Vanessa Breault Mulvey, Breathe, Move, Perform

Now that Zelda has absorbed so much information about her rib cage, she sits contemplatively embodying this new information. Anatomical truths are powerful. Looking forward to sharing at Boston Conservatory at Berklee Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop in July!!! There is just SO MUCH to love about your Rib Cage! https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/extension-programs/vocal-pedagogy-professional-workshop

Prepping for a session at the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop at Boston Conservatory at Berklee next month. Having fun organizing my ideas about the powerful role that the rib cage plays in breathing, balance, and arm movement. Got my copilot over my shoulder - Zelda the magnificent toy poodle. She knows how to breathe, move fluidly and play! Keeping me honest. Association for Body Mapping Education

This movie is just wonderful. Love seeing women training, having fun, inspiring, and being vulnerable. Love to train with cool humans esp women and non-binary traceurs!

GATECRASHER: An All-Women's Parkour Action Film Directed and Produced by Renae Dambly and Lisa SchneiderExecutive Producer: Point A ParkourAssociate Producer: KIDADirector of Photography: Hannah SnowAdditi...

This summer I am digging into the very common asymmetries that lead to physical compensations by soft tissue and skeletal structure that cause us to work against gravity. This has big implications for how we can move and perform. This is the first installment that can guide you to check out your habits! Excited to be working with Integrative Rehab Training LLC - Michael J. Mullin, ATC, PTA, PRC on this deep dive. So far it has really reshaped my approach to coaching musicians and movers from all walks of life! Shout out to Association for Body Mapping Education for providing support to this project!

Asymmetry, Compensations & Gravity And What They Have To Do With Performing

New thoughts on facing surprise in performance. I was intrigued when I heard James Carse's quote. Read on!

Are You Prepared for Surprise? Filling Your Expressive Palette

Digging deeper into your why for making music or whatever you like to do is an asset when under pressure and things don't feel 'fun'. I invite you to share your why in the comments! 🤸‍♀️ https://vanessamulvey.substack.com/p/because-its-fun?r=5iuqe

Digging into play and how it can inspire and inform music-making. Once you know your 'why' you can dig into the other two characteristics of play. See what you find for your music-making!

Rules, Creativity & Imagination Connecting Play & Playing pt.2

Its been a whirlwind🌪 spring semester but I am happy share that I welcomed a new instrument into my studio at the end of March. A gorgeous🌹🪻🌷 and magical 🌈 new flute from Levit Flute Company made by Lev and David Houston. I have been enjoying getting to know this beautiful instrument. The sound is so flexible and responsive. I know that we will breathe life🌬 into music🎼 together. Can't recommend these beautiful instruments enough!

I have been thinking more about the importance of 'play' in music-making for inspiration and artistic expression. This week I uncovered my 2024 playing 'why'. Without a why for playing it there can be a disconnect between motivation and performance.

https://open.substack.com/pub/vanessamulvey/p/connecting-play-and-playing?r=5iuqe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

This comment from one of my graduate violinists is literal music to my ears. It is my greatest joy to facilitate the unleashing of artistic expression that has been inside someone and is now finally free to come out!

What a treat to get to sit in beautiful Pickman Hall at Longy School of Music of Bard College to experience Stephanie Blythe & Ryan McCullough perform the music of Jonny Mercer. Even Thank you for a beautiful performance! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

We had so much fun at the Boston Women's Parkour Workshop 2024 on Saturday. We even got coverage from WBZ. https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/parkour-generations-boston-holds-womens-workshop-in-somerville/. Check it out. Parkour is adaptable, fun, and you won't believe what you can do!
Parkour Generations Boston

Parkour Generations Boston Holds Women's Workshop In Somerville | WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Parkour Generations Boston hosted an all-day workshop for women and non-binary people at The Dojo at Somernova in Somerville.

Why play dull scales when you can play like a rock star with your favorite band I ask?

This comment is music to my ears! Time away from our instruments is a powerful way to practice awareness & movement that informs music-making! Maybe you have to do other things in your life - harness this power and you will be a stronger musician.

Reading the final reflections from my class at I am blown away by the connections and insights the students have gained. I am humbled to be able to share the tools I have learned through Body Mapping, coaching personal training & Parkour. Movement isn't something some can do and others cannot. It is something to be unlocked and nurtured.

This event is coming up. I highly recommend.

Meet the Presenters!

Kristin Wolfe Jensen is Professor of Bassoon at The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, Principal Bassoonist with ROCO, a faculty member at the International Festival Institute at Round Top,and author of The Breathing Book for Bassoon.

Jane Murray is the Artist-Teacher in oboe at the University of Rhode Island and
Solo English Horn with the RI Philharmonic. She is in demand as a clinician and has presented Body Mapping workshops throughout the region including the International Double Reed Society, and Massachusetts Music Educators Conference.

Stephen Caplan is Professor of Oboe at University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Director of the UNLV College of Fine Arts Clinic for Health and Injury. He is the Principal Oboist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and the author of Oboemotions: What Every Oboe Player Needs to Know about the Body, and The Breathing Book.

https://abme.wildapricot.org/event-5574340

Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) July 11–14, 2024The Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) is designed to provide collegiate and private voice instructors and vocal music educators with unique learning opportunities in both musical theater and classical voice pedagogy.Registration...

I am stoked to be returning to this wonderful conference! Join me for some amazing sessions.

Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) July 11–14, 2024The Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (VPPW) is designed to provide collegiate and private voice instructors and vocal music educators with unique learning opportunities in both musical theater and classical voice pedagogy.Registration...

What's your spine like? Where is it? What the heck does it do? How can it help you play with more expression and ease? This is what we dug into this week New England Conservatory in my Body Mapping classes. As part of this mapping experience students put the hands on vertebrae and constructed a spine using the model spine. They could see the natural curves of the spine, its length and the innate support it has to offer.

Next week's game into will be how fast can a team of students put the spine together with everything they have learned?? 🤓

Saturday - 1-3pm Belmont Parkour Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/G8t5MtU5MzMxPaa96 Women's Meet Up. Its gonna be a nice day tomorrow. Come out to the super cool Parkour Park and play!!! No experience necessary! You won't need to bundle up like Emily Wachtel Charles and I this week!

Musicians -- when does a performance begin in your experience?

Thinking about this today…
Improvising means coming prepared, but not being attached to the preparation…Com prepared but be willing to accept interruptions and invitation. - Stephen Nachmanovitch

Today is the DAY! 'Becoming Grounded' is live at 12pm EST. We will do some 'play' activities, learn about how the body can be grounded and practice super cool weight shifting patterns that can be the basis for performing choreography!
https://voicestudycentre.com/short-courses/

And new books arrived. Exciting to dig into this for a new class I am developing! 😉

This is the Barrel of my new flute❤️❤️❤️❤️. So incredibly excited for this beautiful instrument. Levit Flute Company

It's been a minute since I last wrote, but the pressure has built up again and I can't hold it back any longer. This is a topic I am diving into this year. I feel like there is some magic to be found that hours of practicing just won't reveal. Stay tuned for ideas and thoughts about turning your practicing, no I mean approach to playing upside down!

Put 'Play' Back in Your Playing! It's 2024! I am over COVID-19 (for the second time) and feel like I am about to explode with new inspiration. Right before COVID, 2024 kicked off with a deep dive into "Infinite Play," a workshop led by Kyle Finchman founder of Infinite Play in NYC. Not a music-related workshop but, oh what a connec...