The Alexander Technique and Marching Band

Greetings,

This is the time of year many marching bands have their summer camps with long, hot hours practicing marching drills and incorporating recently learned music. This is a great opportunity to practice good body awareness and body balancing!

Addressing the subject of correct use of the body provides physical relief for members of marching bands.

In my experiences as a clinician with marching bands, I have noticed other huge bonuses of correct self use (or even improved self use!):

• Good body mapping results in economy of motion for more precise and better unified movements-It looks sharp!
• Good body balance allows for better breathing and air efficiency, resulting in better tone and intonation.
• Morale of the ensemble quickly rises due to the noticeable improvement!

I encourage band directors planning their Fall programs and shows to reap the benefits of including some Alexander Technique training or a Body Mapping Workshop to your rehearsals this season!

For more information about the Alexander Technique, how it might help you, or to locate a teacher in your area, please visit: http://alexandertechnique.com/

Happy summer!
Catherine