Interview with Lori Schiff, Alexander Technique Teacher at The Juilliard School
Photo: Danda Jaroljmek
Lori Schiff is a full-time Alexander Technique teacher at The Juilliard School, where she has been on the faculty since 1991. Prior to her teaching career, she was a trumpet player and completed her Bachelor's in Music at Northwestern University and her Master's in Music at Manhattan School, before life led her down a slightly different path.
Her Alexander Technique journey has taken her to schools, festivals, conferences and even safari camps nationally and internationally to share the benefits of learning this extraordinary method for self help through improved consciousness of self.
Earlier this summer, I sat down with Lori for a wide-ranging conversation about her teaching, her own introduction to the work, and what she believes the Alexander Technique has to offer musicians and non-musicians alike. Enjoy!
Let’s start with the big picture: for someone unfamiliar with the Alexander Technique — or maybe just vaguely aware — how would you describe it? What’s your elevator pitch?
The answer always depends on who’s asking. For performers — musicians, actors, dancers — I describe The Alexander Technique as a method to help you better understand how you function so you can be more comfortable, confident, and conscious in what you do.
In FM Alexander’s terms, it’s about developing conscious control — for any human, in any context. Whether you're in a conservatory, a military band, a rural safari camp, or driving a car, when you become more conscious about how you function, you can choose how you do the things you do. You can reduce excess tension and feel better in your body — more confident and often, happier.
For some people, I say it’s kind of like physical therapy, but instead of exercises, it gets to the root of how you move and function. That root is your ability to observe and regulate your reactions.
Or, I might say: “It’s a great way to get efficient in yourself.”
People think Alexander is about posture. But it’s really about coordination — how you organize your entire self.
I’m sure many see it as something to do when in pain. What do you say if someone says, “I don’t have pain — why would I need this?”
I tell them, “That’s great! I didn’t have pain either when I started. I just wanted to get better.”
I was 20 and studying trumpet at Northwestern University, which was and is a competitive, high-level music school. I saw a master class that was an introduction to The Alexander Technique for instrumentalists. A violinist stood up and played a scale. The teacher, John Henes, gently worked with him — just lightly guiding how he stood. Then he played again. The improvement in the sound was stunning.
Then a snare drummer played a drum roll. The same thing happened. A bit of gentle “hands on” guidance in how the drummer was standing and moving his arms, and the sound just opened up. No talk of stick technique. Just better balance in the human.
The trumpet player had similar results. The tone, pitch, and fluidity all improved.
So, I tried it. Alexander lessons helped me in so many ways, including some that were unexpected. My ability to play improved, and more importantly, my ability to learn got better. Practicing became more effective.
I had a great trumpet teacher, Vince Cichowicz. He was the faculty member who invited the Alexander Technique teacher for the master class. He had never studied the work himself, but he understood that it helped people observe and regulate tension and energy in a way that improved playing. My Alexander lessons were consistently supportive of his method of teaching trumpet.
That’s the essence of The Alexander Technique: learning to observe and regulate yourself through your sensations.
Whether you play trumpet or golf, what you're learning is coordination for an activity. When coordination improves, efficiency and accuracy follow — whether you're hitting a note or swinging a club.
The hard part is that most of us move the same way we've always moved — since we were kids. Those habits get baked in. Like how you bring a trumpet to your face — if your face leans forward, the chain reaction will tighten your neck muscles or limit your breath. You might not even feel it… until it’s a problem.
Similarly, the way you lean forward to look at your computer screen or phone, or through the windshield of your car, involves habitual patterns that are involved in many aspects of life and are not separate from playing your instrument.
That’s the tricky thing. We adapt to everything. The ability to adapt is a great aspect of being a human — but sometimes adaptations become maladaptations. You push through tension instead of resolving it. And over time, those habits can lead to injury or chronic issues.
What actually happens in an Alexander lesson? How does a teacher help a student sense all this?
An Alexander teacher helps you feel and understand sensations with gentle hands-on guidance. That light touch helps you sense your own tension and balance reactions. You already have this sensory system — your kinesthetic sense. A lot of people don’t pay enough attention to it or use it to their advantage. With help, you actually feel different and can learn to stop constricting and rediscover your natural coordination.
Reading about it is good — but it’s like reading a book about flute playing. You might understand the ideas, but you won’t actually know how to do it unless you experience the instructions while playing the flute.
The Alexander Technique is for learning your own habits and reactions, and gradually improving how you respond. Whether you’re lifting a horn, typing, or running — what you’re learning is how to coordinate yourself consciously, in a balanced way. And the result can include better posture and better breathing.
Can you walk us through what a typical first lesson might look like?
When a new student comes in with pain or an injury, or is seeking to improve performance, I ask them to explain their story fully. Then I’ll ask them to play — even for just a minute or two. I’m watching and listening to the whole person, not just the wrist or the elbow or a body part.
Then we start working, without the instrument, usually with the person standing in front of a chair or sitting. I work with my hands — gently guiding their attention to their neck, shoulders, and back, helping them to feel when they’re holding tension and when they’re not.
Sometimes changes are quick. Often changes in tension and balance are gradual. It’s the beginning of increased awareness of how interconnected all movement is and how to regulate the energy needed for whatever the task is.
We might do simple movements, like leaning or lifting an arm. It’s not about stretching or massage. It’s about sensing the actions and inhibiting unnecessary effort. Then the student plays again — and the difference is often immediate. Not just how the student feels, but how they sound.
They’re learning to observe and adjust themselves.
How often should one take lessons to experience results?
Great question. It depends on the individual.
In the beginning, frequency matters. If possible: 2–3 lessons per week is very helpful. Once a week is effective when the student is truly attentive to how they do basic things that they work on in lessons.
Once a month? That’s not so effective in the beginning. I don’t take students on that schedule. Changing deeply ingrained habits is challenging.
This work deals with fundamental life habits — sitting, standing, lifting an instrument. If someone wants lasting results, they need repetition. Just like practicing an instrument or learning a language: frequency leads to fluency.
Start with 3–4 lessons close together. Even if you space them out later, you’ll at least know what you're working with. And remember, this isn’t just about you playing your instrument — it helps in your whole life.
If someone’s curious but not ready for a lesson yet — what can they start observing in themselves today? What does a musician need to start noticing?
You can get curious about how you do the simple things, like lift your instrument or get your hands on a keyboard (piano or computer). Use video to record a minute or two of playing. Look for what happens to your whole body while you prepare to play and while you are playing. Try videotaping from profile. You will see more of how your whole body responds to the act of lifting an instrument or moving your arms.
Are you compressing and pulling down or forward or doing extra little movements? Are your legs stiffening when you lift your instrument? What happens if you leave out the extra movements?
Highly trained musicians are great at micromanaging sound in terms of pitch, articulation, tone. That’s useful, but if you're only micromanaging, you're missing the bigger picture. It’s like micromanaging your running cadence but ignoring your whole-body coordination, which affects your running cadence.
Let’s say you're running and you can’t go faster. Try slowing down, walking, then gently increasing speed. What happens in your body? Do you lean forward? Does your neck tighten and does your head pull back to balance that?
If you’re playing Shostakovich and it gets loud and fast, do you lean in? Do you squeeze your shoulders? Do you scrunch down in your body? Instead, try this: stay upright. You do not need to stiffen to stay upright. Don’t squeeze. Instead of micromanaging, observe yourself with a wide lens. Leave out the tension. Find out what happens.
Building strength on top of dysfunction may not help improve performance. If you're still doing the same tension-filled patterns, strengthening will simply strengthen those patterns.
If someone wants to study in person — how do they find a qualified teacher? And how can they tell if the teacher is the right fit?
Look for someone who is properly certified. In the U.S., The American Society for The Alexander Technique (AMSAT), and in the U.K. and elsewhere, there are Societies for Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT). These are professional societies that oversee training courses and certification of teachers. To be a member, teachers had to complete 1600 hours of training in a specific course for Alexander Teachers. They all have websites and lists of teachers. Teachers often indicate their certification on their personal websites.
When you locate a teacher, remember you want someone who listens to you, not someone who immediately jumps into correction or gives one-size-fits-all instructions. Like music teachers, you might learn really well from some and may not connect as well with others.
Also: beware of well-meaning folks like a clarinet teacher who loves the work but isn’t trained. Loving the work and sharing some of the concepts isn’t the same as being trained to teach it.
How does Alexander Technique relate to performance anxiety and managing nerves?
Getting nervous before a performance is totally normal. It's energy — an escalation of energy, really. People often think their playing habits change when they’re nervous, but usually, they just intensify.
They’ll say, “In the practice room I’m fine, but when I perform, everything feels different.” But it’s not different — it's more likely heightened perception. Your survival mechanisms kick in. You’re more alert. That's a human thing, not a flaw.
The amazing part? You can train yourself not to react in ways that escalate that nervousness.
If your shoulders start to tighten when you’re anxious, your brain associates that sensation with fear. But when you notice that tension and actively stop or release it, your nervous system doesn’t get that message. That alone can shift your experience.
Ideally, you prevent excess tension before it starts. That's what Alexander work teaches — using conscious awareness to regulate your physical reactions in daily actions, not just on stage.
For example, if you stand while playing or singing, notice what your legs are doing. If they’re locked or tense, stop tightening. It has a ripple effect. Then while you lift your instrument, keep asking: are my legs tightening? Just stop the tightening. Practice that type of consciousness very consistently, and your brain can stop associating performance reactions with panic.
You’ll still care. You’ll still get nervous. But you’ll respond differently. Even if you flub a phrase, you can redirect yourself to: “Stop tightening and ease up.”
You’ve taught in conservatories, music festivals, military bands, and even a safari camp in Kenya. What have you learned about the universality of this work?
I've been really lucky. I’ve worked with people from so many walks of life — not just performers. I’ve worked with people with Parkinson’s, people recovering from surgery, people with chronic pain, kids as young as seven, seniors in their 80s. Some are in the arts; others aren’t.
We’re all human. The Alexander Technique is a kind of “users guide” for humans.
This technique isn’t just for horn players or actors. It’s about how you, as a human, function. Whether you're playing cello or hammering nails, you’re using your body. And how you use your body determines how well you can express what’s in your heart and mind.
When you’re conscious of how you use yourself — physically, mentally, emotionally — you can express so much more easily, comfortably, and authentically.
We are one whole thing: mind, body, brain, shoulders, toes. Nothing happens in isolation. Humans are built to be receptive and alert. We scan for threats, opportunities, and connections.
The beauty of being human is: we can choose how we respond. The Alexander Technique teaches you how to pause, listen, and choose, instead of just reacting automatically, out of excitement or fear.
Learning to choose behavior is very interesting. Whether it’s how much air you take in for a phrase, how you enter a conversation, how you handle anxiety or an injury — you can learn to regulate, adapt, and stay whole.
I worked at a camp in Kenya with the maintenance staff. They do a lot of heavy lifting, building furniture, maintenance work, hauling buckets of water so guests could take hot showers. It’s physically demanding. Strains and injuries happen.
When they started learning how to coordinate themselves better, think about themselves while in action, they started finding that they could be more comfortable generally.
The same principles applied there as they do at Juilliard or in a concert hall. It’s about the human, not the setting.
We live in a world of constant noise and stress. Loud sounds, fast paces, crowded places all build up. You may not notice it until you stop… and suddenly think, "Wow. I haven’t taken a deep breath in days."
Alexander work teaches you to notice your reactions and not let them run the show. It’s not about suppressing emotion or becoming robotic. It’s about regulating your system so you can take better care of yourself.
I see a lot of parallels between Alexander and mindfulness work. Do you see them as complementary? Or is Alexander something else entirely?
Yes, and I love that. But I’d say The Alexander Technique is different. People often compare it to mindfulness.
Mindfulness is often about quieting the mind. Alexander is about using conscious observation to understand what your body is doing — while you’re doing life.
You might meditate in the morning, then go for a run — and suddenly your body tightens as you speed up. The meditation may have helped you notice that… but it probably didn’t teach you what to do about it in the moment.
Alexander is about being present while in motion — not just while still.
True mindfulness, in theory, carries through daily life, walking, everything.
Yes, in theory. But not many people get there. Recognizing habits requires specific effort. Some mindfulness apps can be a good start — but real embodiment takes more. With Alexander, it’s not just noticing your shoulder is tense — it’s learning how to change and regulate that, link it with other reactions in yourself moment to moment, and improve over time.
Are there books or resources you recommend for further exploration outside of hands-on work?
For musicians, check out The Alexander Technique for Musicians by Judith Kleinman and Peter Buckoke. It’s clear, principled, and accurate.
Body Learning by Michael J. Gelb — written in the ’70s, is still one of the best general introductions to the Technique. Look for older editions — I think they’re better.
There is a resources page on my website with more. I’ve also got some YouTube videos, including hands-on work with a horn player.
But here’s a tip: read material written by actual Alexander teachers.
Wrapping Up: What the Work Is Really About
The Alexander Technique is for humans. It’s a method for becoming a better human — in whatever context you operate.
It teaches you to recognize for yourself what you’re doing, how you’re doing it — and gives you the parameters for change.
Whether that’s being a better horn player or just more comfortable at your desk, it helps you become the best version of yourself. It will help you play the way you want, consistently.
Quick fixes often don’t last. This work takes time. But it’s real. It’s meaningful. It’s continuous and it works.
I want to encourage people to be curious — and curious in ways that aren’t judgmental. Just… curious.
A few get-to-know-you questions…
What’s a piece you never get tired of hearing or performing in your trumpet days?
In my trumpet days, pretty much anything with lots of trumpets and brass… Gabrieli Canzonas, Mahler 1, 2, 3 et al. Janacek Sinfonietta. Now, in the classical realm, lots of Bach keyboard music, Schubert and Chopin. Then there’s jazz and pop…
Do you have a “desert album”… or five?
Bach Cello Suites, Janos Starker
Bach English Suites, Andras Schiff
Chopin Nocturnes, Horowitz
Dueling Banjos
Anita Baker, Rapture
Joan Armatrading, Walk Under Ladders
Tina Turner — everything she recorded
Summer Camargo, To Whom I Love
There are many…
Book or movie you always come back to?
Movie: Cabaret
Books: The Use of the Self, FM Alexander
If you weren’t an AT teacher or musician, what do you think you’d be?
I would like to be a wildlife photographer.
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To learn more about Lori or get in touch, visit https://www.lorischiff.com/
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