Having worked with an assortment of musicians and several singers over the years: Guitar, Cello, Double bass, Piano, Trumpet and even a highly successful Opera singer.
Today I had the pleasure to work with an outstanding Viola Player. Catherine had worked with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire.
Our goal was to create holistic, healthful playing. We started the session with Catherine playing to observe her structure and playing habits. I love working with musicians because you can instantly hear when a subtle adjustment connects from the body to the instrument.
Over the years, I began to understand that a body centred approach to musical training is non-existent—schools such as the Guildhall in London quite rightly focus on the instrument, the pitch, resonance, tone and quality of sound. However, to be precise on sound and be starved of a profound, supportive physical control is negligent and a hindrance. A holistic emphasis would serve an institution and the performers they churn out a superior performance grade, or at least a self-awareness and a few tools to mitigate injury resulting from poor form. A musician can then develop a body that integrates effortless sound and a holistic method of playing based on their unique body morphology.
I have a nose for spotting weak links in sportspeople, martial artists and performers of all persuasions. Musicians are no different, and I would argue that musicians, if truly awake, are athletes.
In this session, my goal was to help activate optimal standing ( sitting ) and moving to achieve three objectives. The first was to assess Catherine’s structure when playing and work out how to help her connect to the ground via the feet and sense the weight transference into the ground. Next was to give Catherine a hands-on practical sense of where and how to connect the deeper core structures of the muscle and connective tissue ( myo- fascia ) to the spine and back. Then by integrating breath work and core work.
Much like professional dancers, musicians maintain their craft with hours of practice. However, you have to be careful not to become an automaton.
Institutions often focus on cloning their pupils for the sake of mass production, and as with dance schools, a homogeneous soul-less performer is often a result. An individual trained institutionally can readily lose their intuitive spirit.
Performers often keep focusing on outcomes. ( Mental pictures of success ) The how-to be successful mental focus usually means missing out on exploring the self in the whole process of creating. In other words, the ego can destroy inspiration and leave one feeling empty. Succesful performers have to manage their energy levels and look after the body. Years of repetitive practice coupled with poor form and the resultant strain to maintain a level of performance can lead to burnout, depression and inner stagnancy. A drop in inspiration happens to many stage actors during a long run or tour, and you have to find a way to stay fresh.
For example, Lee Strasberg, one of the masters of the American method acting fraternity, was well aware of the pressures of the profession and had special classes that were a safe place to explore and make mistakes and try our new things. Many famous and successful actors would attend these events to work through performance anxieties and fears, try new ideas, and free a body that had become frozen in professional tension.
Our body keeps a physical and emotional record of our lives, and a dash of poor posture can, for musicians, at least ruin a career.
And so back to the session with Catherine.
We went straight into a core exercise that integrates breathing with core control to support the task. This core exercise is executed in a prone position initially. Then we applied positions that open up the neck and shoulders to create a felt-sense connection to the internal core. This inner core is not the external abdominal musculature but somewhat deeper connective tissue blending to the front of the spine. The outcome of core activation is central equilibrium.
Then we got back to standing and adjusted the lower leg positioning to release a few tensions; that allowed Catherine’s core to fire. The result in sound made the hairs on my neck stand up. Cathrine’s eyes lit up like mini suns as her core synchronised with the Viola, and the sound was vibrant and amplified. I think she was a little shocked at the instant shift in her playing. It was no surprise to me to get such a result, although the amplification significantly increased and was amazing to witness.
The rest is the application of core work to retrain internal control until it becomes a habit. That is what I call a good beginning.
