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Workshop at the Royal College of Music, London May 10th

Emma Alter will be leading a workshop for students at the RCM as part of their Student Union Health and Well-being week.

London INSET training afternoon in April 2017

At the end of April Anita Morrison led an afternoon workshop with a group of 16 instrumental and voice peripatetic teachers as part of an INSET session at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London. The focus was on both self-use and ideas of how to use the strategies and principles of the Feldenkrais Method to help in preventing unwanted habitual habits forming in their students, which may lead to pain and injury in the future. The workshop included lessons/movement explorations which looked at easier sitting, how the arms are supported by the whole self and easy turning (considering how many instruments require the player to be in a twisted position). Recommendations from BAPAM and “Health Promotion in Schools of Music” (HPSM) 2004 Conference were also discussed in the context of the Feldenkrais Method. A majority of the participants hadn’t experienced the Feldenkrais Method before and commented on how interesting and useful it had been and were going to explore it further.

Benslow Weekend Workshop in April 2017

In early April Yeu Meng Chan and Josephine Horder ran a weekend workshop at Benslow Music  titled ‘Liberate your Music Making with the Feldenkrais Method’. After two and a half relaxed but intensive days all participants were indeed playing with palpable freedom and a risk-taking attitude and were clearly really enjoying applying what they had learnt.
“I feel I’m going home with lots of tools and ideas which will gradually filter through into my playing.”
The content of the workshop combined Awareness Through Movement group lessons with episodes for individual attention when each participant  played their instrument. They had been asked to bring a short excerpt of music or even simply a scale in order to sense change and development as the workshop progressed.
“Definite changes in mobility and posture at the keyboard”
A silent but essential and illuminating figure was our plastic skeleton, Clint. Through observation and discussion the four students learnt about the spine, the mechanics of the shoulder girdle and the function of the sit bones in balanced sitting.
“Most helpful were the movement routines and ideas of linkages – pelvis, spine, head and shoulders, with better understanding of the skeleton, Clint was a helpful participant.”
“I feel I know much more about the skeleton now  – it’s really clarified for me.”
The workshop themes were to discover the role of the spine and pelvis in balanced sitting, and freedom of the hands arms and shoulders in relation to the whole. The participants responded enthusiastically, and by the end were looking taller, had more vitality in their posture as they played, their feet were well grounded and they had a more direct connection to their tone and  projection.
The players went home with plenty of strategies to help them sustain and develop the improvements they had experienced through the workshop. Participants and tutors alike were satisfied and happy with what had been achieved and the weekend was immensely enjoyed by all. (Jo Horder)

Leeds College of Music Workshop in March 2017

At the end of March Anita Morrison gave a well received workshop with a group classical singing students at Leeds College of Music. One of the students commented at the end of the session how much easier and freer her singing felt.

Music and Drama EdExpo London in February 2017

The Feldenkrais UK Guild funded a stand at the Music and Drama EdExpo at Olympia in London.  We had a very enjoyable and successful couple of days and were delighted to meet many musicians and music teachers there and have the opportunity to chat about the Feldenkrais Method and how it has enhanced our work as musicians and music teachers.