Another giant of the cello world has passed.  I found this article to beautifully outline his life and accomplishments: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/28/847462222/cellist-lynn-harrell-has-died-age-76 And while the video is old and the quality is bad, I cherished this glimpse into a young Lynn Harrell’s total mastery of the instrument:

Last week we left me with a beautiful cello from Michael Koeberling, but feeling like I had broken my own rule to get it and found myself with another lovely sounding cello that didn’t quite have what my heart wanted. The three years I played this cello found all kinds of instruments passing through the shop.  I played cellos from the most celebrated modern makers, famous old Italians, and everything in between.  One cello that passed through was a cello by David Folland that he made in 2006.  The playing characteristics and tone of that cello just seemed to “click” with the way I play cello.  I ended up selling that cello, but it served to establish a relationship with both David Folland and bow maker Matthew Wehling who both live and work around Northfield, MN.  The shop was finally in a position to commission a cello from David in early 2018.  Again, this was a commission for the shop – the plan was to sell the cello through Encore.  In the early fall of 2019, David Folland cello no.221 was complete.  I traveled to Northfield to pick it up and instantly felt the same synergy I felt with his

Last week we left off with me promising to NEVER AGAIN commission a cello for myself, waiting instead for the chance to buy a cello that already existed. Well, I didn’t do that.  About a year after I sold my 1998 Widenhouse cello I started getting itchy to have a cello of my own.  I was always open to falling in love with one of the cellos that came through the shop.  We were getting cellos from fantastic makers and workshops, but every time I came close to pulling the trigger, I got cold feet. About this same time, I became aware of a German maker through social media.  His name was Michael Koeberling and all the photos of his work I saw impressed me.  He was working with stunning material and his workmanship was incredibly clean and precise.  He also seemed to be primarily making straight-varnished instruments, and all of my past commissioned cellos had been straight-varnish (non-antiqued).  I didn’t have a chance to play one of his cellos, but his client list was impressive.  I contacted him and was impressed by our conversations.  Honestly, he was also priced below many top-ranked contemporary American makers and I was in

Last week we reviewed my doomed commission of a cello from Peter Paul Prier.  Let’s now turn our attention to brighter chapter in my cello story… I remember reading an article in “The Strad” magazine about some of the nobility that commissioned instruments from Stradivari.  For special commissions, they paid a premium price for the finest materials and most carefully considered workmanship.  Hey, if it worked in 1725, why wouldn’t it work now?  We approached Kurt and asked if he’d be willing to accept a similar commission, sparing no expense to secure the best material and giving no consideration to a specific delivery window – just make the best cello you can.  The result was my 1998 Kurt Widenhouse cello.  In the meantime, I also commissioned a special bow from David Samuels that I received in 1997.  The thing about this combo of cello and bow is that it sounded – OLD.  Again, I didn’t really realize what I had.  I had a brand-new modern cello and brand-new modern bow that were so good, they sounded like the pairing of a fine old Italian cello and French bow.  However, the combination did not produce a particularly BIG sound, at least

Last week left off with me planning to commission a cello from Peter Paul Prier.  I was still playing my 1995 Widenhouse cello and David Forbes bow.  I chose to attend Butler University and attended the Aspen Music Festival the summer before my freshman year. The cello of Mr. Prier’s I played in Salt Lake City was based on a Montagnana model.  We agreed to make my cello on the same outline and we proceeded with the order.  He completed the cello in the summer of 1997 when I was attending the Aspen Music Festival for the second summer in a row.  I drove from Aspen to Salt Lake City to pick up the cello.  It felt and sounded good when I picked it up and I proudly returned to Aspen with it.  While I thought it was a good cello, I was also young and lacked confidence.  I made the mistake of playing it for someone who had a financial incentive to tell me it wasn’t a good cello.  Deflated, confused, and alone…I drove back to Salt Lake City to return the cello.  In hindsight, I believe Mr. Prier understood what was going on better than I did and

Last week we left off with me beginning my senior year of high school, still playing the LaMay/Poulsen combo and increasingly interested in modern cellos.  Fate intervened as Sally, my cello teacher, heard of a cello Kurt Widenhouse just finished for a customer who was unable to complete the sale.  Here enters the first of several cellos I should have kept forever!  This 1995 Widenhouse cello was a modern masterpiece.  I had absolutely NO idea how good I had it when my parents agreed to purchase it for my use.  This is the cello I used to not only secure acceptance to Butler University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and East Carolina University, but was also fortunate enough to win full-ride scholarships to all three institutions.  I also added a bow by David Forbes at this point and the combination of the Widenouse and Forbes was absolutely incredible.  If I knew then what I know now, I might very well have stopped there…it really doesn’t get much better than that. I mentioned a growing interest in modern makers.  While in Salt Lake City to snowboard during my spring break of my senior year, I visited the shop of

You’ll remember from last week’s thrilling blog post about my first two cellos, we left off with me beginning my sophomore year of high school, having spent most of my freshman year forgetting everything I’d learned in middle school and having yet to take a private cello lesson… My sophomore year of high school – the pivot point.  I still can’t remember exactly how or why I began taking private cello lessons with Sally Ross this year.  Perhaps I showed some natural ability on the instrument, perhaps my love of music had grown to the point that I needed an outlet…it isn’t clear.  One memory I have from this year is sitting in the principal’s office at the beginning of the year (perhaps I was there because I’d done the prior year internationally?  Who knows).  Smiling at the size of me, he asked, “So which position do you want to play on our football team?”  Smiling back, I said, “cello”. Because it comes to play a big part in these stories, it’s worth noting that this is the year I also met Kurt Widenhouse.  Upon its return from being overseas, Kurt is who put my “Popper” cello back together and

There is a story behind every instrument.  Each musician brings their personality and experiences and the instrument gives them a voice.  In this next series of blog posts, I plan to share the cellos that I have owned over the years.  While that might sound like the written equivalent of watching paint dry, there are points worth sharing and lessons worth learning in each of these chapters. The first cello I played is the only one I can’t remember; great way to start, right? Like many students here in Indiana, I had the opportunity to pick between orchestra, band, and choir in sixth grade at my school in Hickory, NC.  While no one can remember exactly why I picked orchestra and then cello, I like to think it had something to do with the classical music I was exposed to through my dad.  My mom knew something about procuring an instrument because one of my older sisters had briefly played saxophone in band.  There was a small, local music store that handled the rentals and all that is remembered is that I ended up with some form of cello to start with.  My memories of the cello and the first

Hello, my friends! The topic of illness seems to be top of mind for everyone these days, and for good reasons. I’ve begun to see some articles and videos floating around regarding cleaning string instruments in a way that would kill the virus. I thought it would be worth weighing in on how we’re handling things here in the shop. While we are routinely wiping down often-touched hard surfaces (door handles, etc) with disinfecting wipes, washing our hands often, not shaking hands or hugging (difficult for me!), and practicing all the effective hygiene habits we can, we don’t suggest any steps be taken regarding disinfecting the instruments themselves. While there ARE steps that can be taken if an instrument is known to have been used by someone who is ill, they would only be necessary if the instrument in question needed to be used immediately. From the information I’ve gathered, the exact duration viruses can live on a hard surface is still unconfirmed, but is widely believed to be between 2-5 days. Also, as many of the commercially available disinfectant products contain alcohol – which can cause severe damage to string instruments – any attempt at cleaning the instrument should

I’ve always been a fan of GEWA cases.  My first good cello cases were Jaeger cases, now owned by GEWA.  I’ve been a fan of the IDEA series cello cases which are various refinements of a basic case design that is decades old.  Snap bow closers and a belt-buckle strap at the neck – I’ve always preferred this kind of security to most velcro systems. I had a great visit with the CEO of GEWA Music this morning at the shop.  He had a chance to show me not only the cases I am familiar with, but also exciting new products.  If it’s been a while since you’ve had a chance to look over the product line, I definitely suggest checking them out.  They are also now adding more affordable options that are manufactured in conjunction with Chinese partners.  The GEWA representative put one of these violin cases on the floor, stood on it, and then started bouncing up and down – not only was there no damage to the case, but it did not even deform under his weight.  Impressive…but I didn’t try it. There are so many options to check out that the website can be a bit

It’s here at last – state solo & ensemble at Northview MS this Saturday!  My colleagues have written great blog posts about preparing mentally and making sure you have everything you need, so I thought I would just add a few notes from past experiences: Parking can be a bit brutal!  Make sure you leave yourself PLENTY of time because you might be parking offsite and walking to the building. Tom May from our Paige’s repair department will be on site for emergency repairs and supplies.  I genuinely hope you don’t need his help, but he’s there if you do! Depending on the time of day, the lobby of the school can be extremely busy and a bit intimidating if it’s your first time.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions and figure out which way you need to go. Try to relax and enjoy the moment. The judges are truly rooting for you to do well and this is a chance for you to do more than just prove you can play your piece…it’s a chance to share something beautiful with the world.  Attempt to focus more on the sharing and less on the proving – if you do that, it

Most people familiar with band and orchestra can identify which instrument is a cello when shown a room full of string instruments.  Fewer people can recognize which historical form a cello is patterned after.  While many are familiar with the name Antonio Stradivari, fewer know the names Domenico Montagnana, Matteo Goffriller, or Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’.  These are all men who made cellos of slightly different shapes when compared to Stradivari.  Each of these treasures from the past are prized for different characteristics and modern makers and workshops strive to capture some of those attributes by copying the outline, arching, and thicknesses from the best examples. One pattern that seems to come and go in popularity is a particularly wide model from Montagnana.  Anyone familiar with Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, Truls Mork (and others) have heard Montagnana cellos either live or on recordings.  While generalizations are always limited, a powerful bass register and reedy, textured treble are often attributed to the best examples from Montagana.  Is there a downside?  Occasionally.  The width of the upper and lower bouts can make the cello unwieldy for smaller players, and the wide c-bout (middle) requires a high enough bridge and neck projection so that

Violists rejoice!  We have an amazing selection of violas at the moment.  I’d like to highlight a few, just as a sample: A 16″-ish viola by Indianapolis’ own Christopher Ulbricht – this viola plays like a dream! A 16 1/4″ viola by Cleveland-based Eugene Holtier – beautiful, clean workmanship and straight varnish. A 16″ viola from the workshop of Ming Jiang Zhu, their all-Euro-wood top model. A 15 1/2″ Jay Haide Maggini-inspired viola with a warm, rich sound Please enjoy these photos of Chris’ viola but, more importantly, come and PLAY!  

Later this week I’ll attend the Indiana Music Education Association’s (IMEA) annual conference.  There will be opportunities to see performances, attend educational sessions, play in new music reading sessions, and generally catch up and socialize with all the amazing educators who will attend. It is also the time the Indiana chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association has our awards breakfast, recognizing excellence in string education across the state.  This year the schedule is going to work out that we’ll be able to have our breakfast and then head right over to the All-State performances! If you’ll be in Ft. Wayne, stop by the Paige’s Music and Encore Orchestral Strings booth in the exhibit hall and say hello!

As in past years, I’m headed up to Chicago for the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic.  This is an incredible international event that is attended every year by over 100 Indiana Band & Orchestra directors.  Professional development, student performances, new music, old friends – this is an annual tradition worth celebrating.  That it happens at Christmastime in Chicago can be both a blessing and a curse!  From what I can tell, the weather is going to cooperate for safe travels and the chance to enjoy a little of the winter magic in downtown Chicago. I’ll report back after the New Year with all the new and exciting things I find!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

One of the privileges of my job is to visit various universities and talk to students about my corner of the music world.  On Monday I traveled down to Bloomington and had the chance to speak to a class full of future music educators.  As all but one of them were brass and woodwind players, I had the chance to talk about some of the things they might have to deal with if they find themselves teaching orchestra for their first professional job.  That part was fun, but the questions were the best part.  The questions are almost always my favorite part of these talks, but these students asked truly amazing questions.  “As a future educator, what are some of the things we can do as directors to make the relationship with our local music store smoother?”  After I thanked her for asking such a thoughtful question, we started breaking down the various components of a healthy relationship between director and store representative.  After a minute or two we all stopped and I said, “We’re not really talking about a specific type of relationship anymore, are we?  We’re talking about the basic components of any healthy relationship – friends, family,

I’ve spent quite a few hours driving over the past couple of months. Long road trips always give me the opportunity to do some of my best thinking.  What I think about isn’t always terribly important and plenty of the conclusions I formulate don’t end up having much real-world application…wait, where was I going with all of this? SOUND.  That’s right.  Perhaps it is that I have two children studying the cello in my house, but I’ve been thinking quite a bit about sound.  Music teachers at all grade and age levels have a highly complex task of leading students along the road of knowledge.  In the beginning, music students often tackle the various technical demands of an instrument in relative isolation – first we’re going to learn the left hand, then the right, now we add dynamics, etc.  Even more advanced students fall into the same pattern – first we’re going to learn shifting, then vibrato, now we put them together, etc. When I was working with my youngest child the other day with her cello, I could tell she was trying to rush to the end of practice time because she wasn’t paying any attention to the sound