Cello Practice, Cello Performance

What does it mean to perform expressively on the cello? In Cello Practice, Cello Performance, cello professor Miranda Wilson teaches that effectiveness on the concert stage or in the audition room is the logical extension of efficient practice. Far from being some mysterious gift randomly bestowed on a lucky elite, successful cello performance is, in fact, a learnable skill that any advanced player can master. Most other works that instruct cellists in the art of playing their instrument come in two predictable forms-emphasizing either the left hand or the right hand or instructing string players in the use of both but separately. In Cello Practice, Cello Performance, Wilson argues and illustrates by example that the movements of the hands are vitally interdependent, supporting and empowering one another in any technical action. Original exercises in the fundamentals of cello playing demonstrate how cross-lateral exercises and mindful breathing prepare cellists for success in the practice room. Chapters on performance-focused practice, the common interpretive challenges of cello playing, and performance anxiety transport this practice-room success to the concert hall. Miranda Wilson addresses the topic of expressive intonation in detail, adapting intonation systems to the framework of the cello, and discussing how to tune when playing unaccompanied, with piano, and in a chamber ensemble. This book teaches advanced cellists of all ages-college-bound high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, educators, and professional performers-how to be their own best teachers.