Voice Portfolio: Alexander Technique

Alexander Technique

Wednesday 24^th September 2014

     To wrap up our development of the actor’s voice lesson we continued exploring techniques into concentration and controllable breathing.  Last week we explored breathing, inhaling and exhaling, and control over the diaphragm.  In this session we continued to explore methods into concentration, of not only our breathing but of our minds, and control, over our breathing and our entire body.  This is when we were introduced to the Alexander Technique.

 

     The Alexander Technique is a devising method used by many actors, on stage and screen, and it assists them in their embodiment of their performing characters.  The technique allows the individual to maintain focus and attention of their mind.  It also works towards the individual’s posture of their body; similarly towards an actor’s embodiment of a different character, in the sense of walking and talking in a different way so they appear/seem as a different person. 

     It was now our turn to experience and take part in the Alexander Technique.  Similarly to when we did concentrated and controlled breathing through the diaphragm, we lied on the floor, hands to the bottom of the chest, where the diaphragm is, and remained still as our teacher taught us the focus and control to put into achieving the Alexander Technique.  To begin with, we started by finding the comfortable position and maintain a steady and controllable inhaling and exhaling routine.  Once we found a comfortable position, our teacher began the tutorial.  We began in getting focus towards our body, asking the question is our body tense anywhere, is so why?  As well as answering can we rectify this in any way, to maintain steadiness in our body so then we could begin our focus.  These multiple layers of our concentration looked particularly at our breathing and at our body structure.  Our teacher then introduced the feeling of infinity.  This feeling had us imagining of us travelling in amongst the stars, increasing our feeling of infinity.  All of which expanded and increased our imagination, in particularly to changing our current posture to something new and original.  Another factor that helped us to changing our physical posture was our teacher introducing tension.  For this our teacher had us tense every inch of our body.  The end result, I found, was an increase in the feeling of relaxation.  Backing this up was a slight feeling of wonder, and I personally felt like I was flying, which also helped me to explore what I could change in order to embody something completely different to myself.

     But finally our teacher concluded the focus speeches to assist in our concentration towards something different.  Then we were all told to return to a standing position.  Taking our time and slowly resume a natural position.  The only difference this time was I could feel more relaxed and controlled in my standing.  Therefore my posture was different to pre-Alexander Technique.  Pre-Alexander technique was my usual and traditional standing posture, as I began I stood more relaxed with a slight tall figuring to it.  Whilst during the Alexander technique I lay low, vertical and explored my breathing and posture, to change to a new structure.  But post-Alexander technique I came to a posture of where I was comfortable, with no tensions amongst my structure, and with a slight feeling of new to it.  In the sense that I did feel comfortable, but at the same time a rather unnatural feel to it, as I felt strong and different in my newly post-Alexander technique standing posture. 

     Post Alexander Technique I could really feel the difference vocally as well.  Pre the Technique my vocal formation was at a low tone and pitch, which is a natural setting for my speech pattern.  But post the relaxation and focus exercise, my vocal formation took a new pattern, similarly to my physical structure.  Before the exercises I felt a natural sense within my throat and my voice box.  But it was during the exercises that I could feel the unnecessary tensions within my voice box, and once again the feeling of wonder and infinity let me to rectifying these tensions and reforming the vocal formation.  But after the exercises I could feel a sense of unnatural and slight uncomforting, as my vocal pattern took on a higher tone and pitch.  But I felt this was because the feelings of infinity lead me taking a relaxed physical and vocal posture.  This created something new and out of my comfort zone.  While physically I liked and admired my new standing posture, vocally I felt slightly out of my comfort zone, and felt the need to work on it in order to alter my voice for any future production work.

     Therefore in summary I felt the Alexander Technique was an extraordinary experience.  It allowed me to explore the techniques of focus and concentration to achieve in areas in which I haven’t looked to before.  Plus I do hope this exercise can come in handy for future reference.