From musicians
“The Alexander Technique has given me tools to work as a singer and performer hours at a time, 3-5 nights a week, being able to identify and overcome with more ease if I am tensing up in different parts of my body. The Alexander Technique has also has simply made me a happier person. Having the opportunity to reflect and notice your own body and habits is humbling and gratifying and definitely positively affects your state of mind and mood.
Before I knew anything about the Alexander Technique, I would sing at my gigs for a 2-3 hours and leave with a sore, hoarse voice, sometimes leading me to become sick, totally worn-out or unable to speak. I had absolutely no idea of what created the problem with my vocal stamina, why it was happening, or what I was doing wrong. Looking for help and answers I was often greeted with complete ambiguity and somewhat useless or generic advice on how to improve the situation.
It was only after being introduced to the Alexander Technique did I really find the answers I was looking for. Having lessons with Jenny helped make me understand how your whole body is connected and if one part is tense, even if it seems irrelevant it will undoubtedly effect another part of your body. I learnt how perception and reality were often opposing (bad habits feel “correct” because you’re used to it), and how to overcome my physical habits that were creating issues for me. I got specific answers about vocal anatomy which expanded my understanding of singing technique and vocal health. And most importantly, the Alexander Technique is about awareness – this kind of skill is useful not just as a performer, but as a human being.”
Judith Perl, Singer
“I am a singer/songwriter who has been applying the Alexander Technique to performing my original works for the past three years. I originally trained as an opera singer but drifted away from performing after feeling frustrated with inconsistencies in my vocal production. Working with Jenny over the past three years has completely transformed my approach to singing and performing. Jenny is a kind and supportive teacher who has helped me to successfully improve the technical inconsistencies in my singing voice and to enhance my live performances. I have developed deeper self-knowledge, greater self-confidence, and an ability to be more present in performance and connected to audiences.
As a singer herself, Jenny is able to empathise with the challenges of bringing a voice back to life; of unlearning old habits and slowly developing new ones. Her patience and genuine belief in the method has inspired me to the point that I am now enrolled as a PhD student in Theatre Performance and have placed the Alexander Technique at the centre of my inquiry.
Jenny’s experience as an Alexander teacher has depth and breadth. Her approach to teaching has helped me to understand how the human organism needs to organise itself in order to function at its optimal level of performance. I highly recommend Jenny as an Alexander Technique teacher not only to singers and musicians but to anyone who has a desire to achieve their goals through improved mind/body functioning.”
Angela Clarke, Singer/Songwriter & PhD Candidate