Raf De Groote

In my early days as a professional flute player I encountered on and off pains in neck-shoulder-hands and back.
When standing up for along time, my legs got tense and breathing became more difficult. I had learned to brace myself and to hold myself still for “ergonomic ” purpose, but exactly that was the source of my problems.
Having to “allow” movement without “adding” movement was a bit of a problem. Great players move in a “natural”way. Telling someone to “play freely” doesn’t work. It’s like coin the goal without the process.
Becoming a teacher of Body Mapping for Musicians meant a first big step in findng freedom and understanding movement within music making.
Suffering from a long collapse as a result of “breathing exercises” made me realize that we only have one body…
I started to read and practice all I could find about breathing, anatomy and physiology and discovered there his an intimate connection between intentional breathing and physiology. Taking motorcycle lessons made me see analogy in use of direction, speed and leverage in phrasing and body use.
Becoming a Franklin Method Movement teacher after 3 years of training vastly expanded my view.
Combining what I learned with my own experience in playing and teaching have made it a pleasure to play music and move in general. I diiscovered not only how to play freely or to avoid injury, but how to continuously expand my potential and well-being.
Sharing this incredible path of change is my life-goal.

Raf De Groote

In my early days as a professional flute player I encountered on and off pains in neck-shoulder-hands and back.

When standing up for along time, my legs got tense and breathing became more difficult. I had learned to brace myself and to hold myself still for “ergonomic ” purpose, but exactly that was the source of my problems.

Having to “allow” movement without “adding” movement was a bit of a problem. Great players move in a “natural”way. Telling someone to “play freely” doesn’t work. It’s like coin the goal without the process.

Becoming a teacher of Body Mapping for Musicians meant a first big step in findng freedom and understanding movement within music making.
Suffering from a long collapse as a result of “breathing exercises” made me realize that we only have one body… 

I started to read and practice all I could find about breathing, anatomy and physiology and discovered there his an intimate connection between intentional breathing and physiology. Taking motorcycle lessons made me see analogy in use of direction, speed and leverage in phrasing and body use.
Becoming a Franklin Method Movement teacher after 3 years of training vastly expanded my view.

Combining what I learned with my own experience in playing and teaching have made it a pleasure to play music and move in general. I discovered not only how to play freely or to avoid injury, but how to continuously expand my potential and well-being.

Sharing this incredible path of change is my life-goal.