Full Description
Every musician is an athlete. Athletes hone their bodies, coordinate their reflexes, and train their minds seeking to perfect a balance of strength, skills, and agility. Complicated, demanding, and repetitious movements often result in unnatural and difficult positions which put the instrumentalist at risk of injury. However, when movement and task are coordinated well and freely, the athlete-instrumentalist finds themselves in "the zone" or "the flow," a magical place where art and athleticism meet.
The Feldenkrais Method is a movement-based self-discovery process: its aim is an individual organized to perform with minimum effort and maximum efficiency, thus reducing the chance of injury and even helping speed up recovery time from an injury. The movements used in this method are simple, gentle, pleasant, exploratory, and fun and are usually repeated a number of times to clarify and enhance performance. The focus is always on the "how to" of the movement, not the "how much, how fast, or how hard." Samuel H. Nelson and Elizabeth Blades provide a guide to the Feldenkrais Method tailored specifically for instrumentalists. The book includes many Awareness Through Movement activities and case studies / examples specific to different instrument types.
Contents
Title Page
Acknowledgements
Online Supplement
Overview
Self Image and Kinesthetic Imagination
Physics of Easy Movement
Neuroplasticity
The Cost of Choice, Intention and, The Power of Habit
The Base of Support
Pelvic Power
Breathing
Upper Trunk Flexibility
Shoulder Girdle and Arms
Head and Neck
Hands and Mouth
The Eyes
Bonus Lessons
Perspectives from Instrumentalists
Appendix A: Functional Integration
Appendix B: ATM Lessons and Areas of Major Impact
About the Authors
