My Story

Many people who practice and teach the Alexander Technique come from a background of pain and suffering, and by learning and embracing the practices of the Alexander Technique they finally found relief. I hear these stories again and again, and it is incredibly encouraging that the technique helped them, and that they are now trained to help others in the same way.  My story is a little different.  I have been a musician my entire life – since as long as I can remember – and much of my adulthood has been spent in performing and teaching music at the professional level.  I never suffered from performance-related pain or injury in my career, yet there seemed to be a recurrent theme amongst my colleagues and my students:  the vast majority of people around me were suffering from debilitating tension and/or pain while making music.  

I was lucky enough to have met Barbara Conable in the early 80s at a music conference.  She presented a workshop on the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping for musicians.  Looking back now, I realize that this encounter probably changed my life.  Her teachings from that workshop percolated in my thinking for many years, until it became clear to me that I could help my students and my colleagues, and countless others, if I could teach the discoveries of Frederick Matthias Alexander.   

I completed my AT training in 2012 at Chesapeake Bay Alexander Studies, and consequently certified through Alexander Technique International.  I am still an active orchestral and chamber music performer, and I am the oboe professor at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where I also teach the course “The Alexander Technique and Body Mapping” each semester.  In addition, I am active teaching the Alexander Technique on a private and online basis, as well as presenting workshops and clinics at various schools, conferences, retreats and music camps throughout the year.

For full bio, click here. BIO.PETREA.WARNECK