Today, let's celebrate Joseph Mish, Double Bass & Educator! 🎉

Here’s Joseph’s amazing experience:

“I began studying [The Art of Freedom® Method with touch-free Alexander Technique (AT)] with Jennifer Roig-Francolí  about two years ago. As I think about it now, I had a vague idea that it would help me with the aches and pains of being an aging musician.

I’d been playing double bass as a semi-professional for over 40 years and it felt like it was all catching up with me. I had no idea how radically working with Jennifer would change not just my playing, but my teaching practice and my life.

I knew, but never fully realized the connection between how we think and how we play or even how we are physically in the world.

The daily awareness etudes have made more more grounded, less rushed, they’ve given me a greater sense of ease, even under the fire of a difficult rehearsal, performance or practice session. They’ve helped in other difficult situations in life and given me a sense of control and freedom.

I’ve seen them positively impact my students, too. Not just because I bring a better self to my classes, but these etudes work to increase their awareness and focus as well. One indelible memory I have is of the first time I lead nearly a hundred of my orchestra students (grades 8-12), prior to a concert, in some of the AT etudes Jennifer taught. I was astounded not just by the level of focused energy in the warm-up room, but by the quality of our performance that evening.

I’ve never wavered in my belief in the power of The Art of Freedom® and Primal Alexander Technique since that evening.

Social emotional learning seems to be the new buzz in music education in this time of Covid-19. I know that techniques I’ve learned from Jennifer and Mio helps students. It’s not a prescription for solving problems, but a way of thinking that helps us be better people and make better decisions.

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychologist and Holocaust survivor captured it best when he said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

That’s what touch-free Alexander Technique for musicians has given me- the power to choose the best for me and my students. I can’t think of another thing that has prepared me more for teaching during this past year. I’ve gone from a teacher who tended to micromanage every bit of set-up in my students, to someone that helps their students find the “easier” ways to do things. This doesn’t mean I let things go, but I try to get their thinking and observational powers engaged so they notice the best positions and solutions. In an online lessons it’s difficult to get your students to hold the bow or the instrument correctly, but by approaching these issues using the Alexander Technique as modeled by Jennifer, I’m helping students discover for themselves how to do things more easily.

How to play with better technique. Instead of detailed assignments when I’ve identified something they need to work on, I urge them to experiment and “see what happens.” It’s taken some of the drudgery out of online lessons and practicing.

It’s given us the freedom to explore and devise new games and solutions. The Art of Freedom® Method and Primal Alexander Technique for musicians has made music more fun (and yes, I did learn to play more easily and hurt less).”

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Would you like to learn how YOU can break through obstacles and steadily improve your performance and well-being like Joseph?

Whether you're experiencing physical pain, performance anxiety, or emotional suffering related to your music, I'm a firm believer that there is always hope, and I'd love to bring that hope your way. 🙂

If you're curious about how you can work with me, just use this quick form to request information:  Click here to inquire & apply.

I look forward to connecting with you and exploring together what's possible for your musical future!

With love,

Jennifer ❤️

p.s. Just send me a message if you're interested in discussing how we can unlock your full creative potential, so you can make great music with ease and JOY!