A Brief History

The Alexander Technique was developed in the late 1800’s by Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955). He was an actor, born in Tasmania, known for reciting Shakespeare in solo performances in Melbourne. He started to have vocal trouble and would become hoarse during and after performances. Friends of his in the audience could hear himself gasping and sucking in air for breath. He sought the advice of doctors and voice trainers but the treatment he received was not effective; his hoarseness and habit of gasping for air increased over time, and even resulted in a complete loss of his voice on several occassions.

After accepting an important reciting engagement, he consulted his doctor once more despite the ineffectiveness of the previous treatment . His doctor instructed Alexander to refrain from reciting and use his voice a little as possible for two weeks before his recital, and that by that time his voice would be normal. While Alexander was quite free from hoarseness on the night of his recital, before he was halfway through his peformance his hoarseness returned and by the end of it he could hardly speak.

He saw his doctor the next day, who insisted on continuing treatment. Alexander had concluded, however, that because his hoarseness returned despite following through with his doctor’s treatment, it must have been something he was doing that evening while using his voice that was the cause of the trouble. His doctor agreed. But when Alexander implored what it was that he was doing to cause the hoarseness, his doctor could not provide an answer. So Alexander set off to find out for himself, and spent the next 9 years observing himself in mirrors reciting, and also speaking normally. He was shocked to observe what he saw in the mirror, for it was not what he felt he was doing.