2 day course : Improving your Low Back 20-21st May 2023
Daily sessions on
Saturday and Sundays
2pm – 4:30pm and 5:30pm – 8pm GMT
(9am – 11:30am and 12:30 – 3pm EDT)
Full price: £60.00
Discounted rate (20% off) for students and members of the MU and ISM: £50.00
Early Bird Price (30% off): before 1st May: £45
(pressing on the button when we’re ready for sign -up will take you to the WellMusician Mailchimp sign-up page)
Faculty
Anita Morrison, Emma Alter, and Niall O’Riordan are both professional musicians and Feldenkrais teachers. They bring a wealth of experience with them, understanding the pressures of standing in front of an audience and performing at the highest level, whatever the situation, complexities of singing or playing an instrument, and how the physical self can get in the way of performing to our optimum. Read more about us below.
Recordings
All the sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for 6 months. Even if you can’t make every session you’ll have the resources to catch up.
What participants said during and after our last Courses
“I have been meaning to write and say a big thank you to you, Anita and Niall for your marvellous workshop weekend!
It was sheer bliss and I really felt like I’d been on a most wonderful spa retreat afterwards – my body was very grateful I’d signed up, and I’m delighted to see the Winter workshop happening in January!”
“I felt more grounded and supported throughout my body. Playing felt more fluid with richer long notes and more fluency with fast passages.”
“I enjoyed feeling more connected to all that is happening in my body. When I played at the end I felt more creative and free.”
“It’s been a profound 4 days for me, and fun too. Thank you so much. I really appreciate the skill and kindness you have brought to the sessions and to me.”
“I’m so glad that I signed up for it… it was one of those decisions that appear when most needed, and which may well have been life-changing… What really stood out for me last week was generosity and acceptance: the generosity of the three of you to each other and to us, and the importance of accepting ourselves as we are.”
Contact
If you’d like to register interest, ask any questions, or get in touch please email us at:
wellmusician20@gmail.com
More about Feldenkrais
Feldenkrais uses a process of organic learning, through moving and sensing, to free you from your habitual patterns. These movement patterns or habits, embedded in our nervous system, often become outmoded or dysfunctional, creating unnecessary limitations. They can cause pain, tension, amplify performance anxiety, and stage fright – or just not allow you to play at the top of your game.
The Feldenkrais Method is based on sound principles of neuroplasticity, physics and physiology, optimising brain connections with our skeleton, muscles and soft tissues.
Neuroscientists such as Norman Doidge have shown that the brain is able to re-wire and constantly keep learning throughout life, contrary to old ideas that we stop learning when we are adult. You can change how you are, and how you move at any age, if you understand how to `re-wire’ your nervous system and commit a little time and effort to the process.
Through this unique combination of explorative movement,rediscovering curiousity, and learning greater physical self-awareness you will discover and develop your ability to move `intelligently’. This will improve your posture, strength and flexibility in the way you move and play.
We work to improve ease and comfort of movement for musicians, both on and off stage.
Faculty
Anita, Emma, and Niall are both professional musicians and Feldenkrais teachers. They bring a wealth of experience with them, understanding the pressures of standing in front of an audience and performing at the highest level, whatever the situation, complexities of singing or playing an instrument, and how the physical self can get in the way of performing to our optimum.
ANITA MORRISON: VOICE
An Alumna of the GSMD and National Opera Studio, Anita’s performing career spanned opera, oratorio and lieder. She is particularly known for her teaching of trebles and was awarded an Honorary ARSCM in 2017 in recognition of her outstanding work in this area. She also teaches choral scholars at Cambridge University and is a vocal coach to The London Symphony Chorus. An intrinsic belief in the importance of good body use led Anita to train as a Feldenkrais Practitioner. She has given Feldenkrais workshops for singers at the GSMD, Leeds College of Music and for Voice Workshop and the British Voice Association
NIALL O’RIORDAN: FLUTE
Irish flutist Niall O’Riordan enjoys an international career as soloist and teacher. Since 2011 has been mentored by Sir James Galway, and in 2014 he was awarded the Rising Star award by Galway at the Galway International Flute Festival (where Niall has also taught Feldenkrais classes since 2012). A certified Feldenkrais Method practitioner, he is recognised for his holistic approach to flute playing and teaching; drawing inspiration from psychology, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), yoga, metaphysics and visualisation. He has published two successful Feldenkrais audio learning programmes for flautists, and is a regular contributor for PAN magazine and the Journal of the British Flute Society.
EMMA ALTER: VIOLA/VIOLIN
Emma brings with her over two decades experience of professional performance at a world class level, playing with Academy of Ancient Music, Gabrieli Consort, English Baroque Soloists (amongst many others), alongside a pedagogical practice of teaching violin and viola to both children and adults for over twenty years.
She is the regular Feldenkrais Teacher for the Musicians Union. She has taught at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, bringing her brand of pedagogy to how to use Feldenkrais to become better performers and musicians.
themovingbrain.com 