About Alexander
F M Alexander (1869-1955) was an Australian actor who suffered recurrent vocal problems. Unable to get any lasting relief from the medical treatment or vocal training available in his day, he set about trying to discover the cause of his problems for himself, beginning with the simple experiment of watching himself speaking in a mirror. This began a unique series of self-investigations lasting about ten years, out of which emerged what is now taught as the Alexander Technique. Oh, and he got his voice back along the way, too!
He taught his work to some of the most influential figures of
his day, including Aldous Huxley, George Bernard Shaw and the
philosopher John Dewey. His methods were endorsed by leading
scientists like Sir Charles Sherrington, ‘the father of modern
physiology’ and the ethologist Nikolas Tinbergen who dedicated half
of his Nobel Prize winning speech in 1963 to an account of
Alexander’s discoveries.
After his death in 1995, his work continued to grow and develop and
is now taught in virtually every college of music and drama
throughout the world. Many famous musicians and actors like Paul
Newman, Sting, William Hurt and John Cleese, and sports people,
including the British Olympic medal winning rowing team, have
learned it and testified to its benefits.
And many thousands more people like you and I have found that it
helps them overcome physical pain and discomfort, perform everyday
and skilled activities with greater ease and satisfaction, and
contributes to their general attempts at self-improvement and
self-development.
Quick quotes