The reason I teach cello
In all my years of teaching, only one student has ever played so beautifully and heartfelt as to make me cry. Saturday, it happened again.
His name is Samuel, and he's a sweet, cheerful, happy little boy of 11, and he's one of the most naturally gifted students I have ever had.
My friend Leslie was visiting me from Florida, and I had told her about all my students, especially Samuel, so when he arrived, I asked if he would play a duet with me for Leslie, and we did.
We played a complicated, Alla Breve duet written in the Baroque era by William De Fesch. Imitative, very fast and syncopated, one must count precisely, anticipate well, play in tune and not be distracted by the other player, while paying careful attention to the other line and matching articulations and phrase directions. It's quite challenging, though an experienced player does all these things without thinking.
Not so a youngster, for whom the musical world is still new.
After a false start, we played it all the way through almost flawlessly, and Leslie was very impressed.
Samuel and I worked on our scales, and then he asked if he could play the "Pavane For A Dead Princess"
This is an arrangement by Maurice Marechal, of the beautiful piano piece by Maurice Ravel. It is a very mature piece, but I gave it to him because I wanted to start developing his musical instincts. We hadn't worked on it at all, because we'd been doing other things, but I said ok, and he began to play...
He didn't go very far because he counted incorrectly. I corrected him a little...but I was so impressed by his beautiful playing I got out the piano part. It's much too complicated for me to play completely, but I thought I could play enough to give a sense of structure and direction...
We began, and now that Samuel was counting correctly, he was able to focus on the notes and the connection of the musical line from note to note... it was gorgeous... just gorgeous.
I could feel and hear him playing softly, but just above the piano line(which is correct for the soloist) and my eyes were filling with tears.
We played just the first section, only about 15 measures, and I stopped, and turned to him, with my eyes literally full of tears, and said "Samuel, that was beautiful..." I couldn't say any more, because I was choked up, and I didn't want to embarrass him, so I turned back to the piano, and softly choked out, "This was my father's favorite piece."
Leslie had tears in her eyes, too.
It was magic, absolute magic, and Samuel had a sweet happy smile on his face...
Then I smiled, and said, through my tears,"But now let's play something happy again.," and we went on to the Handel sonata he's preparing. It was delightful, and joyous, and the tears dried, but the memory remains.
When Samuel's father arrived to take him home, both Leslie and I were very complimentary, and he was very proud. Mark my words, that little boy is going to be something one day...I am happy to have a tiny share in his education.
His name is Samuel, and he's a sweet, cheerful, happy little boy of 11, and he's one of the most naturally gifted students I have ever had.
My friend Leslie was visiting me from Florida, and I had told her about all my students, especially Samuel, so when he arrived, I asked if he would play a duet with me for Leslie, and we did.
We played a complicated, Alla Breve duet written in the Baroque era by William De Fesch. Imitative, very fast and syncopated, one must count precisely, anticipate well, play in tune and not be distracted by the other player, while paying careful attention to the other line and matching articulations and phrase directions. It's quite challenging, though an experienced player does all these things without thinking.
Not so a youngster, for whom the musical world is still new.
After a false start, we played it all the way through almost flawlessly, and Leslie was very impressed.
Samuel and I worked on our scales, and then he asked if he could play the "Pavane For A Dead Princess"
This is an arrangement by Maurice Marechal, of the beautiful piano piece by Maurice Ravel. It is a very mature piece, but I gave it to him because I wanted to start developing his musical instincts. We hadn't worked on it at all, because we'd been doing other things, but I said ok, and he began to play...
He didn't go very far because he counted incorrectly. I corrected him a little...but I was so impressed by his beautiful playing I got out the piano part. It's much too complicated for me to play completely, but I thought I could play enough to give a sense of structure and direction...
We began, and now that Samuel was counting correctly, he was able to focus on the notes and the connection of the musical line from note to note... it was gorgeous... just gorgeous.
I could feel and hear him playing softly, but just above the piano line(which is correct for the soloist) and my eyes were filling with tears.
We played just the first section, only about 15 measures, and I stopped, and turned to him, with my eyes literally full of tears, and said "Samuel, that was beautiful..." I couldn't say any more, because I was choked up, and I didn't want to embarrass him, so I turned back to the piano, and softly choked out, "This was my father's favorite piece."
Leslie had tears in her eyes, too.
It was magic, absolute magic, and Samuel had a sweet happy smile on his face...
Then I smiled, and said, through my tears,"But now let's play something happy again.," and we went on to the Handel sonata he's preparing. It was delightful, and joyous, and the tears dried, but the memory remains.
When Samuel's father arrived to take him home, both Leslie and I were very complimentary, and he was very proud. Mark my words, that little boy is going to be something one day...I am happy to have a tiny share in his education.