'Tis the season for music!! The last two weeks have brought me many opportunities for cello'ing, and kept me a very busy lady. So I apologize for the sad lack of blog entries of late, but I would like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Blessed Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, or, if you don't celebrate any of those, I wish you a peaceful season of happiness and love!
No matter what you celebrate (or don't!), this season brings so many opportunities to play in non-professional gatherings... everything from seasonal holiday groups, to church music and everything in between! For example, last week, I played in what's called a Holiday Cello Play-in. We had everything from seasoned 20-plus-year veterans (including my cello teacher...) all the way down to an 8-year old on a 1/2 size cello, all playing loads of Christmas and Holiday music from "Jingle Bells" to "Sleigh Ride" to "The Nutcracker Suite." Oh, what fun... (I'll let you finish that!)
This was my first EVER experience playing in a group, or with anyone outside my lesson setting. What an eye-opener that was! Yes, it gave me a keen sense of what I was not doing well, but it also gave me a good sense of where I was doing well. The lady sitting next to me had been playing a little shy of a year, and surprisingly, we were fairly close in level, mostly because I've been exposed to music all my life, so my ear and reading abilities are a bit further along. But, as you can see, her bow is in a much better playing position than mine. But my faithful teacher and the hostess of the event made sure that I had something within my ability to play if I wanted to participate in a certain song. Out of an evening that was 2.5 hours long, I only sat out for about three songs. That's a pretty good ratio for someone of my level. Did I play it all RIGHT? Probably not... but it was all fun and still helped me train my ear and hands.
Fast forward to a week later, and I then found myself the only bass instrument in a Scottish music group of three fiddles, a bodhran, and Scottish concertina accordion. Not only that, but there was NO music for me. Everything but one piece was foreign to me, all in treble clef, and no sheet music provided for bass. Talk about ear training! Learn the melody, determine the key, find the tonic, fourth, and fifth, aaaaaand ....play! Yikes!
There may have been seemingly a lot of pressure, but it was also a lot of training. You learn more in a group setting than you will ever learn in a solo setting unless you have constant accompaniment. Not only do you learn to maintain intonation and rhythm, but you also learn to follow a group, whether that's chamber music or a Scottish fiddle section. Here I am, four months into my cello playing, and I find myself wrapped in a GIG!! Yes, I signed up for the Scottish music group (actual reading: I was roped into it by my old cello teacher...), but I had no idea we'd be involved in a gig. Did I mention that I suggested we do a solo cello intro for one of the pieces? That was before I knew about the gig. Oops....
I'll let you know how that turns out on January 21... the morning after the gig.
Even if you only have a small amount of experience, get into as many group-style playing events as you can. I'm not talking about a formal orchestra necessarily, but find yourself among other string players as soon as possible. You'll find that it will help your playing immensely...from opportunities to try a more expensive cello without pressure from a shop (ASK first!), to ear training, to helpful advice from other people who've been playing longer. It's an invaluable experience that will help you advance in many ways, without the stress of focusing on perfect technique.
Happy Cello'ing! #celloislife