The Alexander Technique first came to my attention in my early 20’s at music college - but only as an idea not, at that moment, as a practice. Later I developed a chronic injury in my leg from running - this being the most useful ‘antidote’ to stress of being a working musician that I had found. A course of Alexander lessons followed, and I discovered that the injury was as much about the way I used my mind/body when I was playing music, as when I was slowly plodding around the streets of Leeds .
My running injury mysteriously gone and my curiosity awake I attended some workshops ran by Vivien Mackie that considered the broader application of the Technique in regard to making music. These workshops made me question some of the basic premises of my music education. Gradually I moved towards the idea of becoming an Alexander Technique teacher with a potential focus on musicians and musical performance.
I trained initially in Aalborg Denmark with the late Chris Stevens. As a physiologist he brought both a level of scientific enquiry and understanding to his teaching as well as years of invaluable experience gained as an assistant teacher at Walter Carrington’s school at Lansdowne Road in London. I felt fortunate to be both part of this lineage as well as the reflective critique that Chris brought to his teaching. The school in Denmark had the added bonus of regular visiting teachers from all over the world during the time I studied there.