http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f75DDfxD3gM

I met singer songwriter / classical cellist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK when I just had to stop by and say hi to the fantastic cellist I could hear practicing. Now, she ventures into new ground with her original work. 

Just sitting here listening to the live recordings of my friends in San Francisco- Cello Street Quartet. They sound great and I love the live footage outdoors. Have I played in that store front in the Castro too?!! haha.

Check them out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahjke9bKI3k.

The sky was blue and icy cold. The wind blew and the big pine trees swayed in the fractured sunlight. A plane flew over, a small spec high above us. While the coronet played taps the little crowd faced forward except me- I looked up into the sky and let the tears spread across my face. Are you up there Mr.Dan? Are you happy up there in that place we call Heaven somewhere so distant from our world?

My black heeled shoes sunk in the grass a bit. The man with the gentle face and flyer sun glasses was speaking as he fingered the bullet shells. "This represents Service to One's Country" he said as he stuffed the empty cartridge down into the flag. "This represents Honor to One's Country" he said and pressed another metal shell into the folds of the cloth. "This represents Duty to One's Country"... The flag that Dan gunned for in planes from England to Germany, and the flag that caused Dad to jump out of a burning plane into the hands of the Nazi Germans, the flag that Dan spent many, many months in concentration camp for... now this flag was shaped into a triangle, and  gently with respect, handed to a frail, heart broken, elderly woman.

The man in uniform and grey hair looked into the widow's face and spoke with quiet authority. I couldn't hear the words but his face and his entire bearing brought great solidity and comfort. A veteran honoring the man who gave all precious to him to fight against Hitler and all he stood for, against the Japanese ally that bombed Pearl Harbor, against the ideas that still threaten our nation today, he spoke with deep respect and sincerity... The small crowd in black dispersed away from the cometary and the veterans gathered their rifles and flags and also quietly dispersed.

Yesterday it was a great privilege to play my cello for the small funeral service of Dan Piedmont. Although I personally had no relationship with Dan he was a precious grandfather figure to my oldest sister and a good friend to my parents. Dan was a hero in a plane, in church, and in family. As I played my songs and felt the people around me I was reminded of the solemn and seldom embraced role of the artist to hold the grief of others, to provide arms of comfort and breath in difficult times. The hope to somehow provide an anchor and presence which could hold someone through their sorrow in a place where perhaps faith and words of intellect could not penetrate. The intention to express where voices crack and words go away.

I felt humbled to be there playing my cello and thought more about how needed this gift is when the funeral director pointed out that in thirty years he had not seen a service in his funeral home blessed so much with music, that often people do not have the gift of music at this time in their life.

I wondered about cultures like the Senegalese Griot where the musicians hold the expected duty to be present like priests in the community services of marriage and death... Our value may be often forgotten, but as pointed out so perfectly in a commencement speech flying around youtube awhile ago, parents- you may wish your son or daughter chose the medical field or something that guaranteed them being paid regularly more than minimum wage,  but when they are present on nine-eleven, when they are the ones guiding the nation in time of deepest tragedy, you will remember that the artist also has a valuable place in society.  When tragedy strikes you will be proud of your son or daughter who chooses to be a musician.

Uncle Dan you and your fellow veterans are an incredible inspiration to us here in the United States today. We honor and thank you for your sacrifice and I thank you for the love you have given my family.

 


 

Over the week end I drove my little stick shift east on the thruway and headed Northeast into Adirondack park.

I left Thursday morning after an oil change arriving in Speculator around noon where I stopped at my favorite  Adirondack grocery/hardware/book store and bought some good apple cider then headed on to Warrensburg where I was to stay.

Thursday night I performed solo in the small entrance space to Aimee's Dinner and a Movie in Glens Falls where they presented a gallery of Haitian artwork. The acoustics in the gallery were fantastic for cello and it was a lot of fun to play there. Bach, Improv, Sound of Music, anything I could think of...

I was playing in a storefront window and it was funny to see people walk down the street and stop and look in. Some very nice ladies from the rotary club happened to be eating dinner in the restaurant next door. From their upper story window view they looked down and watched me play and were intrigued to come and listen. Underneath me a man was working late in his shop and could hear the music above so he also came to investigate and we ended up having a very interesting chat about the music scene in Brooklyn in the 60's-80's. 

After the event my brother was chatting with the bar tender next door who mentioned that she had no music that night. Tim got her to hire me for an hour and Bach in the Bar paid for my gas...

Friday I hiked up Hackensack mountain  which rose up just behind where I was staying. A small little mountain with lots of open boulder space and a flag flying, it was a nice way to greet the day and the warm sunshine.  Hitting the trail even for a short time was exhilarating and got the blood moving! 

On Saturday I woke up thinking I should hit the trail again. I drove north up route 87 for the trail towards Giant mountain from the Northeast. I was prepared with MSR isopro and stove and oatmeal but had forgotten to put matches in my kit ! (had to remove them when I flew on the plane earlier this Fall...) so a granola bar had to suffice and I set out for some good views of the Southern peaks. It was clear, sunny, and cold! How pretty the sun hit the yellow leaved trees... a beautiful morning that God had made. It felt a little lonely to be hiking alone and I walked slowly trying to take in the air and just enjoy being in the woods. The views from Blueberry cobble and Rocky Ridge were amazing and I was inspired to see Gothics and Pyramid. What a great place to be on a Saturday morning! I didn't go too much further, sat and did some writing, praying, then headed back down, planning to come back next summer to do the entire trail to Giant. 

That night at the Haitian Benefit Dinner I performed with pianist/singer/guitarist/composer Ray Agnew and singer Gisella Montanez-Case. The three of us hit it off immediately and had a great time playing together. It was great to improvise with such generous musicians with rich musical depth. It was a lot of fun followed up by Haitian lime fish, herb potatoes and ginger sugared plantains. Delicious.

Driving back across the park on Sunday I enjoyed the rocky river views and stopped to gaze at the last beautiful lake before leaving the park and getting back on route 90. I was planning my workshop for the sixth graders and thinking about the people I'd met. With several offers for places to stay on future hiking trips, and requests to come and play some more music, I wondered about returning in the near future. I also wondered if that red service light would prove any more ominous on the way home!

Made it home safely and have yet to service the honda, but am following up on some North Country plans for the Spring...

    

Just saw a little advert about North Sky and checked out their website. northskycelloensemble.com. The nightingale song is so beautiful. So awesome to see original and cross-genre cello ensembles popping up. The cello has to be the most currently versatile performance instrument out there.

http://www.addarioberry.com/Home.html

Hanna is friendly, on top of things, and a seriously interesting cellist who first got my attention when I saw her perform with Del Sol in Union Square, San Francisco with a group of contemporary dancers. Hanna also organizes a great cello open mic at a little place called 'Bazaar Cafe' on Richmond in San Francisco. Trekking home on the public bus with our cellos Hanna and I have discussed ideas about musicians and dancers working together and what some of the barriers might be.  Hanna played with Del Sol Quartet from 2006-2010 and now has founded her own group called Navitas ensemble. Check out her website.

I was sitting on the lawnmower thinking about where I am right now as a musician.
Where is Esther at?

I am in that strange in-between position where I have a masters degree- but still have significant things in my playing to work on... I have performed with amazing musicians while in school- but am still looking for my niche of people to play with now, and where... I have learned a lot and have a lot to share- but am not fully able to support myself... have time on my hands and the temptation to be really lazy, lacking in patience to slowly unravel things out- find the opportunities and figure out exactly what step to take next...

The musician who graduates from college has a lot of figuring out to do. More school? Auditions? Teaching? Grants? Residencies? New projects? How to pay the bills... There is always this struggle between financial reality, creative pursuit, technical ability, and connections.

For me, I haven't stayed too long in one place; 4 years in CT, 2 years in CA, 1 year in London, and now back home to Rochester, so I have work to do to maintain connections and re-establish them.  As a free lancing musician you need to be in the position of on people's mind for jobs- an available sub, replacement, referral, the perfect person for the job at hand, in order to get work. I am beginning to realize that simply where I stay put and for how long affects my ability to support myself as a musician.

 I find it unhelpful and perhaps a downright lie that we are still telling everyone: 'you can't make a living as a musician!'  but at the same time I think many musicians are frantically asking 'HOW???!' I don't think it helps to blame the government. Government controlled art has never been a good idea. Even patron controlled art has its downsides. A few days ago I had a conversation with two innovative musicians who want to share the skills they have had to learn on their own regarding the practical side of music. Things like marketing and finances. They offered me an internship with their business and I think this is a good idea. Perhaps with more ideas and knowledge about business musicians can stand on their own feet... that is if they can find work.

It seems like a big rolling guinea pig toy. Sometimes it makes me so angry that my friends are getting paid really good money to be doctors and nurses and things which are so vital to humanity on just a few years of education. How many years have I been studying to be a cellist? 23! - Seven years of college and sixteen years of private lessons and practicing. And I'm still not quite able to get a good job. For many music jobs I am still working to be considered competent enough, sharp enough. My friend auditioned for a single cello position in a symphony; She was one of 200 applicants for that one job. The thing is, this competition isn't due to the recent economy of the last few years down turn... this has been happening for awhile. On the flip side in the last few months three private music teachers I know have told me that they are having to turn students down because they are completely full and some of my music friends are doing great.

The question is how do you get started? And we are back where we started a few sentences ago? What do you do after grad school if you are a musician? Maybe you look at phds...  oh, and you'd better practice, whether you get paid or not.

If you look around on the web, and check out whats happening in your own town or city, chances are that you will find an inspirational cellist doing some cool projects, expanding their way of performing, dedicating themselves to something they believe in. Cello Joe is one of those cellists.

I met Cello Joe at a tiny coffee shop called Bazaar Cafe on 5927 California Street. Every cellist in San Francisco knows something about Cello Bazaar and likely has performed something or other there; from cello and guitar folksy stuff to Kolday sonata to Bach to Carter to cello beatboxing, this wood panel warmly lit cafe has seen it all in terms of cello. Pretty much immediately Cello Joe had the small crowd in the palm of his hand laughing and jiving, smiling despite themselves and entirely pulled out of their laptop work. To me, it was refreshing to see a cellist with real rhythm and control of his instrument in addition to his absolutely original and fresh songs. I improvised a little bit with Cello Joe and some others at the Make-out Room bar once, and as at Cafe Bazaar it was impressive to me how totally un-rockstar Cello Joe was in person, and yet how powerfully he could make his cello rock. No pretending, no false images, just Cello Joe.   

Cellojoe.com writes: "Cello Joe is an anomaly in the world of cellists. By combining cello with beatboxing, he has created a unique genre: Classical Hip-Hop. Looped and layered beatboxing beats (vocal percussion) and funky cello form a rich soundscape for intelligent lyrics; CelloJoe spreads joy, laughter and consciousness raising vibrations. CelloJoe rides his bicycle with his cello and has traveled from San Francisco, California to the bottom of Mexico; from Portland, OR to Vancouver, BC; from Logan to Provo, Utah; and in England, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France, and Spain with the Pleasant Revolution." A film is being made now about the band Cello Joe traveled with and the dream which these guys pursued. It  is really unbelievable. You can find out about it here:
 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/266682699/stuck-on-earth-going-where-no-band-has-gone-before

I worked on a recital once that tried to explore the identity of cellists and cellos. I film interviewed people in the Market Street subway station in San Franciso asking them if they'd ever heard of the cello. I asked people there and online what they thought of when they heard the word cello. If people had any context for cello it usually went something like: melancholy, beautiful, serene, feminine, honey, orchestra... But the cello really has so many possibilities for sound and rhythm and textures... perhaps unrivaled by any other instrument, and right there for the exploring. Cello Joe has definitely carved out his own sound with his cello and has pursued his own musical dream. At the same time Cello Joe has a passion for people and bringing cellists and the public together. Check out his website.  (PS my favorite song is veggie maniac!)