Mark Karwan plays bass and teaches Alexander Technique in New York City.

My Story:

I came to the Alexander Technique because of pain I was experiencing as a result of playing the bass.  After completing my undergraduate music studies I moved to NYC to continue studying  and to seek performance opportunities.  There I studied at The Collective, a great little music school where drummers and bassists work closely with a diverse roster of the area’s great professional musicians.  Though I was doing well and practicing diligently, I was plagued by acute neck pain as well as tension in my hands, wrists, and forearms.  At one point I could only practice for about 10 minutes before a sharp neck pain would derail my efforts.  The Collective had an Alexander Technique teacher on staff, and I began using my private lesson credits to work with him.  After a few months this led to my developing the ability to keep the pain away while practicing  for hours at a time.  However, pain reduction was only the first obvious benefit.  I began to notice an improvement in my ability to truly listen and interact authentically in all musical situations, rather than being tied up in my own head/body while trying to “do it right.”  I began to do more things “right” while practicing less, a period many musicians who study the technique experience.  I also felt happier and more in control of my life at all times.  After a year and half my teacher noticed that I wasn’t going away.  He suggested that I might be interested in training as a teacher, which I realized I was.  My motivation was twofold: To deepen my own understanding of the Technique as a means of improving performance and fulfillment, and to be able to illuminate the path for others who were stuck in the circle I had been  in: trying too hard for too long, for too little improvement.  Today I continue to perform in many contexts on electric and upright bass, and am honored to work with musicians or anybody else who is interested in investigating the Alexander Technique.  Please feel free to share your story with me, so we can begin to discover how the Alexander Technique can help you meet your goals and improve your quality of life.