Selling a 300-Year-Old Cello →
I’ll never own a 300-year-old instrument, but as valuable as my cello is to me I can well imagine how difficult letting go must be for these masterpiece instruments.

For me, as an adult student, there aren’t many ensemble opportunities. Manhattan Kansas is relatively small and there isn’t an amateur orchestra, nor are there any trios, quartets, et cetera (that I am aware of). Fortunately Manhattan is home to an annual grade and middle school event called String Fling.

String Fling hosts 600 to 700 5th through 9th graders for a day and a half on the campus of Kansas State University. Orchestras are assembled around the grade levels. They rehearse all day Saturday, swim in the University pool that evening, and rehearse again Sunday morning before performing for family, friends, and their peers in concert Sunday morning. Next year, in January 2013, String Fling will celebrate its 40th year.

Two years ago, when I had barely a month of lessons under my belt, David suggested to me that I might find it fun to sit in with one of the 5th grade orchestras. David is the head of String Fling and he thought it would be a good experience for me and fun for the kids to see that adults learn new things too.

Last year I participated again, sitting in with one of the 7th grade orchestras. Both the first year and last year my biggest frustration was not being able to sight read the music. My theory is that the grade school kids play in their school orchestra daily (or at least several times each week) and therefore have more experience playing brand new music. Both previous years I brought my music home at lunch and over night to add finger numbers and to practice so that I could keep up during the performance on Sunday. It is very humbling to be schooled by people a 5th of your age.

This year I am participating once again. This time I’m in a 6th grade orchestra. And this time I asked if I could see a copy of the music ahead of time. To my great delight David provided me with the music my orchestra will be playing last Sunday. So I’ve had a week to get to know the three pieces and practice them. I know that I’m not yet at performance tempo, but I won’t be left in the dust either.

Regardless of how well I am able to keep up with the orchestra I am thrilled to have a chance to play with a group. I am extremely fortunate to have this opportunity and I aim to make the most of it.

Mahler, Interrupted →
I double and triple check my phone before live performances. The orchestra has worked long and hard to prepare the program and they have only one chance with each audience to present it. (via: Zoë Keating)

Humoresque Student Video →

This video improved the sound of my rendition of Humoresque immensely. I’m eagerly awaiting her videos on La Cinquantaine and Allegro Moderato.

My lesson today was a very good one. Due to the Christmas and New Year’s break it was the first I’d had since mid-December. I presented four études and two Suzuki pieces to David today.

From the 40 Easy Studies for Violoncello in the First Position, Op. 70 book I’ve been working on 4 études.

Lee #36
For this piece the goal was to play faster. I managed to accomplish that, although measure 5 still gives me fits. With a slur spanning C-A-F-C (starting on the C-string and ending on the A-string) followed by a slur of the same notes in reverse order, this measure requires that you double stop the D and A strings with your second finger. Somehow getting into and out of that “mashed” position slows me down and throws off the tempo of the piece.

Lee #37 This one was fun. I even did a reasonably good job extending back for the E-flats.

Lee #38 Written in 3/4 time with each measure container three triplets the challenge of this étude was playing the tied notes. Rhythmically the ties threw me off. Initially I ignored the tie and just played two separate notes. Once I had the melody of the piece in my head I started playing hooked notes for the tie. This gave me “bowing parity”, if I can coin a phrase. By using a hooked bowing pattern for each tie I keep my down and up bows in sync with the music. Eventually I replaced the hooks with ties.

Lee #39 The slurs in this piece threw me. I tend to play slurred notes far shorter than their assigned values, which screws up the rhythm entirely. Separate bows helped here. Today when I played it for David I had trouble with measure 8. The first three note pattern is A-Eb-G, and the second is A-E-G. Due to my tendency to not point my 1st finger far enough back for half-position notes, the Eb wasn’t very flat. I need to polish this for the next lesson.

Humoresque This piece has really improved in the two weeks or so since I last played it for David. The only problem area remaining is in measures 34 and again in 38. I tend to make the first three notes a triplet rather than a 16th followed by two 32nd notes.

La Cinquantaine Oof. This piece is filled with shifts, and the occasional harmonic just to see if you are paying attention. The comment I am most likely to utter under my breath while practicing it is, “this is just plain mean.” I’m still working on the open three lines. Today in the lesson we worked on the grace notes in measures 2 and 4. This piece will be with me for a while.

For my next lesson David wants me to work on Lee #40 (the last Lee étude), La Cinquantaine, and to start Allegro Moderato, the “graduation” piece from volume 3 of the Suzuki books.

He also asked me to buy a copy of Schroeder 170 Foundation Studies for Violoncello, which I promptly did after the lesson.

Ever since I converted my other site, zanshin.net, to use Octopress I have wanted to convert Solfège too. Over the past couple of days I have taken the time to complete that conversion.

I find it very easy to create new postings and add content using Octopress - it has greatly increased the output on zanshin.net over the past several months. I am hoping to see increased activity on Solfège, my cello site, now.

Please let me know if you find any thing missing or broken via the new interact page.

Elgar Sospiri op. 70 →

Sublime.

My fourth solo recital opportunity is coming up on December 17th. David is hosting a recital that day for his pre-college students. Although I am old enough to be the father of all of the other pre-college students, and quite probably all of the college students too, I am only two-years old as a cellist.

At my first recital I played Long, Long Ago, and Minute in C. My second outing was the Boccherini Minuet, and my third was Berceuse. For the December recital I’ll be playing what Suzuki called Minuet No. 3. (For an interesting aside about the veracity of the Bach attribution given the piece by the Suzuki book, you should read Petzold Minuet on Suzuki Skeptic.)

For the first and third recitals I used my music, or at least had it on the stand in front of me. David asked that I memorize my piece for the upcoming performance, so I have been focused on that task in my recent practice sessions. Tonight, after about 45 minutes focused work, I was able to play the entire piece with only one or two memory slips. If you think the piece as having a “A” section, a “B” section, and a “C” section, where A is repeated, B is repeated, C is played through once, and then A once more to finish; then I have trouble with the starting measure or two of B, and again in the first couple of measure of C. Fortunately I have two weeks of practice time left before the recital. I’m out of town next week without my cello, so I lose six days of practice.

My goal is to have it completely memorized at a good performance tempo shortly after I return from my business trip, and to video myself to add pressure to the practice sessions. In the dojo I belonged to we used to say that sparring in a tournament put you under a different kind of stress than we could generate in the dojo. Playing a recital is stressful, and any and all things I can do to duplicate stress while I play at home will help make the performance that much better. Pointing a video camera at myself seems to halve my playing ability, so that is one good way to practice. I may also ask my wife to accompany on the piano, as David will accompany me on his cello during the performance. Playing with another person is also added stress.

I’m looking forward to my recital, and I hope that being this far along with my piece this early in the process will help to make it a worthy performance.

Two years ago today I had my first ever cello lesson. While that initial lesson was less than satisfactory, it was still a start. Today I am nearly through book three of Suzuki, and on the 32nd of 40 Lee Études. Best of all I am loving playing cello and look forward to my daily practice sessions.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? We just learn differently, that’s all.

Last night will adding some rosin to my bow just prior to starting my practice session, the wedge holding the bow hairs in place at the tip of the bow came out. One second I’m gliding the bow across the rosin cake and the next there’s bow hair laying loose in my lap and bits of rosin and the wedge bouncing around on the floor.

Whoops.

Last spring I had my bow re-haired and ever since then the wedge at the tip as been slightly loose. After an hour’s practice I could, when the hair was loose, press on the tip and move the wedge back into place. It never moved very far, and it was easy enough to “tighten”, so I choose not to return it to the local shop and have it looked at. Apparently I hadn’t paid enough attention to how loose it was last night, and it popped out.

I’m not sure why the rosin cake chipped, but I suspect I hit it against the bow stick when the hairs let go.

I was able to find the wedge on the floor, amidst the bits of rosin that had chipped off the cake, and after a few false starts I figured out how it, and the knot at the tip end of the bow hairs, went together and fit into the top of the bow. I had to remove the knob so as to take the frog off the bow to allow enough slack to get the tip assembled, but, fortunately, it all went back together perfectly. I actually think, after using the bow for an hour, that the wedge is in tighter now than it has been since the bow was re-haired.

I was luck that I found the wedge on the floor (it isn’t very big) and that I was able to put things to right. Since I only have one bow I was motivated to get it working again so I could practice. So I guess there are two morals to this story. First, if the bow isn’t 100% right after it’s been re-haired - take it back immediately and have it addressed. Secondly, I should have a second bow on hand for when the first bow is out of commission for some reason or another.

This gives me a good excuse to take my cello to the nearest string store (125 miles) and spend some money.