Examinations

Irene Lock  KFRP
My woodwind music students were preparing for their Guildhall School of Music and Drama examinations, putting them through their paces with prepared pieces, scales, technical exercises, initiative tests and sight-reading.  The pressure fuels the rising panic as their brains go into survival mode and so most of their technical knowledge deserts them.

I have been introducing them to kinesiology by doing some Touch for Health exercises with them at the start of each lesson to assist their learning, their ability to read and understand music and to play to their optimum ability.  This regular routine consists of water, which is then drip fed during the lesson, an essential when 'blowing an instrument', and some rubbing and holding of certain points including exercises that aid concentration, focus, balance, hearing and mental clarity. 

About one month before the examination we also start adding in some Wellness Kinesiology Stress Release exercises, Emotional Stress Release with eye rotations and the Emotional Mode, whilst visualising how they want to feel, before, during and after the examinations.

For sight-reading I now get them to do Emotional Stress Release. One student at a practice session, managed to easily sight-read a piece two grades higher than he was expected to.  As a result of using these routines regularly there was a 15-20% improvement with all my students passing their examinations with either merit or distinction passes.

I am not teaching music any differently but have noticed that the improvements are across the board with all my students .... I wish I had known of kinesiology years ago.