~For more information about the Summer Retreat go here~
A series of workshops for musicians who want to explore and deepen their understanding of how the body and mind work together, as one, when playing their instrument and making music.
Led by Alexandra Baybutt (online), Alex Welch and Maya Felixbrot (in person).
Led by Alexandra Baybutt (online), Alex Welch and Maya Felixbrot (in person).
6 workshops of 2hr each, in person in Amsterdam or online from anywhere, with practical body and somatic movement exercises applied to your way of music making, meditation, mindfulness as well as creative adventures in a groups or on your own.
Practical information
When?
Sun 12th march 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Thu April 6th 18:30-20:30 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun April 23rd 12-14 in person in Amsterdam
Sun May 21st 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun May 28th 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun June 4th 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Where? Splendor, Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 116, 1011 LX Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Costs?
€42 for all 6 workshops in person, €36 online.
€25 for 3 workshops in person, €20 online
€10 for one workshop in person, €7 online
A price reduction is available for participants travelling from further away, or anyone who feels like a reduction would make their participation more possible. In some cases, reduction may be possible in exchange for volunteering during the workshop period. If you think a reduction might be helpful for you, please contact us.
How to book? Pay online here / for bank transfer or other payment methods contact us.
Feel free to contact us with any question playasyouare@protonmail.com
You are welcome to join with your musical instrument or just with your own voice and body.
When?
Sun 12th march 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Thu April 6th 18:30-20:30 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun April 23rd 12-14 in person in Amsterdam
Sun May 21st 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun May 28th 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Sun June 4th 12-14 in person, Amsterdam / online
Where? Splendor, Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 116, 1011 LX Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Costs?
€42 for all 6 workshops in person, €36 online.
€25 for 3 workshops in person, €20 online
€10 for one workshop in person, €7 online
A price reduction is available for participants travelling from further away, or anyone who feels like a reduction would make their participation more possible. In some cases, reduction may be possible in exchange for volunteering during the workshop period. If you think a reduction might be helpful for you, please contact us.
How to book? Pay online here / for bank transfer or other payment methods contact us.
Feel free to contact us with any question playasyouare@protonmail.com
You are welcome to join with your musical instrument or just with your own voice and body.
Workshop themes
Workshop #1
Dynamic Alignment, Patterns of Body Organisation, Breath support
We will explore the different ways in which we organize our bodies and how these affect playing, creating and listening to music, next to how our breath supports creating and attunig to space - inner and outer.
#2
Stillness, Silence and Phrasing
We will invert our intention to the space between sounds and movements, by experiencing one (stillness) with/out the other (silence). This research will lead us to a playfuly shaping our patterns of phrasing, individually and collectively.
#3
Basic Sound and Movement Actions
In this workshops we will investigate and discover a colorful and clear vocabulary for integrating your sounda and movements
#4
Spatial intent, Weight activation, Effort intent
Looking closely at our intention and motivation, we will find how dynamics, expression, volume, form of our movements and the sounds become music, literally and metaphorically.
#5
Rhythm and dis/connection
How do we connect to and disconnect from the rhythms in our lives?
we will explore rhythmical patterns and habits and question their stability and unity.
We will explore rhythmic patterns and habits and examine their stability in everyday as well as unusual tempo and expression.
#6
Rotation, Core support, Shape support
We will dive into musical harmony and musical pitch, within different orchestrations, through the lense of bodily Rotation, with Core Support and with Shape as containers.
Dynamic Alignment, Patterns of Body Organisation, Breath support
We will explore the different ways in which we organize our bodies and how these affect playing, creating and listening to music, next to how our breath supports creating and attunig to space - inner and outer.
#2
Stillness, Silence and Phrasing
We will invert our intention to the space between sounds and movements, by experiencing one (stillness) with/out the other (silence). This research will lead us to a playfuly shaping our patterns of phrasing, individually and collectively.
#3
Basic Sound and Movement Actions
In this workshops we will investigate and discover a colorful and clear vocabulary for integrating your sounda and movements
#4
Spatial intent, Weight activation, Effort intent
Looking closely at our intention and motivation, we will find how dynamics, expression, volume, form of our movements and the sounds become music, literally and metaphorically.
#5
Rhythm and dis/connection
How do we connect to and disconnect from the rhythms in our lives?
we will explore rhythmical patterns and habits and question their stability and unity.
We will explore rhythmic patterns and habits and examine their stability in everyday as well as unusual tempo and expression.
#6
Rotation, Core support, Shape support
We will dive into musical harmony and musical pitch, within different orchestrations, through the lense of bodily Rotation, with Core Support and with Shape as containers.
About
Movement Strategies for Musicians is a methodology being developed by Maya Felixbrodt and Alex Welch, in collaboration with Alexandra Baybutt.
The underlying goal of our work is to enable musicians to explore and deepen their understanding of how the body and mind work together, as one, when playing their instrument and making music.
We are developing a series of exercises and practices that will help musicians to become more embodied - aware of their bodies, and how this is fundamentally connected to our mental state, emotions, thoughts - what is being referred to as our minds, in general.
Why?
We are both professional string players who have also had regular movement and mindfulness practices for many years.
Although musicians often receive extra training, support and various therapies to help with physical and mental issues, these are often treated as a sideline to the main business of playing an instrument.
In fact, the whole body is often treated as a kind of second-class citizen: purely there as a means to an end. A tool to be used in order to make the music you want.
We would like to flip this hierarchy and put the body front and centre.
We want to provide exercises and methods that combine instrumental technique directly with somatic movement practices and mindfulness exercises.
We are creating an environment where you can transform the experience of playing your instrument, just by being fully present in your mind and body.
Inevitably the expansion of this act (of playing a musical instrument) also opens the door to further creative investigations and applications, as we do in our collective Moving Strings.
The strategies we develop are therefore based on the Laban Bartenieff Movement System, Body Mind Centering, Mindfulness, Meditation and western classical playing techniques.
We often use improvisation and open score containers to develop and deepen.
We have been growing this practice together for about 5 years, with our colleagues at Moving Strings, as well as with other professional string players and students.
Movement Strategies for Musicians is a methodology being developed by Maya Felixbrodt and Alex Welch, in collaboration with Alexandra Baybutt.
The underlying goal of our work is to enable musicians to explore and deepen their understanding of how the body and mind work together, as one, when playing their instrument and making music.
We are developing a series of exercises and practices that will help musicians to become more embodied - aware of their bodies, and how this is fundamentally connected to our mental state, emotions, thoughts - what is being referred to as our minds, in general.
Why?
We are both professional string players who have also had regular movement and mindfulness practices for many years.
Although musicians often receive extra training, support and various therapies to help with physical and mental issues, these are often treated as a sideline to the main business of playing an instrument.
In fact, the whole body is often treated as a kind of second-class citizen: purely there as a means to an end. A tool to be used in order to make the music you want.
We would like to flip this hierarchy and put the body front and centre.
We want to provide exercises and methods that combine instrumental technique directly with somatic movement practices and mindfulness exercises.
We are creating an environment where you can transform the experience of playing your instrument, just by being fully present in your mind and body.
Inevitably the expansion of this act (of playing a musical instrument) also opens the door to further creative investigations and applications, as we do in our collective Moving Strings.
The strategies we develop are therefore based on the Laban Bartenieff Movement System, Body Mind Centering, Mindfulness, Meditation and western classical playing techniques.
We often use improvisation and open score containers to develop and deepen.
We have been growing this practice together for about 5 years, with our colleagues at Moving Strings, as well as with other professional string players and students.