N.B. * For any musician interested in training to become a Licensed Body Mapping Educator, this course fulfils one of the pre-requisites.
This full seven-hour Body Mapping course will teach musicians how to move according to the true anatomical design of the body when they make music in order to overcome and prevent limitation, pain and injury. The course is interactive lecture style with many opportunities to uncover mismappings and to try on new movement patterns at the instrument.
Materials needed:
instrument
yoga mat or carpet for floor work
pair of socks
non-stretchy scarf
heavy, small item such as roll of coins, paperweight, can of beans or bean bag
November 1: Class 1 (1 hour)
This first segment of the WEM course is an introduction to Body Mapping principles that looks at the importance of retraining the senses and awareness in constructive rest in order to learn to move more freely. Some introductory mapping of the head-spine relationship and how that changes your approach to your instrument will be included.
November 2: Class 2 (1 hour)
Dynamic balance in standing and sitting to play an upper stringed instrument will be the focus of this segment. Places of balance from the head down through to the legs and feet will be explored. This segment will also entail an intensive look at the spine as core of the body, including mapping the difference between superficial torso muscles and deep support muscles.
November 3: Class 3 (2 hours)
The most common reasons for and ways that an upper string player’s shoulder region can lose balanced neutral and cause tension, pain and injury will be explored in the first hour of this segment. Many movement explorations with and without instruments will be provided. In the second hour, movement at all four arm joints will be highlighted. Neck and shoulder region freedom through a healthy humeroscapular rhythm in bowing will be explored. An emphasis will also be placed on freeing the lower arm and hand specifically in upper string technique.
November 4: Class 4 (1 hour)
This segment will take a close look at the structures and movement of breathing, how they affect our sitting, standing and arm freedom and how important healthy rib movement is to creating a beautifully shaped phrase on a stringed instrument.
November 5: Class 5 (2 hours)
The final segment of the course is a 2-hour informal Master Class where 4 individuals can play and ask their instrument-specific questions regarding their pain and limitations & be guided into ways to remap to find more freedom at their instruments. If time allows, the whole course will finish with some general Q&A.