Breathing is one of the most natural movements of our bodies; babies are born knowing how to do it. Efforts to teach it in music pedagogy may lead to more confusion, often causing “paralysis by analysis.” Participants in this interactive presentation will first actively experience coordinated breathing through a guided lesson. Anatomical explanations will then be provided using principles of Body Mapping to support the experience and facilitate a discussion on classroom teaching techniques.
Jackie McIlwain
- Biographical Information
Jackie McIlwain, DM, is Associate Professor of Clarinet at The University of Southern Mississippi where she enjoys combining her passion for clarinet and Body Mapping into her clarinet pedagogy, which has provided ample advantages to her students’ health, musicianship, and success in the field. In addition to teaching clarinet and Body Mapping at USM since 2013, Dr. McIlwain has an active performance schedule as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral clarinetist, and has recently been featured on a Silver Medal Global Music Award winning album Indefatigable. Since partnering with fellow clarinetist and Licensed Body Mapping Educator and Training Mentor, Dr. Shawn Copeland, two Body Mapping books have been written and will be available soon: Body Mapping for Clarinetists and The mBODYed Breath: Body Mapping, Balance, and Breathing for Musicians. Dr. McIlwain has also joined the faculty of mBODYed, LLC, a program designed to train artists in Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique. Dr. McIlwain is a Buffet Crampon Artist and Vandoren Artist-Clinician.
Clarinetist Shawn L. Copeland, DMA, is a multidimensional musician, pedagogue, and entrepreneur whose talents have made him a leader in both the performance and musician wellness spaces. He is the founder of mBODYed, LLC, a new program specializing in Alexander Technique and Body Mapping Training for musicians, actors, and dancers. In 2014, Copeland joined the faculty of the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho, where he currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Clarinet and teaches Alexander Technique and Entrepreneurship classes. His teachers include Kelly Burke, Lynn Musco, and Frank Kowalsky. Dr. Copeland is a Performing Artist and Clinician for Buffet Crampon U.S.A., Gonzalez Reeds, Inc., and the Silverstein Group. Shawn is a Certified, Sponsoring Teacher of Alexander Technique International, and a Licensed, Mentoring Teacher of the Association of Body Mapping Education. He is the co-author of the upcoming publications, Body Mapping for Clarinetists and Breathing for Clarinets. Through his work with performing musicians, he has helped hundreds of musicians improve their performance and understand the nature of their performance-related injuries.