-a New Year in our Cello Way of Life-
I hereby start the section of my online cello course which is commonly called ‘Resources’ or ‘Insights’ or 'Info Vault’. I feel that something is sorely missing if I don’t have written resources for you about the things that
you’re curious about
you’re struggling with
can be good to know
are inspiring
You are welcome to send me an email if any of these points triggered a question in you, and I’ll be more than happy to write about it.
This January I’m still making sure I stay hydrated in the practice room. Very important! Health - a well-functioning body - comes before everything else. In my case it’s herbal tea (spicy chai, cistus, damiana, nettle, or some other magical plant) because that’s something I can drink in quantities without losing motor control…
Cello practice - a life-long relationship. I love it. It doesn’t happen every day or for long hours - maybe that’s why I love it. At the start of this month I wrote a list of pieces I’d like to learn, this year or the next. Then, I wrote 3 of them down for January so that I have a focus point this month. It helps to know that in advance, rather than every time thinking “what to choose today..?”
One of the pieces I put down for the month is a short piece by my friend Wilma Pistorius. It’s 1 page, and she sent it to me in a letter several months ago. It’s time I give it some proper attention.
By the way - is there any maintenance that should be done to your instrument? Most likely not, if you’ve recently started playing and you have a new instrument, or a newly rented one from someone who took care of it.
But you can anyway keep in mind that it’s winter time in the northern hemisphere, which can produce a small crack in the wood. Either you see it, or you hear it. If everything looks and sounds like you’re used to, it’s probably all good.
When do you go to a luthier and order a re-hair for your bow? I do this once every 1 or 2 years, when I’m starting to miss having all the bow hairs at my disposal. At some point, depending on how you play and how much you play, the bow hairs fall out more easily. If you’re in doubt, feel free to send me a picture of your bow (showing the frog on the bow-hair-side).
I know I should pick up a new rosin the next time I’m in a music supplies shop. The one that I currently have (from ‘Cremona in America’) has been amazing, lasting several years. It’s not all done yet, or more likely: all in small pieces, but I like to have a new one in store before I actually need it.
We can’t play all day -well, some seem to be able to do it, but that’s a small minority- and let’s face it: we can’t work all day. I’m at least going to get better at letting go of the to-do’s in the early evenings and read a book instead. The book you see on my kitchen table here above is ‘Just Play Naturally’ by Vivien Mackie and Joe Armstrong. It’s a conversation about Pablo Casals and the Alexander Technique.
And it can also be incredibly nourishing to read a book that takes me completely outside of my everyday life, such as the Harry Potter books…again!
Before I save this post, I want to thank you for joining me in this particular adventure. I absolutely love making material to share with you here, and I’m excited about this whole new year we have just embarked on.
-Ragnhild
