| Author |
Subject |
TerryM
Registered
User
(1/4/01 8:41:39 pm)
Reply |
So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I look back on that illogical moment
in my life when I finally made the decision to begin my love affair
with the cello. I had thought about it for some time and I agonized
over the decision. These are some of the thoughts I had at the time.
"I was too old and did not have a chance of going anywhere with it.
People just don't start such things this late in life (I was 24!).
No one I knew played the instrument so why was I driven to take it
up? What was I trying to prove?"
When it finally happened,
it did so somewhat by accident. My older brother was going out with
a woman and I happened to mention to her that I was interested in
taking up the cello. She told me that her father taught and in fact,
had a cello that he might be willing to loan/rent or sell to me. She
talked to him and he agreed and there I was suddenly and nervously
on my way to meet this gentleman.
We hit it off pretty well
and I started regular lessons with him. At the time, I did not have
a car and had to take the city bus to and from my lessons. I did get
the cello from him, but it did not have a bag or case and I used to
ride the bus on Sunday mornings with my poor exposed cello to my
lessons. I used to get a lot of strange looks from my fellow
passengers on the bus. A couple of months later I bought a bag that
cost more than the cello that my teacher had sold me at a very
reasonable price.
I stayed with it for about three years and
then career and marriage took me in other directions. I took it up
again about six years later and got to a point where I played in a
community orchestra. I then changed jobs and dropped it again for
almost ten years. I have been back at it now for about eight years
and this time I am sticking with it.
Each of us late starters
must have gone through some difficult moments before taking up the
cello. I wonder what motivated some of you to make the
decision.
Terry
|
DWThomas
Registered User
(1/4/01 11:33:21 pm)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
Hmm, I'm not entirely sure. I had a
"fling" with harpsichord in the early 80s, built one from a kit.
After a few years, my teacher was no longer available. If you think
cello lessons are hard to find ...
Well, anyway, fast forward
to mid-90s (calendar, not age  ). A
niece expresses an interest in trying cello. Meanwhile my wife has
gone back to viola after a 20? year hiatus. So doting and
well-meaning aunt & uncle acquire an inexpensive cello to
encourage the niece (only later realizing the le$$ons are probably
the hard part in her parents' eyes). So anyway, after said
instrument gathered dust for a while it came back here and I signed
up at the local community music school where my wife takes viola
lessons.
I have always loved the sound of a cello, just never
thought I could finger notes on something without keys or frets  .
So
I can hear that I have a long way to go, but so far, so
good.
Dave (Nearly 60 and still not sure what he wants to do
when he grows up.)
|
Dorie
Straus
Registered User
(1/5/01 5:45:46 am)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I've told this story before but
maybe it's been over a year now...I played other instruments, piano,
woodwinds but I loved the sound of the cello. In my mid-20's I
thought more seriously about lessons, but I didn't get around to it.
At some point several years later, I heard the Bach Suites and told
myself that I had to play this thing. Still didn't run out and get
one. In 1990, my mother had her second round of breast cancer. One
night a few weeks before she died she rambled on for several hours
talking about the regrets of her life and things she never got to
do. She died in mid-July.
My birthday is at the end of
August. The morning of my 36th birthday (1990), a friend asked what
I wanted to do and half joking I said, go out and find a cello to
rent. That's what we did. I rented an unplayable cello; broke the A
string as soon as I got it home. I found a luthier in the phone book
who sold me a string but also recommended a teacher, etc...
I
took lessons for about 1.5 years then went to graduate school, then
had a child, didn't play for almost 4 years. Went back to the cello
by joining an all age, all level community orchestra. I play in a
different community orchestra now, one at a higher level.
In
1998 I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and I've lost some of
the dexterity in my hands, particularly the left. I do what I can to
manage this. There was another thread here about having a slump -
this summer was a real test for me. I did a lot of work on my house
and suffered (physically) because of it. My cello playing is not
where it was last spring. I go through periods of being upset about
this but I try my best to keep it in some realistic perspective. I'm
not always committed to the cello but I won't give it up. For one
thing, if I gave it up I wouldn't be able to go to my orchestra
rehearsals, my favorite personal two hours of my week.
My
daughter started cello in June of 1999. I've turned much of my cello
energy to her, practicing with her, playing with her. She can go so
far.
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Betsy
C 
Registered User
(1/5/01 8:29:38 am)
Reply |
My car
was on autopilot...
I have always just loved the sound
of the cello and grew up playing other instruments but had not had
music in my life for many years. Then 3 1/2 years ago I lost my
sister very unexpectedly and tragically which proved to be an
experience that made me reevaluate how I was living and what was
important to me. It changed everything, really. (I am echoing a lot
of Dorie's sentiments here). The thought of taking up an instrument
again wove its way into my brain and kept nagging at me. One day I
was on a local road that has a music store and as usual, I passed
it. Next thing I knew, I was making a u-turn into the parking lot. I
walked in and heard a disembodied voice ask if there were any cellos
in the back that I could try. They brought out a little orange
plywood cello and I had to ask which hand to hold the bow with! Sad,
huh? I squeaked away for about 15 minutes, smiling the wole time,
but it was enough to make me realize that I wanted to try this, and
badly! I signed up for a month's worth of lessons on the spot, met
my teacher and instantly knew we would click, and ended up
purchasing a better cello within a month. That was in September
1999. While my progress is slow, I am very much enjoying everything
about it, even my struggles because at times I overcome and make
progress. It's a journey for me. There is no turning back now. It
will always be one of the best things I ever did for myself.
|
Bobbie
Registered
User
(1/5/01 10:53:14 am)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I wanted
to play the saxophone. In 5th grade, when we got to start
instruments, the band people said beginners who wanted the sax had
to start on the clarinet, so I looked around for another instrument,
and found the cello. I played at school for three years, but never
had lessons or a good teacher at school even, and never got out of
first position, and quit eventually.
Over the years, I took every opportunity I had to hear a cello play.
In college and graduate school, I went to concerts whenever I could.
I think I was encouraged to discover that a previous member of my
research group was also a cellist, and still played as an adult.
About that time I started reading the "Musical Instruments" section
of the classifieds.
Anyway, years
passed, and much like Dorie (from whom I was apparently separated at
birth except that she got all the artistic genes) I started again
just before my 35th birthday. I found a cello for $300 and lucked
out because it is very playable, although it doesn't have much of a
sound and the endpin is too short. After a year my daughter wanted
lessons, so I started them then, too. (She switched to violin
later.)
I'm on my fourth teacher(I moved away from #1, #2 moved,
#3 was a flake, and I keep my fingers crossed that #4 will live
forever, teach forever, and never move unless it is closer to
me!)
|
ruthann
Registered User
(1/5/01 11:38:03 am)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I'm the youngest of 3 kids in my
family. When my sister got to junior high, she decided she wanted to
play the String Bass. I'm not sure why. She ended up being very good
at it. My brother then took it up as well. When I hit the 4th grade,
where public school music lessons were offered, I wanted to play,
too. But 3 kids on one instrument would be too much. There was some
discussion of the flute, but I had really bad teeth (could hardly
close my mouth) so we settled on the cello, only knowing that it was
the next smallest stringed instrument from the Bass.
After a
year of public school lessons, the music teacher gave my parents the
name of a private teacher. She was a wonderful old lady with very
strong ideas about the right way to play the cello. My parents
bought me a brand shiny new plywood cello. My teacher had the bridge
refitted and insisted I use bare gut strings, no fine tuners. She
gave me a rock solid foundation.
About the time I hit high
school, family fortunes hit a snag, divorce, that put a stop to the
lessons. But I had the cello, signed up for orchestra, and kept
working on my own. My first teacher retired. I begged and begged for
more lessons. We found a recent graduate of UW music school teaching
cheap, and I was back on track. That teacher prepared me for college
music school auditions.
Family fortunes had still only
somewhat improved. My parents weren't keen on "wasting" a college
education on music but we made a deal. If I could pass the audition
and be accepted into the UW school of music as a performance major,
Dad would buy me a "real wood" cello, and I would use my National
Merit Scholarship to study music.
I played the 1st mvmt of
the Mendelsohn D Major Sonata for the audition. My accompianist got
lost at the first page turn and never returned! I kept on playing -
imagining the piano part in my head, and tried to be as expressive
as possible. They let me play the whole movement. I swear my best
performances are always when something weird happens. I got
in.
Music school was not a particularly happy time for me.
There was a lot of snobbery and backstabbing among the students. The
orchestra conductor was a complete jerk. When I finished, it was if
there was no longer any joy left in playing the cello. I put it in
the case and left it there for 5 years.
I ended up in
California, teaching PE in high school. I met some other musicians
and started playing some chamber music, occasionally got calls for a
musical or a mass where they needed a cello. I went back to college,
got a Computer Science degree, moved to the back of beyond, where I
discovered that lots of scientists and engineers also play an
instrument. Joined the community orchestra, rediscovered my love of
playing. Found a wonderful pianist and a fabulous young violinist
and formed a piano trio.
Amazingly I worked my chops back up
to nearly college level. I love to play. And I now teach. I started
my kids in Suzuki violin at 3. Why violin? The violin teachers (2)
here are really great, with a group program every friday afternoon.
And violins are cheaper!
Way more than you wanted to
know!
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com
|
bridge
Registered
User
(1/5/01 12:24:14 pm)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
Ahh. Such a question. One that begs
paragraphs and paragraphs.
In second grade, I was asked to
choose an instrument for music class. For whatever reason (why do we
prefer anything?) I chose cello. They told me that it was too big
and to choose something else. I chose trumpet. I hated it. Played
little baby stuff for one school year.
I got no encouragement
from home. This is the stuff that good psychotherapy is made of. My
mom would sing in the car along to music and it was torture. I've
never heard anyone so off key in my life. I too didn't have a
natural inclination for being on key, but I KNEW if it sounded bad.
My wonderful mom told me that music didn't run in the family and
that I shouldn't even bother. (I found out a couple of months ago
that my mother's grandmother played piano at Carnegie Hall when she
was 17!!)
Then I'm 19. I'm in college and becoming my own
person. I'm a full time student and realize that I can audit music
classes for "free". I'm thinking either violin or guitar. Cello
wasn't even in my head anymore. I probably thought of violin because
it's similar to cello and I had heard it in some rock and roll and
jazz settings. (The music I was listening to.) Decided on guitar,
because it was a more "common" instruement for the kind of music I
liked to listen too. I had actually asked my mom for advice and
that's what she recommended. You'd think I would have
learned.
I never practiced. However, I would mess around all
the time, and I sat through enough lessons that I learned a thing or
two. I still had a good ear, in that I knew what was on or off key,
but playing a fretted instrument and using a electronic tuner, I
never learned to even tell what was sharp or flat, just that it was
wrong. I spent a lot of time drinking and getting wasted and jamming
very loud on my electric guitar with my similarly depressed and
degenerate friends.
At about 27 I quit drinking and basically
started trying to live my life for myself and not to meet everybody
elses expectations. Meet my wife.
At my wife's nephew's. He
has a half or 7/8 cello. I pick it up and immediately figure out a
simple passage from a Lou Reed song that has cello on it (Street
Hassle). Something clicks (at age 32 - Christmas '97).
By
January of '98, I have a rental and lessons. I tell my teacher, that
I'm not very musically inclined and don't have much of an ear, but I
want to learn cello. After the first lesson he tells me, "You do
have a good ear. You know what's in tune and what's not." I think of
a "good ear" as my wife who came out of the womb and could belt out
any song you wanted.
My ear has improved substantially. I
really, really LOVE cello, and music as whole. Outside of my family
(a two year old son now too) it is the most important thing in my
life. I've been self teaching myself theory. It's been about two
years. I'm not "great" but I'm working on such things as the Bach
menuets from Suite 1. They're not great, but they're not terrible
either. I also have a great teacher who'll let me play anything. I'm
working on an arrangement of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing". I think
that would sound really cool on the cello.
Eventually, I'd
like to get out of being a full time engineer and pursue
music.
I hope this isn't the longest post. :-)
Edited by: bridge
at: 1/5/01 12:24:14 pm
|
Nico67
Registered User
(1/5/01 1:20:04 pm)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I told this story in the past, so I
will try here to give the short version.
I have always been
fascinated with music. When I grew up my older sister played the
piano (quite well) and started taking lessons at 5. I remember I
would walk with her to her lessons and just sit in the back
watching. For some reasons my parents didn't send me to music
lessons. That (and the fact that none of my boy friends played an
instrument) led me to believe that it was a "girl" thing.
Growing up as a gay kid wasn't easy and I tried to prove to
myself and to others my real manhood by getting into real "boy"
things (basketball team, electronics lab etc etc). When my mother
discovered me once playing from the first piano method book of my
sister she immediately arranged for me to have lessons, but I told
her that I wasn't interested. Talk about big regrets.
Time
goes by. High school, college and in the back of my mind that voice
that says "it would be nice to be able to play an instrument". I
move to the US (grew up in Southern Italy, nearby where the movie
"Malena" was shot) for grad school, come out, meet current
boyfriend. Decide that after graduating will start music lessons. At
that point I know it's going to be the cello (always loved the
sound).
Yet, I graduate, get a really nice job with a good
salary, and still postpone it for various reasons. Then one day I go
back to my parents house to help them move. My mom tells me that
there are various boxes in the basement with all my stuff that I
should sort through to decide what I want to keep. In doing so I
relive 20+ years of my life, bad years. I realize how much I missed
when I grew up for not accepting me for what I am and for hiding
aspects of my personality. I can't go back in my life, but I can do
good with my future.
I came back here and I start cello
lessons, start training for triathlons and start volunteering as
mentor for gay kids in foster homes.
First teacher was
really bad. This was about 2 years ago. Was with her for a couple of
months, then my car was stolen and couldn't get to lesson. BY the
time the situation was resolved she wasn't interested in giving me
lessons anymore. Small hiatus. Start lessons again about 1.5 years
ago (Summer 99). Great teacher. I don't know if slow or fast
progress since I try hard not to measure myself with anybody else.
Next plan is to find people to play with (I already have a friend
who plays the violin and she accepted to play stupid music with me 
)
---Rosario
|
Tim
Janof
Registered
User
(1/5/01 7:46:22 pm)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
I'll chime in. I too am a CBN, after
all. I'll try to keep it short.
My then step-father had it in
his head that I would play the cello, for a reason that he has never
revealed. So when I was 4 or 5 he brought me to the local violin
shop and I left carrying a cello. Man, I still remember that day,
how sunny it was, how proud I was to be carrying such a beautiful
instrument.
My first, few, and last lessons for the next 15
years were given by my step-father, who had sort of played the
violin before. Between Louis Potter Jr.'s book and the Applebaum
series I guess he felt well-armed for the task. Well, things didn't
go too well and the lessons stopped after a short time, though it
was still the rule that I had to practice each day, strangely.
I can't say I enjoyed the cello very much at the time. A
timer would be set and I would have to play until the bell went off.
Naturally, it wasn't long before I figured out that I could secretly
move the minute-hand in order to lessen my practice time. I also
remember having the crazy idea that my parents couldn't hear when I
wasn't practicing in my room upstairs. Little did I know that the
floor would squeak as I tiptoed around my room doing other things
instead of practicing, not to mention that no cello sound was
emerging from my room. Kids....
So for the next 6-7 years I
practiced on my own. In junior high school I joined my first school
"orchestra" -- 2 violins, one cello, a tuba, and a clarinet -- which
was not very satisfying. I didn't know how much I cared about the
cello until I took this spiccato test in front of the orchestra
class. I messed it up because I didn't understand what Mr. Applebaum
meant in his description and the teacher didn't show us how to do
it. I starting crying out of frustration and shame after I'd
finished playing. The teacher gave me an 'A.'
Then I was
sent to the All-City orchestra, a "transformative" experience.
Somehow I must have been "good" enough to be assigned first chair. I
still remember being overwhelmed, both by being in such a large
group of string players, and by the music (Bach g minor "Little
Fugue.") Finally, I started LOVING the cello, and my parents didn't
have to tell me to practice (years later they confessed that they
were surprised that I had stuck with it).
Inspired by this
experience, my mom had me audition for the local youth orchestra
(Seattle Youth Symphony), which accepted me. Still I'd never had a
teacher. I would just pick up things on an as-needed basis, watching
others as necessary. I guess the cello just made a certain sense to
me (on a certain level, anyway) so I wasn't intimidated (though I
probably should have been). Of course, I was learning horrible
habits at the same time, which I am still paying the price
for.
After 4 years of Youth Symphony, I went to college and
had my first formal lessons with Toby Saks at the University of
Washington. I studied with her for a couple of years, but I don't
think we quite clicked. She wasn't so interested in teaching at that
time, and I wasn't so interested in practicing. Not a good
combination. I was greatly distracted by other things like physics,
math, etc., though I experienced years and years of deep angst about
not pursuing music as a career -- head vs. heart conflict.
Then, while a counselor/instructor at a music camp, I met
Frances Walton (an ICS interviewee), who introduced me to Eva
Heinitz (another ICS interviewee) who completely changed my world.
Eva is a real whip-cracker, and I was finally eager to learn and
practice, so we really clicked. I studied with her for the next 5 or
6 years. She really whipped me into shape, for which I am so
grateful.
After a stint as Seattle Violoncello Society
President (I was the only one to volunteer), I became an ICS slave.
Edited by: Tim
Janof at: 1/5/01 7:46:22 pm
|
jekerry
Registered User
(1/6/01 12:37:24 pm)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
Hmmm . . . . Mine was a combination
of things.
1. I realized I was old enough to no longer beat
myself up for not being the BEST cello player in the world.
2. I
moved to a new town and felt a little lonely.
3. Time to conquer
those demonds that have haunted me from childhood. I wanted to a
cellist but didn't have what it takes as a kid.
4. Got a dog -- I
started training and showing my dog in obedience and had so much fun
doing that I thought maybe the cello would be similiar.
So
for me the cello wasn't new, it was something I loved as a kid and
quit because I loved it too much to play it badly. As a kid I
practiced constantly but wasn't really that good -- as an adult I
don't practice much but I enjoy myself a lot. It's nice to be an
adult -- it's easier then being a kid. I was too hard on myself as a
kid. I wish I knew then what I know now. Sigh.
Jane
|
POWBOB
Registered User
(1/7/01 4:17:15 am)
Reply |
Re: So
where did this cello thing all start ....?
As much bad press as it gets, isn't
maturity a wonderful thing?
|
Joe
S
Registered
User
(1/13/01 10:31:15 pm)
Reply |
Why the
cello?
As you know I have played around
with a lot of musical toys. I wanted to add a bowed instrument to my
collection and was looking at the violin. Much cheaper to get into.
But the violin position felt very ackward to me. ( It turns out that
I was trying to turn my wrist to much.) Yo Yo was my first real
exposure to the cello. ( You can decide if that was good or bad.)
Then PT on NPR had "Quartetto Gellato" (Spelling?) on as thier guest
artists. The cellist also played the guitar. I decided to add the
cello. It is the hardest thing I have tryed to play. As hard as
asking my girl friend out for the first time, two years after my
divorce. But I had looked for both a long time and check them out a
lot before laying my money down. No regrets on either but the cello
is cheaper in the long run.
Still in Love, Joe S.
|
gmcarlmrnet
Registered User
(1/13/01 11:20:06 pm)
Reply |
starting cello
I started cello last year at age 42.
I grew up in western Minnesota where we had bands but no orchestras
so I played the coronet. I dropped everything until I was 30 then
started the piano as a form of therapy. I play by ear and eventually
got into composition and put out a CD two years ago. But I always
wanted to play a string instrument. My daughter plays suzuki violin
so I started a few months on the viola but had too much of a stiff
neck so I switched to the cello. I've been taking lessons every
three weeks for the last 6 months. I have to get my "fix" of playing
every day. The cello just resonates with something deep in my soul.
I have very limited experience listening to cello recordings but do
remember when I was in college seeing the Paul Winter Concort and
they had this cello player (who I believe was electrified) and he
did things with it that really moved me. My goal is to play in our
local orchestra which doesn't take beginners so I gotta keep
practicing.
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