Alessandra Massari
Alessandra Massari has approached the world of percussion instruments since the age of 19, during a long tour in Togo, Western Africa. There, she got fascinated by the central role of music in the local population's daily life: on that occasion, she was able to catch both the communicative aspect and the universal message of it. Back in Italy, she decided to take up studying percussions with the teacher Adolfo Valeri; then, she deepens her knowledge of Afro-Cuban music at the school 'Timba', having Roberto Evangelisti as a teacher for four years. At the same school, she collaborates with musicians of high level like Giancarlo Ciminelli, Juan Carlos Albelo Zamora, Valter Paiola, El Goyo. In the same years, she attends workshops of African percussions with Badu N'Diaye, of Eastern percussions with Mohamed Abdalla, Brasilian percussions with Neney Santos.
Besides the studies of percussions, she takes part in musical events in Rome as a solo musician and in ensemble with bands of the local music scene, some of which she contributes to founding. In her concert activity, she ranges from Rock and Pop to Latin, Blues, Folk, and Soul, performing in several Italian locations, theatres, clubs, and festivals, including the 'Festival della Canzone popolare e d'autore' (Festival of popular singer-songwriters) Musicultura.
In 2003, Alessandra played in a band composed of sixty African percussionists in the TV show 'Stasera pago io', conducted by Fiorello, and in 2010 she participated with a quartet band in the TV program 'Ti lascio una canzone' conducted by Antonella Clerici.
The passion for percussion...
...leads Alessandra to take on new paths, in order to deepen her knowledge in the relationship between man and sound. In 2005, she enrolls in the three years course of the 'Musictherapy Training School' 'Oltre', in Rome, obtaining her degree in 2008. At the same time, she begins her studies in psychology at the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology of University 'La Sapienza', and graduates in 2013 in Psychological Techniques and Science, with a thesis entitled 'Musicotherapy in dementia'. In 2015 she becomes part of A.I.M. (Italian Association of Musicotherapy).
Since 2008, she has carried out her activity as a music therapist, referring to Rolando Omar Benezon's model of 'active music therapy'. The main aspect of this model is relationship; the musical instruments, the sound, the movements, and the silence, all lead the individual to undertake a path towards self-knowledge and self-development. Alessandra Massari operates both in individual and group contexts and in different fields of intervention. In the prevention field, she works in several statal institutions, in projects aimed at integration at school and prevention against bullying. As for therapy and rehabilitation, she operates in the field of different pathologies and diseases, among which autism, Asperger, Alzheimer, Down Syndrome, Rett syndrome, and psychomotor retardation.
In 2010, she attends a further training course in behavioral techniques for children with global autistic and development problems at 'Modena and Reggio Emilia' University. In 2017, she completes her training path as an 'ABA-VB technician' (Applied and Behaviour Analysis) at the 'Walden Institute' in Rome, where she is currently collaborating. Since 2015, she has attended a training course in Facilitators in Drum Circles with Arthur Hull and VMC (USA), at 'Bottega delle Percussioni' in Palermo. For several years, she has employed Drum Circle both as therapeutic and social and expressive means.
At the moment, she is attending the Master Degree Course in Clinical Psychology at the 'Unicusano' University in Rome.
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