I've hit a wall and stopped improving

feeds@yuku.com (fchu) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:41:14 GMT

Hey, I'm a freshman undergrad cello major. I started this piece about 3 weeks ago and I have a performance of it next week. I've been improving steadily for the past 3 weeks and I've been practicing 4-5 hrs a day. But today I hit this wall and not only did I not improve, I feel like the more I practiced the worse I got. I felt like I played it worse today than I did when I first started the piece.

Has this ever happened to you guys? And what should I do? Take a break?...

Scholarships Available

feeds@yuku.com (Armando) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:30:32 GMT

Hi! I've started teaching at Mercyhurst College, in Erie Pennsylvania this year, at the d'Angelo School of Music. I have openings in my studio, if anyone is looking for a Bachelor of Music degree, or a Music Ed degree. There is a push to develop the program, so there are scholarships available. Please contact me for more information!

grad school audition rep

feeds@yuku.com (lollymoo) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:59:34 GMT

Hello!
I am applying to grad schools and among one of the schools I am applying the rep is listed as:
• A movement of a Classical or Romantic concerto
• Two contrasting movements of a Bach solo suite
• One solo piece of applicant's choice

my questions are: I am finishing up Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations and I would like to use it as an audition piece, is this a bad decision? How do you decide what is "one movement?"
The Bach is self...

How is Boston?

feeds@yuku.com (bsuth) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:15:12 GMT

I want to head up to Boston and audition for some schools up there for graduate studies, I'm also a songwriter with guitar so I'm naturally looking at Berklee, but other than the schools. What's the area like for musicians, is it a humbling scene, with a myriad of players in different styles, or is it just seem greener than the pastures I'm in? Any help would be appreciated, thanks again. Brian S.

Grad Schools??

feeds@yuku.com (bsuth) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:50:47 GMT

Hey forum, I'm Brian. I'm a Cello Performance Major at Florida Southern College, I've been playing for right around 9 years. I'm not the best, but I'm not horrible, I have a lot of work to do when it comes to symphony literature. As well as a new technique that I'm fixing from an idiot teacher. I'm going to be graduating in a year or so, and was wondering if anyone knows of really great schools/teachers big or small that would be good for my Graduate studies....

The Search is On...

feeds@yuku.com (exaltation) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:23:22 GMT

I am looking looking for somewhere to finish my bachelor's degree in performance. At the end of this year I will have completed two associate's degrees at a community college( an Associate of Arts and Sciences and an Associate of Fine Arts) so to be sure I can transfer with a Jr. standing. I just worked fairly hard on the Schumann Cello Concerto (first movement) but now that I look at Colburn's audition repertoire list, of course it is not there. However, Lalo is there and I could...

suggestions for concerto competition?

feeds@yuku.com (khend519) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:27:42 GMT

In November I'm planning on auditioning for our music department's concerto competition. I need to pick a selection that is under 8 minutes and has orchestral accompaniment, and it need not necessarily be of a concerto. Right now I'm thinking of the first movement of Shosty's 1st concerto, but I'm interested in other Romantic or 20th century works as well. Can anyone recommend something maybe lesser known in the repertoire that fits the bill?
Thanks, gang!

So...how do starving artists buy instruments, anyway??

feeds@yuku.com (khend519) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:33:41 GMT

Hi, I'm new. I'm a senior in my music undergrad in Wisconsin. For the last couple of years, I have been growing increasingly dissatisfied with my instrument. It was great when I was 17, but I've done all I can with it and I'm starting to think about my senior recital and grad school, so I just need something better.

Problem-- my husband and I are both students with very little income, and borrowing money from family is out of the question.

How do people...

Bach 5

feeds@yuku.com (scellist) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:04:39 GMT

hey what do people think about doing the scordatura or not in bach 5? i've just begun learning it recently and i've already broken one A string. also, would it be easier to use the common tuning in audition situations?

Audition rep

feeds@yuku.com (scellist) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:01:00 GMT

hey all,

just wanted to get some opinions on college rep. i'm auditioning this coming spring and i was wondering which sonata people think is best to play from the beethoven or brahms. i guess they all are difficult in their own way, but i was wondering what you all think.

Is it worth trying?

feeds@yuku.com (adancingstar) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:01:49 GMT

I began playing in middle school here in Florida, with the school orchestra. I didn't really get serious about cello until March of my freshman year in high school, when I began taking lessons. My teacher made me drudge through most of the Suzuki volumes 2 and 3 before letting me move on to Bach Suites and other pieces. Most recently, (as in, this last summer) my teacher had me order the Haydn Concerto in C to practice on my own while he was on vacation for two months. I'm now a...

Master of Music with a Specialisation in Chamber Music

feeds@yuku.com (seraellis) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:35:43 GMT

Hi,
I'm currently in the final year of my BMus at the University of Auckland NZ and am looking at schools overseas (for in 1-2 years time) that offer a specialisation in Chamber Music for a Masters, but also allow individuals to enter this course and be placed in a group rather than to enter it as a pre-formed group.

So far I have a short list of schools in Germany, Australia, the UK and a couple in the USA that may do this and I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me...

Villa Lobos for 8 celli

feeds@yuku.com (ckgan) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:04:34 GMT

Hope you like it. I had the recording a little too loud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwupTVs

Minor in music?

feeds@yuku.com (pet0sh) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:39:24 GMT

Music is a tremendous part of my life, but I will be studying engineering in college. I still plan on getting involved musically as much as I can, but I'm not sure if I want to go so far as to take classes in music theory, history, etc. I've lead a number of youth groups and taught younger musicians, so I definitely feel like I could pursue a music major/minor if I wanted to. As it stands, if I want to minor in music I'd either have to take intro-level theory classes, which...

Amtrak Travel

feeds@yuku.com (johnrudy) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:23:52 GMT

What is your feedback, positive or negative, on traveling with your cello on Amtrak?

Son will be traveling between New Orleans and Chicago and is hoping to take the train some of the time.

He has a BAM carbon fiber case, also a behemoth BAM flight case. We are hoping he won't have to use the flight case on the train.

Your thoughts, experiences?

College lists...

feeds@yuku.com (wrestlncello) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:14:35 GMT

I'm currently entering 12th grade (after a nice summer break, that is), and I'm definetly intent on studying music in college and I'm very serious about becoming a musician (not sure what type because I like symphony works, solo, and chamber, so this is very vague...). I'm not really sure about which schools have good undergraduate programs going, and I'm hoping to find somewhere that has a least a little scholarship money available. I've only been playing for about...

My current college list...

feeds@yuku.com (CelloMatt) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:43:19 GMT

I am currently a junior in high school and I have a tentative list of music schools for which I hope to audition. I understand that the most important factor in my decision is the teacher with whom I will study; I have already visited most of these schools and taken lessons with cello faculty members. However, I would like to know more information. Any experiences, recommendations, or even anecdotes are very helpful to me in making my decision! Additionally, if possible, I would like to know...

Berklee?

feeds@yuku.com (wrestlncello) — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:37:54 GMT

Has anyone heard anything about Berklee School of Music? I only ask because two friends from my school got in recently (with pretty significant scholarships, too). Any info's nice.
Zach M.

Please take the poll I posted on the polling forum, need help with school project!

feeds@yuku.com (wrestlncello) — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:47:16 GMT

Thanks,
Zach M.

CIM, MSM, NYU

feeds@yuku.com (ubercellist) — Tue, 19 May 2009 08:53:14 GMT

Hello all you fellow college cellists,

I've got auditions this coming year and I'm interested in the graduate programs at these schools. (CIM, MSM, NYU). Do any of you attend one of these schools? Any experience with the programs/teachers? I'm looking to talk with other cellists about their experiences with these schools.

Thanks!