Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869 – 1955)

He was born on 29th January in Wynyard, on the northwest coast of Tasmania, now one of the states of the Australian Commonwealth. He was the oldest of seven children born to John Alexander and Betsy Brown.

In 1886, at the age of 17, he began working at the Mount Bischoff Tin Mining Company. He became an assistant to the mine accountant, Frank A. Horne. When he was 20, as he writes, “I started on what was to me a great adventure”. He left home for Melbourne, Victoria. Here he kept himself gainfully employed in a variety of jobs. During this time, he became increasingly interested in his recitation career. After recovery from illness, he took employment with a firm of tea merchants and, he continues, “did all that was possible in my own time to prepare for a career as reciter with a small selected repertoire that gave me [the opportunity] to run the gamut of dramatic and humorous expression.” However, he was “much worried by the recurrence of hoarseness and lowered vitality.” He had already commenced research into his use:“I considered that the source of the trouble lay in the use of my vocal organs.”

In spite of this difficulty, he embarked on a career as a reciter and experienced considerable success.

He was, however, increasingly restricted by his vocal difficulties and intensified his search to rectify the problem. He details his efforts in his book The Use of the Self.