Vibrato for Adult Learners
For most adult learners, vibrato is going to be one of the hardest aspects, if not the hardest, to learn on the cello. It certainly was for me. As someone who began learning the cello from scratch at age 25, it took me years and years of struggle to figure out that adult learners cannot simply rely on traditional vibrato exercises and call it a day. You also need to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room: excess physical tension. Did I just catch you rolling your eyes? I would have too, and that’s why it took me so long to develop my vibrato to where it is now. You see, there are many other aspects of playing that one can do despite having excess physical tension. It [...]
In the Practice Room with Brant Taylor
What is on your music stand right now? https://youtu.be/Regfkiv1UiM What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/neIt_yb0hYc Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? https://youtu.be/gDuModB0VO0 How do you cultivate inspiration in the practice room? What motivates you? https://youtu.be/pyN0D2lwaW4 How do you stimulate creativity and imagination in the practice room? What is your favorite way to change things up/get new ideas? https://youtu.be/7Tv4EAeAPtE In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/Regfkiv1UiM https://youtu.be/MAxveqAY5oI What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/pLVxnguxoS4 What is your balance between technique and repertoire? https://youtu.be/F3ha0jwZGOM How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/as5W_gi6tlA How [...]
In the Practice Room with Jan Vogler
What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/JswhAsx3kkA What is on your music stand? https://youtu.be/rHybqTPRuoA What do you enjoy the most about practicing? What inspires you? https://youtu.be/x_tlqo6aeDs What is your favorite way to change things up/get new ideas? https://youtu.be/1rVZVbzNcZQ When do you feel the most inspired in the practice room? https://youtu.be/eWkJEtgBx_g Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? https://youtu.be/guW6r90BN2w What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/ZrEkl2LqHSA What is your balance between technique and repertoire? https://youtu.be/gzvNZknCoXE How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/K-vwv7TDo2I With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain balance? https://youtu.be/P7Vgl4hy2Eo How do you start learning a new piece? [...]
In the Practice Room with Amos Yang
What is on your music stand? What is the first thing you do on the cello every day? https://youtu.be/j2UprmXuKHA Why do you practice? What drives and motivates you? Anything that helped during the pandemic? https://youtu.be/uyRoihCEpcQ When do you feel the most inspired in the practice room? https://youtu.be/qfqR7FtbQqg How do you stimulate creativity and imagination in the practice room? https://youtu.be/UJ6zIOvn7TM In your mind, what is it that makes an effective practice session? https://youtu.be/QBj4xUBEKfk Is there a particular practice method that you swear by? https://youtu.be/aWziSVbS5n8 What are the best ways to prevent injury? https://youtu.be/nvkbfqoCEe8 How do you manage lots of repertoire at the same time? https://youtu.be/MF2C0XPYric With such a big workload, how do you avoid burnout and maintain balance? https://youtu.be/Xb-IYAm6GTk How do [...]
From Improvising in Caves to Spoken in Waves
Spoken in Waves is a new piece for cello and string quartet by Chris Beroes-Haigis, commissioned by cellist Cicely Parnas. The video performance was premiered in December of 2023. In this blog post, Cicely and Chris tell us a bit about the backstory of the piece, the journey to recording the piece, what it's like to perform the piece and more. The video performance can be found below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML40XGq2qI4 In 2019, I was on tour with my cello rock band and found myself in El Paso, TX, the city where my good friend Chris Beroes-Haigis lived. We had met two years earlier as fellows at the Sitka International Cello Seminar in Alaska, and I remember I was struck both by Chris’s beautiful music-making on the cello, and that [...]