A few days ago I remembered how important it is to know the right way to use our tools, so that we don’t hurt ourselves. By tools I mean several things, from a hammer and pliers to the instruments we play, sticks and mallets, bows, microphones, etc. Mics weren’t in my awareness until the last time that I went to a show. Continue reading Are you tense in your neck?
*Please note that the registration and contact forms were broken for part of the month of February.
The exploration of the body and learning accurate information about it has been fundamental in my process as a musician and as a person. My training in classical music, and my past beliefs, shaped me so that having control and the search for perfection were essential in my life. The exploration of new forms in music was not encouraged.
After experiencing tendonitis, in an effort to connect with my body, I started practicing yoga. Years later I gave it up for a busy performance schedule. I assumed that body, movement, and music couldn’t exist together. Body Mapping allowed me to make that connection and start a new process…
The idea of Experiment, Move & Play is to open a space where we can link the exploration of the physical body with the creative self. The body is a medium for our performances. Using Body Mapping we will learn about how we are naturally designed to move, not only to avoid injuries or tension, but also to identify and work through limitations. At the same time, we will give room for the spontaneous through some improvisation.
It is the end of the year, winter is starting and the day light savings and the upcoming solstice are making me feel drained. It doesn’t matter how important or exciting the events in my life are, my body is tired.
We are so used to demanding a lot from ourselves and in this thinking sometimes we believe that sleeping and resting less would increase our productivity. Productivity meaning: practicing more, playing more, planning classes, writing, sending emails, etc. Continue reading Recharge with Five Minutes of Constructive Rest
Last week I bit my food in a weird way, and this produced pain that has lasted all week in one of my teeth. Since then, I’ve been more aware of how I eat and of the amount of tension that this pain has produced in my jaw.
However, the tension around my jaw is not new. Since I started being more conscious about my body, I’ve noticed the patterns that I repeat which produce tension in this area. For example, usually I clench my teeth when I’m stressed. This happens in different circumstances when I practice, play or even when I’m writing an email. Do you experience something similar?
In the next video I explain some things to help you to reduce the tension in your jaw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqoqX3TUYEM
On October 15th Jennifer Johnson and I presented in the music educators conference Resonate 2016-NLTA.
Our presentation focused on recognizing some of the cultural myths and postures that produce pain and tension in the body. We talked about how these patterns interfere with the natural design of our bodies and explained accurate information about the body. We also shared some of the tools that we can use to help our students to develop a balanced body while learning to play an instrument.
Some of the topics discussed were neck, shoulder, and lower back pain; as well as tendonitis in the arm and carpal tunnel syndrome. Continue reading An hour of learning!
Continue reading Your Body on Stage: A Space for Women Musicians!
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a colleague who expressed some of his concerns and questions. This is my answer which I wanted to share with everyone.
The message had two parts. The first is the issue between tension and relaxation concepts for learning to play an instrument. In the second part he asked some questions: How to unlearn wrong ideas? How to make a change in students’ ways of thinking so that they can learn to relax?
I will begin to answer the questions, and then I will use relaxation and tension as an example. Continue reading Breaking Bad Habits in Music
September is here and by the time you read this, it’s mid-September.
Wow!
For a lot of people September is like a new year. It’s a new beginning, new projects. It’s the start of a school year or a new concert season. Continue reading Ten things to ask yourself when starting a new year of music practice
If you have pain in your lower back or your legs feel tired after practicing while standing, it’s likely that your body is not balanced. This means that some parts of your body are doing extra work. They try to do the functions that other structures should be doing. Continue reading 3 Suggestions for Percussionists (and Other Musicians ) to Avoid Tension
I am excited. This time it is a different type of excitement, different from any other. It’s a first time.
I am a musician and I have been playing music for about 15 years. I love music. I love playing in the orchestra, in a percussion ensemble, and with other instrumentalists. Playing is absolutely exciting, challenging, and addictive, as any other musician would know. Continue reading Research and Performance