The Gallery Has Arrived

Dear Friends and Family,

Please check out the gallery on my site - it consists of :

Profile photographs

Head shots

Pictures with friends in San Francisco after Larry Granger's Memorial (October 2009)

Ocean Beach, San Francisco

Two former students of mine, Robin and Deirdre (San Francisco, November 2009)

Photos of my participation in the Tuscia Opera Festival, Rome (July 2009)

With Love and Thanks to my wonderful sister, Emma, for helping me update my site

Melanie

I'm Running Out of Time!

If you are becoming more aware of that exam, audition or concert getting closer and closer...

Firstly, don't panic or worry because this will accomplish nothing positive. If you do panic or worry you may even end up communicating these to your listeners!

So, another tip (or two) for those of you with important dates coming up:

1. Sit down in a comfortable chair by the fire with the music (away from the instrument) and read through the score at your own pace. Remind yourself of the different characters that exist in the piece (such as joyful, angry, comical etc). This will help you to imagine what kind(s) of sound you should aim for. Also, make sure that you are feeling the tempo evenly in your mind. This will help your rhythmic interpretation to be more accurate, as many of us rush when we play (even in slow pieces). The more certain you are in your mind, the more convincing the performance will be on many levels.

*Perhaps a hot chocolate with whipped cream, or a glass of wine in the other hand, to help you relax while you read through your music? Why not?

2. Don't forget to breathe - string players, pianists and percussion players don't need to breathe in order to make a sound. Nonetheless, it is vital that you breathe naturally when you play, so that you are able to get from beginning to end without encountering short of breath, pain or even loss of voice. Pick a bar and play it under tempo thinking of nothing but breathing naturally. Make a mental note of what happens and always bare it in mind.

Best of Luck!

Melanie

Another Cello Sonata by Brahms.

Dear Friends,

The German composer, Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), also played the cello when he was a child. Before composing the Sonatas we know, in E minor and F Major, he wrote an early Sonata for Cello. The work was given its Premiere performance in Hamburg at a private concert with Brahms (18) at the piano. The work was not published and lost afterwards. 

Although the composer destroyed many of his own compositions, I have not yet read that this work was erased along with those we never got to know. I believe that this important work is out there and it must find its way back to the world of Chamber Music, as this is where it belongs. 

If I were the lucky one to stumble across it I can promise now that I would share it with you all, so that every pianist and cellist can learn and experience its uniqueness. I hope this work is found and brought back to us.    

Melanie

Cello Practice Tip!

Hello All Cellists,

Welcome to my new blog page!

Struggling a little with a piece or scale?

Try this:

Grab your metronome and put it to half the speed your piece or scale goes. Then pick the tricky
areas that cause you bother and repeat them at your new slower tempo. This will give you time to 'think' and therefore improve on how you play these. If you're feeling adventurous you can even put your metronome at a third of the desired speed.

This is not boring practice, this is Therapeutic!

Enjoy,
Melanie