Auralizing, Alexanderizing, and Walking

Finally an evening in the DC metro area when I could take a walk again.  Temperatures and humidity have been breaking records of late and have not been healthy to be out and exercising in.  As I was walking I began to auralize a piece I have been working with.  Then I paused to inhibit and direct via the Alexander Technique.  Beginning the auralization of the piece again, I resumed walking.  The birds and insects were singing and were somewhat distracting to me.  So I paused, inhibited, & directed again.  I found a place in the piece where I was lost without the guitar, so I made a note to look at this when I returned home.

Thinking about what else I might auralize, I realized that beginning with the AT directions was a good way for me to work.  In this way my mental rehearsal of the piece would occur while I was aware and perhaps experiencing  a different degree of freedom without holding my instrument.  Hopefully this would positively influence my work with the guitar.  So I proceeded through 3 other pieces as I walked.  Occasionally distracted by the the sounds of Sligo Creek or the lovely movements of the ripples in the water.  Just like performance I reasoned, there is frequently something that is happening to draw away my attention.  Good to practice directing my attention in a distracting environment.

At home, I resumed practicing with a very sweet guitar that is on loan to me, by someone who is very kind.  More opportunities to apply AT were explored.  But the hour is getting late and the day job awaits me in the morning.

Photo by Jackie Dervichian.