A Cello Tour

2Cellos- This video humorously demonstrates the appeal of the cello over time. 2Cellos play traditional cellos, electric cellos, and a new carbon fiber cello.

At first I wanted to play the harp. One day,during Elementary school,I visited a friend's house. We roller skated and perused her books. My friend's older sister sat me down with her cello to play "teacher" and proceeded give me a pretend cello lesson. She enthusiastically told me that I seemed to have a knack for playing it. I remember that my heart felt happy and I loved the resonance of the cello. I didn't know to describe it with the word "resonance" then, nonetheless, I was permanently hooked. The harp was too big to carry around anyway, not that the cello was much easier.


The Piano Guys- Cellos have been described as being closest to the human vocal range, which probably contributes to its ability to "tug at the heartstrings" and blend with almost any style of music in a way that is unique.

My first cello's name was, aptly enough, "Mr. Cello". Mr. Cello was a full-size, yellow, student grade cello, that I had until I was a junior in High School. Preparing to graduate high school a year early, my lessons were geared toward learning my audition music for college scholarships. My teacher at the time suggested that I address the crack that had formed in the wood on the front panel of dear Mr. Cello, so my parents took it to Seitz Violins shop for repairs. In order to maintain the necessary practice schedule, the owner let me borrow a 150 year old German cello, 7/8th size, with rich, dark reddish-brown wood and lots of character in the worn wood. The first time I played it, my mom exclaimed how beautiful it was, such a rich tone. My parents bought it for me as a graduation present and I named ths cello Frederick. During 8 marvelous years with Frederick, I received cello scholarships in college, I played in college and community orchestras, in the middle of nature reserves and parks, in bars with friends for open mic nights, and especially, in church.



The Portland Cello Project- I saw them in concert (with Weinland) in Tucson, Arizona, probably in 2009. In this group, there are usually 6+ cellists with additional instruments and vocalists as they see fit.

My roommate in the first year of college played the saxophone. When I saw her jazz band in concert, I found myself oddly jealous. As the musicians took turns standing up to improvise on the musical theme I distinctly remember thinking, "Why can't our orchestra ever do that? It looks fun! I want to learn how to improv." Even more distinct was the sudden longing that rose up inside me, the most profound urge to not only be "tied" to reading music as I had been doing for 10 years, but to ride the waves of music and my own soul as they were being woven in real time. My church worship band in Tucson didn't have cello music, but they needed more musicians. They handed me songsheets that the guitarist used. Where there was an "A" typed over the line to indicate an "A" chord for the guitar, I just played the "A" string on my cello. After a couple of practices, the music started making sense in an innate way. I could feel where the music was going and pick out the key and the key changes within the song without being told beforehand or seeing it written on the sheetmusic. My single note-playing grew more complex rythmically and lyrically. I still can't describe the moment it changed for me exactly, but improv with my cello opened a door in my life I never expected, but gladly accepted.


Apocalyptica- I love to play with rock bands and alongside the drummer especially. The cello is good instrument to play when one is angry too, as I have often wailed on my cello, playing "madly' exactly like these guys.

En route to moving back to St. Louis, I sold Frederick for a measly $500. The Arizona dry weather had done a number on Frederick. The fingerboard was warped and my strings would suddenly collapse mid-playing during a coffeeshop performance or during a church service. It needed such major repairs and I had so little money, my luthier recommended selling my cello to make room for one more befitting my current level of playing. The new owner, a young girl in Las Cruces and her mother, were transfixed by the cello's tone when I played it for them. They paid me in cash and promised to restore it to its former glory as I choked back tears when I left their house. I sobbed for an hour as I drove along the desert highways.

In St. Louis, I was unable to procure a full-time job for 4 long years, which thwarted my plans to save up for a new cello. The pastor's wife and grown son graciously let me borrow their cello during that time. I called this cello Stu, because it was the first three letters of the family's last name. Stu was a student-grade cello, but with amazing new strings donated to me by a friend's cello teacher, Stu sounded great, with its blaring bold tone. I played in church, for a friend's CD release party, another friend's CD recording, and weddings. I taught cello lessons to a high school girl from Korea, and, besides honing her technical skills, I made sure to teach her how to "hear" the music to place her on the path to improv. Two weeks into starting my long-awaited full-time job this summer, during church one Sunday, a man broke into my apartment and stole a ring, my laptop, and Stu. I cried and cried. The police have not recovered it.


Yo Yo Ma- My lifelong cello hero! I have almost all of his CDs. I finally saw him in concert, 2005, in Phladelphia for the Silk Road tour. I used to beat myself up for not practicing enough to become as technically proficient on the cello as someone like Yo-Yo Ma. When I read on the CD jacket for The Goat Rodeo Sessions that Yo-Yo Ma cannot improvise and had to have his music written out for him, I was shocked to discover that I could do something on the cello that Yo Yo Ma CAN'T DO! I decided that musicians have different genre/style niches to fill (cases in point, these videos) and I have something to offer that is unique to my style and experience.

It was difficult to sit down with a new instrument when I visited St. Louis Strings to rent (eventually buy) a cello. Maybe it is over-romanticizing things a bit, but fellow string musicians may understand my inner hesitation to get "close" to another instrument after being so heartbreakingly parted from the previous two. My fingers felt stiff from my new hard labor job, nervousness, and 2 months without practice since Stu had been stolen. The store clerks left me alone with the cello they proposed to let me rent, to get acquainted. Slowly, my fingers warmed up and I felt my steely exterior melt away as I realized this cello had potential! It sounded sweeter than Stu, more resonant than Mr. Cello, and fuller in tone than Frederick. In a moment of reverie, I thought to myself, "This cello sings like a bird!" I left the store with that cello and named it "Pajaro" which is "bird" in Spanish.