Ariana Pedrosa

Ariana Pedrosa

Ariana Pedrosa – English

About

My interests are many, and I enjoy drawing parallels between them. Listening to stories, being in nature, swimming, biking, engaging in conversations, cooking with others, dancing – all this and more interests me.

Yet when it comes to formal training, I stand on two solid foundations: musician and certified Alexander Technique teacher.

My journey as a musician has been extensive. I play the bassoon. I have years of experience in orchestras and chamber music groups, and even a choro group. I teach individual lessons, group lessons, instrument lessons, music theory, and musical education. I hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in music, with a deep interest in music research.

My Alexander Technique path has also been lengthy. I first encountered the technique after suffering from acute tendinitis in my left arm. The Alexander Technique has been accompanying me ever since then. When the pandemic hit, I decided to pursue two trainings simultaneously: one in Body Awareness for Musicians and the other to become a certified Alexander Technique teacher. After nearly four years of studies and experience in this field, I also became, what F.M. Alexander would call, a teacher of psychophysical re-education.

Today, I practice these modalities both separately and in an integrated way: Alexander Technique, Body Awareness for Musicians, Music and Movement, and Music.

Ariana

Bio

Ariana Pedrosa is a bassoonist, researcher, and educator.

In 2000, she completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), shortly after securing the position of bassoonist and contrabassoonist with the Minas Gerais Symphony Orchestra, and later, in 2008, with the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra.

She continued to pursue academic activities alongside her professional performance career. In 2007, she obtained her Master’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Université de Montréal, and later, in 2019, completed her Doctorate, also in Performance, at the same institution. Her doctoral research explores the intersection of popular and classical music within Brazilian concert music for bassoon.

Ariana served as a substitute bassoon professor at UFMG from 2009 to 2011. Between 2019 and 2021, while residing in Toronto, she taught at the University of Toronto and in her private studio. In 2020, she joined an international research group dedicated to the musical legacy of French bassoonist Noël Devos.
In addition to her teaching and research, Ariana Pedrosa has conducted workshops at various universities. Her workshops, titled “The Preparation of Musical Performance through the Multimodal Process” and “Body Awareness for Musicians,” integrate her extensive knowledge of the Alexander Technique.

In 2023, she joined the Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI) in Ottawa. To further deepen her expertise in this area, she completed a training in Body Awareness for Musicians in 2023 and the Alexander Technique Teacher Training Program at the Montreal School of Alexander Technique in 2024. Since 2022, she has been based in Montreal, where she continues her work and contributions in the field of music.

Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique promotes a deep reconnection between body and mind, restoring dynamic balance and the natural fluidity of movements. Created by Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) to relieve the pain and hoarseness that compromised his career as a Shakespearean actor, this technique teaches practitioners to develop conscious control over their use of themselves through thought.
 
The purpose of the Alexander Technique goes beyond relaxation or simple body awareness; its goal is to unlock the full potential of the mind and body, avoiding excessive effort and unnecessary compensation. By improving coordination, posture, movements, and breathing, the Alexander Technique contributes to a general state of harmony and well-being, positively impacting all areas of life.

More about the Alexander Technique:

 
Individual lessons
Group lessons
 

Body Awareness for Musicians

This course aims to promote a new perspective and a new relationship with your own body, your instrument, and the process of musical practice and preparation. We will engage in exercises and practices of body awareness to cultivate the perception of the body in musical practice and daily life; learn about the anatomy and functioning of our body (body mapping for musicians); and incorporate the basic principles of the Alexander Technique during practice and performance.

The course is open to musicians of all levels (professionals, amateurs, students, teachers, etc.) and musical styles.

Participants are invited to bring their musical instruments to the sessions. Every participant will have the opportunity to address issues from their own musical practice and receive personalized instruction.

In this introductory experience, we will address topics such as:

  • Posture, breathing, dynamic balance, and body-instrument relationship;
  • Essential anatomy for musicians;
  • Performance preparation;
  • Spatial perception and connection with the audience;
  • Warm-up and cool-down routines.

If you are unable to participate in the live sessions, you can follow the classes by watching the recordings that will be available within 24 hours of the session.

Want to know more? Click here:
https://elenivosniadou.com/ccpm-2024/

Consciência Corporal

Individual or group lessons

Music and Movement

Bringing together some of my knowledge

The **Music and Movement** workshop aims to explore the beats and rhythms of music in an integral way, using the body as an instrument in a creative process that combines warm-up, body percussion, instruments, dance, and group activities. The goal is to provide joy, stimulate creativity, promote personal expression, and encourage social interaction.

I believe that encouraging creativity and body awareness is fundamental to everyone’s well-being. The arts are accessible to anyone and, especially for older adults, can serve as a source of relief and an opportunity to revive, strengthen, and intensify the joy of living. Since my return to Montreal in 2022, I have conducted this workshop for adults on the basis of my decades-long experience with intergenerational musical activities, grounded in the rich Brazilian choro tradition. Inspired by this tradition, the workshop begins with a simple warm-up, followed by body percussion and interdependent polyrhythms, and culminates in an original performance.

By using body percussion and the principles of the Alexander Technique, this workshop aims to deepen creativity, cooperation, and a sense of community. Participants will listen to traditional Brazilian music and create an accompaniment with body percussion. In the end, we will dance and play together, enjoying our full potential!