“Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul – to all who can read it”. - Martha Graham

Musical sound is governed by the movement that produces it; and the quality of that movement is determined by the accuracy of the ‘body map’, the neuronal representation of our movement developed in the brain. Therefore, musicians who have mapped their movement accurately will always be free to play expressively.

‘Body mapping’ is a self-enquiry method that teaches clear and accurate information about the body in movement, and advocates freedom of movement through accurate mind-body connections. This results in a poised and balanced body usage, the prevention of injury and promotion of facility. The ultimate goal is complete freedom of expression through poised, dynamic, musical movement.

Why body mapping?

For generations, music teachers have had to teach without an effective way of conveying accurate information about the most significant of all instruments – the body. Most taught information about movement intuitively, and many with inbuilt patterns of misuse. The result of this ignorance is devastating: musicians the world over are suffering from pain and limitations in their performing, many to the point of losing their careers. Research findings from numerous sources cite unacceptably high statistics of injury in the music profession. The range and severity of performance-related injuries in musicians injuries is astounding, and includes (but is not confined to) conditions such as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Focal Dystonia, Temporo-Mandibular Joints Disorder, and Rotator Cuff Tendonitis. It should be emphasized that music medicine is always the appropriate first step for any musician suffering from pain - medical practitioners are usually successful in treating conditions that have a medical cause. However, if the cause of the problem relates to inaccurate movement and body usage, then the situation needs to be addressed with appropriate information about the body in movement.

Musicians move for a living!

Musical performance is incredibly demanding! Musicians make demands on their bodies similar to the stresses endured by top-level athletes and dancers, but typically engage in musical performance activities for significantly longer periods of time, and are engaged in highly repetitive actions that require fine-motor control, whereas athletes and dancers work with predominantly large muscle movements which do not stress the delicate musculature of the upper body extremities. Additionally, athletes and dancers are trained to think of themselves as ‘movers’, so body awareness and ‘good form’ are integral to their technique from the outset. Unfortunately, most musicians are largely ignorant of their bodies, and until they make this radical paradigm shift and think of themselves as ‘movers’ they are at risk of developing problems that can range from performance limitations at the lesser end of the spectrum to debilitating injuries in the worst case scenarios. Bodies that are out of balance are susceptible to pain and injury.

Body mapping principles

Body mapping is based on four main principles: cultivating an accurate and adequate body map; training movement; training the relevant senses; and training ‘attention’. The aim is to ensure that sufficient and correct information is contained in an individual’s body map as it relates to his or her movement for the purposes of a specialized activity, such as musical performance.

Clarity about the three elements comprising the body map – structure, function, and size – is crucial in attaining an accurate and adequate body map. Structure refers to our human anatomy, predominantly the musculoskeletal system, although the nervous system is also important; function refers to physiology, the way anatomical structures interact to create movement; and size refers to the specific dimensions of the various muscles and bones involved.

There are various types of common mapping errors that result in distortions of the body map, with a detrimental effect that results in movement that is either awkward or potentially injury-producing. Errors in the size of body map elements are among the most widespread mapping inaccuracies, although structural mis-mappings and functional misconceptions in the body map are also prevalent. Vagueness, blankness, or absence of a body part in the body map is also a type of mapping error. For example, size mis-mapping is evident in people who habitually stoop or compress their bodies to fit their psychological self-concept that they are in fact shorter in height than their actual physiological dimensions.

Training the senses relevant to musicians is important. Students of body mapping are trained to understand six senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and kinesthesia. Of these, musicians must be trained to connect sound, kinesthesia, sight, and touch in their awareness. The absence of kinesthesia in the training of the senses accounts for much of the ignorance of the relationship of this sense to the others, in particular the kinesthetic-aural connection.

Body mapping also teaches musicians to connect their senses to movement and cultivate ‘inclusive attention’ as they systematically explore the relevant anatomical structures and physiological information of the body. The major skeletal system structures mapped are the spine (the core of the body), and the six places of balance: the atlantooccipital (A-O) joint, lumbar spine, hip joints, knees, ankles, and arm structure. In-depth information about breathing is also taught and, particularly important for singers. The cultivation of an excellent breathing technique depends on three specific conditions: freedom from tension throughout the body; lively, on-going body awareness; and an accurate body map of the structures and movement of breathing.

Training ‘attention’ incorporates the ability to be more sensitive, discerning, and responsive to body movement in the musical context. Barbara Conable uses the analogy of playing in tune to teach musicians how to apply the sensitivity-discernment-responsiveness cycle to their movement and body awareness.  (See Fig.1.) Key elements are initially presented in the auditory context familiar and readily understood by musicians. The introduction of the kinesthetic sense and its relationship to musical movement is paralleled in the language and experience of musicians, enhancing their comprehension of these concepts and how they are experienced.

Fig.1. Sensitivity-discernment-responsiveness cycle

Synonymous with ‘attention’ is awareness, consciousness, mindfulness – all terms that describe the completeness of sensory information and experience necessary for musicians. Barbara Conable describes inclusive awareness as “the ability to be simultaneously self-perceiving and world-perceiving”.

The good news is that human beings are born with the innate ability to map their bodies, and an inaccurate body map can be replaced over time with an accurate body map through consciously remapping. Our bodies are naturally amenable to change, and the adequacy and the accuracy of our body maps will ultimately determine the quality of our movements.

For musicians engaged in the precision art of musical performance, the body by extension is a precision instrument. A fundamental body mapping principle applies - the integrity of any movement depends upon the integrity of the body map that governs it. Consider the ease and grace of your musical movements. Can you find balance? Are you poised? Is your body a dynamic, responsive instrument readily serving your performing demands? Do you experience freedom in your music-making? If your answer is an unequivocal “Yes” then congratulations! You are safe from pain and injury and will know no physical limitations in your technique. However, if the answer to these questions is “No”, “Maybe” or “Sometimes” then consider how body mapping can help you enhance your musical performance ability.

The core of the body

The human body is built around the spine, functioning as the core structure for our balance. Whenever we play, sing, or conduct, we should perform with our entire body, supported and organized centrally around our spinal core. Visualize the core of a well-formed apple providing the central structure for the surrounding flesh of the fruit. This metaphor translates to the location of the weight-bearing (forward) part of the vertebral column in the human body, specifically the cervical and lumbar spine which are centrally located. (Refer Figure 2). Experience has shown that people who have accurately mapped the spine and understand its true size will experience an increased sense of strength and stability in their curvy vertebral column.

Fig 2 - The Spine In Context

• Structure - the spine comprises five divisions - seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum, and the coccyx. The size and shape of the vertebrae varies according to their function. The spine is segmented and has four natural curvatures – cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. There is also space for the spinal cord.

• Function – the two important functions of the spine are weight-bearing and delivering, and nerve protection. The four curvatures help maintain balance, absorb shocks, increase strength, and protect from fracture during movement. The spine’s flexibility is due to its ingenious structure, most important is the ‘gathering and lengthening’ movement occurring during breathing.

• Size – the spine is a massive structure providing support for the body and all its movement. The shape and size of the vertebra corresponds to the function and the amount of weight they bear.

The places of balance

In order to train musicians how to stand and sit easily, body mapping teaches six places of balance: the atlantooccipital (A-O) joint, lumbar spine, hip joints, knees, arches of the feet, and arm structure. [See Fig. 3. – Places of Balance]. These they are the places where balance can be discerned most easily, although we ultimately use almost all places in our body (except for organs) to find balance. You can think of them as major intersections that affect the smaller places that branch out or are connected to those intersections. The effects of misalignment on sound will vary according to the distortion in body movement. As you read through the descriptions of each of the six places of balance, experiment with the effects of on- and off-balance movement on sound. You will know when you have found balance – it is the place of “no work”, the place where your body is at ease, and movement in any direction is easiest.

Fig 3

1. A-O Joint – is the place where the top vertebra (atlas) meets the base of the skull (occiput). The skull literally balances on the spine at centre courtesy of the occipital condyles that move on the superior articular facets (two small concave areas) on the atlas. You can locate the A-O joint by finding the intersection of an imaginary line from right between the ears at the sides, and the base of your nose and top teeth at front, and the base of the occipital bone at the back/base of your skull. You will need to locate the A-O Joint using your kinesthesia. Learn to free the A-O Joint so your head balances beautifully at its centre on the spine.

2. Lumbar Spine – is the place where we balance our thorax on our lumbar vertebrae. The five lumbar vertebrae are the largest and are designed to bear the weight of the thoracic area and above. Explore the effects of balancing your thorax on your lumbar vertebrae. You can locate the lumbar core via the sides of your body where you feel the pelvic crest. This places you at approximately vertebra number three, the middle of the five lumbar vertebrae.

3. Hip joints – are the exact half-way point in human beings, not the waist. The pelvis is our base for sitting, i.e. upper body weight is transferred through the lumbar spine into the pelvic rockers; and when standing, weight is delivered by the pelvic arch out to the centre of the thigh bone (femur) downward to the knees. Experiment with balance of the pelvis when seated and standing.

4. Knees – upper body weight distributes through the knees to the ankles when standing. There are three positions or conditions of the knees: locked, balanced, and bent. Balanced is the preferred state; however, the knees will need to be locked as compensation to stabilize the body and protect the lumbar spine when you are not aligned and your body weight is thrown back or “sharp” onto the lower back. This is nature’s protection mechanism.

5. Arches of Feet – the arch of the foot is from the heel at the back to the ball of the foot at front – the toes are not included. The arches of the feet receive the weight of the body when standing and weight is delivered into the arches when balanced. Experiment with the fifth place of balance and the effect it has on the rest of your body.

6. Arm Structure – the complete arm structure includes the collarbone (front), shoulder blade (back), upper arm (humerus), lower arm (radius and ulna), wrist (carpal bones) and hand (meta-carpals and phalanges). There are four joints in the arm structure: sternoclavicular (where the sternum/breast bone meets the clavicle/collarbone), humero-scapula5 (where the humerus/upper arm meets the scapula/shoulder blades), elbow, and wrist. To find the balance of your arms, the collarbones and shoulder blades should be elegantly suspended over the ribs – not pulled up, back, down or forward.

Everything in your body is connected. Tension in one area will translate to other areas, impeding quality of movement and resultant musical sound. As you re-map those areas of your body that are mapped inaccurately or inadequately and, as a result, find balance, you will notice how much you can recover ease of movement and reduce tension and distortion in your body. This should be evident in your everyday living as well as in your musical performance because the body in which you live is the body with which you perform.

Breathing

How accurately can you describe the process of breathing, i.e. how your body functions during inhalation and exhalation? Because so much of the movement of breathing is concealed from our eyes and is experienced internally, over time many distorted images and descriptions of the structures and movement of breathing have evolved as music teachers have tried to explain breathing to their students. Unfortunately, these images have often been misconstrued or were just plain wrong. An accurate and clear understanding of the structures and movement of breathing is the simplest and fastest way to correct breathing problems and improve technique.

The simple truth is that balanced breathing is a wave-like motion from top to bottom on inhalation and exhalation! In a body that is free of tension, breathing feels like a single movement, sequential and coordinated, top to bottom. Once you have accurately located the structures of breathing (nose and mouth, nasal, oral, and laryngeal pharynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, ribs, diaphragm, abdominal walls, inner pelvic muscles, pelvic floor, and spine), seek clarity about the way they function to produce tension-free breathing that is sequential and coordinated, and feels like a single movement top to bottom. [See Fig. 4.] Notice, too, the “gathering and lengthening” movement of the spine. Remember that the spine is at the core of all body movement, including breathing, singing, and conducting. You will regain (or retain) the spine’s natural gathering and lengthening movement by avoiding conditions that inhibit freedom of movement, e.g. tightening your neck muscles, chronically shortening yourself, and straightening your spine.

Inhalation sequence

1. Ribs swing up and out, as the

2. Diaphragm descends from its highly domed to less domed position.

3. Abdominal & pelvic viscera are moved outward and downward by the diaphragm.

4. Pelvic floor is pushed downward by pressure of the displaced viscera.

Exhalation sequence

1. Ribs swing down and in.

2. Diaphragm ascends back to its highly domed position.

3. Abdominal & pelvic viscera flow inward and upward as the diaphragm ascends; the cylinder of abdominal musculature springs back inward as visceral pressure gradually reduces.

4. Pelvic floor likewise springs back to neutral position

A valuable pedagogical Tool

Body mapping is not a substitute for music lessons – it is a valuable tool that can be used as an adjunct to musical instruction in studios, classrooms, or ensemble settings. Body mapping can assist in the music teaching process if one remembers that the easiest way to train free, efficient, effective, beautiful movement is to help your students cultivate an absolutely adequate and accurate body map. Remember that students naturally develop, refine and correct their body maps as they practise and perform if they maintain a lively, integrated awareness of their movement. For that reason, you should teach body awareness, and you should absolutely model it.

MIND – BODY – SPIRIT - MUSIC

Remember that with full body awareness, you experience yourself as one whole being, not merely a collection of parts. Wholeness of musical experience means unrestricted access to all parts of the MIND – BODY – SPIRIT – MUSIC relationship. Ultimately, we decide how our minds and bodies will respond. If we are physically balanced and grounded, then we have a powerful means by which our musical voice, our spirit, and our musical imagination can be unleashed. Without this, our musical potential is trapped in a body that is ill-equipped to express the passion and emotion of the music. Through body mapping, musicians recover the ability to be truly free in their music-making.

Heather J. Buchanan (www.bodymapping.net) is Director of Choral Activities at Montclair State University (MSU), Upper Montclair, New Jersey, USA and a certified Andover Educator (www.bodymap.org). She teaches body mapping at MSU. She also teaches body mapping to musicians and teachers at professional In-Service Workshops, Conferences, and the Westminster Choir College Saturday Seminar series.