Another teacher gone

Rodger Alexander was my violin teacher, both at school and privately, for the two years before I learned that the cello was what I REALLY wanted to play.  He also directed my high school orchestra and string ensemble my last year of high school.

When I began to teach cello, one of my first thoughts was, "How did Mr. Alexander teach when I first learned the violin at the age of 9?"  The answer was, he made it FUN!  I've tried to make sure that informed my own teaching of children.  I'm sure I'll never forget the swinging arm trick. 

I went to visit his orchestra class 20 years after I graduated.  His students all wanted to know... did he really used to have red hair?  Oh yes! Too bad the memorial video here with his obituary had all his younger-days pictures in black and white!

More memories can be found at this Facebook page.

Video of the week: Who wrote Lully Gavotte?

I am totally stealing this from Timothy Judd at The Listener's Club!  In fact, I am not going to write a lot - just send you to his blog to read there! (If you didn't already follow the same link I shared on Facebook last week.
http://thelistenersclub.com/2016/01/25/who-wrote-lullys-gavotte/

But I will embed two versions of this from YouTube, both of which are different from the way we find it in Suzuki Cello Book 3.  (Timothy's link to a recording by Mischa Maisky didn't work for me, this one does.)

Students: Who really wrote the "Lully" Gavotte?

Video of the Week: Perpetual Motion Doubles

This week we have a teaching video with Abigail McHugh Grifa.  This bow stroke is not only used in Perpetual Motion, but again and again in cello playing.  We have some students learning Webster's Scherzo (Suzuki Cello book 3), who will benefit from this review!

Those not yet learning Perpetual Motion can have some fun giving this a try, too!

Students: What will help the motion go side to side instead of up and down?

"Video" of the Week: Beethoven's birthday

December is a busy month for birthdays in our studio!  Did you know Beethoven's birthday is in December, too?

Did you get a chance to play the Google Doodle game on December 17?  It's fun!  If you are reading music, try it before listening.  If you don't read well yet, just click on the pieces and sort them out from there!  If you don't get it the first time, try again! 

Have fun!

https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-ludwig-van-beethovens-245th-year

Video of the week: The neck positions

No, this has nothing to do with the posture of our necks!  We are looking at the positions of the left hand on the neck of the cello!

I have sometimes used the "upper" and "lower" terms with 2nd and 3rd positions as per Rick Mooney's book, Position Pieces, but most of the time the somewhat moveable 2nd and 3rd position indications are a little more vague.  I like the way Robert Jesselson explains things here, using the terms "2nd and a half" and "3rd and a half", etc.,  and the chart he shows.  Take a look!

Students: Is there a "4th and a half" position?  Please be ready to show me on your cello at your next lesson!




Geography #1 – Position chart and VII position harmonic https://videopress.com/v/Tag15YC3 0

Building Skills - notes from a talk by Ed Krietman

Definition of skill:
"To be able to do the task consistently, with ease."
EVERY TIME, not almost every time.  It has to look easy, feel easy, and sound easy.

3 C's:

1. Comprehension (knowledge) - understand the task
2. Cooperation - practice until you get it right (physical cooperation)
3. Constructive Repetition - when you get it right, repeat six times to make up for each time you didn't get it right, and then add 10 more repetitions

Review to remember vs review to play better: to play better = standard rises, layers are added, work toward playing artistically.

Goals when reviewing: Tone, in tune, musical line, essence of child coming through the piece.

Transformation comes through skill, not knowledge.

At the bottom of the page I jotted: "See quote Nurtured by Love art."  Possibly I was referring to one of these two sentences?  [edit - maybe it says"Swc quote...," like I would know it well enough to know what that stood for?]

"The substance of art did not lie, after all, at such a height or distance.  It was, rather, in a most ordinary place: within my own self."

"Works of art encompass in their entirety an artist's personality, sensibility, and ability." (Nurtured by Love - revised ed. p.106
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, notes jotted on a scrap of paper transcribed here ... I can't even tell you when/where this talk aired.  Possibly in Parents as Partners 2012?  Or the SAA Online Mini Conference? I'll use the PP label, in any event, as I will with the other notes I found with this one.  If any reader can help fill in my memory lapses, please contribute!

Video of the Week: Are your scales boring?

Here are some ideas for working on technique while playing scales.  Try them!  Pay attention to how much and which parts of the bow you are using.  (6th European Suzuki Teachers’ Xchange Convention in Germany.)

Students: Come to your lesson prepared to demonstrate one of these!



 

Video of the week: 21st Century Prodigy Sujari Britt

"Sujari Britt has been playing music since she was 2-years-old and has been playing cello since she was 4. When she was 8, she performed for President Obama at the White House. In this episode of PRODIGIES, watch as she tackles a piece of music even her instructors say is far beyond her years."

A young start plus a LOVE for the cello!  How exciting to see this young woman playing with such maturity at only 11.  Let's not the rest of us lose heart, though!  I think we will see her as a professional soloist as she hopes.  Even those of us who aren't professionals can enjoy expressing our emotions through the cello, as she mentions at the beginning of this video, though.

Students, on your practice sheet, write what you can practice from Suzuki book 1 which will help to prepare you for the bowing she is using at 3:40.

Rare footage of "The Trio"

"Cellist, Violinist, Pianist - The Trio (1953) - Extremely Rare Film Landmark musical performances were a staple of early television, but unfortunately many of the early examples have been destroyed. This extremely rare film documents cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, violinist Jascha Heifetz, and pianist Artur Rubenstein. Somewhat stilted in the way only early television can be, it nevertheless showcases the technique and personalities of three of the 20th century's greatest musicians."

"Grisha" Piatigorsky is one of my students' cellistic great grandfathers. :-)

Video of the Week: 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic

Or, if you prefer their native tongue: Die 12 Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker.

There are lots of cello choirs and cello ensembles around these days, but it seems to me this was the first to become popular.  And probably the best!  What an awesome sound. Gabriel Faure's Pavane.

This piece was originally written for piano and choir in the late 1800s, but it is most popular in the orchestral arrangement. I think it works well for a cello choir.

On your practice sheet (or in comments below if you wish) note four observations.

Video of the Week: Zara Nelsova

Another great female cellist of the 20th century was Canadian-born Zara Nelsova.  You can find the video HERE, as embedding into another site is not allowed. 

Zara Nelsova plays "Adagio" from Sonata in A Major for Cello and Piano, G4a (Luigi Boccherini)
From: VAI DVD 4370 Zara Nelsova: Grande Dame of the Cello
Nelsova was extolled for her passion, flair, and perfect intonation. These television recitals from the archives of Radio-Canada (1955-1962) ...

On your practice sheet, please write three countries she lived in, as well as her dates of birth and death.

Cello Mountain

Is it hard to learn to play the cello? Well, yes. And no. Is it hard to climb a mountain? If you stand at the foot and look at the peak, the whole picture looks rather daunting. But can you just take one step? Of course! That isn't so hard! Likewise, if we take small steps, learning the cello can be easy. There' not much intuitive about starting out, especially. You'll need a guide. A guide with a map. What if we see that big mountain and decide that's a long way, we'd better hurry up and get up there! Take off running! Well, pretty soon you'll be exhausted, maybe overwhelmed that even with all that energy expended, you didn't really get that much closer to the summit. You might even find that you are lost because you didn't take the time to follow the map. And if you're in such a hurry, there's that danger of tripping and falling off a narrow precipice. Yep, that can happen in cello studies, too. Let's not trip, one easy step at a time!

Video of the Week: Jacqueline du Pre

One of the great cellists of the last century. On your practice sheet, please write her name, date and country of birth, and date of death.

"Video" of the week: J. S. Bach

This week rather than watch, you will listen to a 5 minute radio program about Johann Sebastian Bach on "Classics for Kids".  CLICK HERE.  I'll bet even the adults will learn something interesting they didn't know before!  Take the three question quiz after listening and let me know how you did! 

There's also a link for listening to the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, and an activity sheet for any interested.  I have played this, and let me tell you, sitting directly in front of piccolo trumpets is hard on the ears!  Much prefer some of the other Brandenburg Concertos.  Number 6 is cool - doesn't even have violins! Oh, I can't resist - I will post a video here, too.  Extra credit for watching either or both of these!  :-)

2014 Adjudicator's Words of Wisdom

Once again, I was able to enjoy several string adjudications in our music festival. Sharon Stanis was wonderful with the students!  Much warmth and humour and many complements.  I have fewer notes to share this year, as her teaching style was less "lecture", more kinesthetic.   Each student got a lesson on their instrument as part of their adjudication.  Also, I probably attended fewer of the adjudications - or maybe my pen just wasn't as energetic this year.  :-)

I will share a few of her general ideas which she repeated for more than one student, and then a few other gems.

She suggested to several violin students to try a deeper bow hold - get the middle fingers down over the frog more for a deeper tone.  [I changed my cello bow hold in this way and experienced this some years ago.]

She likes to use the word "Watermelon" to say along with notes in groups of four to help organize them.  ("Strawberry" would be good for groups of three.) The emphasis on the first syllable helps to put emphasis on the first note of the group.  For the older students, as well as using "watermelon," she said that they should know for each note in passage sections four things:

• up or down bow?
• which string is it on?
• which finger are you using? (say "O" for open [or name of string] to keep it one syllable)
• what position are you in?

We should know each note as well as we know our best friends!

Practice in four note sections - wait for the brain to be ready for the next section, repeat if unsure.  This is less overwhelming than practicing through the whole passage.  The hard stuff becomes easy when organized.

When shifting, keep the bow deeply into the string.

Use a strong, confident bow - the left hand will follow.

Mistakes happen between the notes.

Know the history of your piece.

Air bowing is a great way to practice.

On a singing piece such as The Swan, look at the score with the piano and sing along, listen to recordings, learn to avoid strict counting.

Put stories to your songs to give them character. Think of an adjective for each section.

Play with love - impart that to your audience.

"Failure breeds success."  Perfectionism leads to stiff shoulders.  Let the shoulder be boring - scoop the sound out with "smile" bows. (Baroque piece.)

Smiling is part of being entertainers.  Smile after you bow!!!

We need to "exercise" our instruments!  If it is never played nearer the bridge it will not respond well - we need to work it in.  She told a story of a teacher loaning a violin to a student.  When it was returned it no longer worked well near to the bridge - it had to be worked in again.

[A new instrument, a new bridge, and often new strings ... all need to be "played in" to some degree in order to develop their optimal tone.  I was very interested to learn that this also applied to bow placement!]

If you think of the tone, you will not go wrong.  Tone = beauty. 

Even rests and ends of notes need beauty.

Be a good salesperson - play your music like you love it!

Bach Suites are the cellists' Mt. Everest.  To make them look easy is the cellist's job.  Analyzing the keys of sections will help with memory.

Before performing, a cellist needs to check set up and be 500% comfortable!  Chair height, endpin length, strap length... [and make sure the endpin is tight to prevent slipping!  Heel height, too - practice in the clothing and shoes you will perform in!]  


There were many, many wonderful performances... and I only attended two of the three strings days!  Look for some of the best and most fun ones at the Night of Stars wrap up concert (follow link for details - May 2). 

Strings Adjudicator Words of Wisdom part 3

About time I got back to this... 2014 music festival is next week!!

Back to 2013 and William van der Sloot's words of wisdom... Continued from Part 2 HERE.

On understanding your music:
The middle class developed in the Romantic Period, and the idea of working hard to  make something - a painful process. Understand the music you are learning, LIVE the history.

On playing by memory:
The music needs to be not "memorized", but KNOWN. We must play by ear.
Getting your eyes off the page helps to communicate and share with the audience.  Our natural musical instincts come out better when playing by memory. Play by ear from the start.  Play what we hear, not what we see (see- hear- play).  Develop a trust in the ear.  If we KNOW the piece we don't need the music.
It's harder to be musical when reading the music.  It's better to have memory slips and have fun than to play with music and be boring.  The performers whose music sends tingles up your back or make you weep also have memory slips.

More on practice: 
Use a metronome for practice.
Listen to intonation.

The right (bow) hand is BOSS!  Practice fortissimo, and don't make concessions for the left hand.

Practice rhythm patterns of a piece fortissimo on open strings, with a careful bow (slurs, separates).
Practice dotted scales to  speed up reflexes and impulses.
To develop concentration practice repeating a rhythmic matrix or 9 random numbers.



On cello posture and technique (and violin technique):
Technique is the body's work.
To break a bad habit, experiment.  Why is it better the other way?  Try it with a relaxed hand to see if your body likes it.  We need to hear how it sounds, feel it - our body needs to like it.

The bow hangs better from a violin which is held up.  The canvas is bigger when the violin is held up.

Playing the cello with a twisted back makes the hand tight and is hard on the back.

Don't twist the cello too much as it makes playing on the C awkward. (Might I add? ... let it twist slightly as you play the A and flatten a bit as you play the C)

The thumb moves with the hand to balance it.

A supinated bow hold puts pressure on the thumb and can lead to tendinitis. (Supinated = opposite of pronated.)

Use forearm instead of wrist for sautille.  A wrist stroke works better with heavier hands.


On expectations:
There is a certain level expected from teacher, self, the class...  The environment gives the initial motion, then the students can play off each other and get things to "spin well."  In some of his master lessons, nothing was ever played for the teacher twice, and the music (paper copy) was never taken to the lesson.  Over the summer the students were expected to LEARN the repertoire by memory including the orchestra/piano parts.  The EXPECTATION was there, so that's what students could do!

There are no straight lines in our learning, so don't compare yourself to others the same age, etc.
 
On expression:
Espressivo does not mean dolce.
Playing closer to bridge with a slower bow is louder, but the strings do not spin faster.
A fast narrow vibrato with a light touch near fingerboard might be dolce.
A slow wide vibrato with a heavier bow near the bridge might be espressivo.
Support a soft sound with a faster bow or playing nearer the bridge, not just a lighter bow in the middle.
Experiment with colour - bow, vibrato, releases... the bow leads, not the vibrato.

Don't be too NICE with the music (Bach Arioso) - add more physical and emotional energy.  Take something brutal like Shostakovich, then refine that and take it back to Bach.
Don't just get louder - add energy, articulation, clarity.

On performing:
Be discreet when checking your first note.  The performance begins when you enter the stage.

We can't participate in our own performance as the audience does, just listening and depending on motor memory - need to learn to think and prepare ahead.

Let the character of the music out - don't be too controlled.

Spring break finger flexibility exercises

Spring break practice!  You can do a lot of this without a cello!

The first kickstarter project I've backed.  Take a look and see if it's worth your backing.  Only 23 hours left to raise remaining funds.  Looks like an interesting new cello curriculum/app!

The Lady in Number 6

Alice passed away last month at 110.

Nice to see The Lady in Number 6 short documentary recognized at the Oscars last night!

So much in this....




"Put as much as you can into your heads, because that's something no one can take away from you."  Scripture and music come to mind. Both very sustaining.

My aching back!

I mentioned back issues HERE several months ago.  I am happy to say that things have improved since then!  The aches improved with manual therapy (and tennis balls on the wall, and time on the floor at home) to relieve the muscle knots.  Stretching the pectorals have made a big difference in posture.  I had been working on that for months, but didn't see real improvement until my second physiotherapist gave me a bigger, better stretch.**  Combining that with the "Fix the Shoulder Blades" exercise as seen at fixtheneck.com, and trying to develop new habits...  big difference.  I had tried the shoulder blade exercise before without much success, probably due to the tight pectorals.

Fixtheneck.com helped me to understand why my neck was bothering me, even after physio treatment - or rather, even more after treatment. It seems to be slowly improving now.

I am not going to blame cello playing for all my issues (I have mild scoliosis, probably inherited from both parents!), but I think playing has contributed to the muscle imbalances.  Currently reading more about that in The Athletic Musician by physiotherapist Barbara Paull and violinist Christine Harrison.  Still on my reading list is The Musician as Athlete by cellist Dorothy Bishop.  Another good book about taking care of the musician's body is Playing (Less) Hurt by cellist Janet Horvath.***  Here is an interview where she offers advice for musicians:
 You might be at a place where videos and books can help, but if you are already aching I recommend also seeking the help of a good physiotherapist who does manual therapy - wish I had done so years ago!

Check back soon for my other reason to see a physiotherapist!

 **EDIT: The stretch worked very well for my muscles, but unfortunately was a bit too much for the nerves. When numbness and tingling developed in my hands I returned to the physiotherapist who had me change stretching techniques.
***EDIT: Another article which gives injury prevention advice: A Painful Melody: Repetetive Strain Injury Among Musicians.