Wellness
Many of the aches, pains, and stress we feel are brought on by the demands of our daily lives and too often we turn to painkillers or pharmaceuticals for relief. I am trained to teach you how to develop a wellness lifestyle that is easy to maintain on a daily basis. I use the Alexander Technique, Stretch and Breath Classes and Music-making to address the three broad areas that are embraced by a Wellness program. Body, Mind and Spirit.
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique is a hands-on educational method for improving physical and mental wellbeing. It teaches us how to recapture the ease, and freedom of movement that we enjoyed as young children. Developed by actor F.M.Alexander in the 1890’s, Alexander Technique is the first mind/body approach developed by a westerner – and remains one of the most powerful. Contact Judith »
Cost: Consultation $125. (90 minutes)
Lessons $105. (60 minutes) Sliding Scale.
Stress and body ache can happen if:
You Spend
All Day On
Your Feet
Nurses
Doctors
Construction
Municipal
Retail
Food and bar service
You Spend
All Day At A
Desk/Computer
Accountants
Government
and most of us in an office
You Carry/
Transport
Your Child
Mothers
Fathers
Grandparents
Childcare specialists
You Use
Your Voice
For Work
Lawyers
Teachers
Policemen
Business presenters
Actors
Singers
Your Days Are
Physicially
Demanding
Amateur Athletes
Professional Athletes
Construction
Moving and Storage
Delivery
Musicians
You Want
More Public
Confidence
Business presentations
Teaching
Public events
Acting
Music
Your Body Is
Getting Older
We develop habits over time that cause unnecessary stress and can lead to health issues.
Injuries can cause us to carry ourselves in ways that add additional stress to our bodies, prolonging recovery and leading to further injury. I help you solve this problem.
Testimonials
Rosemary St Cyr
When my husband, Tim, retired, he planned to learn piano. Long a fan of Duke Ellington, Tim finds swing very engaging, and hoped to play in that style. Unfortunately, life (in the form of a serious car accident and a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease) put piano on hold.
When Judith Muir noticed Tim’s voice she suggested singing lessons. These became piano lessons with an important singing component. Because Tim now struggles with the cognitive impairment (including short term memory problems) and the coordination difficulties that often accompany Parkinson’s, these lessons are a challenge for both Judith and Tim.
Judith choses songs that are familiar to Tim. First they sing a song. Then Tim gets a copy of the words with the notes of the melody. Finally the chords arrive. As he learns a piece he sees how it is structured. Singing while playing helps him find the correct key as he works through a song.
Since March, when NY shut down in response to Covid19, lessons have continued over FaceTime, a new experience for us all. Judith offered two half-hour lessons. The shorter time (30 minutes vs. 60) and greater frequency (two classes per week) are better suited to Tim’s new learning style.
Judith’s efforts to adapt her lessons to accommodate Tim’s learning difficulties have helped Tim progress in his piano work. While he may never play like Duke Ellington, he enjoys his time at the piano and looks forward to the day when he puts melody and harmony together and sings one of the Duke’s classics.
T. St. Cyr
Judith is a creative teacher who adapts her teaching method and style to the needs of the student and the situation.
As a Parkinson’s patient I struggle with memory problems and cognitive impairment. When Judith introduces a new song, she presents it in as many ways as she can. This disassembly of the piece makes it easier for me to learn and then to play complicated pieces.
Judith’s flexibility is not limited to the piano lesson itself. When Covid19 shut the state down she turned to the FACETIME app to continue our lessons. This eliminated travel time and allowed social distancing, enabling us to continue our lessons on a regular basis. Once on FACETIME, we switched from a weekly one-hour lesson in Judith’s studio to two half-hour sessions online. The shorter, more frequent lessons are well suited to my current attention span and ability to process new information.
Dann K
I highly recommend Judith Muir as a music teacher. I have had lessons as a child, in college, and now in adulthood and Judith is like no other music teacher I have ever had. Judith is passionate about music, and her love is evident in her enthusiastic teaching techniques. She does not drone on and on about music theory, but instead incorporates bits and pieces of theory as they come up in the piece being studied. Judith is calm and supportive, and above all extremely encouraging. Her patience makes learning fun. She is not the stereotypical “rap your knuckles when a wrong note is played” type of teacher. Judith does not make students feel bad about mistakes, she really is there to help them. She does not believe in devoting hours to scales and finger dexterity exercises (when I first met Judith, she instructed me to “throw out” my Czerny and Hanon exercise books!) She does not follow some sort of rigid developmental timeline, but allows the student to develop at their own pace. Judith is a wonderful and talented instructor who encourages her students to develop their musicality. Thanks to her positive and encouraging manner, lessons with Judith are always enjoyable.
Scott Q
Our house has become a Broadway musical as Sarah is singing throughout the day, about pretty much everything that she does. And I do have to say on those rare days where she is cranky, she always leaves you happy and skipping and singing through the house. It is fun to watch.
Anyone who wants to instill a life-long love of music in their little ones would be a fool not to share their kids with you.
I also have a 15-year-old who used to have a dreadful work ethic with her clarinet, and I remember how horrible she sounded. Now her band director is encouraging her to compete for 1st chair, based on her dedication to her instrument and how amazingly she plays. Any parent should have you work with their older kids on their instrumental playing as well.