Unleash the Power of the Musician’s Body – The Timani Method
Christine Fish Moulton
Body Mapping teaches the art of movement because musicians move to play and sing.
Timani has similar goals. As we move better, we play better. Timani and Body Mapping share an understanding of anatomy, movement analysis, healthy natural breathing and cultivation of proprioception. This presentation highlights similarities and differences between the two methods.
Timani is a comprehensive system of movement understanding designed by and for musicians based in Oslo, Norway. It was developed by Tina Margareta Nilssen who recently released her book Unleashing the Potential of the Musician’s Body, available through GIA music: https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/what-every-musician-needs-to-know-about-the-body-revised-edition-book-10856?fbclid=IwAR3TH_SsYoOVJaEq3dyyRQTapjd26iKp6CelXshsXBeDb8FK6xawe5g0NYs
In addition to the structure, size and function of the skeleton, Timani cultivates an understanding of muscle anatomy and what muscles to use to contribute to a healthy tension while playing or singing, stability and coordinated movement, and what muscles to not rely on when playing or singing. In many ways, Timani looks at the structure, size and function of muscles and uses more than 100 exercises to explore and integrate them into musicians’ movements and technique. Like in Body Mapping, an understanding of fascia is gained and is incorporated into some of the exercises.
Another aspect of Timani is what is called “push-off” that explores a new connection with the floor, the chair and/or the instrument. Different than just pressing down or dropping weight, it helps develop a new relationship with the surfaces we stand on, sit on and play on with our instruments.
Presenter Christine Fish Moulton is Professor of Flute at Mansfield University of PA, is in the 3rd year of training to be a certified Timani teacher and is a Licensed Body Mapping Educator.
Christine Fish Moulton, professor of flute, Mansfield University of PA, is a licensed Body Mapping Educator and in the third year of training in the Timani method. She is member of the Manhattan Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (MCCE), Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, the St. Paul’s Chamber Orchestra (Elkins Park, PA), the annual Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Solo and chamber music concerts include WXXI, WVIA, WCNY public radio stations, NYC’s Symphony Space, Carnegie Hall’s Weill and Zankel Halls and National Flute Conventions in Orlando, San Diego & Las Vegas. She serves as Secretary of the Marcel Moyse Society.
