“My wish is to teach the Alexander Technique with enthusiasm, empathy, humor and commitment!”
My story, the blind spot
At 14, I’m practicing the violin at home—focused, tense, my breathing stuck, but unaware. After 19 repetitions of a difficult passage, I make a mistake and start over. I can’t see the root cause: tension in my body from my rigid mindset and stressful practice habits.
By 16, I’m in the Conservatory orchestra. My body feels tense and disconnected as I struggle to follow the conductor, read music, and listen at the same time. Frustrated, I simply practice harder.
At 18, pain strikes my left wrist. I ignore it, hoping it will pass, but it becomes constant. Advice from physiotherapists and posture therapists doesn’t help—they only treat the symptoms, not the cause. I’m told to “stand up straight,” but the stiff, forced posture feels unnatural.
By 22, after my fifth bout of tendonitis, I stop playing until I find the real cause. After 1.5 years of failed treatments, I discover the Alexander Technique. Skeptical at first, the lessons help me release tension, coordinate my movements, shift my thinking, and breathe freely. Slowly, I reconnected with my musicality—and myself.
In 2002, I became a certified Alexander Technique teacher. Two years later, I earned a first violin position in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 2025 I am performing pain-free for 23 years with joy and freedom I never thought possible.
For over two decades, I’ve helped hundreds of musicians overcome physical, mental, and emotional challenges to unlock their potential.
Many musicians struggle to practice without stress, don’t know how to reprogram tense movement patterns, or how to rediscover lost musical flow. Habitually separating music from technique and focusing on details, worries, and tensions often fuels performance anxiety and blocks musical joy—usually without them realizing it.
Without addressing these issues, musicians risk burnout, injury, or stagnation.
My approach is never one-size-fits-all. Instead, I act as a detective, uncovering each musician’s unique blind spots, solving their individual puzzle, and addressing their specific needs.
Feel free to email me so we can evaluate your situation together. I’ll help you start putting the pieces of your puzzle together and provide a fresh perspective to move forward!
Would you like to hear me play Debussy sonata? Click here
About Me
My name is Maaike Aarts, and my life’s passions revolve around music, the Alexander Technique, self-development, and exploring new horizons.
I teach the Alexander Technique through my private practice, at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and the Academy of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Additionally, I conduct workshops for companies and orchestras, teach at summer courses, and provide audition training. Notably, I organize Alexander Technique retreats with my esteemed colleague, Doris Hochscheid.
After obtaining my Master’s degree from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, I served as a first violinist in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 2004 to 2010. However, I eventually left the orchestra to dedicate more time to my Alexander Technique practice and teaching.
From 2014 to 2018, I held the position of associate concertmaster with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, performing alongside the orchestra’s artistic leader and concertmaster, Gordan Nikolic. Although a 65% role, allowing for my private practice, the balance was less than ideal. By the end of 2018, I made the bold decision to leave my position and fully pursue my dream of spreading the Alexander Technique’s principles more widely within society and the music world.
Between 2019 and 2023, I developed the “Think Up” Alexander Technique app and expanded my teaching endeavors through workshops, retreats, and conservatory instruction. However, I deeply missed the regular performance experience with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. In June 2023, I auditioned and secured a part-time (50%) tutti first violin position, allowing me to rejoin my beloved ensemble while maintaining my Alexander Technique teaching commitments.
With over 22 years of teaching experience, I’m eager to share my knowledge and address the clear societal and musical need for learning how to prevent injuries, cultivate poise and coordination without unnecessary tension, reprogram unhelpful movements through mindful re-coordination, reconnect with ourselves and our surroundings, enhance mental strength, and foster a state of flow.
I’ve had the privilege of working with musicians from renowned ensembles, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Dutch Ballet Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra (now Phion), North Netherlands Orchestra, Jeugd Orkest Nederland, and Nederlandse fluit academie (NeFLAC).
As a certified teacher registered with STAT and NeVLAT, I studied for three years at the Alexander Technique Centre Amsterdam, graduating in December 2002 with Paul Versteeg and Tessa Marwick. Until 2019, I was a member of the teaching staff at ATCA, providing hands-on instruction to new Alexander Technique trainees.
Continuously seeking to expand my knowledge, I’ve pursued private lessons with esteemed teachers like Missy Vineyard and John Nicholls, as well as additional training on pregnancy and childbirth with Ilana Machover. Furthermore, I’ve actively participated in all international congresses on the Alexander Technique since 2008.
