Alexander Technique of Cincinnati

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Carol very kindly gave me permission to put her paper up on our web site.She is a wonderful teacher and very knowledgeable.
Very sadly, she is extremely ill with cancer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Carol, Brian and their family.

The Life and Discovery of F.M. Alexander
The Insiders' Guide to the Alexander
Technique
Excerpts from
The Alexander Technique and the
String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland
by Carol Porter McCullough

The Life and Discovery of F.M. Alexander

Much has been written, some in great detail, about the life of Frederick
Matthias Alexander. Most of Alexander's life was devoted to teaching others
his technique--a technique based on his discovery that his unconscious,
habitual interference with his head-neck-back relationship was affecting his
overall functioning, and that this relationship could be brought under
conscious control. The best account of Alexander's process of discovery is in
his own words in the chapter "Evolution of a Technique" from his book The Use
of the Self. Written in 1932, four decades after he began teaching his
technique to others, Alexander wrote "Evolution of a Technique" as a testament
to how his practical experiences showed that "it is impossible to separate
'mental' and 'physical' processes in any form of human activity" (Alexander
1932, 3).
Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869, the eldest of ten
children of an Australian farmer. As a child he endured ill health, suffering
from respiratory ailments. Early on he demonstrated a love for the arts and
studied music and drama in his teens. He developed a passion for the theater.
At age seventeen, he left the rugged farm life he grew up with and took an
office job with a mining company. After developing a distaste for jobs of the
mercantile bent, he determined to become a professional reciter. A
professional reciter at that time was a kind of one-man variety show
(Alexander 1995, 223). It is noteworthy that Alexander chose a career which
made demands upon his respiratory system, a weakness of his constitution that
had plagued him with illness during his childhood.
Alexander soon established himself as a well-respected elocutionist. It was
not long however, before his career was beset with a major problem. Hoarseness
would cripple his speech during recitals, often to the point that he would
have no voice left by the end of the performance. His friends informed him
that he was audibly sucking and gasping for air while reciting. The treatment
of choice by his voice coaches and doctors was rest. During these rest periods
he would recover, his voice remaining normal during ordinary speaking. But the
problem would insidiously creep back as soon as he attempted to recite. After
several repetitions of this pattern, Alexander determined something he was
"doing" while reciting was different from his ordinary speaking and this
"doing" was causing the problem.
Alexander endeavored to find out what this "doing" was. He put himself in
front of a mirror and observed himself first during normal speaking and then
in the act of reciting. He noticed that while reciting:
[he] tended to pull the head back, depress the larynx, and suck in breath
through the mouth in such a way as to produce a gasping sound (Alexander
1932, 9).
Upon further observation, Alexander discovered the same pattern of movement
made during reciting was present during ordinary speaking, though to a lesser
degree. He realized that his habitual "use" present in everyday activities
became exaggerated during times of stress or excitement, such as during a
stage performance.
Alexander discovered that his "doing" was a function of unconscious habit in
the use of himself in the early 1890s. As he became conscious of what he was
doing. Alexander tried to change his habit. He found that no matter how hard
he tried, he couldn't stop pulling his head back as began to speak. The old
way felt "right" and the drive to move in a way that felt right and familiar
was much stronger than his reasoned out new way. This was a critical juncture
in the evolution of his thinking. The inability to change what he was doing
was a major stumbling block. It was his perseverance that finally led to his
discovery that if he first "inhibited" his initial desire to speak, and in
that moment give himself directions to allow "his head to go forward and up
and his back to lengthen and widen," he could then stop his old habit pattern.
The momentary pause, termed by Alexander as "inhibition," gave birth to his
ability to change himself and later to teach others to change themselves.
Inhibition is the cornerstone of Alexander's work. Alexander used the term in
a very literal sense, defining the act of inhibiting as that of consciously
refraining from an act. In order to stop what one is doing, one must be fully
conscious of what one is doing. The operative word here is "conscious," making
Alexander's use of inhibition the opposite of that of Freud's, who used the
term to mean "unconscious" repression. Freud believed that one's actions are
governed by unconscious or repressed memories; that one is unable to freely
choose a course of action because one is unconsciously repressed or inhibited.
It is the principle of conscious inhibition that makes the Alexander Technique
a potential learning process.
Alexander's discovery has been confirmed by physiologists who have come after
him. Dr. David Garlick, an Australian physiologist, describes Alexander's
discovery in his study The Lost Sixth Sense in this way:
Alexander, although not trained as a physiologist, showed a shrewd
understanding of how the brain worked. Our consciousness, in the cortex of
the brain, is where our will to do something arises. After this the pathways
go to centres deep in the brain which form the subconscious or unconscious.
If nothing is done to stop existing programs being activated resulting in
inappropriate muscle contractions, then a person's characteristic way of
sitting, standing and doing things will occur.
Alexander found the key for stopping these unconscious processes from taking
their pre-set paths. Once the impulse has formed in one's consciousness then
one stops, or inhibits, the next step in activating the unconscious
programs...
Alexander made the significant discovery that the way to interrupt the
sequence was to 'will to do' something then stop (or inhibit) it which will
allow a new 'program' to be developed subconsciously while consciously or
mentally giving directions... To decide not to do is an instance of
Alexander's concept of "inhibition." A physiologist would also use the same
term in its scientific sense (Garlick 1990, 17).

As Alexander practiced the principles of his discovery, the improvement in his
public performances was so striking that others began requesting his help. His
success in teaching others what he had learned spurred him on to a career in
teaching. His pupils began reporting improvements not only in their
professional activities but in overall health and well-being as well, and
Alexander was eventually teaching people outside of the field of acting. Many
of these people were referred by their doctor to Alexander for help with
chronic health problems (Alexander 1932, 130).
In 1899 Alexander moved from Melbourne to Sydney, leaving his brother, A.R.
Alexander, to teach his technique in Melbourne. A. R. Alexander had become F.
M. Alexander's partner after returning home from the Australian gold rush in a
weakened condition due to a bout with typhoid.
F. M., who wanted a partner to help him develop and exploit his discovery,
taught A. R. what he had learned. (A. R. maintained that he needed only six
lessons.) The two brothers experimented with each other and together worked
out various procedures and instructions, which were incorporated into the
technique (Jones 1976, 18).

As his practice grew, F. M. Alexander's approach and philosophy became more
general, changing from that of voice control and breathing, to the control of
reaction. Distinguished members of the medical profession supported Alexander,
as was able to bring about lasting results in patients with chronic
conditions. Upon the urging of a prominent Sydney surgeon, Dr. Stewart McKay,
Alexander took up residence in London in 1904, never to return to his native
Australia.
In London, Alexander began publishing pamphlets about his technique, which at
that point in time he called his "Method of Vocal and Respiratory
Re-education." Between 1906 and 1910, he published several pamphlets on
respiratory education (Alexander 1995). He called attention to his work by
writing letters to the editors of prominent newspapers, and began attracting
the attention of the London medical establishment. In 1910, Alexander
published his first book, Man's Supreme Inheritance. Alexander wrote three
more books over the course of his lifetime, each approximately a decade apart.
Alexander first traveled to New York in 1914 at the invitation of Margaret
Naumberg, founder of the Walden School. Miss Naumberg was instrumental in
introducing Alexander to John Dewey, the famous American philosopher. The two
men enjoyed a close relationship throughout the rest of their lifetimes. Dewey
began having lessons with Alexander in 1916, a practice that was to continue
throughout the rest of his life. He wrote the introduction to three of
Alexander's four books. Dewey championed Alexander's work in the educational
and scientific community. In spite of Dewey's followers' total
misunderstanding and rejection of his belief in the Alexander Technique, Dewey
wrote in 1939:
My theories of mind-body, of the coordination of the elements of the self
and of the place of the ideas of inhibition and control of overt action
required contact with the work of F. M. Alexander and in later years his
brother A. R., to transform them into realities (Dewey 1939).

By 1924, F.M. and his brother A.R. were making four month-long sojourns to the
U.S. (A. R. eventually settled permanently in Boston in 1933 after the death
of his wife.) During the respite between the two World Wars, Alexander and his
assistants started a school for children in London. Beginning in 1924, Irene
Tasker, a teacher trained by Maria Montessori, ran what came to be known as
"the little school," incorporating teaching children "use of themselves" into
the curriculum. The school was evacuated to the U.S. in 1940, with Alexander
accompanying evacuees. (Alexander was said to have been on Hitler's hit list
as a result of being very vocal about his opposition to der Fuhrer.) Attempts
to revive the little school in London after the War were not successful.
It became clear that if Alexander's principles were to stand the test of time
as well as accusations that his success was due to personal charisma rather
than sound principles, other people would have to be trained to teach the
Alexander Technique. In 1931, the first teacher training course was
established in London. The format required three years of training--a
requirement that has carried through to present-day training courses.
After the publication of his fourth book in 1941, The Universal Constant in
Living, Alexander became embroiled in a legal battle in South Africa. In 1935,
Alexander's assistant, Irene Tasker had moved to Johannesburg and had begun
teaching the Alexander Technique. She had established a large practice which
included many prominent South Africans, among them Raymond Dart, dean of the
medical school and distinguished Professor of Anatomy at the University of
Witwatersrand. Inevitably, she attracted the attention of the medical and
educational establishments. In 1941 she met Dr. Ernst Jokl, a German physician
and physical educator who was at the time the physical education director for
the South African government. Dr. Jokl requested a course of lessons from
Tasker. Sensing his skepticism, Tasker refused, maintaining that intellectual
acceptance of the principles involved was necessary for lessons to be
successful.
In 1943, Dr. Jokl viciously attacked Alexander and his work in print and
accused anyone of supporting Alexander of being irrational, neurotic, and
mentally unstable. (This may have partially a result of Alexander's outspoken
anti-German sentiment.) Unfortunately for Dr. Jokl, Alexander's supporters
included some highly respected individuals, including the physiologist Sir
Charles Sherrington and Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer in
the British government. Alexander felt he could not let Dr. Jokl's attack go
unanswered and in 1945 brought action against him in South African Court,
suing Dr. Jokl for defamation of character. The list of prosecution and
defense witnesses read like an international Who's Who. In December of 1947,
Alexander won the case, as well as a later appeal of the case by the
defendants (Jones 1976).
Alexander was over eighty years old by the time the legal battles were over.
He had suffered a stroke during this time and his recovery and subsequent
resumption of his working life was a surprise to Alexander's medical friends.
He spent the rest of his life in London and went on teaching his technique
until his death in 1955.
Alexander maintained a love-hate relationship with the medical profession
throughout his career. Although never claiming to cure specific diseases,
Alexander stoutly maintained that many chronic conditions were the result of
patients' poor use of themselves. He was constantly chiding the medical
profession (in print within the journals of the medical profession itself!)
for treating symptoms and not taking into account the psycho-physical unity of
the patient. Some members of the medical profession were less than tolerant of
the views of someone whom they perceived as an arrogant layman. Examples of
written exchanges between Alexander and the medical community abound. Many of
these exchanges can be found in the recently published volume, Articles and
Lectures (Alexander 1995). In spite of his controversial presence, many
physicians referred their patients to Alexander.
The Alexander Technique has stood the test of time. It has been a century
since Alexander made his discovery about the ability and need for each
individual to bring his or her "psychophysical" self under conscious control.
Many respected thinkers, including the American philosopher John Dewey, Nobel
prize winner Nikko Tinbergen (who in 1973 devoted half of his Nobel Prize
acceptance speech to the Alexander Technique), physiologist Charles
Sherrington, anatomist Raymond Dart, authors Aldous Huxley and George Bernard
Shaw, and many distinguished performing artists, actors, musicians, and
dancers. have hailed the Alexander Technique as one of the most important
discoveries of recent times.
Copyright 1996 Carol Porter McCullough
Reprinted courtesy of Carol Porter McCullough

References
Alexander, F. Matthias. 1995. Articles and Lectures. Ed. Jean M. O. Fischer.
London: Mouritz
Alexander, F. Matthias. 1918 Reprint. Man's Supreme Inheritance. New York and
London: E.P. Dutton
Alexander, F. Matthias 1932. Reprint. The Use of the Self. Los Angeles:
Centerline Press. Original edition, New York: E. P.Dutton & Co., Inc. (Page
references are to reprint edition).
Alexander, F. Matthias. 1941. Reprint. The Universal Constant in Living
Dart, Raymond A., 1996. Skill and Poise. Ed. Alexander Murray. London: STAT
Books.
Dewey, John. 1939. The Quest for Certainty. New York: G.P. Putnam & Sons.
Garlick, David. 1990. The Lost Sixth Sense: A Medical Scientist Looks at the
Alexander Technique. Kensington, Australia: by the author, the University of
NSW.
Holland, Mary. 1978. A Way of Working. The Straad 89 (November): 621-629
Jones, Frank, P. 1976. Body Awareness in Action. With a foreword by J.
McVicker Hunt. New York: Schocken Books Inc.
Jones, Frank, P. 1997. Freedom to Change. London: Mouritz.
Rolland, Paul. The Teaching of Action in String Playing. Revised edition. New
York: Boosey and Hawkes.

Excerpts from The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul Rolland
I. Introduction
II. The Life and Discovery of F. M. Alexander
III. Fundamentals of Upper String Playing and the Alexander Technique
The complete text of The Alexander Technique and the String Pedagogy of Paul
Rolland is available from STAT Books and AmSAT Books.

About the Author
Carol Porter McCullough holds advanced music degrees from Florida State
University and Arizona State University where she studied viola with William
Magers. She was on the music faculty for five years at Illinois Wesleyan
University, where she taught viola and was Director of the String Preparatory
Department. She has played in numerous orchestras, including the Grand Rapids,
Kalamazoo, and Peoria Symphonies, the Arizona Opera Company and Sinfonia da
Camera in Urbana, Illinois. She has participated in music festivals across the
U.S., including the Luzerne Center for Music, where she was a member of the
Luzerne Chamber Players. Carol is a certified teacher of the Alexander
Technique, completing her training with Joan and Alex Murray. She has
conducted workshops for the Alexander Technique for string players, musicians
in general and other performing artists.
Carol resides with her husband Brian (also an Alexander Technique teacher and
musician) and two children in Minneapolis. Carol and Brian teach the Alexander
Technique at the University of Minnesota. She is active as an Alexander
Technique teacher, musician and string teacher.
Contact the author Carol McCullough