Be an Upright Citizen!

by Marcay Dickens

The associate principal hornist of the Atlanta Symphony, Susan Welty, is short. Very short. She rests her feet on a guitar footrest when she plays seated. Can you imagine playing cello without your feet on the floor? I can't. Young singers, when you practice in the sitting position, do your feet (not just toes) rest on the floor?

Oh, OK. I know that some people stand when practicing. Percussionists. String bassists. Maybe people with small instruments. I know that often violin instructors prefer to have their students stand when practicing and during lessons. But most of us sit when practicing, and we practice lots more than we perform.

What sort of posture should we hope for? Strive for a natural seated posture. And a natural seated posture means that the bottoms of the feet are on the floor. Uncrossed legs. Or, for variety during a long session, maybe crossing at the ankles for a few minutes. With crossed ankles, both feet can still be on the floor to help relieve strain higher up in the body.

Feet need to be able to reach the floor, with the plantar surface flat. Experiment with yourself: sit on a high stool (so that your toes even have trouble feeling the floor). Stay there for 10 to 15 minutes. No cheating by putting your feet on the rungs of the stool. You get tired, don't you?! Your common sense indicates the need to have your feet on the floor to avoid straining.

How about our kids who play at school and practice at home? The same applies. They will feel more relaxed, play better, and practice better with their feet on the floor. Bring the floor to the feet, if necessary, using a big telephone book, or obtain a child's chair to allow good posture. Check on the situation at school. Even with a child-sized chair, some kids can't reach the floor unless they perch on the edge of the chair. This is a stressful position for playing.

One of my high school teachers always checked one particular student, who was really short. If he saw that she had forgotten the little stool, he would scoot it over to her (with his foot) because he knew that she would be more relaxed and comfortable and therefore would do better work.

What happens later on in life if the poor posture is continued and becomes a bad habit? I have a good friend who taught music for many years at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He insisted that students keep as straight a spine as possible. And for musicians who continue to perform thorugh the adult years, it's mandatory. Guess where the straight spine starts? In the feet! His reasoning? He wants to lessen the propensity for lower back pain, along with sacroiliac and pelvic problems, and the accompanying pain. That starts with the feet.

Pay attention to posture! Good posture starts at the bottom, with feet on the floor.

Marcay Dickens is a charter member of Music Arts. She teaches French Horn, as well as beginning and intermediate trumpet, baritone, and trombone. She has been a long-time member of the Oak Ridge Symphony, and plays with the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble and the East Tennessee Concert Band.