Body Mapping for Clarinetists

From the back cover:

"Clarinetists devote hours to honing their craft—from learning correct fingerings, embouchure, and tonguing, to the history of the instrument, music theory, and musicianship.

While there are many ways to approach playing the clarinet, almost all emphasize the clarinet as the musical instrument but do not consider how the body supports movement for making music. What if instead we viewed the body as the instrument and the clarinet as a tool?

Body Mapping for Clarinetists, written by two Body Mapping and Alexander Technique specialists, approaches clarinet playing from a full body perspective. Authors Shawn L. Copeland and Jackie McIlwain show how healthy, coordinated movement leads to more expressive music making while preventing injury.

All sound is the result of movement. When playing clarinet, the release of air causes the reed to vibrate. The movement of the facial muscles shapes the embouchure. The movement of the fingers creates pitch and rhythm. And our thoughts initiate and organize these movements.

We work best when our whole body is integrated and coordinated around a musical intention. This book will guide clarinetists back to bodily wholeness, resulting in healthier bodies, improved technique, and better music making."

A list of the table of contents' headings appears below:

Section 1 - Introduction
Movement
Somatics: The Study of the Body in Movement
Preparing for Change

Section 2 - Attention
Awareness, Attention, and Attention Strategies

Section 3 - Body Mapping: Mapping Balance
Introductory Vocabulary
Balance vs. Posture
Mapping Balance: The Foot, Knee, Pelvis and Hip Joints, The Spine as the Core of the Body, The Arm
The Primary Movement and the Clarinet
Putting It All Together: Load Distribution, Balance, and Movement

Section 4 - Mapping the Structures and Movement of Breathing
Breathing

Section 5 - Body Mapping and Playing the Clarinet
New Frontiers in Clarinet Pedagogy

Section 6 - Mapping the Whole Self
Self Mapping
Connecting Your Artist Self With Your Whole Self
Learning to Shape Your Own Thinking! Mapping the Practice Session
Conclusions