Before I started lessons, my mom played the Suzuki tape at home as suggested by my soon-to-be cello teacher to help me get to know the pieces I would be learning that year but she discovered when I heard the French Folk Song, I would hide in the folds of our our living room curtains and cry. She thought maybe I didn’t want to play cello and was too scared to tell her but after a little digging, it turned out that I thought French Folk Song was so sad and beautiful and it made me cry. And yes, I am still that person today!
I started learning cello at the age of four, commuting on the train to Manhattan from New Jersey with my mother with my teensy doll sized cello and my mom’s full size. My mom, who took parent classes every week for a year so she could help me practice at home, says she didn’t even notice the schlepping and how tiring the commute was because she had always wanted to play music and now she could share that experience with me.
What I love most about music is that anyone can connect on a fundamental level. Everyone can relate to emotions of joy, sadness, anger, anxiety, or excitement to name a few. Anyone who says they don’t know how to listen to music or don’t understand the importance of music should try watching a movie without the soundtrack! Music is a huge part of our everyday lives and often we don’t even realize it!
The best part about being a teacher is that I can share the beauty of music and performance with my students!