thinking about my cello.......

warning: this entree is about my cello life.....nothing about taiwan......so, if you don't want to read about me rambling about my cello, then come back later!!!!haha... i don't want to bore u.

so, sometimes i have moments when i want to practice my cello, or wished i had practiced it more when i was actively playing my cello.

for those of you who don't know, i played the cello from when i was 7yrs-17yrs old. 10 years. i had private cello lessons once a week that whole time. i was a cellist in multiple orchestras for 8 years and competed in a couple of cello competitions. placed 2nd in one of them. and didn't get placed in the other one.

since i have encountered many ppl asking me what a cello looks like, i have decided to paste an image of a cellist..... to prevent any confusion.
BTW- whenever i get asked what a cello looks like- there is this flame inside of me that burns so hard! you don't know what a cello is? ur a fool!! (sorry, for the aggression- but it's kind of ridiculous when an adult asks me this).

you know---it's strange.....during the last year of playing my cello, my teacher (the nicest lady in the world and a talented cellist, Miss Yang, she's from China) would always tell me to play with more emotion. well, that always flew way over my head. i would always think: how do i play with more emotion? more vibrato? more pressure on my bow!??? whaaa'?

so, the years went by.......i stopped playing my beautiful cello by the end of 11th grade.....life was good........no more cello lessons, no more practicing and no more orchestra rehearsals.......BUT-then in college, several years later--i picked up my cello again...and started playing...and i realized exactly what Miss Yang meant about emotion.
and the only way it came was through maturity. I FIGURED IT OUT!! i had emotion! and felt it! it came years later. amazing.
but seriously, how can one expect a 15 yr old to play Vivaldi with emotion and passion? unless he/she has incredible talent and genuine passion towards their music. i definitely did not have genuine passion back then. potential?....yes...lots; but passion: nope.

my cello skills have dwindled away. i can still read notes and know where to go on the finger board.....but in order for me to get back to the best i was, i would need to invest weeks, or even months of practicing. i don't have enough motivation for that.

Duets are my absolute favorite thing to do as a cellist!.......ooooh how i loved those moments. so beautiful.

here are a couple of great youtube videos of the Rastrelli cello quartet. the first link is exquisite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I26V_CeC2ak&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFk_y2Dwwpc&NR=1

i wish i played a composition that required me to use my cello as a drum..sigh.....(check out the 2nd link for that).

if i ever start up my cello again, i would focus on jazz music..........i have a lingering passion for that genre.