Our Faculty

Peter Jacobson, Founder & Director

Peter Jacobson is a music artist-teacher with a passion for making and teaching music in a way that includes the whole person – mind, body and spirit. His work stands at the intersection of personal story, the whole human being, musical sound and artistic skill.

He has earned advanced degrees in Orchestral Conducting from University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University as well as a bachelors of music education from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN). His teachers have included Marin Alsop, Leon Fleisher, Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, Donald Schleicher and Markand Thakar.

In addition to being a teacher, conductor, multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger, Peter is an AmSAT-certified (American Society of the Alexander Technique) teacher of the Alexander Technique. He did his 3-year, 1600-hour Alexander Technique teacher training at the Alexander Technique Mid-Atlantic and Alexander Technique Urbana. He is also a Certified Transformative Coach (Supercoach Academy).

Peter is the Founder and Executive Director of The Mind Body Music School, which offers an integrative approach to music education that combines Alexander Technique and Body Mapping with the core principles of effective music learning.

He has taught workshops to musicians at: Peabody Conservatory (USA), Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel (Belgium), Toronto NATS Chapter (Canada), Gettysburg College (USA), Shepherd University (USA), Orchestra Institute of Napa Valley (USA), Towson University (USA), Zagreb Academy of Music (Croatia), University of Graz (Austria), University of Minnesota-Morris (USA), Gustavus Adolphus College (USA) and Mindful Music Making (Germany).

Peter lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and when he's not working, you'll find him listening to music, reading, and experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen.

Michael Hanko, Teacher

Michael Hanko founded his NYC-based training program, FreeBody FreeVoice, to integrate his expertise in three fields: voice training, Alexander Technique, and gentle-touch bodywork. A graduate of Princeton University with a degree in Music, he received his certification as an Alexander teacher from the American Center for the Alexander Technique. Michael studied vocal technique and vocal pedagogy for over a decade under the renowned master Cornelius Reid. He has trained in multiple bodywork modalities at the Upledger and Barral Institutes. Michael writes and performs his own musical theater works and appears as a classical baritone soloist in oratorios and concerts.

Michael teaches classes and private lessons, both in his studio and online to students throughout the world. Along with his TVF contributions, he has taught group classes in such venues as the Juilliard School and the William Esper Studio. His classes have focused on many topics, including Overcoming Stage Fright, Vocal Technique Mastery, Alexander Technique for Performers, and The Joy of Walking. You can read more of Michael’s story here.

Eleni Vosniadou, Teacher

Eleni Vosniadou is a teacher of the Alexander Technique and founder of the Body Consciousness For Musicians course, specific to instrumentalists and singers who face pain or who want to improve their relationship with the instrument or with their voices. In Brazil, she is frequently invited to offer a series of training courses for the faculty of EMESP – São Paulo State School, and the Guri Santa Marcelina project, a project of the state government of São Paulo.

In 2014 she presented the impact of the application of the Alexander Technique in music education at the 31st World Music Education Congress of ISME (International Society of Music Education) in Porto Alegre. Body Consciousness Lectures and Workshops For Musicians in various spaces and music institutions, including FASM – Faculdade Santa Marcelina, UNESP – Paulista State University, FAMOSP – Faculdade Mozarteum de São Paulo, Baccarelli Institute, SESC Research and Training Center, among others. In 2016 Eleni was invited to join the Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum faculty in Salzburg, Austria.

Molly Kittle, Teacher

As a teacher, musician, and artist, Molly Kittle’s mission is to empower her students and clients with tools to find ease, depth, and freedom in any activity. Not only is she passionate about conveying the power of natural movement and mechanics, she intends to help people access their own unique innateness and grace, so that they may lead richer, more meaningful lives. During her undergraduate and postgraduate studies where she majored in Vocal Performance, Molly encountered the Alexander work. Inspired by the vocal and expressive freedom she found as a result of studying the technique, she discovered her passion for working with musicians and serving others through this innovative method.

Molly holds a Bachelor of Music degree in classical vocal performance from University of Denver and has graduate education in voice performance and pedagogy from Northwestern University. Molly’s experience and love of performing is quite versatile, spanning the genres of opera, Baroque, contemporary classical, jazz, and world folk styles.

You can learn about Molly's work on her Sound Body website.

Darci Balkcom, Teacher

Darci Balkcom is a singer, Alexander teacher, and yoga instructor living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Darci is the Vocal Division Coordinator and Alexander Technique teacher at New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe and privately. She leads workshops in Alexander Technique, Vocal Health, and Yoga for Vocalists. She is on the faculty at Montecito Music Festival, Los Angeles, teaching both Alexander Technique and Yoga for singers. As a guest teacher, Darci has taught Alexander technique around the United States at places like University of Texas El Paso, University of New Mexico, Rio Grande NATS Chapter, Santa Fe Opera, and the University of Alaska.

Darci holds a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the University of New Mexico. As a professional performer, Darci has sung as a soloist in oratorio and opera with groups such as Boulder Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, La Musica Lirica in Italy, and Quintessence. Darci’s experience and love of music spans many genres including, musical theatre, chant, gaelic, folk, art song, and opera. Darci is a very passionate educator and performer, constantly inspired to further her knowledge of the body, mind, voice, and music. She is dedicated to applying the principles inspired by the work of F.M. Alexander to her teaching and life.