This 2020 year of Covid-19 has been a disaster for music in so many ways. It's heartbreaking for all musicians and for those who are aspiring to become musicians at any levels. We don't know how long this will go on for, what can be done for students? I have got into basic technology and am continuing to give lessons on Face Time or Zoom, and if feasible, can have one-on-one lessons with a student outside, with appropriate spacing.
To discuss possibilities, feel free to email - britcellist@gmail.com
Suggested lengths of lessons -
Beginners 8-10 years of ages = 30 minutes
Intermediate 10-12 = 45 minutes
Advanced 12-Senior year = 60 minutes.
Adult students can determine the length of their lesson depending on the amount of time they can work on their music.
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For over 40 years, I have been teaching private cello lessons, string orchestra classes in the Raleigh Schools, Chapel Hill Schools and Emerson Waldorf School. I have been very proud of my students who have gone on to the NC School of the Arts and other prestigious music colleges. This is why I enjoy teaching so much, seeing how they begin to love playing the cello and make it a part of their lives for years, whether as professionals, or as amateurs enjoying playing chamber music or orchestra with other such musicians. And of course we all know, students who take music are up in the top range of SATs. Community orchestras are full of doctors and academics who play at a very high level.
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To discuss possibilities, feel free to email - britcellist@gmail.com
Suggested lengths of lessons -
Beginners 8-10 years of ages = 30 minutes
Intermediate 10-12 = 45 minutes
Advanced 12-Senior year = 60 minutes.
Adult students can determine the length of their lesson depending on the amount of time they can work on their music.
************************************************************************************************************************
For over 40 years, I have been teaching private cello lessons, string orchestra classes in the Raleigh Schools, Chapel Hill Schools and Emerson Waldorf School. I have been very proud of my students who have gone on to the NC School of the Arts and other prestigious music colleges. This is why I enjoy teaching so much, seeing how they begin to love playing the cello and make it a part of their lives for years, whether as professionals, or as amateurs enjoying playing chamber music or orchestra with other such musicians. And of course we all know, students who take music are up in the top range of SATs. Community orchestras are full of doctors and academics who play at a very high level.
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STUDENT NEWS
May 30, 2019. Maggie with her proud grandmother after her final Senior concert with the East Chapel Hill High School Orchestra, conductor Ryan E. Ellefson. Maggie was the recipient of two awards - the presentation of Tri-M-Honor Cords (pink cord) and the National School Orchestra Award.
One of the delights in teaching over a period of time, is when former students show up playing in either concerts, college recitals and other events. Here is a photo of Oliver Weston who was my student for several years before going on to the NC School of the Arts and most recently at Juilliard.
He is currently with a baroque group from Juilliard touring China and New Zealand. May 2017.
A concert in China with members of the Shanghai Camarata.
May 2017. Congratulations to Maggie and Matthew on a well-presented end-of-year concert at ECHHS. Both the String and the Chamber Orchestras sounded great in a varied program. Mr E. prepares you all so well with careful attention to intonation and rhythm and you worked hard at getting to the level he expected. A very enjoyable evening.
L-R Orchestra teacher, Ann Daaleman, Matthew, sister Linda, proud Mom, Cello teacher Jane.
2016 - A new school year and good things already -
*Congratulations to Syrena for her successful audition for the Duke String School program.
*Congratulations to Matthew for a beautiful performance of the first movement of Bach's Second Suite. This was for the Public School Foundation meeting, an organization that promotes outstanding student work.
*Congratulations to Syrena for her successful audition for the Duke String School program.
*Congratulations to Matthew for a beautiful performance of the first movement of Bach's Second Suite. This was for the Public School Foundation meeting, an organization that promotes outstanding student work.
March, Ju Won has been accepted by the North Carolina School of the Arts. He will start this Fall. Way to go, JuWon!
January 2016 - Congratulations to Sarah for winning a place in the String Orchestra All State auditions. Former student, JuWon also won a place in the String Orchestra.
January 2016 - Congratulations to Sarah for winning a place in the String Orchestra All State auditions. Former student, JuWon also won a place in the String Orchestra.
JUST BUILT - A BLOG PAGE! With so much music going on in the local area and in travelling, I have decided to start a blog to make posting more easily accessible for the various musical events. Pull down on the LATEST NEWS page to get to the Blog. Enjoy!
Students and other musicians, please feel free to add to the blog. Just go to the Contact page and insert your comments or article and I will post them.
PUBLISHED BLOG PAGES
May 5, 2016 "Listening is everything." An article by Peter Quantrill from the Strad Magazine.
Students and other musicians, please feel free to add to the blog. Just go to the Contact page and insert your comments or article and I will post them.
PUBLISHED BLOG PAGES
May 5, 2016 "Listening is everything." An article by Peter Quantrill from the Strad Magazine.
January 2016 was a very exciting event for North Carolina cellists. We have our own Cello Society! The website is http://nccellosociety.weebly.com. If you have an event that includes a cello, and would like to have it added to the calendar, go to the Contact page of the Society website, and click on the icon for instructions. There is a special page for Young Performers and we would like to feature your events and progress.
Oct. 15, 2015. Congratulations to Sarah and Joe, first and second chair cellists in the Carrboro High School Orchestra, on their playing and leading the cello section in a fine concert. Orchestra Director Ms Kay Johnson chose attractive music for the performance and the whole orchestra was very polished with a high standard of intonation and bowing. Each section was highlighted in the pieces, showing off the talent in the group. In the contemporary piece, there were solos for the violin, viola and cello, and all were accomplished in style. Great evening!
In 2014-15 I took a personal sabbatical and wrote "Britcellist Abroad" www.britcellistabroad.weebly.com the account of my 10 month of exploring the UK, Italy and Budapest.
In mid July 2015, I returned to the US after almost a year in the UK and Europe. There was much to do here with writing a book, getting back into teaching and looking forward in 2016 to the 30th anniversary of my music business - Musica Musicians for all Occasions.
I realize that some of my students will have found other teachers, but I would love to hear from all how you are doing. I look forward to hearing about your progress, what you accomplished and your cello goals. I always enjoy hearing from past students, in fact just recently at Harris Teeter, I bumped in to a former student, Oliver Weston, older students might have known him, who is now going to Julliard to study baroque cello. I was so pleased to catch up on his news and so proud of his efforts.
Also, while I was in England, I had a lovely evening with Daniel Becton who was working for a British charity in Birmingham. He showed me around the city center, and from a high building views of the surrounding area. We had a good catch up on news over dinner in a pub next to the river. Daniel is now going on to Harvard for a postgraduate degree.
Also in England, I played in two larger orchestras and one smaller one, plus chamber music with friends. I also was able to play my treble viol with other viol players, so I got plenty of playing.
There was lots of music everywhere and the highlight was a performance in London by the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. This is the most sublime sound of cellists playing an arrangement of a familiar French song from the 1930's. I could have died and gone to heaven!
HTTPS://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNH-QnoOVV4
I realize that some of my students will have found other teachers, but I would love to hear from all how you are doing. I look forward to hearing about your progress, what you accomplished and your cello goals. I always enjoy hearing from past students, in fact just recently at Harris Teeter, I bumped in to a former student, Oliver Weston, older students might have known him, who is now going to Julliard to study baroque cello. I was so pleased to catch up on his news and so proud of his efforts.
Also, while I was in England, I had a lovely evening with Daniel Becton who was working for a British charity in Birmingham. He showed me around the city center, and from a high building views of the surrounding area. We had a good catch up on news over dinner in a pub next to the river. Daniel is now going on to Harvard for a postgraduate degree.
Also in England, I played in two larger orchestras and one smaller one, plus chamber music with friends. I also was able to play my treble viol with other viol players, so I got plenty of playing.
There was lots of music everywhere and the highlight was a performance in London by the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. This is the most sublime sound of cellists playing an arrangement of a familiar French song from the 1930's. I could have died and gone to heaven!
HTTPS://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNH-QnoOVV4
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Summer 2014 - An opportunity was given to me to return to the UK for an extended period. Having family with a young granddaughter in Rome pulled me to be nearer to see them more often. Arrangements were made in surprisingly quick time, and by September 16 all was done and I left for England. A few days earlier, an invitation to dinner turned into a surprise party with some of my students. It was a wrenching decision to leave my students, but the young years go by so quickly. I will be back on July 15, 2015 and will know then if I will be staying permanently in England.
Please do drop me an email when you have a moment sometime, to let me know how your year is going. I miss you all very much, but hope you are doing well. I am putting a blog together about my life in England and will put the link to it as soon as it is up. |
May 19, 2014 - Cello Students' Recital, Chapel Hill.
Congratulations on a fine evening of music making!
Well done Nolan, Simon, Thomas, Juliana, Armistead and JuWon for participating in the Cello workshop on Mar. 22nd. It was a long day and you all held up really well. Ms Alperin gave you many tips to help you gain confidence in playing different positions, (even thumb position). She was most impressed how quickly you learnt the harmony parts to some of the pieces you performed in the concert.
Good job and congratulations!
Good job and congratulations!
2014 Happy New Year! and congratulations to Jeffrey, (Symphonic) Caroline and Katherine (String Orchestra) for winning places in the NC Eastern Regional All-State Orchestra. Hefty cello competition, around 100 players for approx. 40 chairs. The concert following the 3-day clinic was at 3pm on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the NC School of Math and Sciences in Durham, NC. It was an amazing group of students performing challenging repertoire. String Orchestra - Symphonic Orchestra - Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg and the Academic Overture by Brahms. They rehearsed for many hours and were exhausted at the end, but the performances were memorable. I am so proud of my high school students, they have worked so hard and it paid off!
We are all so proud of Daniel Becton, a
former cello student (10 years!) who in August 2013 completed his year-long project of volunteering for a week in every state and DC in the US. Below is a video of his experience. Daniel is now working in England with City Year Birmingham. I wish him well with that and all his projects for the future. What a guy! http://projectubuntu.info/
former cello student (10 years!) who in August 2013 completed his year-long project of volunteering for a week in every state and DC in the US. Below is a video of his experience. Daniel is now working in England with City Year Birmingham. I wish him well with that and all his projects for the future. What a guy! http://projectubuntu.info/
Daniel Becton (center) on his 27th week around the US with Tulsa OK cellos. The poodle is named Jacqueline du Pre!
And then it was Holiday music in the Mall! Our usual potpourri of carols, pops,(Jingle Bell Rock!) and favorite pieces from the Suzuki books.
Christmas in Italy to be with my family. The Nativity scene in the courtyard of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, with Dan and Zoe. So glad to be there with them for the holidays. See photos and more on my Travel page.
My Cello choir performing at the Music Makers' Festival, Nov. 23, 2013. The program included the Vivaldi Concerto for 2 Cellos, soloists Jeffrey Zhong and Tian Hung Zhou, the Telemann concerto in G arranged for 4 cellos,Ashokan Farewell, Italian Song by Carol Critelli, and Carolina in the Morning played by all the students.
End of year 2013 Recital.
Nolan, Armistead, Eli and Simon - solos and together.
Spring concert at East Chapel Hill High School.
So proud of Caroline - First chair cello in the ECHHS String Orchestra. The concert was amazing - great repertoire and very well played.
Snow cello done by the London Cello Society.
All-State String Orchestra with Jim Waddelow, conductor
Congratulations to Jeffrey (string orchestra) and Catherine (symphonic orchestra) on 2 great performances on Sunday, February 24 at the NC School of Science and Math in Durham. Challenging music played at a very high level.
Surprise birthday party! Thanks so much!
Jan. 2013 - Happy New Year!
Congratulations to Catherine (Symphonic) and Jeffrey (String) for winning places in the Senior All-State Eastern Regional Orchestras. The concert is Feb. 24th at the NC School of Science and Math in Durham. Way to go you two, you totally deserve it!!!!!!
Learn about orchestral instruments from this interesting BBC radio program
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p3n9f
Click on middle left side of photo to start.
Read all about my work with the Kenya Youth Orchestra cellists on my Blog page.
http://cellonewsfromkenya.blogspot.com
The link below shows how the orchestra ends their concerts!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3r86_9oXW0
Here is a note from the Music Director - Jim Pywell.
The National Youth Orchestra of Kenya would like to say a huge
thank you to all those of you who donated music, strings, rosin and Kaleidescope
books recently. Most of these items have already been put into use and all the
music is now in the library permanently and will serve the education of young
musicians in Kenya for many years to come. Please feel free to join the Facebook
National Youth Orchestra of Kenya Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/237933256329172/?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x1zMDaSGcg
Summer 2012
My summer trip was wonderful - UK-Nairobi-Israel-UK-USA. Read all about it on my blog
www.cellonewsfromkenya.blogspot.com.
Thanks to all my students who have contributed to the Kenya Youth Orchestra fund. I brought over quite a bit of music for them, check "My Travel" page.
The young crowd -Cello Fest at Emerson Waldorf School, October 2011
Dartington Summer School 2011
