7 Questions About Teaching Cello (from American String Teacher Magazine)

In May 2015, American String Teacher published an article asking famous cello teachers questions about their teaching. I thought it would be fun think about how I would answer the same questions. After sharing my own responses, I'll end with my favorite quotes from the article. So, here are seven questions, and my own answers:

How many years have you taught? How did you get your start?  

My first teaching experiences occurred before I finished high school. I helped with the elementary summer strings camp, and taught a few lessons to younger kids in the neighborhood. In college and graduate school, I’d usually have a couple students. I began teaching full time upon graduating with my Masters in Cello Performance. So if I start there, I’ve been teaching for over 20 years. 

What do students need from you again and again? 

Most often when a student comes to me for the first time, whether a beginner or someone with more experience, my primary focus is tone. Tone is the most fundamental part of music, no matter the level. Additionally, students learn to increase their aural awareness and pitch discernment over the course of working with me. At the beginning I’m telling them, this is sharp or flat. Over time, they don’t need me to tell them as much anymore, or not nearly as often. Musically, students are developing their sense of phrasing and musical principles so that eventually they take on a greater role in creating their interpretation. And how do we get there? Building block by block one on top of the other with developing reliable technique to play relaxed, in tune, and with good tone. That’s what my students need from me, again and again. 

What is your special ingredient with students? 

Meeting them where they are, and liking them for who they are.  I believe the relationship that develops over time between a music teacher and their student is important in many different ways, not all of them musical. It’s about learning how to learn, developing habits that will serve them in school, in life, and in music.  For example, developing the ability to find mistakes interesting and informative, rather than upsetting or unpleasant. My special ingredient is that I care about the whole person, as I’m also developing the musician within that person.  

How did your teachers influence you? 

Any successful cellist owes a debt of gratitude to their teachers. It’s impossible to play this instrument well without highly skilled and long term instruction. For me, Steven Benham (now a music education professor at Duquesne University) took me from seventh grade (“The Happy Farmer,”) to playing Haydn C Major concerto with the youth orchestra as a senior in high school. Steve Pologe, at the University of Oregon, advanced my technique in every way throughout my undergraduate studies, while creating a very supportive environment in which to flourish. Erling Bengtsson, professor at University of Michigan, demonstrated playing with incredible ease and musical artistry.  And Hans Jensen, cello professor at Northwestern University, helped me to develop the attention to detail, mental toughness, and high level of accuracy required to spin off into the professional world in my mid- 20’s. 

Do you have advice for aspiring students? 

Trust the process, and have patience to enjoy your unique, individual journey. Seek out as many enriching musical experiences as you can. Surrounding yourself with peers who are excited about music, as playing together is one of the great joys of our craft.

What bigger picture idea do you like to impart on your students? 

Keep music in your life. Young people today are tightly scheduled with extra curriculars, advanced classes, and the rest. Music shouldn’t be another thing adding to the stress. Music can engage our brains in a completely different way than other activities.  I want my students to develop a true love and enjoyment of playing, so the cello is like a friend that stays with them for life. You may not be able to play everyday, depending on where life takes you. But I want students to have enough skills that they can derive enjoyment from music for a lifetime. That’s the big picture of what it’s all about. 

Thoughts on a life devoted to music and teaching? 

I have worked very hard to develop the skills that I use to play professionally, and to teach the cello.  At different times in my life, music has meant different things for me. When I needed wings to take me beyond my current place, out of my comfort zone, music did that for me. Music has helped me forge connections with people that would not otherwise have been made, and develop a mode of expression.  It’s invigorating to devote oneself to an artistic pursuit. But I also have made choices to develop other parts of my life, and sometimes I rebel against the notion of musician life having to be all encompassing. I appreciate my hobbies. I love to learn about new things.  I am a musician but also a parent, a person who loves to read, who dives into new interests. Music is a connection to my heart, my youth, my sense of adventure, and my also my peaceful moments. I hope to be playing the Bach Suites in my 90’s for my own enjoyment, like Pablo Casals. If only we could all be so lucky! 

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Now, I want to share some of my favorite responses from the journal article interviewing famous cello teachers. On, "What bigger picture idea do you like to impart?" Norman Fischer says,

"There are three archetypes build into what we do: the musician, the athlete, and the performer. Central to the musician is imagination- you want to know everything about this piece and have a plan so that when you sit down to play you know exactly how you want to sound. The athlete knows how the body works optimally, drawing from disciplines like Alexander, yoga, and what we're learning from science. Knows how the cello and bow work together to resonate optimally; and ultimately the athlete creates the most simple, efficient, and intelligent interface between the body and the instrument. The performer's primary characteristic is enthusiasm, and that is how you engage with your audience. The performer becomes essentially a tour guide, helping the audience to hear and experience all the wonderful moments in the work as richly as possible."

On Thoughts on a life devoted to music and teaching, Laurence Lesser says,

"... I think the underlying principle in my teaching is how to help a talented young person gain the intellectual/emotional/physical/ artistic equipment that enables them to become who they are meant to be."  

What a rich tapestry of skills we musicians weave together! May we all develop the skills to become who we are meant to be.