Tuning your body instrument: The alignment of tone and movement

Abstract

In this article, we outline a movement practice we devised called ‘tonal alignment’. It invites you to regard your body as a musical instrument that produces both a mechanical vibration (movement) and an acoustic vibration (sound). The basic practice involves moving different parts of your body to various musical tones. These tones can be made with your own voice, an instrument, or you can play recorded music. Synchronizing body movement with acoustic sound is what tunes the body instrument. Body tuning, now regarded as comparable with tuning a musical instrument, can be done before any activity or ‘performance’ including the everyday tasks of work and play. Intentionally moving different parts of the body in response to particular musical tones develops a greater capacity to be spontaneously moved by music. Tonal alignment is fun, experimental, can be done alone or with others and brings a welcome inspirational reset.