seasons

Must be something about summer. We all kind of fall off of the horse in one way or another. Cellists stop practicing. Bloggers quit blogging (or go all sporadic, like me). L’s work parallels the TV season, and it’s interesting to see the strange stress of not working replace the maniacal stress of being overworked […]

real time, part 4: really real

Yesterday, Jen had to take a little break because of a long-standing back issue (which does not benefit from tense cello playing, or any cello playing for that matter). So here’s her 2 cents worth. We have a lesson tomorrow, and we will dual-post what we cover. I was definitely very tense when I picked […]

real time, part 3: attack of Alligator Arms

Says Jen: Just as I thought I was beginning to get a handle on playing with complete relaxation……….I tried the thumb position. My left shoulder seems to lag behind in this shift. I spent the majority of my time telling myself to drop my shoulders. If this were football, they would call it “alligator arms”- […]

real time, part 2: giant steps

Here’s the next entry in Jen’s battle, tentatively named CelloQuest ’08: Today was all about learning to feel the strings. I would not allow myself to squeeze at all with my left thumb and this caused me to change the pressure point on my fingertips. For the first time I felt like I could feel […]

real time

One of my students has agreed to chronicle the progress in her battle with arm tension here on SRCB. A little preface: She has been playing for 2 years, has participated in every recital I have scheduled in that period, and has been one of the most dedicated students. She loves the cello. But as […]

Really good practice session

Ever the masochist, I have decided to go crazy on concert studies. In addition to the audition repertoire, I have added the 4 Bukinik studies, with a special focus on the 2nd one. People, if you don’t know these, well…I suppose a kinder person would advise you to run. They are awkward and lumpy and […]

Don(ting) Juan {sic}

There’s an audition coming up in June, and I am thinking of taking it. Whether or not I do, I enjoy dusting off the excerpts and Haydn D for some critical work, which is amazingly never finished, even after 15 years of assault. The erstwhile Blake characterized Don Juan best when he said that it […]

lookin’ good (soundin’ bad) (for a while)

Other possible blog titles include: Acting the partAll for showTest yer gesture (ha) As many of you know, I am in the business of teaching how to play the cello. I was about to write, “I teach the cello” but then I thought, “Teach it what? How to be a human? Latvian history? Roller skating?” […]