<p>My D's teacher wants her to begin the Alexander Technique this summer. Instruction is not offered at her school. My D already has a full summer schedule and cannot locate a certified instructor or course in the area. I would appreciate some input. How useful is this training? Would self-help instruction be valuable or is there another useful alternative? Thanks.</p>
<p>Here's a link to the website, which lists teachers.
<a href="http://www.alexandertechnique.com/teacher/northamerica/%5B/url%5D">http://www.alexandertechnique.com/teacher/northamerica/</a></p>
<p>The website has pages of explanation, and a page of misconceptions, as well as other info. Both my horn player S and violinist D have encountered Alexander Technique in various places - teachers, camps, etc. I don't know if they've had extensive teaching on it, or if their teachers just incorporate some of the ideas. To me, it always seemed a bit like Lamaze training for performers. </p>
<p>If your D's teacher is recommending it for a specific problem (eg. performance anxiety, or improper posture...) then I would think a teacher would be better than self-learning, to get the feedback. Is your D going to any summer camps? What part of the country are you in?</p>
<p>My D has had Alexander Technique and it helped her release stresses that were interfering with performance. She was unaware of the tension she was holding (even when she wasn't performing), and being able to free that tension has increased her flexibility and given her a greater sense of body awareness. When she was younger it didn't make sense to her and she didn't get much out of it. She tried it again a year or so ago and the information "clicked". She loves the change in the feeling of freedom in performance now, and when she feels herself falling back into old body habits, she can self-adjust.</p>
<p>I agree with binx that a teacher is necessary for feedback. Does your D's teacher have someone in mind? If not for the summer, then for the school year?</p>
<p>Our daughter has had classes in Alexander from a certified teacher and did not find it very helpful.</p>
<p>I believe it depends on the teacher and the student whether they get any benefit. Not a must in my view, but if your child is having some physical problems that could be related to the position they play their instrument, it could along with yoga be something worth looking into.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I previously checked the webpages and found training is available in NYC. That would mean a 4+ hr round trip and my D would not have the time this summer. I would be interested in any further opinions on the value of this training. It seems that training is available at about half of the music conservatories but it does not appear that many students participate. I am not sure if my D needs to work on specific issues or her teacher believes in the training for general reasons since the A.T. is supposed to be valuable for breathe control, posture, and tension/stress.</p>
<p>It is highly regarded in many of the performing arts schools. Because it is not directly obvious in the performance areas themselves, students may have a hard time perceiving that it is helpful. However, it would be part of any whole body approach to performance study. More and more it is considered part of the vocabulary of performance study, and if it is not offered at your daughter's school, it is very appropriate for the teacher to suggest that your daughter find a way to learn about it. I do not know where you are, but on the east coast, there are practitioners well distributed in the four hour radius from NYC. If there is a national accrediting body, they could refer you to someone closer to your area. Alternatively you might ask any area performance teachers if they know of any one.</p>
<p>DS took Alexander Technique classes at Eastern Music Festival last summer and found them to be very helpful. He also has a couple of books that were given to him as part of the course. The theater students at BU have Alexander courses, and this was offered to the music students as a trial this year. They LOVED it, but the music department is not yet offering the course. There is a place in Cambridge which offers Alexander. I can tell you, my son would absolutely tell you this is well worth doing.</p>