Alain Jacques

Alain Jacques (born 1st November 1940) has been in his life a Mathematician, an Alexander Teacher, a Lecturer in Communication and Personal Development and a Counsellor, as well as being also a Mentor and a Composer of melodies.
Alain was born in Rabat, Morocco and grew up in Morocco until 15 when his father, a medical doctor holding the position of Regional Director of Public Health, gave his resignation and returned to France. Alain studied in Dijon preparing the entrance to Ecole Polytechnique, then continuing his undergraduate studies in Mathematics at the University of Dijon. He got his Master Degree of Mathematics in 1965 from Paris University and received a 'Doctorat de 3ème cycle' (equivalent to Ph.D) in Mathematics (27 Jan 1969).
His work and publications on Topological graph theory led him to create and develop the theory of Combinatorial map, which has inspired many PhDs and has been expanded by Arthur White. His Ph.D. has been quoted in the main books on topological graphs and maps . From 1967 Alain was Assistant-Professor, then Maître-Assistant (Assistant professor or Senior lecturer) in Mathematics at the University of Paris VIII until 1977 when he resigned.
Alain trained in the Alexander Technique with Walter Carrington in London from 1973 to 1976 when he graduated. He taught the Alexander Technique at Guilhall Drama School in London in 1976-1977, and also had among his students the famous British flutist William Bennett. He then taught privately in Paris from 1978 to 1981.
From 1977 Alain trained in Meditation and Yoga under the guidance of Swami Muktananda and directed the Paris Siddha Yoga Meditation Centre from 1979 to 1981, and then spent 3 years in Muktananda's Ashram in India (1981-1984).
From 1984 to 1987 he taught the Alexander Technique and Yoga in Annemasse, at the edge of Geneva, Switzerland. He worked also in close collaboration with Doctor Christian Tal Schaller, director of the "Fondation Soleil" and author of many books in French on Natural Medicine under the pen name Docteur Soleil..
From 1987 to 1989 he worked in San Francisco while taking many courses with the Werner Ehrard & Associates company and doing the Avatar Course.
Alain finally established himself in Melbourne, Australia, teaching the Alexander Technique at Victorian College of the Arts, School of Music from 1989 to 1992, at the Council of Adult Education (CAE), from 1990 to 1993, and privately.
In Melbourne Alain was also Lecturer in Communication and Counselling at Australian College of Natural Medicine from 1997 to 2007, and in Human Relations as well as in the Alexander Technique at the Southern School of Natural Therapies from 1999 to 2007.
Alain also started to set in music a few famous French poems when he met the great tenor Jacques Pottier with whom he took voice lessons for 3 years. During that time they developed a deep friendship which led Jacques to want to sing Alain's songs. Also Jacques encouraged Alain to write more songs as he loved them so much. So Alain ended composing 72 melodies on poems of French Literature, making a whole anthology of French Poetry in music. Together Alain and Jacques recorded a first album of 4 of those melodies with Jacques singing on the guitar accompaniment of James Cannon (2002). Then they recorded a complete album of 12 of Alain's melodies, called Florilège vol. 1, with the accompaniment of Melchior Martin (2004). Some of those songs were broadcasted on SBS and ABC FM radios in Australia. In 2006, under the technical and artistic direction of Alain, they recorded an album of popular French songs with a studio accompaniment from Belgium, called Beloved Songs of France (2006). The success of these recordings among both professionals and laymen pushed Jacques to return to sing and record Opera arias. They started the recording of an album of 15 famous Opera arias, called Beloved Opera Arias --which is due to be released in early 2010, before Jacques eightieth birthday.

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