Biography > F. M. Alexander

Influences on early writings The First 43 Years of the Life of F. Matthias Alexander, volumes 1–2, by Jeroen Staring (1996) covers predominantly possible influences on Alexander and his technique until 1912 by comparing Alexander’s writings with contemporary people’s writings.[1]   Influence on voice and breathing In his 1894–95 writings F. M. Alexander mentions or […]

Several first-generation teachers wrote and spoke about F. M. Alexander, in particular Lulie Westfeldt, Erika Whittaker, Marjory Barlow,[1] [2] Walter Carrington, F. P. Jones and Elisabeth Walker. See individual biography for details of their writings.   Descriptions of F. M. Alexander frequently contain a mixture of descriptions of Alexander’s character and his teaching.   Descriptions […]

This section only covers criticisms of Alexander’s character, his personality traits. For other criticisms see below.   Criticism of personality   Leonard Wolff wrote in his diary that ‘he [Alexander] was a quack but an honest and inspired quack.’[1]   Ludovici in his Religions for Infidels (1961) reported on his first impression of Alexander:   […]

Life Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. He started to evolve his now world-famous technique in the early 1890s. It was initially developed to solve the frequent loss of voice he suffered working as a reciter. A successful reciter and teacher of elocution he toured Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. He first […]