Suggested Repertoire

I’m pleased to introduce and provide this list of graded music for cello of African-American composers for student exposure, education and use in performance. Some of these pieces are “adopted and adapted” from the Negro spiritual tradition. Such adaptation should not pose unusual difficulties for the developing cellist; however, the larger editorial challenge lies in matters of fingering and bowing. A minimum technical level of Suzuki Book 4 proficiency should be sufficient for most players to execute the majority of these pieces.  This music stands apart from the larger European pedagogical tradition and technical orientation, but should find a place of similarity and alliance with the Suzuki-influenced folk song repertoire that so many of us have heard in our early lessons and gradual indoctrination into the European-American art-music tradition. It [...]