Voice and the Alexander Technique (Hardcover)

by Jane Heirich (Author) "Speech is a profoundly habitual human activity and it is central to all forms of communication..." (more)
Key Phrases: voice primer, domed soft palate, breath efficiency, Alexander Technique, Figure Interlude, Frank Pierce Jones (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...great pleasure to recommend Voice and the Alexander Technique...to teachers and students of speech, singing and Alexander... -- VoicePrints- the Bulletin of The New York Singing Teacher's Association

Product Description
Are you an actor who routinely loses his voice before the end of a run? As a serious student of singing, do you wish those high notes would come more easily? Do you need courage to sing outside the shower?

In this book, designed for both teachers and students of the speaking and singing voice, Jane Heirich addresses some common problem areas of the voice-teaching world: breath management, voice projection, resonance building, ?breaks? in the vocal range, and the relevance of overall poise to vocal output. The step-by-step approach through which she takes the reader allows new skills to develop for both beginning and experienced students/performers.

This book is the culmination of decades of work integrating two approaches that will have a profound impact on your voice; the centuries-old Italian bel canto singing tradition and the FM Alexander Technique.

If you've wondered whether you can improve your voice and enjoy using it more effectively, this is the book for you.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Mornum Time Press (January 1, 2005)
• ISBN-10: 096443525X
• ISBN-13: 978-0964435254
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,203 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much-needed resource, January 28, 2005

By	Ruth Rootberg (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Finally someone has written it -a book that explains the Alexander Technique (AT) in a warm, generous style, and also offers simple and sophisticated integrations of AT into voice work.

This book is also a terrific introduction to bel canto singing with a foundation in voice science.

Clear textual explanations are enriched in multiple ways, making this book user-friendly for people with a variety of learning styles. There are dozens of anatomical sketches, photos of human figures in motion and diagrams. Sidebar stories of students learning the AT and achieving vocal victory abound. A few poems dot the manuscript. There are numerous "to do's" (vocal explorations) to conduct alone or with a partner. Musical exercises are written in notation with ample explanation. There is a companion CD, most helpful with its piano accompaniment. Could one have asked for more? There is even a diagram of a keyboard with note names.

One can learn neither singing nor the AT entirely from a book, but this one gives the reader ample information and suggestions that will support self study for weeks and even months.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freedom of the Voice, May 6, 2005

By	L. E. Gauld "m. ATTSNZ" (Auckland, NZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Meticulous cross-indexing alone whets an appetite for this book - invaluable for any teacher of AT or Voice. Attention to detail throughout makes it an interactive workbook that invites use. A CD with musical examples and chart for non music-readers are included.
Heirich, well-known Alexander teacher, taught a voice technique class in Michigan for over 30 years, and learned that not everyone responds to the same approach. She uses whatever it takes to get her message through. I particularly like "Singing to a candle" to clarify the difference between blowing a stream of air and creating a sound wave.
The first half discusses habit, Alexander and his technique, and includes a voice primer describing skills that promote effortless effort, vitality, resonance and intelligibility throughout the vocal range. It also gives examples of postural and vocal problems including the effects of knee-locking, TMJ tension and rib cage corseting.
The interlude connects AT and voice work and includes a beautiful illustration of the "nodding place". It also invites the reader to use the later chapters (which address postural and vocal problems) to have an experience rather than just read about it, and cautions that this takes awareness of existing habits. Naturally, guidance from an Alexander teacher would be helpful here, but the following games and explorations are described with such clarity that a conscientious and motivated reader could discover a lot without a teacher - preferably with a sympathetic friend. Heirich mentions the essential feedback of an observing listener.
By getting out of our own way we can free the voice and learn the resultant sensations so we can choose and enjoy them. Heirich says the voice is one of the most habitual of our daily tools, and inarguably one of our most valuable. With thought and practice, we can change and mold it into something healthy, flexible, beautiful, and alive.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide For Any Singer, March 27, 2005

By	Pyeng Threadgill "PT" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think this book is wonderful. I am a vocalist/performer and I teach voice. I have already ordered a copy for my student to read because the information is given in such a clear and easy to understand manner. So many voice books get convoluded when it comes to anatomy and technique but this book really trys to stay pretty straight forward. You can take or leave the visual imagery. It works for some people and not for others but don't let that stop you from adding this to your collection. I know that I will be using this book as my main teaching/practicing reference for a long time