Sorry I haven’t posted here for a while. I’ve been busy getting my new blog up and running. (I’ll get back to posting regularly to this blog very soon.) I’ve had a real resurgence of passion in my musical life, and have started writing about two things that really light me up: Using the Alexander Technique to improve musical performance (as well as health and safety); and the process of practicing music (particularly as it pertains to improvisation).

I’ve already posted several articles, and am writing more each day. I talk about things like finding ease, efficiency and balance as it pertains to playing music, safety concerns for musicians, as well as specific ideas and applications of musical practice aimed at helping musicians find and cultivate their personal expression.

I’ve posted some videos of remarkable musical performers, and from time to time will be using video to demonstrate some of the Alexander principles as they relate to practicing music.

I’ll also be writing reviews of books, ergonomic accessories and other products I think can help musicians.

So please come by and visit. I’d love any feedback, too. I’m always happy to research and write about anything that my readers find interesting. Just click here to visit Bill Plake Music Thanks!

If you spend a significant amount of time in front of a computer, you know how easy it is to compress, tighten and collapse yourself into discomfort. This can be caused not only by how you sit, but also, what you do as you move while computing. Continue reading Working At Your Computer? Remember You Hip Joints

Often when a musician is first introduced to the Alexander principles of awareness, inhibition and direction, he or she is put off by the idea that paying attention to oneself in this Alexander way will become a distraction that interferes with the music making process. This is a valid concern (one in which I had at the beginning of my Alexander learning process). After all, what most of us want as musicians is freedom to express ourselves, not seemingly oppressive self-consciousness. Continue reading Practicing Paying Attention

As I teach the Alexander Technique to beginners, I’m often amazed at how immediately better students will move as soon as they clarify a few misconceptions about the location and function of various bodily structures (more specifically, joints, bones and muscles). Sometimes this involves little more than having students look at the model of the skeleton (that I use when I teach) in order to clarify where the hip joints and sit bones are in their bodies. After that we might explore some movement with the new awareness of where these structures are and how they function. Practically without fail I’ll see these students move in a more coordinated, effortless manner. The students notice, too, often with surprise and delight. Continue reading The Importance Of Gaining An Accurate Perception Of Your Body

This month I’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Gray, who is a student in the Alexander Technique class that I teach at the YMCA in La Canada. Elizabeth is a professional writer. She has done research for a great number of documentary films, and has written several plays. She is also a singer and actor who performs around the Los Angeles area. Most significant (to me) is her utterly unique sense of humor. She is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and having her in class is always great fun. I continue to see rather marvelous improvements in how she moves, maintains posture and balance, walks and sings (I’m pretty sure she’s noticed, too). But I think she tells her story in a way that is all her own. I asked her four questions about her experience with the Alexander Technique. At the end of her interview is a link to a short video she made about the Alexander Technique. I hope you enjoy! Continue reading A Writer/Performing Artist Talks About The Alexander Technique

I sometimes say to my music students as they’re playing their instruments: “You might think that your main activity in this moment is playing your instrument. But as far as your neuromuscular system is concerned, your main activity is maintaining your upright balance in gravity.” (It’s also fairly well involved in breathing, too, which is closely related to balance.) To be more specific, if you’re standing while you play the saxophone (for example), your neuromuscular system is primarily negotiating your upright balance, and only secondarily dealing with playing the saxophone. In other words, to your brain, you’re mostly involved in the process of standing up. (The same thing applies if you’re sitting as you play; i.e., you’re mostly involved in the process of sitting.) Continue reading Want To Play Freely? Begin With Balance

I hear this question practically without exception from students new to the Alexander Technique (whether already committed to taking lessons, or simply looking into the possibility of taking lessons). It’s a perfectly reasonable question. After all, you want to know how much money, time and effort will be required to gain success from your lessons. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. There are certain guidelines to consider, however, in helping you make the best decisions concerning your commitment to studying the Alexander Technique. I’d like to present some of these guidelines to help you to understand how you can best help yourself with Alexander lessons. Continue reading How Many Lessons Will I Need?

The Alexander Technique is a way to improve your movement and postural habits by changing the way you think about yourself in activity. The three most essential principles involved in this new way of thinking about yourself are awareness, inhibition and direction. You can use your awareness to notice any habits that you have that interfere with the natural functioning of your bodily structure in relation to gravity. You can then choose to prevent (inhibit) your habit as you carry out an activity. This is key in making lasting, positive changes to your movement and posture. After you’ve become aware of and inhibited your habit, you’re free to more actively direct yourself into lighter, more expansive movement. This is where the Alexander Primary Directions come into play. Continue reading Primary Directions: Moving With Release And Expansion

In the mind of the expert, the possibilities are few. In the mind of the beginner, the possibilities are endless.
Ryo Suzuki, zen master

The best saxophone lesson i’ve ever had was not given to me by a saxophone teacher. It was given to me by somebody who knew nothing about playing the saxophone: Frances Marsden, my first Alexander Technique teacher. It was precisely because she knew nothing about playing this instrument that she was able to help me see many of my harmful habits for the first time. She did something very simple, but immensely helpful: She observed what I was doing as I played, then asked questions about it. Continue reading The Mind of the Beginner

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D (Penguin Books)

The subtitle of this book is: “Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science”. I can say without hesitation that this is one of the most inspiring books I’ve read in many years. In essence, it’s a story about the brain’s ability to physically change itself through experience (referred to as “neuroplacticity”). But what makes the book particularly relevant is that it is about how these principles of plasticity have been transformed into practical applications that have manifested seemingly miraculous results for people with serious neurological problems (psychological, physical and psycho-phyiscial). Continue reading Highly Recommended Reading!