University Archives

Teaching at Cello: An American Experience — by Mark Summer

As a founding member of the Turtle Island Quartet, I am grateful to Paul Katz for asking me to contribute to CelloBello. As a conservatory-trained, improvising cellist, I hope I can bring a unique perspective to this forum with thoughts on performing, teaching, and traveling with my cello. This past summer I enjoyed five days of intensely rewarding teaching and performing at the summer music program, Cello: An American Experience. The program attracted 18 young cellists from around the country, and is held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, 44 miles south of Minneapolis. Left to right: Avery Johnson and Mark Summer My introduction to Cello: An American Experience began with a Facebook message sent to me from the director, and my old colleague, Anna Clift. Anna [...]

By Mark Summer|2017-10-04T03:00:10-04:00October 4th, 2012|Categories: Chamber Music, Performance, Teaching|Tags: rehearsals, transition, string quartet, traveling with a cello, inspiration, conservatory, improvisation, Teaching, local unions, beauty, perspective, Mark, ensembles, chamber music, recitals, Practice, Summer, freelance, Quartet, University, Travel, participants, coaching|

The Rules — by Brant Taylor

A while back, I accepted an invitation from my good friend Pansy Chang to teach her cello students. Pansy teaches cello at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She was taking a sabbatical for a semester and wanted to make arrangements for her students to receive lessons from different teachers in her absence. I had a very enjoyable time meeting and working with the cellists in Oxford. It is always enlightening—and sometimes highly entertaining—to observe the various posters, photos, educational degrees, cartoons, and other items which adorn the walls of teaching studios around the world. Among many other things hanging on the the walls of Pansy's studio, I noticed a piece of paper which I immediately knew could occupy a prominent place in my studio as well. Titled simply "The Rules," [...]

By Brant Taylor|2017-10-22T22:46:19-04:00September 15th, 2011|Categories: In the Practice Room, Self Discovery, Teaching|Tags: Technique, University, Teaching, improvement, vibrato, cello, instrumentalists, cellobello, lessons, Brant, concepts, Practice, finesse, Taylor, cello technique, rules, continuous vibrato, education, posters|