After recently reading some rather disheartening discussions on various social media platforms, where professional musicians were discussing the “inevitability” of chronic pain and injuries, I thought I’d offer some (hopefully) helpful thoughts. As a certified Alexander Technique teacher and musical practice coach, I have a good amount of experience helping musicians effectively address such issues ..read more

Around 25 years ago, I started noticing a deeply troubling change in my saxophone playing experience. Simply put, I would have days where I just couldn’t seem to get the fingers of my left hand to do what they could so easily and naturally always do before in order to express myself musically. At first ..read more

I often ask the following “trick” question to my students on the first day of class at the college where I teach the Alexander Technique: “If one of my students is staring out the window with her eyes glazed over as I’m speaking to the rest of my class (who all seem to be engaged ..read more

One of the most fundamental things to pay attention to regarding your musical practice and performance habits is how you prepare. This “preparation” can be put into two categories: What you do the months, weeks, hours and/or moments before you begin to play (as in preparing for a specific performance). What you do the very ..read more

To improve what you do as a musician, you must pay attention to things in sometimes extraordinary ways. This is especially true if you aim to change any habits you might have of misdirected effort and energy. To find more ease and efficiency in your body as you play your instrument, you have to call ..read more

Prescience– The fact of knowing something before it takes place. -Oxford English Dictionary As a species, we human beings crave predictability in perhaps the most elegantly complex ways. And indeed, some of our most remarkable achievements reflect the ability to predict and manage our futures. This is a mostly a good thing, of course. But ..read more

One of the things I’ve learned in my daily saxophone practice is to welcome the adversity of unwanted results to my practice efforts. Whereas before this would lead to frustration (and even despair), now it brings me to a place of quiet curiosity, discernment and experimentation. To be clear, I very much enjoy the days ..read more

On the first day of the semester in each of my classes at the performing arts college where I teach the Alexander Technique, I often ask this “trick” question: “Is it possible to perform (music, acting, dance, etc.) free of tension?” Typically, the majority of the class answers with a resounding “yes” (as they’ve come ..read more

As I write this post, I can easily say we are living in “historic times”. Because of the current health crisis, people from all over the world are staying inside (thankfully!) much more than usual. And based upon the significant increase in inquiries about my remote services and my e-books, I can also safely assume ..read more

“With great elegance, he contrasts the dullness of mindless routine with the exhilaration of mindful ritual” -Maria Popova, about the cellist, Pablo Casals  It would be an understatement for me to say that I enjoy my daily saxophone practice more than ever at any point in my life. I look forward to it each day ..read more