Fine (fee’-nay)

Today I did my final passion project presentation! I was pretty nervous to play cello for the class because I had only performed for my family up to this point. I tried my best to turn off my "perfectionist switch" before the presentation so I could focus on the progress I've made, rather than the things I still need to work on. It went very well (despite my shaky hands and rosy cheeks) and I was happy to share my passion for music with the class.

As I reflect on my project, I'm proud to say that I accomplished my main goal to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Using my musical creativity connects seamlessly to my faith by being beauty-creating. Some notes may have been more beautiful than others, but the instrument design and tones it can create really illustrates the beauty of music.

 

Learning new concepts like tones between finger positions allowed me to be order-discovering through my project. I was looking for order in the world by striving to find order in the way cello music is written and played. I also learned about the order of the brain and how attuning ourselves to the sounds of God's creation can actually restore order where it has been lost.

Through using my gifts in a God-honoring way, I have also learned to be God-worshipping and image-reflecting. I find these two through-lines to be very connected because I am reflecting God's image by using the talents he has given me to worship him. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says it all when Paul writes, "There are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone."

My passion project has been a very enjoyable experience. The Bible course gave me the perfect motivation to find a cello to sit down and play. Even though the cello may not be the most useful instrument in the future- it sure gave me joy! I'm talking tingles down the spine, happy to be alive and praising God kind of joy! Thanks for following my blog. I hope you've learned a little something along the way as well. :)

 

  Hopefully I will be able to enjoy the cello through the summer, but it will eventually

need to be returned to it's owner. So, for now, this is the end. Fine.

I

Cello Sketch, some rights reserved
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

VibrAAaaAAaaAAto!

Since my last lesson, I have been working on smooth bowing and quick string transitions. Kristiana gave me some exercises, like bowing finger one on each string back and forth, to improve on these. She noticed that I was doing a lot of "bow crossing" (accidentally bowing on two strings) while playing harder songs. I need to focus on keeping my bow very parallel to the ground to avoid that.

Kristiana also taught me to play vibrato even though my skill level isn't high enough to play it nicely yet. Beginners usually only play vibrato on half or whole notes, but she said that she plays it on almost every note because it comes so naturally. To play vibrato, you twist your wrist back and forth to roll your finger and make a controlled wavering pitch. It's very pretty and can really enhance a legato piece with longer notes.

Unfortunately, Kristiana can't find the piano book of accompaniments for the little cello songs I have learned, so I won't be able to record those ones together. I do, however, have music for the cello and piano of Say Something by A Great Big World. This one is harder to play because it has extended positions beyond the first position that I've learned, but I really want to play it for my class presentation so I'm going to try.

There's only one more week of classes left! My last project goal is to present to my Bible class about what I have learned through pursuing my passion.

Music Made for Us!

This is just the coolest! In Bible class, we have talked about the role the internet has played in transforming the way we listen to music. I have also been interested in the field of music therapy for a while now and have considered pursuing it in university, so this video interests me.

Even if someone says they don't care or don't pay attention to the music they listen to, it still has an effect on them. Music can completely alter your perception of a picture or situation and can even change the biology of your brain.

It's amazing how bird songs and nature sounds are the ones that produce the most white blood cells and greatest positive results in patients in critical care. The only thing these guys got wrong is that this is a result of our connection to God through nature and not just our "biological connection to the world." I'm reminded of a Sunday School song from Isaiah 55:12 in support of the earth being connected to God's people as they are lead out of slavery in Egypt. "For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills before you will break forth in singing and all of the trees of the fields shall clap their hands... and it shall make a name for the Lord."

Goal Adjustments...

Although I am making progress, it doesn't look like I will be reaching all of my goals for this project. Putting together a music video will not be happening, but I will still work towards recording piano accompaniments for the pieces I am learning on cello. I've asked Kristiana to scan and send me songs that come with piano music, so I will get started with those soon.  

I've had two more Skype lessons with Kristiana since my last blog update. She has been excellent at correcting my mistakes and teaching me new skills to improve my technique and sound quality. 

- Phrases begin with a down bow (pulling the bow to the right). You continue with an up bow (pushing the bow to the left) and repeat down and up throughout the song. Unless playing staccato, which I haven't done yet, keep the bow always moving smoothly.

http://forum.makemusic.com/default.aspx?f=5&m=336012 

- All the fingers above the position being played should be resting on the string. This is a hard one to follow because my fingers tend to tense and curl up when I'm focusing on the music.

- The left thumb needs to be very loose on the neck of the cello. Originally I was touching the neck with the pad and inner part of my thumb, but Kristiana says the side of the thumb tip should be the only thing touching. This will help me loosen my grip!

- The bow doesn't need much pressure to make a sound on the string. Pushing down too hard makes the growly noise that I've been trying to get rid of.

As soon as Kristiana sends them through, I'll post some of the music I will be working on this week.

Busy as a Bee

Life is so busy! 

This week will be especially busy as I attempt to keep up with my job, schoolwork, student council planning, fundraising for 30 Hour Famine, playing semi-final and final soccer games, performing at my piano recital, applying for scholarships, travel plans for next year, and on top of it all- practicing cello! I have decided that I will practice cello for at least 15 minutes every day so that it doesn't slip through the cracks.

So, as I enter this action packed week, I need to remember that God is the one who sustains me. It turns out that music is very therapeutic when I find myself feeling overwhelmed and stressed about the things I need to accomplish. David is the perfect role model for me to follow. He was a wonderful musician and composer now that I think about it. I wish every Psalm that says, "For the director of music: A song of David." there would be a stack of sheet music in the Bible so I could hear the melody too! He honestly made music to God for every up and down in his life and expressed every emotion he felt... ever! I love it!

Here's some wise words of David to guide me this week:

2 Samuel 22:1
David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

 

Psalm 108:1

My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

 

Psalm 18:28-34

Oh Lord, you give me light;

you dispel my darkness.

You give me strength to attack my enemies

and power to overcome their defense.

 

This God- how perfect are his deeds!

How dependable his words!

for all who seek his protection.

The Lord alone is God;

God alone is our defense.

 

He is the God who makes me strong,

who makes my pathway safe.

 

He makes me sure-footed as a deer;

he keeps me safe on the mountains.

He trains me for battle,

so that I can use the strongest bow.  (cello bows included) :P

This is a great video about the Landfill Harmonics!
Another cellist from Paraguay is featured at 27 seconds :)

Landfill Harmonic

Believe it or not, my learning to play cello has already enriched the way I experience music.

On Sunday I was excited to see the Landfill Harmonic Recycled Orchestra perform at NKMB church. They are a group of students from Paraguay who have been a part of a remarkable program in their community. Living in the poorest slum of Cateura, these students (along with devoted teachers) began making orchestral instruments out of garbage from the landfill. The orchestra grew with the help of the Global Family Foundation and is currently on tour in Canada to raise money for a community centre back home.

The orchestra played alone and together with the MBCI band which was really cool. They had a musician from each band who played the same instrument come up and play together. The recycled alto saxophone sounded almost identical to the shiny new one that we would play in Canada.



Photo Credit to Rebecca Bertrand
and the providenceplace blog


 I especially enjoyed hearing from the girl who played the recycled cello. The body of her cello was a 30 litre oil can, the neck and scroll were carved wood from an old pallet, but I believe the bow and strings were commercially made. She was just as happy playing her cello made literally from garbage as I am playing my new one! It's so beautiful how music can bring joy to everyone- no matter their circumstances.

The musicians were waiting in the back to show people their instruments as we left the concert, and I fought the crowds to get to see the girl who played the cello. Although she couldn't speak much English, she understood that I had just started learning and handed it over for me to play! I was honoured to play her instrument- it was a great moment that I won't ever forget!

I could go on and on about the musicianship and uniqueness of this orchestra, but I'll leave it at that today.
It's interesting that until now, I haven't though of my piano, cello, and trombone as possessions God has blessed me with. Access and money to buy instruments has definitely made it on to my "Thank you God" list!

The keys of a recycled alto saxophone.
Photo Credit to Rebecca Bertrand
and the providenceplace blog

Piano Hands

I have tried to get to my cello at least every other day this week, and guess what? - I'm improving! My fingers are settling into the proper positions and I have made it through Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star without having to repeat notes to fix the tuning. My G major scale is coming along nicely as well.

Since I have not yet planned another lesson with Kristiana, I decided to find another song on my own. I printed off Beethoven's Ode to Joy and was excited to get started learning it. After I tuned and was all set up to play I realized that I didn't really know enough to figure out the positions for each note of the song. I printing a simple fingering chart so I could write in the finger positions that I didn't already know. Problem solved :)

Up to this point I've mostly been plucking (aka playing pizzicato) when I practice. It is easier to make a consistently rich sound this way, the only downside is the raw blister I'm getting on my pointer finger. I've started bowing the scales and Twinkle, Twinkle little star but it doesn't sound great. It seems that my left hand messes up when I'm thinking about bowing, and when I shift focus to my finger placement my bowing quality goes down.

I'd like to get better at bowing this week so that I can at least save one of my soft piano hands and start focussing more on more technical pieces. It seems there's no hope for my left hand though, that one will just have to toughen up!

Skype Saves the Day

It turns out that Proverbs 15:22 is right in saying, "Plans fail for lack of counsel." Even though I wanted to practice cello over spring break, I found it very daunting to figure things out by myself and there was nobody holding me accountable to my plans.  

 

So, I finally decided it was time to connect with a project mentor. My cousin, a cellist of six years, agreed to teach me the fundamentals. The only problem is... she lives in Illinois! However, Skype is a beautiful thing and we have planned to have a few lessons over the internet.

The first lesson was last week after school. Kristiana (my cousin) gave me lots of tips and instructions that helped solidify what I had seen on tutorials. I realized that there is only so much you can learn from a video, eventually you need someone to answer your questions and talk you through it. Here are a few things she taught me:

- My arms should be positioned like I'm giving the cello a bear hug. Elbows out, but shoulders relaxed. 

- Fingers are numbered 1-4 starting from the pointer (not the thumb like in piano). 

- The Star Trek hand sign is key! Finger 1 and 2 are close together, then a larger space between 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 are close again in the left hand position.

- The left hand thumb should never be tight on the neck of the cello (this is a hard one to learn)

- Only play with the first quarter of the bow at the beginning.
- Pencil is good for marking left hand finger positions because it easily wipes off of the fingerboard with a cloth.
 

Kristiana also taught me the finger positions to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! She showed me how to write down these positions by first writing the finger number (or O for open) and then the string name. For example OA, or 4D.
 

The best part of the lesson was when Kristiana performed one of her songs for me. My aunt accompanied her on piano and it was beautiful! She had played it for an audition for a scholarship to summer camp, and despite not being given the scholarship she was still proud of the piece and happy to share it with me. She's a great example for me of someone who has excelled in their instrument because of the time and effort she has put into it. 

The Complexity of Sound

Right now in my Bible class, I am reading a book called The Day Metallica Came to Church. It is mainly the thoughts and experiences of John Van Sloten as he proves that God is in everything and can be seen everywhere in creation. On page 65 he talks about the complexity of sound and hearing that I have found God working in time and time again.

"The gifts of voice and melody were preaching before the first lyric was uttered, as were the elements of sound and hearing. When you think about it, the fact that this aural feast could even be perceived at all is itself a miracle. God came up with the idea of sound, made our ears, and gave us the capacity to hear. The nature of our hearing must have something unique to say, then, about who God is and what God is like.

And it does if you're listening. Unlike sight, taste, or touch, hearing is multidirectional... When I consider that God intentionally designed our hearing this way, I think, 'Of course!' If God really is everywhere, speaking to us from all angles all the time, then hearing in a multidirectional way makes perfect sense."

 I believe the reason that music gives me so much joy is because God moves through it. It is one of his good and perfect gifts that can be used today to praise him. Even when my cello practicing sounds more like a moaning cat than anything musical, God is still present in that moment!

* My best friend and classmate is also using her passion project to find God in music as she learns to play guitar. Check out her blog called This Old Guitar

Don't Fret!

Last week I played that beautiful cello for the first time, and my goodness- it was a joyful noise. But really, I wouldn't put those sounds into the music category just yet!

Since then I've watched many, many tutorial videos on the D'AddarioBowed Youtube channel and have learned some important things like a proper bow hold and sitting position, how to do full bow strokes, and some left hand positions as well. It turns out that finding the right spot to put my left hand on the fingerboard is very tricky because cellos don't have frets like guitars do. Don't fret though, many teachers say that this will come easily after lots of time and practice. I have also discovered finger tapes that you put on the fingerboard to show the positions, but almost every teacher advises against it because it is better to learn by ear. I don't know, it seems like a good strategy to me!


Rainbow Cello© by Jenny Armitage

Here are a few practice drills that I will be starting over spring break:
 helicopters - picking up individual left hand fingers and hovering over the strings to build finger strength.
bow hold - laying the bow in my hand and positioning my fingers in the right place over, and over again.
wiggle bows - rocking the bow back and forth to find the perfect pressure to make a sound.          

Tuning Up

The first challenge of this project was finding an instrument that I could learn on. My lovely aunt agreed to lend me her cello, but she didn't have a bow to go with it. Thankfully, a cellist from my church had an extra bow and was glad to let me use it. I got the bow a few weeks ago and was very excited to pick up the cello on Sunday.

I needed to do some research before I played the instrument even though I was raring to go!
Here are some of the things I learned from the First Year Technique tutorial videos:
- fine tuners work like screws (righty-tighty, lefty-loosy) and are used for minor tuning adjustments.
- pegs work the same way but are used for major adjustments.
- tighten the strings to make the pitch higher and loosen to make it lower
- open position plays C, G, D, and A
- the bow hairs need to be loosened in storage and tightened before playing

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Where to Begin?

First off, (c)hello and welcome to my blog!

My name is Naomi and one of my main interests is music. I have played piano since my childhood days in Music For Young Children and have progressed to enjoy playing three full movements of Haydn (something I thought I would never do). I've also enjoyed learning trombone in my school band and singing in the choir.

This year, my Bible class has been assigned a Passion Project- doing something you're passionate about which you've always wanted to, but haven't had the time to do. When challenged with the question, "What are you passionate about?" my mind jumped to music. I chose to learn the cello because listening to a lady play cello in church has brought me great joy and I have a general desire to play every instrument I see! Psalm 95:1 has been a favourite of mine, so I decided to make it the central theme of my project. throughout this semester, I will be learning to play the cello with the help of online resources (tutorials and websites), as well as a mentor. I will need to learn bowing technique, the notes of each string, and finger positions before I can play, and maybe even record, a whole song. I'm looking forward to the challenge :)