The Dynamic Musician Series Blog

The Tricky Science of Science

Scanning the web, looking for articles on the physiology of music, I found an interesting piece on measuring the movements of trombone player’s slide arms.

“Music Performance Physiology: Development of Expertise in a Natural Task: The Right Arm of Trombone Players”
Mark Kruger, Mark Lammers, Lela June Stoner, and Richard Fuller, Gustavus Adolphus College; Debra Allyn, Iowa State University

(to read the article, click here)

I have been thinking about the slide arm and what’s involved in making it work so I was quite excited to find this article. After reading, I applaud the authors’ efforts in trying to “to enhance the oral tradition of teaching instruments and voice.” In the study, participants’ arm muscles, elbow angles, wrist movements and slide speeds were measured along with an evaluation of their performance. Not surprisingly, the professional players had faster slide speeds with less muscle effort and were more accurate with the slide.

However, I was left with some questions about the relevance of the findings and moreover, the efficacy of such study, here’s why:

Measuring just he arm muscles just shows only a small part of the picture. What about the difference in movements of the shoulder blade and clavicle, the flexibility of the ribs and spine as well as the ability to neutralize the effects of accelerating and stopping the slide (and its weight)? From the perspective of a Feldenkrais practitioner, the ability to skillfully use our arms and hands is directly related to the organization of the spine and ribs (and all the muscles of the upper body) as well the support from the pelvis and legs (especially if the performer is standing). I know, all of that would be much too complex to measure and analyze but what good does it do to tell your student to move the slide faster and hold the trombone more steadily if he/she can not organize the rest of their body to do this successfully as suggested in the article’s conclusion.

“The second finding that may be of interest to pedagogists (sic) is the speed and acceleration of the slide. Even though the researchers found that all trombonists have great variability in this area, professionals do move the slide faster, so teachers should encourage younger players to move the slide faster at all tempos.”

From the perspective of an educator, I say great, but what if the student can’t move the slide faster? And to move the slide faster, the student will probably use more muscle effort, contradicting the findings in the study. One of the things professionals have learned to do is indeed move the slide faster with less effort. How have they accomplished this, without sensors hooked to their arms?

And the third finding is even more telling for the need of more comprehensive study.

“The third finding made by means of the sonic ranger and verified visually is that better players hold the instrument without extra movement of the slide from side to side or up and down. Good players have control of the instrument in relation to the body as well as to the manipulation of the slide.“

I would venture to say that the holding of the instrument is just as important as the movement of the slide arm. Once again, how do you organize your whole self to hold a heavy instrument, counter the inertia of the slide, deal with moving the slide arm in and out of its optimal length for strength, AND keep the proper pressure and mouthpiece angle? Now we know why the trombone is sometimes referred to as the elephant of the orchestra, but I digress.

To wrap this up, we have to ask the question: Because most teachers don’t have access to sophisticated testing equipment, how do we know if students are progressing towards a more optimal “physiology for performing?” Some will argue that we need to analyze and control our physical movements in comparison with the masters. Others will plead the need for matching kinesthetic sensation with sound quality. To do this, the student must also be trained in sensing her/his own effort as well as discerning what she/he sounds like. For now, I’ll let you ponder this for yourselves.

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

From iTunes

or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on breathing and posture, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!

Posture & Sound

A couple of months ago I heard a quote from an orchestra musician who said, “I would rather play in pain than waste valuable practice time doing Feldenkrais to improve my pain.” I’ll bet that we’ve all heard or even thought something like this before (I know I did when my teacher recommended reading about the Alexander Technique back in college). The tendency to think that doing something with, or away from the instrument, which will help our physical well-being would be better spent "practicing" is deeply rooted in our musical education.

Now compare this with a blog entry from young bassist Jason Heath, who writes,

“Of the four previously mentioned issues, I believe that posture has the most effect on sound. The taller that we make ourselves, the bigger our sound can become. In one of my posts on sounds, I talked about creating a bigger lever with our bodies by drawing our sound from the floor. Opening up our abdominals adds at least 3 inches to our sitting height and those three inches can have an enormous impact on our sound. The taller we sit (or stand) the bigger, bassier, and more vibrant our sound can be.” Go to Jason Heath's Double Bass blog

I think most of us will agree that posture has some affect on the quality of sound; otherwise we wouldn’t admonish our students to sit or stand up straight. In addition to sound quality, posture can have an influence on the health of our joints, muscles, and tendons etc. so posture could possibly play a role in the longevity and success of a career.

This seems so obvious that I sometimes still wonder why the study and understanding of posture is not as highly regarded as the study of music theory? It would be unthinkable to graduate a student from a music school without at least a basic understanding of theory, so why should it be thinkable to graduate students without a basic understanding of their own bodies?

Perhaps because:
Many teachers don’t know how to communicate the relationship of posture and its affect on health and sound to the students.

Many teachers don’t know how to deal with the issue of posture because it wasn’t part of their education. Along this line we could argue that it may be too much to ask of a music teacher to also be knowledgeable in this field as well.

Young students’ bodies are often resilient enough to withstand the wear and tear from hours of practicing in less than ideal positions so they don’t feel the need to do so.

And finally, the competition is so stiff that we feel that every minute available for practicing must be spent with the instrument.

Interestingly enough, Arnold Jacobs recommended practicing certain breathing skills away from the instrument because the habits can be so strong when playing that the only way to establish new ones is without the instrument. Now there’s something to think about and I’ll write more about Jacobs in a future blog

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

From iTunes

or direct download

If you have any specific questions or comments on breathing and posture, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!

Skeletal support and the high register

But first an announcement:

The Dynamic Musician Series now available from AchievingExcelence.com.

The online book stare for “Feldenkrais Method® CD’s, books and more” is now selling the Dynamic Stability and Breath, Volumes 1 & 2. You can also order many other interesting books and CD’s on the Felednkrais Method®. To have a look, go to:

AchieveingExcellence.com

I’ve recently been experimenting with the idea of using skeletal support to improve my high register on the trombone. For me, the higher notes are often a source of uncertainty and even a bit of fear. I recently purchased Claude Gordon’s book, “Tongue Level Exercises for Trombone.” The exercises have been very helpful but when I discovered I was subtly taking my skeletal support “out from under me” while playing higher, I had a kind of epiphany. At the very moment when I needed my skeleton the most, I let myself “down.”

I began shifting my weight more onto my right leg and then left, feeling which leg gave me a stronger sense of support. I found that while holding my instrument, having my right foot a bit forward supported the instrument’s weight better and more clearly. I then began to shift my pelvis forward and back, side to side (no, not like Elvis) and found even more solidity in my support. Then the high notes became clearer and more secure.

Of course this sounds obvious but observing my students I noticed a similar thing (maybe they picked it up from me). By having them do some simple awareness exercises like the ones described above, their sound became clearer and fuller. I’m not saying that this alone will clear up problems with the high register, but it is an important component, and in my experience, just as important as the embouchure, air flow and slide position. I see this also with singers, when they are better aligned on their skeletons, they sing more easily and the sound improves. With singers, it’s often more obvious than with instrumentalists because the body is the instrument.

Of course there are musicians who play brilliantly with poor skeletal support, but for most of us the need to include the somatic aspects of playing or singing into the study of music is just as important as theory or ear training etc. This seems to be an area where many teachers will say they don’t have time, or don’t know how to address the issues. There are many teachers developing this aspect, but I envision the day when more teachers will also have training in the somatic aspects of playing, just as they do in theory and harmony and the soma will blend into the lesson and music making.

Well, it’s time to get off my soapbox, so... Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

From iTunes

or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on breathing and posture, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!

Is good posture necessary for good breath support?

Before the holidays, I attended the Mozart opera, “Entfürung aus dem Serail” here in Basel. Aside from the wonderful music and singing, what really interested me was that the performers had to sing their arias in all kinds of strange positions. The lead tenor sang his opening aria in a sleeping bag, rolling around the stage. Some arias were sung while slouching on a couch, holding a beer can in one hand. At one point, the 2nd tenor was singing on his back and while holding a long note, he rose up to sit by lifting his head and legs from the floor like a Pilates or Yoga move. All the while, his tone was steady and full.

Some singers have told me that this is a trend in the opera world that is not good because the singers have to do more and more. This may be true and I don’t want to argue for or against this idea but I was fascinated that the singers could fill the concert hall with their voices while singing in these strange and difficult positions. Or to be more concise, I wondered what makes this possible? How many of us as music teachers see and hear that when our students don’t have the proper posture, their breath support suffers? So if a soprano can sing a Mozart aria while slumping on the couch, why can’t our students play/sing well while slumping in a chair?

My answer to this is that good posture, which I call “Dynamic Stability,” is not necessarily dependent on body position, but rather on the ability to adapt to and work within a given position. The same holds true for good breath support, which I call “Dynamic Breath.” What enabled these singers to sing well in these different positions was their ability to find “Dynamic Stability and Breath” in whatever position they were singing. From my book, “Dynamic Stability and Breath, Volume 1,” I take a quote from the introduction:

How do you define “good posture?”

A tricky question: “Good posture” is often associated with admonishments like “sit up straight” or “don’t slouch while you’re playing.” This kind of well meant advice is rarely helpful over the long term; because such advice does not help the person to whom it’s addressed find a way to be more comfortably upright. For others, “good posture” may mean holding one’s self up or being rigid and stiff, which is certainly not beneficial in learning to breathe more easily and effectively.

I would like to propose an alternative to the term “good posture.” When sitting or standing feels comfortable and breathing feels free and easy, we can say we have “Dynamic Stability.”

Dynamic Stability means being stable and comfortable in an upright (change this to “any”) position and having the freedom to move in all directions as well.

There is more to be said on this topic, which I’ll do in a future blog. For now I’ll leave you with the idea that if we and/or our students are not comfortable sitting or standing, then we and/or they can not have “Dynamic Stability,” no matter how good the posture seems to be.

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

From iTunes

or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on breathing and posture, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!

Practicing A Musician’s Return to Music

Dear Readers,

For this blog, I’m going to depart a little bit from writing about awareness and the body to recommend a book that I just finished reading. Practicing A Musician’s Return to Music, Glenn Kurtz.

Kurtz studied guitar from an early age and went on to study at the New England Conservatory with aspirations of becoming a concert artist. He didn’t achieve his goal, quit playing and became, among other things a professor of comparative literature. After taking up the guitar again 10 years later, he put his fine writing skills to use by describing his plight as an aspiring musician, how it is to play now, and also includes some history of the guitar.

I was very moved by his description of being in music school and felt that he was able to accurately capture and describe an experience that I too went through. His ability to describe certain “atmospheres” or “moods” in the practice rooms and amongst fellow students brought me back to my own time studying at the University and the Conservatory.

Most importantly however, he ruminates on what it really means to make music and how the music is a result of the relationship between the performer, his/her instrument, and the listener. And he does mention something interesting about his posture while playing. He said that he was holding his right arm and elbow tense and posed the question: what does that say about his relationship with the listener?

I will write more about this theme in the next blog because posture always expresses something about the person. But for now I’ll leave you with the question: What does your posture express, or say about you, while playing/singing and when away from your instrument?

To go to the publisher’s site for a synopsis and reviews, click here

Thanks for reading, John Tarr

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

from iTunes

or directly

If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!

Taming the Larynx Part 2

In this post, I want to respond to the comments from John Anderson. First off, thanks for commenting! I get many private comments but appreciate posted comments and Mr. Anderson’s is the first.

I will use quotes from your comments to respond, because you bring up some valuable points and ideas.

“I've been playing with my larynx all night and started to wonder whether I could do any damage.”

I don’t think you can do any damage, although I found that during the initial process of learning to move my larynx, it became uncomfortable so I rested frequently. I suspect that some things in my throat were getting moved around, which hadn’t been moved in a long time.

“And the first thing I run across is a Feldenkrais blog discussing the larynx and didgeridoo playing, which I recently became interested because there has been a study connecting it with benefits for sleep apnea sufferers, of which I am one.”

I’ve heard of this study but there was never really any explanation as to why, at least when I read it some time ago. Most students won’t learn the larynx movement unless they are very motivated and advanced. My guess is that playing the didgeridoo livens and tones up the throat area, as well as bringing it more into the player’s awareness. Of course breathing will also be improved and that can have a profound effect on sleep apnea.

“I think it would be wonderful if you expand these ideas into an ATM.”

Like you said, there may be some synchronicity going on because I am indeed working on developing such a lesson. For those of you who are unfamiliar to the Feldenkrais Method, ATM means “Awareness Through Movement,” which is a verbally guided lesson using movement to increase awareness of a particular function. You can find out more of what I mean by going to my pod-casts. I have had good initial results with students and musicians coming to my Feldenkrais practice. One professional flutist reported that not only were her tone and tonguing better, but she also experienced having more air capacity. After continuing with the larynx in the following lesson, her fingers became freer for her trills.

“It would be a lesson with applications wider than the playing of an instrument. For it might connect to the heart of people's ability to express themselves, to the feeling of thought and emotion being translated into sound, to being given voice.”

This is probably the most salient point of all this. Yes, the larynx plays a crucial role in our ability to express ourselves with music or otherwise. This is true of many functions, that ultimately, it is our ability to act and express ourselves in the world that is most interesting and important.

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

from iTunes

or direct

If you have any specific breathing questions or comments, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!

Taming the Larynx

Dear Readers,

It’s been an interesting few weeks since the publishing of the digital DMS lessons. People from different parts of the world have been contacting me, some are new acquaintances, and some are from the past. So it’s been wonderful “meeting” the new people and a pleasure catching up with those of you whom I already know.

Some of you know that I studied trombone, but lately I’ve been studying the didgeridoo as well. One of the techniques I’ve learned from this is the ability to willingly move my larynx (voice box) up and down. Moving it up quickly and suddenly causes a pressure increase and disruption in the airflow so there can be a kind of articulation. At the same time you can have the tongue in different positions or even move the tongue independently, creating more complex articulations.

Some of you might be thinking, “yes, that’s nice, but what does that have to do with me, I’m a singer or wind player and I need to keep my throat as open as possible and certainly not move my larynx around.” I had a similar idea, figuring the technique would be unique to the didgeridoo. But to my surprise, after learning to do this, my articulations on the trombone became clearer and easier! Not only that, my high range improved.

Intrigued with the results, I wanted to find out why, and if this might be useful for others.

First the “why?”

The movements of the larynx are coupled with complex process like swallowing, yawning, breathing and speech. For all of these to happen, there needs to be a very sophisticated and reliable coordination of the processes. Much of this happens below our conscious thinking. While swallowing for example, the larynx closes to prevent food from entering the trachea (wind pipe). When breathing, the larynx is held in place so the air can flow easily. Most of us have found the optimal playing or singing position for the larynx through trial and error. Out of necessity, singers usually have more awareness than wind players do. Most wind players are told to have an open throat when playing, but what does that really mean?

I’ve found that by being able to consciously move my larynx, I’m also better able to have my throat open. And because the tongue is connected to the hyoid bone, which is also connected to the larynx, the tongue has a more reliable base of support. Another way of saying it is: the more differentiation and awareness I have in my throat (and this goes for our whole selves), the better my ability to control my muscles there. Of course there is more to be said about this because it’s much more complex than what I’ve written. I’m sure some of you out there have something to add to this, so if you send me your ideas, I’ll post them here. You can also refer to anatomy books for more information.

Could this be useful for others?

I began observing the throats of my students and colleagues. What I found that was when someone was having trouble with the beginning of a note, the larynx was still moving into place when the note started. This seems to make and unreliable basis for the tongue, and the airflow is also affected. I asked these people to swallow (which raises the larynx) and or yawn (lowers) before playing. Often, the attack improved immediately because swallowing and yawning begin to give a sense of what’s going on I’ve also had people use a mirror to see what happens and they see the movement before the articulation. When the student sees that the larynx is still moving when starting to play, they sometimes can get it into place before the attack. Some people responded well to the idea of feeling the note in the throat before playing because this helped to set the position before starting.

I’m planning on developing this idea further and will let you know about my findings. Once again, I enjoy hearing from readers out there so keep the e-mails coming.

Thanks for reading, John Tarr

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

From iTunes

Or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!

How Gentle Twisting Movements can lead to an Increase in Lung Capacity

Dear Readers,

I’m often asked what kind of stretching exercises can be done to increase lung capacity. I actually find that stretching does very little to increase lung capacity over the long run. Some of you may disagree with this but when we passively stretch our muscles, the brain invokes a protection reaction. This causes the muscle(s) being stretched to contract against the pulling so they won’t be over stretched, which could lead to injury of the muscle, ligament and in some cases a joint. Some people enjoy stretching and that’s fine just as long as the movements are done slowly and with awareness.

I have found that a better and safer way to free up the back, chest and ribs is by using gentle twisting and bending movements often found in Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® lessons. After having done DMS lesson 2 for example, workshop participants often report the feeling of more lung capacity and easier breathing.

How does this work? When you twist, that means to turn to look to one side for example; some of the muscles between your ribs as well as along your chest and back need to lengthen in order for the ribs and spine to be able to move. Other muscles must contract to provide the necessary movement. Your brain sends signals coordinating the action of the muscles. If you stretch the muscles too much, the brain sends out signals to protect them. Of course what really goes on is much more complex than what’s being described here.

Gentle, explorative turning and twisting movements provide the nervous system with a chance to better coordinate the muscles and their movements. This leads to an increase in function and ability. Not only will breathing become easier, but also turning or bending, even balance will improve.

The best way to understand this is to experience it for yourself. The latest pod cast, “Gentle Twisting to increase Lung Capacity” is a lesson on this theme.

Thanks for reading, John Tarr

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

from iTunes
or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!

The Dynamic Musician Series goes digital!

Dear Readers,

I'm pleased to announce that it’s now possible to purchase and download the Dynamic Musician Series digitally. Go to "digital Products" on the DMS website and you can purchase Volume 1 and 2 as a whole or the lessons individually. Once you click the appropriate button, you will be directed to a PayPal shopping cart where you can pay with a credit card or through a PayPal account. The text to both volumes is available for free as a PDF. Of course hard copies with CD's are still available to order in the US and Europe at "publications."

For a limited time, I will be offering lesson 1 for $2.49 instead of 4.99 and the complete Volume 1 (lessons 1-4) for 10.99 instead of 16.99. This offer will expire on the 15th of November.

Thanks for reading, John Tarr

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

from iTunes

or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!

“Drawing the Bowstring”

What happens between the time you decide to sing or play and actually go to producing a sound? Many amateur musicians start producing sound before they are really ready to do so. This can lead to an uncertain and shaky start at best and the feeling of insecurity when commencing playing. Often these musicians will report that they feel more comfortable after they’ve played/sung a few bars. The performer is either too relaxed (too little tonus), or too tense (too much tonus) when they start and adjust their tonus while playing. I use the word “tonus” because it describes a level of muscle activity and this can be more or less suited to producing sound. The ideal is to have your tonus just right before playing.

One the ideas I’ve been investigating lately is the metaphor of a bow and arrow. I don’t claim to have invented this because I’ve seen it on other websites. Imagine drawing back the bowstring and holding it a moment before letting the arrow fly. If the sting is not drawn back enough, the arrow will fall short of its mark. If the string is too taught, it may be difficult to hold steady and affect your aim. If you draw the string back and just let the arrow fly, you miss the opportunity to sense the string’s tonus.

The same can apply to the process of starting to play/sing. When you start to play or sing, wait for a tiny moment to sense your tonus before actually producing a sound. Make a note of the tonus level and then play. What happened? Did you have more or less than the ideal tonus? Or perhaps you were right on. Where in your body did you sense the tonus? You may even find that some parts of you are too toned and others less so. By doing this, you can begin to get a finer sense of how to optimize your tonus for the beginnings of phrases. Another way is to hear the music before you play. By doing this, your brain will get your body ready to play before you’ve started, and you’ll feel much better and secure.

Now all of this may seem very obvious, but I’ve heard enough instances where this is not happening and felt it was worth mentioning. I’m sure many of you out there have other ideas a well and I’d be interested in hearing from you. I will post other ideas so that we can all profit from them.

Thanks for reading and until then, John Tarr

Be sure to check out the DMS podcasts, Feldenkrais® mini lessons for musicians and speakers.

from iTunes store

or direct

If you have any specific questions or comments on The Feldenkrais Method® breathing and posture, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe, sit, and stand well!