Professional musicians, due to the nature of their craft, are highly susceptible to injuries and discomfort associated with playing their respective instruments at an advanced level. Unlike athletes, musicians lack access to a dedicated team of specialists to support their physical well-being. Because of the alarming needs, musicians are seeking assistance from various health professionals, with one of the most widely recognised approaches being the Alexander Technique (AT). This method is already a mandatory component of the curriculum at several leading higher education music institutions. While AT is widely regarded in scientific circles for its potential benefits, there remains a shortage of actionable and randomised controlled studies to provide robust scientific validation of its effectiveness. In the theoretical part of the thesis, we outline the fundamental principles of AT, including primary control, inhibition, guidance, awareness, attention, observation, body mapping, and distorted sensory perception. AT focuses on the psycho-physical unity of each individual, therefore the application of the technique’s principles to flute lessons is presented through a variety of exercises originally developed by the founder of the technique. In the empirical part, we use a quantitative research approach and a descriptive non-experimental method to examine the impact of AT on flute students. It explores the challenges flute students face regarding posture and breathing, their attitudes toward AT, and how their familiarity with AT influences their playing and practice habits. The findings reveal that while students recognise suboptimal posture as a common cause of pain or discomfort, only a small proportion seek help from specialists. The research found no statistically significant differences in self-assessed posture, reduction in pain, frequency of breathing difficulties, or effectiveness of habit changes between students who use AT and those who do not. Flutists familiar with AT are more likely to recommend the technique to others, and a strong majority of surveyed flutists agree that AT should be integrated into the curriculum of higher education music institutions. Several limitations were identified during the research, including challenges in defining criteria to evaluate the impact of AT and inconsistencies in the delivery of AT training across different institutions. Further actionable research and randomised studies are needed to provide more conclusive evidence on the influence of AT on musical performance.
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