Tai Chi for Musicians & All
Study Tai Chi with a Pro-Musician... Learn to de-stress & take better care of yourself!
Tai Chi circles in music life.
Guitarist/Producer Steve Wright has studied Qigong (chee gong) & Tai Chi since 2008 from a variety of skilled masters and practitioners. Steve teaches from a blend of the following (authentic) internal & external skills to help musicians achieve optimal health and self-confidence as well as a greater since of well- being: Traditional Yang Tai Chi Ch’uan 108 form, Relaxation Qigong, Seated/Standing Meditation, Internal Qigong Awareness, Push Hands and Martial Application techniques.
Tai Chi is a great physical and mental exercise to help remind us of a complimentary way to incorporate or practice relaxation through circular movements of the mind and body. The correlations between the arts of Tai Chi and Music could literally seem endless, if you begin to visualise what you’re hearing in music as being comparable to shapes or feelings of circular movement, especially as it relates to rhythm and playing relaxed regardless of genre or instrument, as well as singing or playing our instruments under control without thought and with a quiet mind. Tai Chi is literally translated as Grande Ultimate, this is profound because Tai Chi is well-known to emphasise important life lessons about cause and effect. Furthermore, these lessons can be applied to any activity or non-activity, (Yin and Yang).
One of the most important aspects of music is how it feels and how a musician gravitates towards this in his/her playing. The great players always feel good... in other words, it’s not what, but how they play. Musicians with great "feel" like Hendrix, Scofield, Metheny, Benson, Frampton, Wes and many others each have a great groove or bounce feeling in their phrasing and approach to how they interpret groove in their music. This feeling has often been described as "playing behind the beat" or "playing in the pocket". This feeling can also be described as circular rhythm...large and small circles chosen freely and without thought. All Tai Chi movement is based on the theory of large and small circles. Tai Chi is a practice of life principles that helps remind us that circular movement is the path of least resistance for health and self-defense. In this class series, we'll begin by learning large circular movement and then progress deeper to smaller ones. Becoming more aware of cyclical patterns in life practice and performance are very fulfilling, transformative and long lasting.
Class Description
Qigong
Tai Chi Form
Martial Applications
Push Hands
About the Instructor
Steve Wright has over 26 years professional working experience as electric and acoustic guitarist, and 18 years experience teaching private and group guitar lessons, and conducting workshops/clinics at community music centers and schools. He has an extensive educational and work background, including an MMus Performance (jazz guitar) degree from London College of Music, with honors of distinction where he completed his dissertation on Tai Chi for Musicians. Steve completed a year of doctoral studies at University of Nottingham in Guitar Performance with a research emphasis on Tai Chi, Qigong, mindfulness and spiritual concepts for musicians. Steve has a versatile playing style in Rock, Jazz, Pop, Soul, Blues and Gospel. He also has 6 years professional Yang style Tai Chi & Qigong teaching experience, and he is Certified with over 8 years Traditional Tai Chi Ch’uan and Qigong study.
As a professional member of the National Qigong Association, Steve has over 500 hours of Certified Qigong training and over 3000 hours of formal Traditional 108 Yang Style Tai Chi Ch’uan Form training, He is well-versed in many styles of Qigong: Tai Chi Ch’uan, Static/Relaxation Qigong, Meditation, Neigong Qigong, Chan Sau Silk Reeling, Push Hands and applications.
Steve studied many facets of Qigong and Tai Chi with two of the foremost experts in the art, Donald Mead and Dimitri Edwards both in Atlanta, GA. His Qigong guru/teacher, Donald Mead, has studied all over the U.S. and China with Qigong and Tai Chi Masters such as Grandmaster Liang Shou-Yu, Ken Cohen, Bruce K. Frantzis, Dr. Lin He Qing, Paul Pitchford, Mark Johnson, Paul Gallahger, Jerry Allen Johnson, and others. Steve also studied Tai Chi Push hands in Oxford, UK with Phil Muil (a student of Master Chen Xiaowang), and Wu Style Tai Chi Fundamentals with Joel Rodriguez at Eagle Claw Kung Fu Center in Atlanta, GA.
Steve founded the UWL (University of West London) Tai Chi Society where he taught weekly classes. He also teaches Tai Chi and Qigong at several health, yoga, and community centers including Kaiser Permanente, YMCA, Breathe Yoga, as well as privately throughout metro Atlanta, GA. His sensitivity and ability to pass on the knowledge he’s learned inspires his students to new depths of wellness.
