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Ask the Teacher - Janet Davis

2020-02-18T16:10:00

davis

The Sydney-based violin pedagogue shares her methods for tackling technical issues and preventing injury

How do you integrate the Alexander technique into your violin lessons?

As a qualified Alexander teacher I feel that it’s part of my duty of care to teach in a way that helps prevent injury. I also find the technique incredibly useful for addressing problems caused by stiffness and tension. Over the years I’ve developed a method called the ‘resonant body’, a practical interpretation of the Alexander technique for musicians. I use it to help players rework specific functions such as holding the instrument, finger action and bowing movements, so that they can play without tension, meet the technical and musical demands of the violin, and play with power and musical intensity.

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