Catching Up with Orchestra and More....

It has been a long time since I have written a post, and a lot to catch up on.

When I last wrote, I was in the Cape Community Orchestra, preparing for a concert. I was one of seven cellists, because the CCO is not an auditioned group and seems happy to take anyone. Even with seven of us, we seemed dwarfed by the brass section.

We had a couple of easy pieces, a couple of challenging pieces, and one nearly impossible piece (The Hebrides, by Mendelssohn). At first I concentrated on the Hebrides, learning a couple of measures at each lesson. That part was fun, seeing an impossible section suddenly become playable with the proper fingering. But, in between lessons, I did not find time to practice, so the work was for naught, or next-to-naught, because even if I could play those sections, I couldn't play most of them fast enough. I loved the music, and with sufficient time to practice, might have become more proficient, but "sufficient" time was not at hand.

Some weeks I didn't practice at all. I didn't even think about practicing. It is not like I though, gee, I should practice, right after I finish this pressing project. It just didn't even occur to me to practice, until I suddenly realized that orchestra rehearsal was the next day.

After a while, when I realized the concert was almost upon us, I changed my strategy and decided to work on the easy and intermediate pieces so I would be able to play most of the concert relatively fluently. For the Hebrides, I did what I could, often playing the first note of a 4-note run, rather than all of them. For me, this was a good idea, to focus on focusing: riveting my attention to counting, and getting the first note of each group of four 16th notes, so that, at least, I would know where we were. I didn't get lost, and that is a good thing, even if I didn't play every note.

I wavered for a while, but finally decided not to continue with the orchestra in the spring season. My work schedule just won't allow it at this time. But, more than that, I have found orchestra playing not to be conducive to working on a beautiful tone, or to getting every note, two priorities for me. It is too easy in orchestra to fake it during certain passages. With seven cellos overwhelmed by several trumpets, saxophones, and tubas, how beautifully one might play a particular passage is not really a concern (at least in the back row of cellos).

I think my focus, for the next "semester," will be on myself, my own playing. I haven't given up on ensembles though. I love ensembles. I will continue to play in the fiddle group (more on that in another post) and am seeking to establish a cello choir here, perhaps with a stray flute or violin (more on that later too--we are playing tomorrow at an informal concert at an assisted living center: 3 cellos, a violin, a flute, and an alto flute. We haven't really rehearsed. The concert is sort of an open rehearsal, but I expect it to be just dandy!)

Meanwhile, I am still playing with the beginning/intermediate piano students, to give them experience in playing accompaniment, and to give me practice in playing with a pianist. I noticed one time that one of the pianists complimented one of the students for being able to follow me when I stumbled, or words to that effect. I refrained from telling her that it was me who was trying to follow the pianist.

When I first started playing with a pianist, for my Suzuki book recitals, I had to memorize my Suzuki pieces and perform with the pianist. This was too much for me, to play from memory and know the piano part as well, and know how it all fit in together. I managed to get by, at least in the beginning, by blotting out the piano, and just playing, trusting the pianist to follow me. And she did. Now, it is nice to have a sense of the pianist and how a piece should sound when we play together.

Listening to the piano recitals has encouraged me to try piano again, and I am happy to say I learned "Joy to the World" on piano and played it at the recital last week at a nursing home. I play it incessantly now and am even thinking of learning another Christmas piece on the piano, before the holidays are over.

Have a joyful and musical holiday!

Giving up the cello. No, not me.

A friend told me over the weekend that she is taking a break from cello in order to explore other activities. At first I thought she was saying she was not going to take cello choir this summer in order to pursue her own cello interests, but gradually I understood that she might be breaking free of the cello entirely. An amateur musician, she has been playing for over 20 years. It is a little disturbing to me, this sloughing off of the cello, after years of commitment. Not for her, but more the implication that I might stop someday too.

It could happen, should physical frailty overcome me before the proverbial truck runs me over, but I can't imagine just setting the cello aside. Yet, there are other aspects to life.

I have been thinking about what I thought she said first: giving up ensembles to pursue your own cello goals. This is an idea I readily endorse.

I am "taking a break" from vocal choir and Town Band, and I will not be taking cello choir class this summer. That leaves me with three ensembles: flute choir, early music (Baroque) group, and the fiddlers, plus my Suzuki cello lessons. The flute choir has two performances this summer; the early music group, one, maybe two; and the fiddlers perform every week or two. I have a Suzuki cello recital coming up and cello fiddle camp in August. It still sounds like a lot, but I am relieved to be narrowing the list down a bit, to focus on improving my playing and on the music most meaningful to me right now.

Getting Started

I started the cello over 7 years ago as an adult. At the time, I was playing flute in an amateur adult flute choir, and my flute teacher, a violin teacher and a cello teacher brought their adult students together for an evening of music. Before that evening, I had not given a thought to the cello, but I realized that the rich tones of the cello made the high sqeaky flutes sound so much better. One of the cellists told me she had only been playing a year, and she sounded pretty good to me. I thought I might start the cello myself, to make the flute choir sound better.

About the same time, my family and I went to visit my sister and her three children. Two played violin, one played cello. My daughter, then about 10 years old, decided she wanted to play the cello, just like her cousin. So, my daughter and I started cello together. She no longer plays, but I am grateful for her early enthusiasm. I may not have had the courage to start a new instrument "all by myself."

I still play the flute, and I have since taken up fiddle and toy with mountain dulcimer, guitar, and piano, but the cello seems to define me.