Frederick Mathias Alexander (or F.M, as his friends call him) was born in 1869 in Australia and began his
career as a stage performer with a passion for Shakespeare and poetry recitation. As he built his career as
an actor, he encountered a persistent issue: frequent hoarseness and at times, a complete loss of voice.
F.M’s vocal problems persisted despite seeking medical advice and trying vocal treatments from a specialist.
After deducting that the root problem was something that he was doing to himself, Alexander was driven to
find the root cause himself. Refusing to believe that the problem was hopeless, he began observing his
habitual physical behaviors while performing. What began as a personal quest to resolve a vocal challenge
evolved into a groundbreaking investigation into human movement, mental discipline, and an exploration into
what “thinking really is”. He discovered that thinking and fixed beliefs about oneself could interfere with
natural coordination and performance. He later described this as the beginning of a completely new area of
inquiry.
In the early 20th century, Alexander moved to London to share his findings. He soon gained recognition and
worked with prominent figures such as Sir Henry Irving, Aldous Huxley, and George Bernard Shaw, who admired
his insights. Over the course of his life, Alexander published four books and launched a training program
for teachers to ensure that his technique (what he called “The work”) would continue after his death in
1955.
Today, Alexander’s work has inspired a variety of interpretations and teaching styles. One such approach is
the Interactive Teaching Method (ITM), developed by Dr. Don Weed. A former actor and chiropractor with a
love for baseball, Don began studying in the 1970s under Marjorie Barstow—the first person ever certified by
F.M. Alexander to teach his method.
Influenced by Marjorie’s dedication and her interpretation of Alexander’s principles, Don created the ITM as
a way to explore the work in a clear, practical, and life-enhancing manner. His approach consistently helps
students cultivate greater ease, reasoning abilities, and enjoyment in the reaching of their dreams again
and again.