What a day. Hot, windy, and full of cello stuff. Oh, and a train that slowly went back and forth in front of me for about 10 minutes. First off, I went to the Waffle House and had, well, a waffle. It was good, and kept me sustained through a lesson Dr. Morrow invited me in to observe. The student is midway through completely redefining her technique. As I later saw, every student of hers has a beautiful, loose, strong left hand and a careful, meticulous sound. I immediately went back to my hotel and practiced vibrato in the mirror. (it was tough, as I had done too many yoga push ups the night before and my arms were not so happy about the effort) Then we did the master class of sorts. More like mini lessons, under observation. I had lots of the usual stuff to say, but the best part was seeing the observers get it. That’s the thing about a master class environment. It can be surreal for the performer, but the audience really gets the better end of the bargain. I hope they got a lot out of it; it is sometimes hard to meet someone and then go to work immediately on deeply ingrained habits and patterns. I like to get a feel for a person over a course of a few weeks, and most people understand that I’m not a crazy person around the same time. 🙂 Still, the students were engaging and very proficient; the toughest to teach because most adjustments are to their approach. The others are like a wicked game of Jenga, where you want to remove and adjust only the detrimental elements without toppling the careful balance within a player.

Against the will of the clerks, I brought some wet food to the cats here, and lured out a third, teeny guy. “No Tail”, as I have named him. In about 7 hours, I’ll be setting out for Atlanta in a rainstorm, so I should get some sleep. I really, really, like Dr. Morrow, and I know you all would, too. I will reassert my claim as most grateful cello teacher ever for the good fortune to have come to know her and her students.

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3 Responses

  1. Emily was terrific at her stop in the Arlington/Dallas area. She made all of us on the “hot seat” feel at ease; as if we had been taking lessons from her for months. I appreciated the interesting, insightful and diplomatic thoughts and tips. Let’s hope for a return to Texas; I’ll introduce you to a decent Texas winery (yes, they do grow grapes in Texas, although not as good as the Mendocino AVA). Enjoy the rest of your trip!

  2. We really enjoyed your visit. My students and I meet on Monday for studio class and we will be sharing thoughts and observations. They were quite pumped by the experience. Good luck on the rest of your journey!

    Elizabeth Morrow

  3. Thanks so much! It looks like a pretty docile Miami visit before jumping right back into the LA rusharound. And you’ll be visiting me when…?

    🙂

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