It is particularly important for singers to develop a highly differentiated sensitivity for their own body; singing techniques are difficult to describe verbally, and the way each person puts it into words ultimately originates from their own individual perception. Although the physiological processes necessary for singing are more or less the same for all of us, because of our anatomy, they feel different from person to person. Moreover, the ways in which they are described, and understood, can vary significantly. The respective physical processes necessary for successful sound production on “conventional” musical instruments are much easier to describe than those required by the complex instrument “body”. The more intimately we know ourselves and our bodies, the more effectively and easily we can find within them what it is we need for singing, how it feels for us – completely individually, and understand much better what particular singing techniques require and what the teacher means by his or her instructions.

The Feldenkrais Method is specially orientated towards exploring the body as an instrument, with all its capabilities and possibilities, as closely as possible. The aims are twofold. On the one hand, it enables us to adjust and “tune” the entire body before we start, just as one would any other instrument before starting to play. On the other hand, it allows us to explore the way we handle our “instrument” while we are using it to make music. We learn to appreciate the complex, subtle interactions within the body, refine the balance between “doing” and “letting happen”, discover all kinds of breathing possibilities and experience our posture as a dynamic support system. This also prevents overworking and overexertion, whose causes can always be traced to the body’s overall coordination. The more efficiently our energy is channelled, rather than being diverted by subconscious postural patterns, the more energy, stamina, confidence and freedom is released for singing and for musical expression.