LearningMethods Downloads

Collected Downloads
 — Interesting articles, recordings and support material

Most of the following documents are in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format), though some are also web pages in HTML format or audio files in MP3 format. The PDF files can be viewed online if you have the Adobe Acrobat plug-in installed in your browser, or they can be downloaded and viewed/printed from your own computer (download instructions are in the box just below).

Jump to one of these Categories:
–  Published articles and interviews with LearningMethods / Alexander Technique teachers
–  Interesting articles by various authors on Learning, Science, Health, Exercise, etc.
–  Forms and support material for LM Teachers and Apprentice-Teachers

Seminars, Articles and Interviews with LearningMethods Teachers:  

David Gorman — 'The Heart of Community' (Keynote Speech)      web page
David Gorman — 'The Heart of Community' (Keynote Speech).pdf      PDF text file, 55Kb
David Gorman — 'The Heart of Community' (Keynote Speech)--33min.mp3      MP3 audio, 6Mb

This is the Keynote Speech (opening speech) delivered by David Gorman before the Alexander Technique International (ATI) Annual Conference on 27 October 2013. The theme of the Annual Conference was "Connecting Our Community". The conference was held from 27-31 October 2013 at Geneva Park, near Orillia, Ontario in Canada.
 

Marion Day—'Bigger Sound' by Intention Alone—20min.avi       AVI video file, 30Mb
Marion Day—'Bigger Sound' by Intention Alone.pdf                    PDF text file, 200Kb
Marion Day—'Bigger Sound' by Intention Alone—20min.mp3   MP3 audio, 4Mb

This is an excerpt from one of the "Liberating Performers Brainstorming" sessions. Marion describes how, during a recording session, she became aware of her "attention space" (having difficulty coming in to the music which seemed "out there"), was able to correlate it with what the engineer was hearing, and make a change by altering her intention alone... (Trust me, the piece is more clear than this description!).  This piece is in three formats: the original video with audio, an audio version, and a text version transcribed from the audio.
 

My Nerve-Racked Auditions—a Voice Blog by Caroline Holden      web page

Confidence in one’s capacities is an essential ingredient for any performer, but if stage-fright or nerves are interfering with your auditions and performances, what do you do?. Find out in Caroline's short record of a LearningMethods class and subsequent e-mail exchange. There is also an audio interview of David Gorman by Caroline below...
 

David Gorman—Standing on Top—Stratford Library Intro—99min   MP3 audio, 31Mb

A 99-minute practical introductory demonstration to the "Standing on Top of the World" series about balance and support. This was given by David Gorman at the Stratford Public Library on 21 January 2011. (an 84 minute video of this presentation is available for sale here...)
 

David Gorman — "Standing on Top of the World" Intro part 1    MP3 audio - 31 min, 15Mb
David Gorman — "Standing on Top of the World" Intro part 2    MP3 audio - 36 min, 17Mb

These are live podcasts by David Gorman, organized by Robert Rickover on August 10, 2010. In them David delivers a guided demonstration of the first two parts of his "Standing on Top of the World" sequence on balance and support. Download the two parts or play them live from this site and follow along for your own experience of getting in touch with your system's inbuilt support mechanisms. There is also a DVD video of similar material, and a CD of workshops going through the entire sequence.
 

Yoga Perspectives by Mia Forbes Pirie ("Yoga & Health" magazine - A4)      PDF file - 11Mb

I have been giving an increasing number of workshops for yoga teachers and students. This is a series of monthly articles written by Mia Forbes Pirie for the UK-based yoga magazine, Yoga & Health. For this series she interviewed a collection of top yoga teachers from various styles (Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin. etc.) and me (the only non-yoga person). The series began in January 2010 and these PDF files will gradually get bigger as I add the various parts of the series as they come out. I think you'll not only learn about what the Anatomy of Wholeness and LearningMethods work has to offer the yoga community, but also a lot about yoga. I am also producing illustrations for the on-going series.
 

Liberating Performers – A series of mini-articles / handout sheets      PDF file (A4 size)
Liberating Performers – A series of mini-articles / handout sheets      PDF file (8.5"x11" size)

This series of 4 short articles based on the LearningMethods work for becoming free of performance anxiety is aimed at young performers, but also serves as a teaching guide for performance teachers to help in discussions and practical explorations with their students. The first article is by David Gorman, the next three are by David Robertson, a singer and singing teacher from Northern Ireland who is also a LearningMethods Apprentice teacher.  You may freely copy and print these for your students or spread them around to others.

Here is also a related small PDF of the steps we go through in the evolution of Performance Anxiety habit: David.Gorman--Evolution.of.a.Performance.Anxiety.Habit.pdf (equally applicable in social anxiety habits).

NOTE: Make sure to download the correct paper size for your region.
 

David Gorman — Interview on Alexander Technique by Robert Rickover       MP3, 64 min., 22Mb

This is the first of what will likely be several interviews by Robert Rickover for "Body Learning", a podcast site dedicated to the Alexander Technique. This 64 minute interview follows David's evolution as a teacher of the Alexander Technique then as a trainer of Alexander teachers through to the new directions in his work. It features areas he proposes for the future of the work.
 

David Gorman – MasterClass Interview by Caroline Holden      MP3, 55 min., 20Mb

This is the first of a series of interviews called "The Master Class" by Montreal singer and Alexander Technique teacher Caroline Holden. She plans to host more such interviews with teachers and performers on her web site: www.carolineholden.ca. This 55 minute interview covers how LearningMethods helps performers and how people can explore on their own without a teacher.
 

David Gorman – Interviewed by Paul Cook, Direction Journal      MP3, 71 min., 25Mb

This live Internet interview on 10 August 2009 was conducted by Paul Cook, editor of the Alexander Technique journal, Direction. It centred around the topic, the Future of the Alexander work, and judging from the audience response will be just the first of several interviews...
 

David Gorman—Interviewed by Luke Ford 2012-02-16    MP3, 109 min., 37Mb

This is an interview of David Gorman done by Luke Ford, an Alexander Technique teacher from California. The interviewer is a newly-qualified teacher and a blogger on the Alexander Technique and other topics. In this interview he was interested in exploring some of his favourite topics.
 

Just Ask The Right Questions – an article by Ben Kreilkamp about conquering depression 
       PDF file

This is a formatted reprint (1 sheet, 2 sides) of the article by Ben Kreilkamp, a LearningMethods Teacher, about how a single LearningMethods class liberated him from his long-standing depression. The article appeared in the February 2003 issue of Phoenix, a Minneapolis area monthly newspaper dedicated to recovery, change and  growth. Elsewhere on this web site there is a longer article, called "A Remarkable Encounter", describing this class and Ben's realizations.
 

JThe Human Voice - F. M. Alexander - a pamphlet published in 1900 
       PDF file

This is a pamphlet published by Alexander while he was still living in Australia. It gives an sense of his ideas about breathing and the voice and how he was teaching "elocution" at that time. It is almost more promotional publicity as it is an educational article.

On Belief Systems and Learning — The record of an AlexTech Debate      web pages

The record of an extensive and at times rowdy debate from the AlexTech (Alexander Technique) discussion group from 1988 sparked off by David Gorman querying the validity of one of the basic premises of the Alexander Technique and shedding light on the nature of the (then) new LearningMethods work. Read this as much to get insights into how people react to new things outside their experience as for the actual content...
Also available as a PDF download:      PDF file  (623Kb)

Interesting articles and recordings on science, education and health:  

— Articles on science and recent research, on education and teaching, and more

— Interesting published articles on health, fitness, ethics, etc. plus some book extracts

 
Science and Research — Papers and Recordings
 

How Animals Hold Their Heads (8.5" x 11" size)     PDF file
How Animals Hold Their Heads (A4 size)     PDF file

It seems that many (if not most) species of animals and birds, when they come to alertness and readiness, tend to hold their heads so that the horizontal semicircular canals in the skull are actually horizontal. In other words, they orient their heads to the space around them first, then orient the rest of the body to the head. But do humans also so this?  This paper by Prof. G. de Beer, president of the Linnean Society of London in 1947 argues one way, while in a special addendum to the article, T.D.M. Roberts of Glasgow University (author of "The Neurophysiology of Postural Mechanisms") argues differently (see below also).

Head Carriage and Semicircular Canals     PDF file

This is an excerpt from T.D.M. Robert's book, "The Neurophysiology of Postural Mechanisms" with material relevant to the above article — carriage of the head in animals and humans.
 

The Disease that Turns You to Bone     PDF file

This article from New Scientist starts off about a rare disease that freezes people by swly turning their muscles and connective tissue to bone. But it is really about discoveries of what triggers the calcification and, ultimately, the ossification of our movement tissues, especially tendons. As you'll see, overuse and excessive forces are part of the cause that sets the process in motion.
 

V. S. Ramachandran interviewed by A. C. Grayling on BBC     MP3 audio - 53 minutes, 19Mb

A fascinating interview of neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran by philosopher A. C. Grayling on the BBC World Service. The show delves into his groundbreaking work on phantom limbs, brain plasticity and the implications of mirror neurons among much else. Worth listening to for the stunning breadth and simple clarity of a pioneering explorer (as well as just to hear his rich Scottish accent)...
 

Dan Gilbert--Why are We Happy?       streaming video file (20 minutes)

Gilbert describes our "psychological immune system" and why being happy has very little to do with getting what we want but instead lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned. The page also has a complete written transcript of the talk (in the upper right).
 

Daniel Kahneman--The Riddle of Experience vs Memory       streaming video file (20 minutes)

Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, the Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics, Daniel Kahneman, reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy — and our own self-awareness. The page also has a complete written transcript of the talk (in the upper right).
 

The Real Reason for Brains       streaming video file (20 minutes)

Here is another one of those great talks from TED. This is by Daniel Wolpert, a neuroscientist, called "The Real Reason for Brains" in which he proposes that it is all about movement, and what he has to say has big implications for habits and learning — not that we didn't already know that, but it is nice to see it all be confirmed in the lab too, along with new details like the "movement predictor".
   

On Animal Movement       streaming video file (20 minutes)

And for another interesting but different video on the incredible ways that animals move (and how to build a foot that can walk or climb almost anywhere), check out this TED talk by Robert Full called "On Animal Movement". It is worth watching just to see the bipedal octopus disguised as a rolling stone but running along plain as day on two legs, or even more bizarre, the octopus walking along on two legs disguised as a branched algae bush - stunning...
 

Muscle Adaptations — Changes in length/flexibility, strength/power, and speed/endurance
      web page with links to PDF and audio/video files

This page brings together numerous articles and scientific papers on how muscles respond to the ways we use ourselves in daily life and how we exercise or train. These adaptations include changes in strength (muscle bulk) as well as changes in length (stretching and flexibility) and changes in muscle type (between the fast powerful but fatiguing muscle fibres and the red slower less powerful but non-fatiguing fibres). All these adaptations are inter-related and have profound implications for how our freedom, ease, health and how we function...
 

Tensegrity - a selection of articles by Donald Ingber      web page with links to PDF files

The articles linked to on this page are by Harvard cell biologist Ingber concerning the prevalence of tensegrity as a principle of biological structure from the micro-level of molecules and cells to the macro-level of tissues and whole organisms. Amongst other things, he delves into how the larger scale forces of physical use and misuse can directly affect cell function and gene expression.
 

Motor Learning – a lecture by Katherine Verdolini      MP3 audio file - 90 minutes, 33Mb

A talk by Katherine Verdolini about recent research into the neuropsychology of Motor Learning (skill-based learning or skill acquisition) presented to NATS (the US National Association Teachers of Singing) in 2006. The research detailed here is exciting as it validates the empirical discoveries and method of the LearningMethods work which evolved out of close observation, investigation and experiment with individuals. See recording below for more on her ideas of the teaching implications of this research as it begins to be explored...
 

Principles of Skill Acquisition – by Katherine Verdolini      PDF file

A PDF file of an essay by Katherine Verdolini covering much of the same territory as the above recording. Notice how her ideas for application (the 5 steps) do not really match the implications of the research, i.e. the research is solid but she is just beginning to explore the teaching implications. This essay is chapter 8 from the book, The Vocal Vision: Views on Voice by 24 Leading Teachers, Coaches and Directors published by Applause Books (2000)
 

How We Teach – a lecture by Katherine Verdolini      MP3 audio, 156 minutes, 57Mb

A talk by Katherine Verdolini presented to NATS (the US National Association of Teachers of Singing) in summer 2008 in which she presents her ideas about how to go about teaching singers based on the latest neuroscience research.  When you listen to the teaching process they are using you'll see that while she has taken some tentative steps out of the traditional ways of teaching, the insights and already-honed pedagogy of LearningMethods would fit here well...
 

Geoffrey Goldspink's research on "Red/White" muscle fibre adaptation
     web page with links to PDF files

Goldspink was the discoverer of the genetic program in muscles that allows them to change from the white, fast-twitch type fibres to the red, slow-twitch non-fatiguing type fibres and back again. This has immense implications for how we use ourselves and for anyone who works with others physically (body-work, rehabilitation, sports, performance, yoga, exercise, etc.). A must-read set of papers with a few extra bonus articles...
 

On Benjamin Libet: Is the Mind Ahead of the Brain? Behind It?      PDF file - 90Kb

Interesting discussion of Libet's fascinating research about whether the brain "knows" things and "makes choices" before you the conscious being does.
 

Articles by Martha Herbert -- Thoughtful articles by a Boston area neuroscientist

1. Sophistry or Sensitive Science       PDF file  (52Kb)
2. Incomplete Science – The Body and Indwelling Spirit      PDF file  (36Kb)
3. Autism – Brain Disorder or Disorder Affecting Brain      PDF file  (309Kb)
 

Liminal Consciousness  by E.R. Sorensen      PDF file  (6.6Mb)

In a variety of isolated human enclaves high levels of liminal awareness and response were the outstanding means by which people related to one another and their natural surroundings. When these enclaves were absorbed by the aggressively competitive social systems common in the world today, that type of awareness deteriorated along with the human concord it fostered.
 

 
Interesting Articles and Audio-Video material
 

The Perfect Runner (The Nature of Things)      Streaming video from CBC

How did our ancestors survive the shift from trees to land? How did Homo sapiens evolve to dominate the planet? How did our ancestors hunt before they developed weapons? Humans evolved the skill to become nature’s perfect endurance runners far earlier than the development of powerful brains giving them the ability to outrun all animals around them. Niobe Thompson hosts a journey that weaves cutting-edge science with gripping adventure, and asks what today’s runners can learn from our evolutionary past, including about barefoot running and how modern running shoes encourage a running style humans were never evolved to withstand.
This video may not be available if you are outside Canada. See also the article below.

The Humans who outrun Horses      web page

An article from the Sydney Morning Herald on the astounding long-distance running capabilities of humans (see also video above). From the article: "Horses can cover about 20 kilometres a day, while vast throngs of human runners, by comparison, routinely run 42.2-kilometre marathons in just a few hours, and each year tens of thousands of people complete ultra-marathons of 100 kilometres and longer".
 

Walking, Carrying Loads, and Efficiency      PDF file with embedded video

This PDF file contains three articles on research work by Cavagna and Heglund on how people can walk carrying large loads on their heads with minimal extra effort, along with its implications for normal walking and running...
 

Close Look at Orthotics Raises a Welter of Doubts.pdf – New York Times       web page

Benno M. Nigg has become a leading researcher on orthotics — those shoe inserts that many athletes use to try to prevent injuries. And what he has found is not very reassuring... 
Available as a downloadable PDF file below:
Close Look at Orthotics Raises a Welter of Doubts.pdf – New York Times      PDF file
 

The Painful Truth About Trainers (Running Shoes) – by Christopher McDougall       web page

This is an extract from 'Born To Run' by Christopher McDougall who claims that injury rates for runners are actually on the rise, that everything we've been told about running shoes is wrong — and that it might even be better to go barefoot...  Available as a downloadable PDF file below:
The Painful Truth About Trainers (Running Shoes) – by Christopher McDougall      PDF file
 

Why Shoes Make “Normal” Gait Impossible – by Dr. W. A. Rossi      PDF file

This is an interesting article by William A. Rossi, D.P.M. (doctor of podiatric medicine) on the nature of the foot and walking and how the construction of most shoes interfere with "normal" gait in humans.
 

Body and Sole – by Christine Ackers - 8.5" x 11" size      PDF file  (8.5"x11" size)

Subtitled, "A discourse on the practice of wearing orthotic insoles in shoes as a means if remedying poor posture", this article by Alexander Technique teacher and trainer Christine Ackers describes why the common practice of wearing orthotics is really not a good idea.  

"You Walk Wrong" – by Adam Sternbergh       web page

Another related article about the damage caused by modern shoes and the virtues of walking barefoot, or with shoes that safely allow the barefoot experience. This article is from New York Magazine, April 2008.  Available as downloadable PDF files below:
"You Walk Wrong" – by Adam Sternbergh - 8.5" x 11" size      PDF file  (8.5"x11" size)
"You Walk Wrong" – by Adam Sternbergh - A4 size      PDF file  (A4 size)
   

An Overview of Alexander Politics     PDF file

This is a short article by Ron Dennis, an Alexander Technique teacher from Atlanta, who wrote this as a primer on the various strands, groupings, and divisions within the AT world, as well as the evolution of its professional societies. It charts the history from Alexander up to 1992 to the formation of the so-called "affiliated societies" and ATI.
 

Stretching: The Truth—by Doug Richards      TVO video file (45 minutes)

An easy-to-follow and informative video from TVO (TV Ontario – a Public Broadcasting station) on the mechanics and physiology of stretching by well-known muscle physiologist and medical doctor  Doug Richards from the University of Toronto. It will almost certainly pop some of your myths about stretching and exercise — it did for me.

Stretching: The Truth—by Doug Richards      MP3 audio file  (45 minutes, 13Mb)

An audio-only downloadable version of the above video lecture...

Here is a related print article by a different author...

Stretching the Truth—Does Stretching Work?—by Paul Rogers     PDF file (8.5x11-size, 40 Kb)
Stretching the Truth—Does Stretching Work?—by Paul Rogers     PDF file (A4-size, 40 Kb)

A short article about stretching before and after exercise and sport (warm-ups and warm-downs) — do they work? what is best?
 

When Conscious Control is NOT an option.. & the "Right Thing" does NOT do itself..     PDF file

Alexander teacher, Gitte Fjordbo, explores what might be behind the "unteachable pupil". She looks at the persistence of early reflexes, especially the stress-reflexes (the Moro and the Fear Paralysis Reflex) and shows how these can affect functioning and interfere with learning if they have not "done their job" and gotten out of the way.
 

When The Moment Sings      AVI video (32 minutes, 215 Mb)

An interesting half-hour Scandinavian documentary about how rhythm and dance are an integral part of daily life and work in Africa, compared to Western lifestyles where this has largely been lost. It will make you want to move... 
 

Alexander Technique and Back Pain--BMJ Article     PDF file  (8.5" x 11" size)
Alexander Technique and Back Pain--BMJ Article      PDF file  (A4 size)

The results of the major back pain study funded (to the tune of $1.5 million) by the NHS and MRC (the UK National Health Service and the Medical Research Council both of which are UK government-funded bodies) have finally been published online by the prestigious British Medical Journal. This is a serious peer-reviewed randomized scientific trial and should generate a lot of interest from journalists and medics. One of the things likely to interest them most is that, unlike with conventional treatments, the subjects were still reporting benefits 12 months later. 

Addendum Graphs for AT Back Pain study     PDF file  (8.5" x 11" size)
Addendum Graphs for AT Back Pain study      PDF file  (A4 size)

See also this set of 2 graphs (links above) picturing the outcomes of the various groups in the study after 3 months and 12 months:

Alexander Technique and Back Pain--Media Reports      PDF file  (8.5" x 11" size)
Alexander Technique and Back Pain--Media Reports      PDF file  (A4 size)

This is a formatted compilation of the main news stories on the BMJ back pain study above. It leads off with a very good section from the NHS Knowledge Service (the UK National Health Service) on the study and then presents media articles from BBC News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Times — basically all the top media in the UK. These might be a little more user-friendly to hand out to people than the actual British Medical Journal scientific article which is dense going for those not used to digesting academic papers for breakfast...
 

Reforming Education – by Mortimer J. Adler      web page with links to PDF files

Contains 5 of the chapters from this book most concerned with student-centred learning and constructive teaching issues. There is a huge amount of relevant and eloquent material in these chapters (and, of course, some parts that are not so relevant)...
 

The Belief Engine  by James Alcock      PDF file  (41Kb)

"Why is it that in this highly scientific and technological age superstition and irrationality abound? It is because our brains and nervous systems constitute a belief-generating machine, an engine that produces beliefs without any particular respect for what is real or true and what is not. This belief engine selects information from the environment, shapes it, combines it with information from memory, and produces beliefs that are generally consistent with beliefs already held. This system is as capable of generating fallacious beliefs as it is of generating beliefs that are in line with truth. These beliefs guide future actions and, whether correct or erroneous, they may prove functional for the individual who holds them." Read more about the components of this "Belief Engine".
 

Ethics: The Teacher-Student Relationship      web page

A series of articles and essays on being clear about your practice polices, on understanding boundaries, on sexual and ethical considerations, on confidentiality, on dual relationships, and the value of ongoing supervision.
Also available as a PDF download:     PDF file (623Kb)
 

Ethics: Working with Survivors of Abuse      web page

An essay on understanding what it means to work with people who have suffered from abuse, mostly sexual abuse. The article touches on aspects of boundaries, on sexual and ethical considerations, on confidentiality, on dual relationships and supervision.
Also available as a PDF download:       PDF file  (623Kb)
 

On Conflict and Consensus Workbook      web page

This is the handbook for Formal Consensus, the wonderful decision-making process developed by C.T. Butler. (Also in French below.)
Also available as a PDF download:      PDF file  (271Kb)

Sur les conflits et les consensus       web page en français  
     Aussi disponible en format PDF (321Kb)

Forms and support material for LearningMethods Teachers and Apprentice-Teachers:

— Licences for Teachers, Trainees and those studying LM

— Documents and Release Forms pertaining to Publications and Audio/Visual Recordings

— Study Material on Ethics and Professional Conduct

— Brochures & Support Material for LearningMethods Teachers and Apprentices

Documents for LearningMethods Teachers, Apprentices, and those developing their teaching skills

For Teachers: 

NOTE: Check the "last updated..." dates below to make sure that you have the latest version. Thirty (30) days after being posted here, these versions become legally binding and take precedence over any older versions that you may have been sent or may have signed.
 

— Teacher Trademark Licence      web page              (go here to pay your Teacher Licence Fee)
This Licence Agreement must be signed by all certificated LearningMethods Teachers for them to have the legal right to use the LearningMethods name and logos to promote their work. It is renewable each 2 years subject to an assessment of the teacher's work during that period. 
(last updated 25 February, 2009)
 

— LearningMethods Code of Professional Conduct      web page
This is the Code of Professional Conduct that all LearningMethods Teachers must sign and uphold. There is one page to sign and return, one for you to keep.  (last updated 8 December 2014)
 

For Apprentice-Teachers:

— Apprenticeship Training Policy      web page
This Policy Agreement spells out the rights and responsibilities for those who are formally becoming LearningMethods Apprentice-Teachers. All of the Apprentice-Teachers must sign this document before they can do supervised teaching in the workshops and to gain access to Professional Development material.  (last updated 22 April, 2018)
 

For others who want help with teaching but do not wish to become LearningMethods Teachers:

— Supervised Teaching Policy      web page
This document is for those who do not want to become formal teachers of the LearningMethods work, but who either:
— are already teachers in some area and wish to gain further tools for their existing teaching, or
— who wish to get practical help with their ability to informally help friends, colleagues and others
    and thus wish to have supervised help with teaching.  (last updated 28 December, 2004)

LearningMethods Publications and Audio-Visual Recordings
 

Licence Agreements and Release Forms
 

NOTE: Check the "last updated..." dates below to make sure that you have the latest version. Thirty (30) days after being posted here, these versions become legally binding and take precedence over any older versions that you may have been sent or may have signed.

— End-User Licence Agreement      web page
This is the Licence Agreement that you agree to when you purchase and watch or listen to any of the LearningMethods Recordings available to the public or to participants of workshops. 
(last revised 30 December 2004)
 

— End-User Licence Agreement – for e-books      web page
This is the Licence Agreement that you agree to when you purchase and/or read any of the e-books from LearningMethods Publications.
 

— Professional Licence Agreement      web page
This is the Licence Agreement that LearningMethods Teachers or Apprentice-teachers must sign in order to have access to confidential professional development and training materials.
(last revised 25 March 2018)
 

— Release Form      web page
This is the form to be filled out and signed by anyone who is giving permission for a recording of their pieces of work to be made available for others to study and learn from. 
(last revised 27 April, 2004)
 

— Standing Permission Release Form      web page
This is the form to be filled out and signed by anyone who wants to give a standing permission (i.e. ongoing permission) for recordings of their pieces of work to be made available for others to study and learn from.  (last revised 27 April 2004)

Documents on Ethics and Professional Conduct
 

NOTE: Check the "last updated..." dates below to make sure that you have the latest version. Thirty (30) days after being posted here, these versions become legally binding and take precedence over any older versions that you may have been sent or may have signed.
 

— LearningMethods Code of Conduct      web page
This is the Code of Professional Conduct that all LearningMethods Teachers must sign and uphold.    (last updated 8 December, 2014)
 

— Ethics: The Teacher-Student Relationship      web page

A series of articles and essays on being clear about your practice polices, on understanding boundaries, on sexual and ethical considerations, on confidentiality, on dual relationships, and the value of ongoing supervision.
Also available as a PDF download:     PDF file (623Kb)
 

— Ethics: Working with Survivors of Abuse      web page

An essay on understanding what it means to work with people who have suffered from abuse, mostly sexual abuse. The article touches on aspects of boundaries, on sexual and ethical considerations, on confidentiality, on dual relationships and supervision.
Also available as a PDF download:       PDF file  (623Kb)

Brochures and Support Material for LearningMethods Teachers and Apprentices
 

— List of LM Teachers and Apprentice-teachers      web page
This is a simple listing of the practising LM teachers and the places they work with their contact details. There is also a listing of the current senior Apprentice-teachers and their contact details.  (in both A4 and 8½"x11" sizes)
 

— Where the LM work is or has been taught      web page             aussi en français
This is a formatted colour 2-page listing of the various schools, institutions, etc. where the LearningMethods work is or has been taught. It can be helpful when applying for work, supporting applications for grants, or for use in brochures, etc. (in both A4 and 8½"x11" sizes).
 

—  Liberating Performers – A series of mini-articles / handout sheets      PDF (A4 size)
Liberating Performers – A series of mini-articles / handout sheets      PDF (8.5"x11" size)
This series of 4 short articles based on the LearningMethods work for becoming free of performance anxiety is aimed at young performers, but also serves as a teaching guide for performance teachers to help in discussions and practical explorations with their students. The first article is by David Gorman, the next three are by David Robertson, a singer and singing teacher from Northern Ireland who is also a LearningMethods Apprentice teacher.  You may freely copy and print these for your students or spread them around to others. NOTE: Download the correct paper size for your region.
 

— Sample "Student Information - Session Policy" information packs      web page
These are 2-page formatted samples of information packs you can hand out to new students - one about in-person sessions and the other about telephone-Internet sessions. Both contain the details you might want a new student to know so that there is less chance of misunderstandings regarding your practice, fees, policies on cancellation, etc.  These are in both A4 and letter (8½"x11") sizes.
 

— Article in Symfo'ni Magazine about a grant to an LM Trainee-teacher      web page
This is a formatted greyscale page with a copy of the article in the Swedish musicians magazine, Symfo'ni, about Lena Jonhäll receiving a large grant to further her training as a LearningMethods teacher. It can be helpful to show the interest and support in the work.
 

— Article in Phoenix by Ben Kreilkamp about conquering depression      web page
This is a formatted reprint (1 sheet, 2 sides) of the article by Ben Kreilkamp about how a single LearningMethods class liberated him from his long-standing depression. The article appeared in the February 2003 issue of Phoenix, a Minneapolis area monthly newspaper dedicated to recovery, change and  growth. Elsewhere on this web site there is a longer article, called "A Remarkable Encounter", describing this class and Ben's realizations.