About F.M. Alexander

Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) was an Australian actor. He suffered from a severe, recurring vocal problem that interfered with his performances. After seeking help from the medical profession but failing to find a cure, he reasoned that his problem was likely caused by the way he used himself in performing. This insight led him to a lengthy process of experimentation and self-observation. Not only was he able to solve his own problem, he found that his discoveries could be helpful to others in a wide variety of ways. He turned the solution to his personal problem into a unique teaching. Although there is often immediate therapeutic value in one-on-one sessions and group workshops, generally Alexander Technique clients are referred to as “students” because, on a very basic level, the work is a teaching.

Today, medical researchers continue to carry out studies on the Alexander work (for more information on current research, see alexandertechnique.com/research.htm), and the Technique is taught at major American and European colleges, conservatories and universities. Well-known students of the Technique include Yehudi Menuhin, Paul McCartney, Sting, Julian Bream, James Galway, Hilary Swank, and Jeremy Irons, John Dewey, Aldous Huxley, George Harrison and members of the Royal Family, to name but a few.