Movement and singing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movement and singing - Research Proposal Example Alexander studied himself in mirrors while he was saying his lines. He realized that his habitual way of holding himself would be very hard to overcome, but knew he had to gain conscious control over his posture and attitude in order to produce the best sound. So he developed a method to re-teach his body how to act. Performers often don’t even realize they’re tense until they’re reminded to relax. Tightness in the singer can distort sound and cause the sound to be less resonant (Alexander). The Alexander Method teaches students how all the muscle groups work together. The teacher guides students through a series of gentle exercises, and sometimes touches them a little to guide them into new ways of using their muscles. The muscle corrections are subtle, and an Alexander Technique teacher directs the student with small movements and verbal instructions. Performers think that â€Å"standing up straight† will give them the best posture for singing, but the act of standing straight can put extra tension on the neck, back, and legs, actually reducing the breath and resonance. Consciously making the body do anything introduces tension. The Alexander technique relaxes the posture, reducing underlying tension (Moore). The â€Å"whispered ah† is a way of making Alexander technique students aware of how the breath enters and leaves the body. By perfecting the â€Å"whispered ah,† singers can relax their breathing into its more natural rhythms and engage the whole body in producing sound. The sound will be more pure and resonant because it comes out the whole person. The whispered â€Å"ah† may seem like a simple exercise, but perfecting it is extremely tricky. Breaking old patterns requires both concentration and letting go to let the process work. The important point with the Alexander technique is to relax and stop trying to control body movements and positions. Going into a natural pose when singing and releasing tension gives the voice its depth. Once