimal, tak-
ing into account the height of each student
to support and maintain the most efficient
relationship between the head, neck and
back. Jennifer’s goal was to increase her
students’ awareness of and freedom in the
Using Alexander Technique Principles
joints while standing, where the relationship
of the head, neck, and back is more dynam-
ic and supports efficient use of the arms.
Doing these activities away from the piano
followed Alexander’s principle of focusing on
the means-whereby one reaches a goal, pay-
ing attention to the way of working toward
achieving a goal and not just focusing on
the end result. Using the adjustable table in
this way, provided Fiona with a structure to
explore the release of her arms and notice
the relationship of her forearm to wrist to fin-
gers. It also encouraged an exploration of the
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direction of circular wrist rotation and ability
to execute, notice and verbally articulate that
experience while learning to play the broken
triad pattern away from the piano, where the
height of the surface is adjustable to fit Fiona.
This movement of the arms was chosen
because it is crucial to the development of 23
fluency at the keyboard. Within the six les-
FEBRUARY 2020
sons, Fiona moved from a triad exercise con-
taining a broken pattern followed by a solid
chord to demonstrating her ability to play
continuous broken triads.
 Using Alexander Technique Principles

Data Analysis
Each of the four observers were asked to define specific moments of teaching and learning
that occurred in these lessons. The analytical process was ongoing, emergent and developing
throughout the research. We first observed the videos of the lessons and coded them. Then
we categorized the codes, focusing on moments of teaching and learning. The visual rep-
resentation below highlights the sequence of this analytical process.
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24
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We were curious to understand and define moments of learning and teaching. We won-
dered how teachers of piano and Alexander Technique would be shaped by their unique
backgrounds when they analyzed the lessons. Jennifer analyzed how she applied what she
learned in her Alexander lessons with Gabriella to teaching beginner pianists; Leslie noticed
moments when Fiona demonstrated that she was learning piano concepts; Aleah made
specific observations about piano teaching and used Alexander Technique concepts in her
analysis; and Gabriella paid particular attention to the translation of Alexander Technique prin-
ciples into teaching piano. All four of us analyzed the lessons in terms of: a) Jennifer’s choices
in real time, b) Jennifer’s use of questions and modelling, and c) Jennifer and Fiona making
connections, developing a shared language and creating metaphors.

Teaching: Making Choices in Real Time

Teaching is about making decisions that shape students’ learning. It is also shaped by
students’ reactions to their own learning, as teachers build bridges between what students
already know and the new material presented to them. Beyond the lesson plans, teachers
make many moment-to-moment decisions, weighing choices available to the student in real
time during the lesson. The teacher observes the student, assesses their learning process in

relation to the goal of the lesson and, based
on these observations, makes many deci-
sions during the lesson. Experienced teachers
sometimes make such decisions in an almost
automatic way, whereas other decisions are
well thought out. Alexander Technique pro-
vides a specific and particular paradigm for
approaching these real-time decisions during
the lessons. Alexander teachers are trained to
view each lesson as a set of stimuli to which
both teacher and student respond. They prac-
tice noticing the student’s initial responses
and then assess these responses in terms of
their effect on playing the piano.
In our project, although Jennifer is not an
Alexander teacher, she used Alexander Tech-
nique tools to assess moments in the lesson.
Jennifer continued to hone her observation
skills, to increase her ability to assess what
Fiona needed in terms of how she used her-
self as she was learning to play a piece. Based
on those observations, Jennifer decided when
and how to use the activities away from and
at the piano.
Jennifer continuously made pedagogical
decisions in the lessons that were a result of
her assessment of Fiona’s use and how that
translated into how she moved and played.
In Lesson One, when Jennifer saw Fiona lift-
ing her head to read the score, she noticed
Fiona shortened her back, correspondingly
tightened her arms and hands, and leaned
her torso to play each chord. To address the
shortening of the back, Jennifer asked Fiona
to stand and play solid chords. Though this
was still at the piano, changing from sitting
to standing helped Fiona improve how she
used her arms and hands while she was read-
ing and playing the notes. In Lesson Two,
Fiona played the triads, and Jennifer took her
away from the piano to work on releasing
her elbow. As a result of that activity, Fiona’s
kinesthetic awareness of the relationship
between the arm and torso grew, and her
integration of movement improved. When
Jennifer took Fiona back to the piano, Fiona
asked how she could do the “complete”
circle she had experienced while standing.
Jennifer demonstrated with her own wrist
and Fiona found more fluency in her move-
Using Alexander Technique Principles
ment. This interplay between standing and
performing was an effective approach at
that moment. Fiona’s curiosity came through
with a question about how to play with a
complete circle instead of a half, indicating
that this contrast between standing away
from the piano and performing on the piano
enhanced her whole-body awareness. In
Lesson Three, using the triads in the reper-
toire, Jennifer moved back to the adjustable
table to help Fiona release her thumb more
in the wider chord pattern that required a
more open hand. Jennifer reminded Fiona
that, “The wrist follows the finger, the elbow
follows wrist, and shoulder follows the
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elbow,” Fiona learned she did not require
excessive movement. Fiona was learning
how to connect her thinking about playing
with the ways in which she was using herself
while playing. In Lesson Four, seeing Fiona
tighten her shoulders while playing, Jennifer
responded by sitting back to back with Fiona 25
on the piano bench. This allowed Jennifer to
FEBRUARY 2020
support Fiona’s back, which allowed Fiona to
stay stable as she played the chords. In Les-
son Five, Jennifer introduced a new variation
on arm release. She asked Fiona to drop her
arms directly to her sides, as if a puppeteer
let go of the strings on a marionette. Initially
Fiona’s shoulders were thrown about by her
arms. In response, Jennifer moved to the
mirror, placed her hand on Fiona’s shoulder
blade, and Fiona’s trunk stayed stable as her
arms released. Fiona was able to maintain this
stability, even as Jennifer removed her hand.
Working at the adjustable table, Jennifer
reminded Fiona to connect the use of finger
number five with her arm, and to keep an
active thumb, rather than having the weight
of her arm collapse on the thumb. This was
transferred to broken triads on the piano and
to playing the left hand of the repertoire.
Jennifer then invited Fiona to rest her left
hand on her knee, to become aware of all
her finger pads in order to release her hand.
Lesson Six began with Fiona observing her
arm movement using the mirror, focusing
on rapid arm release. When Jennifer asked
Fiona what she observed, she responded
with, “good,” so Jennifer asked for clarifica-
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
tion. Without prompting Fiona responded,
“released,” and, “no wobblies.” Jennifer com-
mented that Fiona’s shoulder looked quite
released, and her arm was, “moving quite
freely and independently.” All of these instan-
ces illustrate how Jennifer’s choices followed
from her observations. She used piano peda-
gogy and tools from Alexander Technique to
enhance Fiona’s whole-body awareness while
playing.
Teaching: Using Questions and
Modelling to Develop a Shared Language
When Jennifer wanted to be certain Fiona
understood what she was teaching, she mod-
eled at the piano, asked questions, then used
FEBRUARY 2020
Fiona’s answers and language to support
Fiona’s specific ways of learning. Jennifer had
new insights into Fiona’s learning, based on her
growing ability to observe how Fiona was using
herself: “When Fiona uses herself well, she is
26 able to copy my sound much more easily.”
Jennifer continued to look for ways to
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teach Fiona to speak about her experience
at the piano: “I am searching for questions
to help Fiona find words for her experience
of learning.” Jennifer became more specific
and intentional in her own use of language
as she taught: “Released is becoming part of
the vocabulary by Lesson Four. I am working
to substitute relaxed with flexible or released.”
Jennifer introduced language that helped
Fiona describe her experience by supply-
ing terms that captured Fiona’s learning
process. In Lesson Three, Jennifer used the
term “bossy” to describe how Fiona’s thumb
was leading the movement in her hand
and arm. As the lesson progressed, Jennifer
guided Fiona to remember the sensation of
releasing her thumb and also guided Fiona
to make connections between her fingers,
wrists, elbows and shoulders. By the end of
the lesson, Fiona told Jennifer that she could
feel her thumb “bossing” her hand around,
providing evidence of her growing aware-
ness through these experiential activities and
metaphors that described her movements.
In addition to introducing new language,
when Fiona described her experience with her
own words, Jennifer positively affirmed her
new vocabulary. In Lesson Two, Fiona explained
that her hand felt, “sloppy,” and “more relaxed,”
and Jennifer commended her, saying, “That is a
good word to use!” These positive interchanges
fostered a nurturing environment for explor-
ation and learning. Jennifer enhanced Fiona’s
learning through cultivating kinesthetic experi-
ences, encouraging the use of metaphors and a
shared language to express what and how she
learned at the piano.
Learning: Making Connections,
Developing a Shared Language
and Creating Metaphors to Express
Experiences
Learning piano involves listening and being
able to translate information from the score
to one’s body and to the piano, taking into
account notes, rhythm and musical intention.
When Fiona made connections between
different pieces of music she played and
her interpretations of their musical themes,
she based these connections on the sound
and how she felt playing the pieces. Beyond
making connections based on sound, Fiona
slowly learned to make connections between
how she was able to move her arms, fore-
arms, wrists and fingers, and the sound she
made on the piano. When Jennifer taught
Fiona how to release her arm using the
support of her back, she applied Alexander
Technique principles that focus on the con-
nections between how one uses themselves
and how they function. Fiona named her
observation of her own experience using a
metaphor: “My shoulder needs to go to the
spa [to relax and do less] and my fingers need
to go to the gym and exercise [to be more
active while playing].” With her growing kin-
aesthetic awareness, Fiona found language to
capture her experiences, learning to connect
her experience to what Jennifer was teaching.
When Jennifer placed her hand on Fiona’s
shoulder to highlight how she was using her
arm, she asked Fiona if it is helpful to have
that kinesthetic reference. Fiona said: “No,
it [Jennifer’s suggestion to pay attention to
how the shoulder and arm were connect-
ed] doesn’t help,” turning into, “Yes, it [the
relationship between the arm and the back]

does change.” Fiona’s “aha” moment, immedi-
ately followed Jennifer moving her hand and
putting it back again. With that kinesthetic
support, Fiona was able to notice the shift in
how she used her arm in a new way. Jennifer
provided Fiona with the necessary contrast so
she was able to notice both her habitual and
new ways of moving the arm.
Over the span of the study, Fiona learned
to respond to Jennifer’s continued use of
Alexander terms. Introduction of language
specific to Alexander Technique also aided
Jennifer in her ability to equip Fiona with
tools to address and enhance her experi-
ence. In Lesson Three Jennifer used the word
“released” to explain what changed in Fiona
when she eased off of the excessive tension
in her shoulders. One of the strengths of the
Alexander Technique as a teaching and learn-
ing paradigm, is that it takes into account that
learning is a mind-body process, whereby
the student learns to identify their experience
and name it as it is happening. Jennifer con-
tinued to use the word “released” in Lessons
Four and Five, and by Lesson Six, Fiona was
using this term to describe her sensations.
With Fiona’s growing awareness of herself,
Jennifer introduced the concept of sending
directions or being actively engaged in think-
ing about movement. Fiona learned to direct
her arms by “thinking up” along her torso.
She was able to sense the contrast between
“thinking up” and her habitual way of being,
and Fiona used new words to describe her
experience as she noticed a change within
herself. Her ability to notice these changes
was evidence of her learning.
Leslie Chen, the piano teacher who
observed and analyzed the videos, defined
Fiona’s learning through ongoing conver-
sations that took place between Fiona and
Jennifer. Leslie wrote: “When a student needs
to verbalize/articulate something herself, it is
an opportunity for her to digest and evaluate,
which helps her learn.”
After discussing teaching and learning with
a focus of the application of Alexander Tech-
nique, we review the multiple perspectives
of the observers who analyzed the lessons.
We were curious to track how each observer
Using Alexander Technique Principles
defined key moments of learning and teach-
ing and wondered about the ways in which
each person’s background and expertise
shaped their observations and interpretations.
Multiple Perspectives for Identifying Key
Moments of Teaching and Learning
Gabriella, Jennifer, Aleah and Leslie individ-
ually observed the videos of Fiona’s lessons,
and each commented on what they saw and
heard based on their varied backgrounds
and areas of expertise. Each was seeking to
identify key moments that indicated learn-
ing in each lesson. All four observers noted
the development of a shared language as
MTNA e-JOURNAL
a marker of learning. Jennifer taught Fiona
specific terms such as “release” and “thinking
up” that highlighted the Alexander Tech-
nique approach to describing what Fiona was
learning to notice. Jennifer also taught Fiona
specific terms to identify her own body map-
ping as it pertained to her playing the piano: 27
“trunk,” “torso,” and “where the shoulder con-
FEBRUARY 2020
nects to the torso.”
All four observers noted the metaphors
that Fiona used to describe her experience
and what she was learning: “sloppy thumb,”
meaning the thumb needs to be less mus-
cularly engaged in that moment; “shoulders
to the spa,” meaning the shoulders were too
active with excessive muscle tension and that
Fiona needed to choose to activate them less,
whereas with “fingertips to the gym,” Fiona
noted that she needed to use her fingers with
more muscle tone to have the appropriate
contact with the piano. All these metaphors
also suggest that Fiona could see the connec-
tions between the amount of muscular effort
she was activating and its impact on the
sound she was making.
The four observers also noticed Fiona was
making connections between her experien-
ces at the adjustable table and the piano. She
noticed her thumb wanted to “lead more” at
the piano than on the table.
All four of us were seeking to hear a dif-
ference in Fiona’s tone, and we connected
those changes in sound to the ways she used
herself. We noted how Jennifer explained
the way Fiona needed to move her wrist on
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
the adjustable table, connecting the quality
of movement to a smoother sound through
practicing broken triads on the table and then
on the piano. Leslie summarized: “I really like
how Jennifer used a combination of verbal
instruction, physical demonstration, exercises
away from the piano (for example, on the
table), having Fiona’s hand on top of Jennifer’s
own and moving Fiona’s hand as Fiona played
(on the table and on the keys) to teach Fiona
the concept of the wrist circles.”
Some unique and specific comments about
the lessons were the manifestations of the
observers’ background. With Leslie’s back-
ground as a piano teacher, her comments
focused primarily on sound: “Overall, I did see
that Fiona improved in the way she played
FEBRUARY 2020
the broken triads (especially left hand) and
the way she played the LH in “Silent Moon.”21
I was impressed when she put the two hands
together and played from beginning to end
from memory.”
28 Aleah, who is both a piano teacher and an
Alexander teacher explained what she was
MTNA e-JOURNAL
noticing in terms of Alexander principles. She
discussed the work at the adjustable table as
a way to move away from end-gaining and
remove immediate response to the stimulus
of playing the piano. She saw these activities
as, “creating another tool for integration away
from and at the piano.” In her comments,
Aleah linked piano pedagogy and Alexander
principles: “As the lessons progress, Fiona is
playing with more ease, and her shoulders are
more stable, but it is clear that things are very
much in transition as her habit of tightening
comes and goes. But she is able to find free-
dom quickly when Jennifer asks her to place
her attention in specific moments. Fiona is also
able to describe her experience and sensations
much more easily than in earlier lessons.”
Jennifer’s comments on the videos highlight
her increasing and systematic use of Alexander
terminology in teaching piano. She noted the
use of metaphors and how she used touch
as a tool to teach kinesthetic awareness and
provide feedback. She also noted the changes
in sound that Fiona was able to produce at the
piano with her improved use.
In Gabriella’s comments she reviewed and
summarized the six weeks: “A routine is estab-
lished away from and at the piano, both Jen-
nifer and Fiona hone their observation skills,
develop a shared language, use metaphors,
and make explicit links between kinesthetic
awareness and its connection to use and to
music making.” Gabriella identified Fiona’s key
moments of learning: “When Fiona asks ques-
tions, makes connections, uses metaphors,
this increases her kinesthetic awareness and
her growing ability to perform the tasks
Jennifer gives her.”
The four of us commented on the non-
linear process of learning. We could see that
although at some moments it seemed that
Fiona’s use was improving, the following
week she had moments in the lesson where
her arms were tight and the sound she was
making was not as full. We all acknowledged
that teaching piano and being attentive to
how one is using the arms and fingers for
playing is complex. In addition, Leslie raised
another pedagogical challenge, and perhaps
one of the limitations of this case study, when
she spoke about the hierarchical differences
between teacher and student. She wondered
how open a student is to answer a teacher’s
questions honestly, not trying to gauge what
the teacher wants to hear: “Do you think it
would be hard for Fiona to say to Jennifer
if something did not feel different [if she
thought that was what Jennifer wanted to
hear]?” This is an important note to pay atten-
tion to, and for any teacher to consider the
ways in which questions are encouraged and
supported both verbally and non-verbally.
Conclusions
Similar to learning to play the piano,
learning Alexander Technique requires both
conscious, cognitive understanding of prin-
ciples and a set of experiences that support
the learning. Each student, in both instances,
explores their habits and is invited to try new
ideas. Piano teachers seek ways to be able
to provide their students with tools to reach
their musical goals. They are well trained in
the musical aspects of teaching piano but
have limited specific tools and language to
approach the mind-body, whole student
learning. Alexander Technique teachers
approach learning using a psychophysical,

kinesthetic lens. They observe and analyze
movement, seeking efficiency. They enhance
awareness of and attention to one’s habits
and provide the means to stop undesired
habits and enhance the ability to choose
while thinking in activity.
In this case study, we demonstrate how
collaboration between a piano teacher and
an Alexander teacher supports the process of
teaching piano. The piano teacher acquires
new ways to observe herself and her stu-
dents, and she learns to use specific language
that captures the kinesthetic aspects of music
making. Using Alexander-specific tools and
language consistently with students, adding
activities away from and at the piano, and
learning to use a mirror in specific ways all
enrich the students’ understanding and may
lead to enhanced sense of joy and success
playing the piano.
However, there were some limitations
inherent to this case study. For a piano teach-
er to be able to integrate Alexander principles
in her studio, she needs to first understand
and experience these principles and their
impact on her own use and her own playing.
This takes tremendous investment of both
time and money. Then the piano teacher
and Alexander teacher need to find specific
ways to apply Alexander inspired activities
that will enhance the teaching. The role of
the Alexander teacher is to support the piano
teacher, paying specific attention to the chal-
lenges the piano teacher faces and finding
ways to approach these challenges through
the application of principles of the Alexander
Technique. The major hurdle the Alexander
teacher faces is finding ways to support the
piano teacher without being able to use the
very specific “hands-on” work, fundamental to
AT teachers, directly, with each piano student.
The major hurdle for the piano teacher is the
tension between the parents’, students’ and
her own expectations of what the musical
progress “should be,” particularly in relation to
examinations and festival performances and
the additional content added from Alexander
Technique. To incorporate Alexander inspired
activities, the piano teacher needs to find
ways to insert these suggested new activities
into the flow of the lesson.
Using Alexander Technique Principles
We addressed these limitations through the
study: first, Jennifer continued to take Alex-
ander lessons and work on herself. Second,
Gabriella and Jennifer continued to have
conversations about Jennifer’s learning and
the challenges she encountered in applying
these principles with Fiona and other stu-
dents in her studio. Third, Jennifer knew that
the work with students on their kinesthetic
awareness would support their musical prog-
ress as they advanced. Fourth, Jennifer cre-
ated opportunities for Gabriella to work with
Jennifer’s students in a master class setting
and in private lessons.
Although this case study focuses only on
one student, Jennifer collected data from
MTNA e-JOURNAL
five additional students, and in the future,
we intend to analyze and compare the data
between the students to enrich our findings.
The “duet” we propose in this case study
is not a “quick-fix.” We propose a thorough
and deep exploration of how to make music
through the understanding of how body 29
mechanics work with efficiency. We propose
FEBRUARY 2020
a process that is exploratory in nature, similar
to the basic elements of the Alexander Tech-
nique. The tensions that arise are addressed
through ongoing conversations about the
various activities in the study, the data col-
lected and its analysis and significance. We
created “bridges” that focus on a process, that
highlight the ability to observe preconceived
notions within each discipline, work towards
awareness of habits and choose new ways to
approach teaching piano.
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the contri-
butions of Alexander Technique teachers in
Vancouver who provided us with comments
and suggestions for an earlier draft of this
the paper. We thank Denise O’Leary for her
technical support. Fraser Brooks, who built
the adjustable table Jennifer envisioned,
and Nicholos Poullos for editing suggestions
of an earlier draft. We would also like to
acknowledge the support received from the
Canadian Society of Teachers of the Alexan-
der Technique (CANSTAT, ATC) through a
research grant for this project. 7
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
Appendix 1
Table of Progression of the Six Lessons
Week Piano Technique and Silent Moon
[SM] at piano
1 Fiona [F] learns LH using blocked chords
[SM]
At the end of the lesson F sits to play
blocked chords, she leans less than in
the beginning of the lesson
2 Triads
F plays LH broken triads
Jennifer [J] has F feel wrist and her circles
Silent Moon circles
3 Triads at piano with J’s hand as a tactile
FEBRUARY 2020
reminder to stay released
F performs left hand while teacher plays
RH [SM]
Less tension in thumb, and more fluency
after table activity [SM]
30
4 Triads: Hands separately, tone and fluen-
MTNA e-JOURNAL
cy progressing
Just LH, J and F sit back to back on the
bench while F is playing [SM]
5 Triads: LH alone triads. F copies J’s
smoother sound after a demonstration
LH movement from #5 and #1 focusing
on awareness rather than accuracy [SM]
Hands together with score [SM]
J demonstrates RH balance, F copies
[SM]
6 Triads: LH alone
Together, playing LH singing RH, listen-
ing, moving to quicker tempo (one long
pulse per bar) [SM]
Challenges
F is leaning into piano as she plays chords
F lifts her shoulders
up as Thunder is raised
F leans on RH when she plays LH broken
triads, left shoulder is raised
F’s elbow is ‘overworking’ as she plays the
triads
F’s wrist circles are correct most of the time
at the table, but are not yet consistent
Thumb is ‘leading’ the
wrist in the chords containing minor 7ths
F self-adjusts her sitting at piano
Freedom in shoulders and arms comes and
goes
Lower back moves with each movement
of pedal
Elbow slightly tightens at times
Wrist circle awareness developing
consistently
Stable back on hands together [SM]
Wrist and shoulders tighten a bit [SM]
LH too loud [SM]
Circles correct and RH released without
prompts, some unnecessary elbow movement
After tightening on ascending triads,
F self-adjusts back and neck on descending
triad, no prompt with RH, small prompts LH

Activity not seated at piano
Playing while standing
‘Ball exercise’
Doing this exercise, arms release and swing easily
At adjustable table: review wrist direction in broken
triads
J invites F to be aware of elbow
At adjustable table: J & F
compare LH Silent Moon circles to triad circles
Mirror: F observes Thunder, J places hand on F’s shoul-
der girdle
At adjustable table: basic wrist circles for direction
At adjustable table: Silent Moon LH for awareness of
thumb tension
Ball exercise: F thinks up as she releases shoulders
J’s hands on shoulders, no hands on shoulders
At adjustable table: F sends her wrist circles in correct
direction, thinking up from finger to shoulder, F releas-
es her arm in relation to her shoulder
Back to back on the bench:
Awareness of back through kinesthetic contact
Ball exercise with mirror: puppet arms for faster joint
release, arms straight down to floor. J’s hand on shoul-
der for stability and awareness
At adjustable table: circles with a focus on alignment,
activating pinky and thumb
J teaches F an exercise to enhance F’s awareness of
finger pads to open palm of hand she sits and places
her palm on her thigh
Ball exercise: ‘puppet arm’ release with trunk stability
and breathing:
F makes observations
At adjustable table: for circles RH, LH
F repeats the palm on thigh exercise for release on
larger intervals
Using Alexander Technique Principles
Alexander Technique concepts
(see pp. 5-8)
Primary control: Because F was leaning
forward her back did not support her arm
and fingers.
Force of Habit: Attending to the process by
standing at the piano allowed F to notice
her habits
Primary control: the relationship between
the head/neck/back impacts playing
Seeking efficiency in movement
Awareness of habit: recognizing habit as a
first step in change
Primary control
MTNA e-JOURNAL
Means-whereby: working with process
towards change
31
Primary control
FEBRUARY 2020
Force of Habit: Freedom comes and goes as
F recognizes her habit
Manner of use affects function: ‘Lengthen-
ing’ foot on pedal changes, with ankle joint
flexible and independent from calf, allows
back to stay stable, and facilitates more
precise use of the foot
Primary control awareness and stability
while joints are released
Manner of use affects function: Fiona’s use
is sufficient to create change in her playing
when she imitates J
End-gaining: last lesson, J’s habit moves to
musical intention, less to unity of sound
and use.
Manner of use affects function: F finds
some musical ideas more difficult to realize
than in lesson 5, when she used herself
better.
Many moments of ease appear, as habits of
integration become stronger.
 Using Alexander Technique Principles
Appendix 2
The “Silent Moon” by Nancy Telfer (RCM 2
Repertoire) has LH patterns based on triads,
and transferred well from the broken triad
portion of the technique used in this project.
Any repertoire with continuous broken chord
patterns for a few bars, including those sug-
gesting 7th chords, or filled in with passing
notes, would also have worked. For example,
in the same book, Margaret Goldston’s “The
Sparking Brook” has triad patterns in the right
hand throughout the whole piece. In the
RCM Piano Etudes, Level 2, the Etude in F
major op. 190, no. 27 by Kohler has repeated
triad patterns in the LH, much like the “Mel-
ody of Spring,” by Fritz Spindler, in Technic is
FEBRUARY 2020
Fun, Elementary B, published under the Alfred
umbrella. Less obvious, but also suitable for
applying the wrist directions used in triads,
is the much simpler, “Ocean Spray” in Anne
Crosby’s charming collection, “Fuzzy Beluga,”
32 also published by Frederick Harris Music.
MTNA e-JOURNAL
Notes
1. Michèle Wheatley-Brown, Gilles Comeau,
and Donald Russell, “The Role and Manage-
ment of Tension in Pedagogical Approaches
to Piano Technique,” Arts BioMechanics 2, no.
1 (2013): 2, http://www.mindbodymusic.ca/
wp-content/uploads/2014/11/the-role-
and-management-of-tension-in-piano-
approaches-.pdf.
2. Thomas Mark, Roberta Gary, and Thom
Miles, What Every Pianist Needs to Know About
the Body: With Supplementary Materials for
Organists (Chicago, IL: GIA Publications Inc.,
2003), 107.
3. “Introduction,” Freeing the Caged Bird,
directed by Barbara Lister-Sink (1996; Lewis-
ville, NC: Wingsound, 1996), DVD.
4. Carola Grindea, “The History of ISSTIP,”
The International Society for Study of Tension
in Performance, last modified 2015,
http://www.isstip.org/.
5. Seymour Bernstein, With Your Own Two
Hands (Portland, ME: Manduca Musica Publi-
cations, 1981), 193.
6. A complete analysis of current discussion
of injury free piano pedagogy is beyond the
scope of this paper. Currently many post-
secondary music schools (McGill in Canada,
Julliard and Salem College North Carolina
in the US to name a few) offer programs
which include experiential ways of increasing
whole body awareness while playing the
piano. There are also programs (e.g. The Well
Balanced Pianist and the Taubman Training
program) that aim primarily at adult music
students and seek ways of playing the piano
with more freedom; Teresa Dybvig, “A Few
Illustrations of Comfortable Seating at the
Piano,” The Well Balanced Pianist, Teresa
Dybvig, last modified 2014, http://www.
wellbalancedpianist.com/bpseatingguide.
htm#illustrations; Teresa Dybvig, “Piano Tech-
nique: the Taubmann Approach,” The Well
Balanced Pianist, Teresa Dybvig, last modified
2012, http://www.wellbalancedpianist.com/
bptaubman.htm.
7. Madeline Bruser, The Art of Practicing: A
Guide to Making Music from the Heart (New
York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 1999), 71.
8. Gabriella Minnes Brandes, “Alexander
Technique Gives Me Space to Create Musical-
ly: Musicians Explore the Application of Alex-
ander Principles,” in The Congress Papers- The
11th International Congress of the F.M. Alexander
Technique, ed. Paul Marsh (London, ENG: STAT
Books, 2019), 192–198.
9. Stephen Parker, “Integrating Teaching
and Learning- A New Model at the Norwe-
gian Music Academy,” AmSAT Journal, no. 12
(Fall 2017): 52–56.
10. Loo Fung Ying et al, “Tension Release in
Piano Playing: Teaching Alexander Technique
to Undergraduate Piano Majors,” Procedia-
Social and Behavioral Sciences 174 (2015):
2413–2417, https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.sbspro.2015.01.910.
11. Ying et al, “Tension Release,” 2416.
12. “Home: The Definitive Guide to the Alex-
ander Technique,” The Society of Teachers of
the Alexander Technique (STAT), last modified
2019, https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/; Jean
Fischer, “Primary Control,” A Companion to

the Alexander Technique, last modified 2019,
https://mouritz.org/?article=primary-control;
In compiling the definitions of AT terms we
also were inspired by yearly participation in
discussions of the Competencies Group, an
international group of Alexander Technique
teachers who are working on developing an
instrument to define and measure the com-
petencies of Alexander Teachers. The partici-
pants in that group are: Ann Rodiger, Carol
Boggs, Edward Buchard, Ruth Rootberg,
Sarah Barker, Kathleen Ballard and Gabriella
Minnes Brandes.
13. “WeVu for Music,” WeVu, ISIT Technol-
ogy Inc., last modified 2019,
https://wevu.video/wevu-for-music/.
14. List of codes used when watching the
videos: student connects to other experi-
ence, teacher connects to other experience,
teacher suggests movement, teacher’s use,
teacher observes or comments on obser-
vation, student explains.AT specific codes:
head/neck/back, inhibition, opposition,
unreliable sensory appreciation, use affects
function, direction and directing, habit,
teacher uses AT term, student uses AT term.
Piano pedagogy codes: teacher’s question,
student’s question, teacher models, teacher
hands-on, away from the piano, technique to
repertoire, teacher uses piano terminology.
15. Nancy and Randall Faber, Piano Adven-
tures Lesson Book: Level One (Fort Lauderdale,
FL: The FJH Music Company, 1997).
16. Faber, Piano Adventures Lesson Book:
Level One.
17. Nancy and Randall Faber, Piano Adven-
tures Lesson Book: Level 2A (Fort Lauderdale,
FL: The FJH Music Company, 1997).
18. Celebration Series: Piano Repertoire Level
One (Toronto, ON: Frederick Harris Music
Company, 2015).
19. Nancy and Randall Faber, Piano Adven-
tures Lesson Book: Level 2B (Fort Lauderdale,
FL: The FJH Music Company, 1997).
20. Nancy Telfer, “Silent Moon.” Celebra-
tion Series: Piano Repertoire Level 2 (Toronto,
ON: Frederick Harris Music Company, 2015),
24–25.
21. Telfer, “Silent Moon.”
Using Alexander Technique Principles
Bibliography
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Musicians Explore the Application of Alex-
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The 11th International Congress of the F.M.
Alexander Technique, edited by Paul Marsh,
192–198. London, ENG: STAT Books, 2019.
Bruser, Madeline. The Art of Practicing: A Guide
to Making Music from the Heart. New York,
NY: Three Rivers Press, 1999.
Celebration Series: Piano Repertoire Level 1.
MTNA e-JOURNAL
Toronto, ON: Frederick Harris Music Com-
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Crosby, Anne. “Ocean Spray.” Fuzzy Beluga,
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pany, 2008.
Dybvig, Teresa. “A Few Illustrations of Com- 33
fortable Seating at the Piano.” The Well-Bal-
FEBRUARY 2020
anced Pianist. Last modified 2014. http://
wellbalancedpianist.com/bpseatingguide.
htm#illustrations.
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mann Approach.” The Well-Balanced Pian-
ist. Last modified 2012. http://www.well-
balancedpianist.com/bptaubman.htm.
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FL: The FJH Music Company, 1997.
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tures Lesson Book: Level 2B. Fort Lauderdale,
FL: The FJH Music Company, 1997.
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 Using Alexander Technique Principles
Grindea, Carola. “The History of ISSTIP.” The
International Society for Study of Tension in
Performance. Last modified 2015.
http://www.isstip.org/.
“Home: The Definitive Guide to the Alexander
Technique.” The Society of Teachers of the
Alexander Technique (STAT). Last modified
2019. https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/
Gabriella Minnes Brandes, PhD,
has been teaching the Alexander
Technique for more than 30 years. She
teaches in the Theatre Department
at Capilano University and at the
Alexander Technique Centre, working
FEBRUARY 2020
extensively with musicians and music
educators.
34 Jennifer Condie, B.Mus., ARCT, RMT,
has been teaching piano to beginners
MTNA e-JOURNAL
through university entrance for more
than 30 years. She works from her
home studio and is an avid supporter
of local exams and festivals.
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