Embodiment as a Skill in Musical Interpretation: Exploring Movement in Musical Performance through the Feldenkrais Method
University of Ottawa Research Colloquium, 2018
March 3, 2018
2:10-4:10 pm
University of Ottawa Creator Space
Pérez Hall, Floor 3
Free admission
Abstract: The concept of embodiment currently dominates philosophical discussions on music performance and interpretation. Although scholars have produced an extensive literature re-conceptualizing music as an embodied experience rather than a purely intellectual pursuit, and have argued for the potential benefits of embodied approaches to music teaching and performance, few have discussed how the concept of embodiment can be physically realized in the lives of performing musicians. Somatic education methods, such as the Feldenkrais Method, offer concrete strategies which allow musicians explore these concepts experientially.
This workshop uses lessons from the Feldenkrais Method to help make the concept of musical embodiment tangible and practically useful to musicians by presenting it not as a philosophical concept, but as a skill that can be practiced and honed over time through experience and practice. Over the course of the workshop we will consider such questions as: (1) How do I know if I am embodying the music I am performing?; (2) Can I learn to embody music, or is it a talent?; (3) What factors can impede my ability to have a more bodily connection with the music I am playing? Participants will have the opportunity to explore their own sensorimotor awareness through two ‘Awareness through Movement’ lessons from the Feldenkrais Method.
Description: This workshop will consist of a short PowerPoint presentation (15 minutes), and 1.75 hours of activities including:
This workshop uses lessons from the Feldenkrais Method to help make the concept of musical embodiment tangible and practically useful to musicians by presenting it not as a philosophical concept, but as a skill that can be practiced and honed over time through experience and practice. Over the course of the workshop we will consider such questions as: (1) How do I know if I am embodying the music I am performing?; (2) Can I learn to embody music, or is it a talent?; (3) What factors can impede my ability to have a more bodily connection with the music I am playing? Participants will have the opportunity to explore their own sensorimotor awareness through two ‘Awareness through Movement’ lessons from the Feldenkrais Method.
Description: This workshop will consist of a short PowerPoint presentation (15 minutes), and 1.75 hours of activities including:
- Guided listening activities
- Movement observation/sensing with one’s instrument
- Two Feldenkrais ‘Awareness through Movement’ (ATM) lessons