Toward Center

Overview

Taking a beautiful journey inward to develop and expand the performing arts

Practical ideas and an introduction to the philosophy of being “centered” in life are at the core of this helpful exploration. Detailing how the power of Center can ground performance, teaching, and learning and offering first-hand examples of how the philosophy is used to prepare for life on the stage, this account reveals the importance of Centering in day-to-day living. Featuring a succinct definition of Center and breathing exercises to help access this unique sense of focus, this tool is a beautifully illustrated and invaluable resource for performers, actors, conductors, and teachers alike.

Reviews

"As all roads once led to Rom, the peak of a mountain is accessible from all sides; the "center" of our spherical earth could be accessed, in theory, from any point of entry. Toward Center by James Jordan and Nova Thomas provides one more such point of access to the creation and performance of art on an infinite surface. Its message and its method merit serious reading and consideration." —James Conlon, from the Foreword of Toward Center

Author Biography

James Jordan is the author of 18 books and recordings, including The Choral Warm-Up, Evoking Sound, and The Musician’s Walk. He is the senior conductor at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. He lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Nova Thomas is an internationally acclaimed soprano, director of the music theater program at Rider University, and the chair of the voice and speech program at the New School for Drama of the New School University in New York. She lives in New York City. James Conlon is an opera and orchestra conductor and the Los Angeles Opera’s Richard Seaver Music Director. He lives in Los Angeles.