International Journal of Music, Heath and Wellbeing, Autumn 2024, 1-21
Pendenza, F.
BRIEF SUMMARY
This study collected perspectives on Alexander lessons among 133 UK Higher Education (HE) music students in university music departments and music colleges, captured via online questionnaire. It adds to research on the role of the Alexander Technique (AT) in supporting health and wellbeing in music education by examining (i) understandings of AT using evidence captured in real-life settings, both from students with and without direct experience of Alexander lessons, and (ii) interrogating student perspectives on AT in an open-ended way, rather than focusing on a specific group or issue to be addressed, such as injury, or performance anxiety.
This exploratory approach yields interesting variation in how the AT is understood and experienced in music departments and colleges, and points to practical implications for HE institutions offering music education. Misunderstandings about the nature, benefits and challenges of AT among respondents suggest a needs, not only for consensus building and attention to communication in HE music education, but also among the wider Alexander community. The article sets out avenues for further research and, given the potential long-term impacts of Alexander lessons for life and career, the particular needs for long-term follow-up studies of HE students.
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