$49.95 $40.00
"Getting out of our own
way" is essential for good vocal use.
Alexander's insights help us do just that.
Voice and the Alexander Technique
Active Explorations for Speaking and Singing
REVIEWS
Reprinted from American Music Teacher, Volume 55, No. 1, August/September 2005, with permission of Music Teachers National Association.
Many books have been written about the art and the science of singing. Most of them follow the medical model, that is, they deal with the actual physiology of making vocal sound. And there is no shortage of written material about the Alexander Technique--the remarkable method of aligning the body for maximum physical efficiency in any endeavor, be it singing, playing tennis, washing dishes or whatever--formulated by the Tasmanian Shakespearean actor F. M. Alexander in the late-19th century. But Jane Ruby Heirich's book, Voice and the Alexander Technique, is, as far as I know, the first to delineate the specific benefits of the Alexander Technique for those who are concerned with the quality and healthfulness of vocal sound in either spoken or sung form.
Heirich knows her business; she dispenses her excellent information with the expertise of sequence and timing that only comes from having coached hundreds of subjects in these techniques for many years. She intersperses her factual material with exercises, which she refers to as "to dos," and almost every page has a box in the margin with an anecdote pertaining to the problem at hand or a technique used for its remedy. There are many well-executed and useful illustrations, and the material, even though sophisticated and scientific in nature, is presented in the clear, easy-to-understand English similar to a do-it-yourself self-help manual. Furthermore, there is a glossary of terms, appendices with all manner of other useful information and a CD with recordings of vocal exercises recommended in the book is included.
I have only one complaint about this publication: it is hardbound, over-sized and rather expensive. So, many students who should have access to this information, will pass it up for economic reasons. Let's hope for a quicker-to-read, smaller and cheaper reprinting in paperback. Reviewed by Benton Hess, Webster, New York.
Jane Heirich, a faculty member at the Residential College of the University of Michigan, here offers a book which distils her own experience of combining the two traditions of voice teaching and Alexander Technique. With exemplary clarity and thoroughness she explains how the two traditions intersect, and gives practical exercises and games with which students and teachers can explore her approach. Common voice issues are addressed: breath management, voice projection, singing high notes, moving through the range without breaks, excess muscle tension, and above all the relevance of the poise of the whole body to full vocal release.
Jane sets out a clear historical background to Alexander and his discoveries, followed by an easily understandable voice primer (an excellent feature of the book) which studies the basics of voice and is illustrated with superb diagrams by Jaye Schlesinger.These introductory chapters are followed by a study of postural and vocal problems, illustrating the dangers arising from habits of too much or too little physical effort while voicing.
The final chapters of the book are devoted to completely practical games and explorations which can be used in the studio. The four chapters relate to re-education of the breath system, thinking "up" posturally, use of the "monkey" posture, and sensing vocal support. The exercises are explained step by step, easy to follow, and helpfully illustrated. The thoroughness of the approach to head alignment and TM joint problems is outstanding.
Throughout the book Jane has inserted short columns of teaching anecdotes where specific relevant case histories are quoted. These are described with real empathy for the student and are most illuminating as they remind teachers so powerfully of their own studio situations.
The book concludes with a useful bibliography, glossary and international list of Alexander Technique contacts.
I was most impressed with this work. It is written with grace, elegance and human understanding by a teacher who demonstrates sound anatomical knowledge and a determination to help students discover an easier and more efficient vocal approach which will impact not just on their performance, but also their life and health. A word of praise also for the publisher: the format is magnificently clear. I shall enjoy using this book in my studio. Katharine Watts President, NEWZATS (New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing) Auckland, New Zealand
cloth, 9x12, 192 pages, ISBN 09644352-5-x,
$49.95 $40.00
Accompanying CD with book.