Voice and the Alexander Technique
by Jane Heirich
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jane HeirichEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2005-01-01
ISBN: 096443525X
Number of pages: 196
Publisher: Mornum Time Press
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Book Reviews of Voice and the Alexander Technique
Book Review: Review from VoicePrints-Sept.2005
Summary: 5 Stars
It gives me great pleasure to recommend Voice and the Alexander Technique, written by the highly regarded educator and certified Alexander teacher, Jane Ruby Heirich, to teachers and students of speech, singing and Alexander Technique.
The book's nine chapters are preceded by an introduction, which is one of several times in which she cautions that the "guidance of an Alexander teacher's hands" would be the ideal way for one without previous Alexander training to use this book, while she acknowledges that not all communities have a certified teacher. The first four chapters cover the basics of habit, a short history of F.M. Alexander and what his Technique is and what it is not, a vocal technique primer, and some common postural and vocal problems. The next four chapters apply principles of Alexander Technique via "Games and Explorations". The final chapter is a two page summary of the book. Four appendices follow: an explanation of IPA International Phonetic Alphabet), an additional Alexander exercise called hands on the back of a chair, contact information for teachers and books, and a generous glossary of musical and Alexandrian terms.
"To Do" sections in each chapter explore ways to address vocal and use problems. Use (as defined in the aforementioned glossary) is "the term Alexander used to mean how a person organizes him/herself in daily activities. He often spoke and wrote about the use of the Self in activity, meaning how one responds to a stimulus or does everything he does." The vocal (sung) "To Do" exercises, included on the CD which accompanies the book, are discussed and then played on a piano in several keys.
Voice teachers may quibble with some of the information found in the vocal primer section (Chapter 3), but most will appreciate her multi-sided approach to the art of vocal pedagogy, combining complex mechanistic and anatomical description, while also offering solutions to problems via imagery and movement. In a later chapter she states, " I will not pretend to define what is meant by all voice teachers when they uses these three terms - support, breath support or project." And to avoid Alexandrian semantic squabbles, she often gives several names for one "Alexandrian" term, for example: Alexander Lie-Down, Semi-Supine and Constructive Rest Position. I enjoyed her definition of "up". "Up" at its simplest means the direction in which the head is releasing away from the other end of the spine, the tailbone." And her discussion of the whispered ah as taught by Alexander (Pages 85-91) resulted in several rewarding practice sessions for me and therefore my students.
The book is tall and heavy which presents an Alexandrian challenge (I propped it up on two pillows), but it is this bulkiness which allows the excellent, clear illustrations by Jaye Schlesinger and other sidebars to appear on the pertinent page. These gray shaded sidebars, sprinkled throughout the book, detail stories about students of the author which are relevant to the chapter.
According to Ms. Heirich, the first factor in the process of changing a habit is that the individual must desire to change and the second is that "we must begin where we are". Reading this book is a wonderful place for either the novice or the professional to do just that. Katherine Keyes, certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, voice teacher, singer. VoicePrints-Sept.2005
Summary of Voice and the Alexander Technique
Are you an actor who routinely loses his voice before the end of a run? As a serious student of singing, do you wish those high notes would come more easily? Do you need courage to sing outside the shower?In this book, designed for both teachers and students of the speaking and singing voice, Jane Heirich addresses some common problem areas of the voice-teaching world: breath management, voice projection, resonance building, ?breaks? in the vocal range, and the relevance of overall poise to vocal output. The step-by-step approach through which she takes the reader allows new skills to develop for both beginning and experienced students/performers.
This book is the culmination of decades of work integrating two approaches that will have a profound impact on your voice; the centuries-old Italian bel canto singing tradition and the FM Alexander Technique.
If you've wondered whether you can improve your voice and enjoy using it more effectively, this is the book for you.
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