Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Abedini

Hi Ariana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

Of course! My name is Ariana, and I’m a professional musician and visual storyteller based in Vancouver. I have a background in psychology and have had the pleasure of playing with the SJMA orchestra. I also have a passion for video production, creating engaging content for brands. As you can probably tell from my Instagram profile, I’m truly passionate about exploring and playing on all the wonderful pianos around town. It’s my mission to showcase these unique instruments locally, with plans to expand globally in the future. My series hosts themed live episodes that aim to celebrate collaboration and creativity among pianists of all backgrounds and skill levels. I am very adventurous and love learning, so pretty much anything I do is based on that.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Thank you for having me! I actually have two significant risks to share, if you don’t mind. Both have been pivotal in my journey and have profoundly influenced the direction of my life; One of them was the decision to drop my pursuit of becoming a clinical psychologist, despite just earning my MSc in Clinical Psychology, and transition into the music industry as an entrepreneur. After years of performing and teaching, my adventurous spirit led me to launch “I CAN PLAY THAT TOO,” a new and experimental music series. Over the past two years, this series has evolved from an online platform to hosting themed live episodes globally. It aims to showcase pianists’ musicality and creativity in a fun and engaging way. Our upcoming episode, “Howl’s Musical Odyssey,” focusing on Studio Ghibli films like “Howl’s Moving Castle,” underscores our commitment to global collaboration and inclusivity across all skill levels, blending live and online performances for a unique musical experience.

The second, more recent and just four months ago, involved accepting the end of a business partnership that lasted over a year and a half with a music brand. Initially, I entered into this partnership without a contract, trusting their assurance that “we don’t do contracts here; if you join, you’re in for the long haul.” However, unexpectedly and with only five or ten minutes’ notice before our regular meeting, they informed me they could no longer afford my services due to budget constraints – which, obviously translated to my ears “I didn’t bring enough value”. It was devastating, and I blamed myself entirely, realizing I should have insisted on a contract, not relied solely on trust, better articulated my value and that of my services, and acknowledged that not everyone holds the same high standards I do. Since then, since I no longer had to dedicate about 30 hours a week into someone else’s business, I decided to channel all this frustration and anger into my music series and my video productions. Now, I can proudly say that, thanks to this, I’ve enhanced my communication skills and applied those same value principles to deliver exceptional videos to brands that prioritize quality over quantity, achieving significant outcomes.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Building genuine relationships and providing value has been key for me. When you focus all your effort and work into becoming the best version possible, offering the best product/ service possible, you don’t really need to pitch anything to anyone. They just come to you because they want what you offer.

I focus on creating content that resonates with my audience, sharing personal experiences and insights. Engaging captions and storytelling have helped me connect on a deeper level. Additionally, collaborating with brands and other professionals has expanded my reach and brought in new clients. But again, connections alone aren’t enough if your product/ service sucks.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There are quite a few instances, and it always comes down to getting out of my comfort zone. People often think I’m “so lucky” to be playing on all these gorgeous pianos and getting invited to epic events, but they don’t realize how often I’m genuinely intimidated by the unknown and contemplate canceling at the last minute. A recent example was when a realtor invited me to play a $200k Steinway piano in an unreal mansion on very short notice. I was dying to go, but I had been so focused on my music series and its logistics that I felt out of shape piano-wise. I didn’t want to embarrass myself by playing something below my standards, but I also didn’t want to miss the opportunity to play there and take amazing videos.

I couldn’t sleep well the night before, and up until a few minutes before they were supposed to pick me up, I considered backing out, saying I woke up feeling terrible. But I kicked those thoughts away, and I’m so glad I didn’t give in to my insecurities. I met some amazing people from whom I have so much to learn (and hopefully provide some value to in return), created fantastic content for my IG, and got an extra boost to keep going on my entrepreneurial journey. Often, there are obstacles that make me feel like a failure and question whether I’ll ever make it, but I try to ignore those thoughts anyway.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arianaabedini.com
• Instagram: @ariana_abedini and @ariana.abedini
• Youtube: Ariana Abedini
• Other: [email protected]