Alexander Technique and the Use of the Voice

Annemarie Broekhuizen

Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) was an actor who got problems with his voice; hoarseness and loss of voice. It became apparent that nothing organically was wrong, he himself started to observe himself with the question in mind, ‘What is it what I am doing with myself when I speak.’
His empirical research took him years and he did several important discoveries. Among other things: That how we use ourselves affects our functioning, also the functioning of the voice.

WORKSHOP CONTENT:
Quotation from me Annemarie Broekhuizen: The voice is an undivisible part of ourselves. “Voice is part of the whole of our functioning, we function as an psycho-physical unity, good voice use requires continuous work to restore and maintain this unity.”
Quotation from Kristin Linklater: “ Good voice use must come from the coördinated, good use of the body as a whole.”
The Alexander Technique works besides to restore this coördination also on consciously directing yourself in the body. The work on the right amount of muscle tension has as one of the effects a better ability to perceive oneself more rightly in an activity; the so called proprioception.

Alexander Technique as a mean to monitor oneself: How do I use myself.
- To develop the ability to observe oneself in action, e.g. voice use.
- To work on the restoration of the dynamic neck-head-back relation.
- The Alexander Technique learns one to act on two important principles.
   1. the ability to decide to ‘stop’ to react unnecessary.
   2. to decide to send directions to prepare and direct upon an intended action- activity. Alexander Technique assumes that we have the tendency to use too much muscle tension in an activity, e.g. speaking or singing.
- To learn oneself to naturally question; ‘Can I do this with less tension.’
Alexander Technique works from the idea that we function as whole, that we are a psycho- physical unity.
- To learn oneself, to make it into a habit, to do your activity with attention for The whole of yourself. Specially when one acquires something new don’t go on automatic pilot until this new use has been established as a new habit. To be able to be open for something, to dare to go into the unknown, allowing something new to happen, asks for a decision, to be open mentally and also with the ears.
The workshop will be a practical one, amount of active participants 6-8. Other people can be in for observation.
Annemarie Broekhuizen, is an Alexander Technique teacher and also a voice teacher and voice-coach. She has done her 3-year Alexander Technique study in London with Misha Magidov.
At Central School of Speech and Drama in London she got her diploma, Postgraduate Diploma Voice Studies. Originally she is a Drama Teacher and has more as twenty years of experience in Theatre training schools. She is also a trained Coach.

Momentary her work is at The School of Arts in Amsterdam at the Faculty: Amsterdamse Toneelschool &Kleinkunstacademie.( actors and musical-theatre training school) and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam (college of music). Hogeschool Utrecht (postgraduate course speech therapy). She has a private practice in Amsterdam in her Alexander Technique and Voice Studio.
Annemarie Broekhuizen
Karthuizersplantsoen 29
1015 LS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: 020 – 6200844
E-mail: annemariebroekhuizen@hetnet.nl