WHO WAS ALEXANDER?Who Was Alexander? Who Comes For Lessons? Alexander & Riding F.M. Alexander (1869-1955) He was a successful actor who developed vocal problems during performance. Increasing hoarseness threatened his career and caused him to seek expert medical advice. The diagnosis – clergyman’s throat – was accompanied by the recommendations of gargling with salt water and resting his voice before each performance. When this accomplished nothing, Alexander set about devising his own method to solve the problem.
As there seemed to be nothing organically wrong with his voice, he reasoned that he must be “doing something” to himself. Through the use of mirrors, Alexander was able to observe that he was distorting his own body in ways he never realized. Resolving this misuse led to a considerable improvement both in his voice and in his breathing. His success brought a great deal of attention. Alexander discovered that what appeared to be his own personal habits of tension and stress during recitation were universal. That led him to detail the relationship between the head, neck and back, which he named the Primary Control. Enhancing the Primary Control improved coordination and overall functioning. What we now call the Alexander Technique became his life's work. In 1904, Alexander moved to London where he taught until his death. “You translate everything, whether physical or mental or spiritual, into muscular tension.” “We can throw away the habit of a lifetime in a few minutes if we use our brains.” F.M. Alexander |
