In part two of this interview, Franis Engel continues as we discuss her life in music and the Alexander technique.

“I was very lucky to be the last child of wise parents. My mom was out-spoken
and humorously honest. My dad was an inventor who believed that it was artists
who had the pulse of future culture, given how fast the world was changing.”

Engel was only three when she first started to learn the piano. That is very young by anyone’s standards, demonstrating that she was ahead of her age group. She showed talent at this young age and her enthusiasm and motivation was nurtured.

“My home as a kid was a gathering place for my siblings and their friends, most
were eight years older. Older kids used to play duets together on the piano, so
I was conscripted early into playing parts to “Heart & Soul” and “Devil’s
Walk,” and my brother was part of a Flamenco guitar group that practiced at our
home.”

Since childhood, Engel has played a number of different instruments. Today, she is playing the array mbira.

“This is a variation on an African thumb piano. It has metal tines arranged in
groups of octaves. These octaves are tuned and adjacent – similar to the strings
of a bass guitar – in a circle of fifths. This arrangement makes complex chords
easy to learn, and melodies tricky, opposite to how most instruments are
structured.”

Engel swears that her next instrument is going to be the concertina, as they are convenient for self-accompaniment. The small size of a concertina means it is portable so great for the traveler. Can you think of any other advantages of a concertina? Well, a little known fact is that the concertina can be heard above drums. Surprising isn’t it? And yes a definite benefit. Especially if you feel like earning some extra cash during the recession through busking and are competing with other musicians down the street to be noticed. You never know, you might also pick up a gig for a function, club, or even a record label?

“I only play for my own enjoyment, but I have lived with many professional
musicians during the course of my life and have been a patron in the many ways I
have enjoyed contributing to their music.”

The Alexander Technique is what Engel does that is most notable and unique. It was her current significant other who took her along to a teacher training course class in the Alexander Technique. She had been attracted to him because of the beautiful, effortless way he moved.

“I regarded physical elegance to be an expression of self awareness and higher
consciousness. I was on this search because I’d experienced a “state of grace”
or “peak experience” state numerous times when I was a teen – without drugs.”

She was curious to find out how he sustained his effortlessness quality of movement. She was not disappointed.

At the time Engel was self conscious about knee problems. Since Engel had turned seventeen, she had walked with a limp as a result of mystery knee pain that surgery did not help. Everyone else around her assumed she was an Alexander student because they knew Alexander Technique could help her get back the ability to move effortlessly and gracefully.

“I continued studying Alexander’s work because it made me feel like a martial
artist.”

Engel has indeed benefited physically from using the Alexander technique. Now that she is 55, she attributes Alexander Technique for avoiding knee and hip replacement that others have required to deal with similar problems. She also points out that her practice of Alexander’s work has kept her from shrinking in height as many do when aging. Many people take such difficulties for granted as inevitable to getting older, but not Engel.

In 1978 Engel attended a certified teacher training program at San Francisco ACT with Frank Ottiwell and Giora Pincas. Halfway through the three year course, she switched to studying with Marj Barstow. Ever since her time studying under Barstow, Engel has continued to write about
Barstow’s “Activity model” approach. Barstow herself was the first graduate of Alexander’s first teacher training course in the 1930s. Engel looked up to Barstow, describing her “being a Zen master without the religion attached”. Under Barstow’s guidance, Engel began teaching the Alexander Technique in 1985.

Currently, Engel travels to student’s homes and to companies’ places of business to teach classes and private lessons. An advantage of Alexander classes over Tai Chi, yoga and exercise classes is that the time required does not need to fill an entire hour to reap benefits. As education, the Technique merely takes remembering to use it. It’s benefits are “ignited by situation.”

“When I teach students in private lessons or classes, I focus on coaching the student to gain their own proficiency at observing themselves from the very beginning. The Alexander Technique has a very specialized hands-on element of teaching. It’s is a very efficient short-cut to showing first-hand what we Alexander teachers specifically mean by improving coordination. This hands-on instruction requires the teacher to practice what they are communicating to the student. Most teachers feel it’s essential – I do use hands-on. However, if you are a self-directed learner, there is quite a bit you can get without a teacher present. Alexander Technique takes practice because it is like learning your body as if it is an instrument. People learn faster if they understand what is going on from the beginning. Understanding and conducting your own body-mind experiments is something you can start learning right now. ”

Engel specializes in popularizing this little known discipline.

“I’ve contributed to a published manual about Alternative medical solutions
distributed to nurses and schools yearly. Quite often I’ve been the person a
reporter gets referred to (and quoted) when they’re researching an article after
contacting www.alexandertechnique.com I’ve been a regular reviewer and
contributor for Direction Journal, the profession’s publication. There have been
various long and short handbooks, web articles and list server contributions
over the years, all concerning Alexander’s work. I never seem to get tired of
the subject.”

She writes, gives talks and keeps a blog about the Alexander Technique to inform the public about its benefits and content. You can find a lot of this information on Engel’s website and blog at: http://www.franis.org/ Today, Engel is busy putting the pictures in and doing the layout of a new book she has finished writing on the Alexander Technique.

“It’s working title is Younger Than Yesterday, The Complete Alexander Technique
for Fast Learners.”

It will be available soon in electronic format so make sure you get your copy at her Alexander Technique blog, http://myhalfof.wordpress.com You can follow Fran Engel’s updates if you are on Twitter at @learncreativity.

Who is Michael Houston? Houston is one of the greatest living pianists in New Zealand. He currently lives in the peaceful countryside near Fielding, which is a small town in the North Island of New Zealand.

Did you see the documentary on Michael Houston on Easter Sunday (2009)? Its a long way back to remember.  But I took down some notes!  I didn’t get to finish watching all the interview because it was still going in the early hours of the morning, well past my bedtime! The documentary was called ‘Piano Man’ and was broadcast by TV1 in New Zealand at 11.50pm on Sunday 12th April 2009.

Background

In 1970 Houston went to Auckland. He was 17 years old and was competing against older students who were university trained. This was certainly a major testing ground for him. The competition was very tough, but even so, Houston won the competition! That accomplishment was very affirming to Houston, who did not know anybody in Auckland. When Houston went up to Auckland with his Mother and Sister, they stayed the YWCA. During the competition, Houston met another contestant who was older than Houston. His name was Ivan and he was a student from Auckland University. Ivan took Houston under his wings and introduced him to the Auckland scene. Houston met all of Ivan’s friends, and went to a café for the first time in his life. In that one week in Auckland Houston said he got an idea of a larger life and grew up immensely. Houston was in his element.

Beethoven Sonatas

In playing the piano, Houston describes the process as ‘projecting’ a feeling, rather than trying to capture it. Houston explained that when he is performing on stage, he is very sensitive, where “every nerve is working and every pore is open, it is a heightened state, and therefore you pick up these ambiences very quickly”.

Houston devised a project where he would tour the country performing all 32 Beethoven Sonatas in one concert. This extraordinary feat displays the stamina he possesses, as he took just three weeks to memorise 800 pages of manuscript, in what would take most pianists seven months. The Beethoven Sonata cycle has been described as the ‘Everest’ for most pianists. Houston is intrigued with “Beethoven’s delineations of us, human character”. In studying Beethoven’s music, Houston ponders what it is that Beethoven is “getting at” with these phrases? Just what are his themes? Ian Fraser (former manager of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) said he was deeply affected by the response to Houston when at the end of the concert the audience threw flowers onto the stage. Morrison & Co Trust have recorded Houston’s performances of these Beethoven Sonatas and the CDs are now available from their website by clicking <here>.

Health issues

In early 2000 Houston was struck down with a disabling neurological disorder that rendered his right hand almost useless. This was a key moment to a concert pianist. Houston said there were “no big public announcements, people gradually got to know about it”.

It started off with Houston experiencing problems playing a descending scale, the e flat major scale that he couldn’t get down without a bump. He tried to find ways to practise to get rid of the bump, but everything he tried, “probably quietly started to make it worse”. Later on, Houston’s problems with his right hand started to “manifest itself in other pieces, in other scales, I started to lose my octave playing”. Houston said that apart from Bach, all other composers use octaves, and if he cannot play octaves then he cannot perform on the concert stage. Houston discovered that he had all but lost the use of his right hand. It was absolutely devastating.

The standard prognosis was not good. Houston was told he had an incurable disease. He said his neurologist said to him that he should “give up the piano and get a real job”. Regardless of this dire prediction, Houston did not give up, and instead he enlisted the help of four people who have been key to his recovery. He has had a lot of treatment from Simon Lauman, and Glen Williams (osteopath), Dale Speedy (sports doctor), and a piano teacher from Auckland University.

His piano teacher was reluctant due to Houston’s prominence, but she suggested that he change his technique. She was impressed with Houston because he has been so open and so receptive to these changes. Houston treats this whole thing as a learning process. To begin with, Houston started by playing five notes each day, so progress was slow. His progress was very gradual and was a day by day process.

Over the next five years Houston’s medical recovery was led by sports doctor Dale Speedy. Dale explained that Houston had just overloaded his muscles. Houston had knots everywhere and was out of alignment. Speedy went on to explain that if a pianist practises over and over again, they can develop the areas of the digits so that there is overlap, and there can be abnormal movements as signals between the brain and fingers. Houston’s treatment continued over the next five years.

Today Houston is back performing on the concert stage again.

For more information on the life and times of Michael Houston visit his official website by clicking <here>.

Alice Stories Designer Handmade Jewellery

Well, I’ve finally done it!  Its been a few years now that I’ve been playing around with making jewellery.  My first encounter with handmade jewellery was through  my boyfriend when I was at high school.  Ian was at design school and one of his modules was designing and creating jewellery.

On Valentines day  Ian gave me a heart shaped pendant necklace  that he had made himself.  It was the best present ever!  I still have it, to this day.  I couldn’t believe how clever he was to have made it himself.  From that moment on, I was curious to try making jewellery myself.  Then a couple of years ago, my friend Leonie gave me a book on creating jewellery. It was a very thorough book and it had folders and how to diagrams.  This book is a journal on jewellery making and its where I keep my stash of notes and scrapbook of inspiration.  This is my essential manual and it goes every where that I go!

I just adore making jewellery.  It is extremely satisfying to dream up my own designs and then turn them into reality!  I recently started up again, making jewellery.  I am now building on my collection while I look for a local craft fair to attend.

To attract a wider audience, I have spent a lot of time lately researching online for virtual shopping arenas.  There are a variety of options.  There is trademe, and ebay, and etsy.  Of course you can sell direct from your own website.  It has been difficult to choose which way to go.  Having researched what some other traders are using, I found the facility on facebook, with a free cart application.  So I have now got on my own virtual shop on facebook, under my brand name “Alice Stories”.

Free give-away

Alice Stories designer handmade jewellery is a contemporary collection of fun costume jewellery and elegant fine jewellery.  To promote the page, we’re giving away a pair of earrings of your choice, with free postage to anywhere in the world!  How can you enter our competition? Simply “like” our page at http://ow.ly/8IPRi. Once we get to 100 likes, we will have a draw. The winner will be selected at random using random.org!  SHARE, with your friends and lets get as many entries as we can! … simple and easy to enter!

Talking about musicals, including Annie get your gun, Gigi, and Singing in the Rain, will bring to mind their composer Andre Previn.  In April 2009 BBC Four screened an interview with Andre Previn and others who knew him. Previn was very modest in the interview and understated when he says “im just very pleased to be a musician, …whatever the branch … it’s a wonderful thing to be”. He is a remarkable classical and jazz pianist, composer, and conductor. Previn was described as one of the world’s great living conductors.

As a child Previn was considered the little genius, but he simply said “I did grown ups work at child prices”. At the age of 16 he was part of the music team at MGM which Previn describes as similar to working in a toy shop because there was so much going on. This was a great honour for the young Previn to conduct the orchestra for MGM. In his time there he associated with famous celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor.

When Previn was not even 20 years old, he composed the soundtrack for MGM’s biggest stars, Lassie. The Producer asked him to do music for the whole movie. Previn explained that there was very little dialogue, but there was a lot of barking! Previn’s stint at MGM came to an abrupt end in 1951 when he was called to national service. He remained in barracks for 19 months stationed near San Francisco.  During that time Previn became immersed in the San Francisco jazz scene. Previn played jazz and performed in the Andre Previn Jazz trio. He sold a million copies of the jazz record on My Fair Lady performed by the Andre Previn Jazz trio.

Previn was heavily involved in classical music which he travels across the world conducting. Previn also composes operas. He composed the opera ‘Street car named desire’. Street car named desire has been staged all over the world, and has been one of the most popular operas of all time. For more details please refer to Previn’s website by clicking <here>.

Free Piano Sheet Music

Reblogged from Alice Stories:

I was complaining to a friend about the problems I have with eczema and how my fingers get quite sore.  She recommended I go into ‘Lush’ that sells natural soaps and skin creams.  So I went in there over the weekend, and came out very impressed.  I walked out with soaps that have been fabulous, one is ‘honey’ flavoured, and the other is fig and something else.  The staff were very friendly and most helpful.  They even gave me a sample of a skin lotion. It has been three days now since I started using …

I’ve tried so many different creams. The one from Lush worked for a while but later started to irritate.

I’ve recently discovered a new cream that is working wonders for me at least. I’ve used it for the last 12 months and it has proved a success in keeping the eczema on my hands under control! This latest one that I use now, and have done for getting onto two years, is a Manuka honey hand cream. As my eczema is on my hands, the hand cream is important, and something I take with me everywhere. The manuka honey hand cream is made by Wild Fern and is called Manuka Honey Hand & Nail Cream. You can buy it from the website by clicking <here> or for more details view the website by typing in the web address “huka honey hive” [dot] com.

I always buy mine direct from the shops. Either at the Honey Hive shop in Taupo (New Zealand), or from any touristy gift shop, like the ones in the travel centres where the national buses depart.

 

 

Reblogged from Alice Stories:

Tuesday 18 May 2010 Today I was back again at Keddleston Hall on a field trip for my photography club.  We were very fortunate to have very good weather.  The sun was disappearing and returning as the clouds came and went and so the shade changed constantly and it made it a little more difficult to prepare the lighting.  We had our reflectors with us, and I was practising using the ISO, the aperture and the shutter speeds.  It was good fun putting into practice what we had been learning in the class …

Do you recall the article I posted a few weeks ago?  The puzzle I gave you was the popular business one called “Join the dots”.  How did you get on?