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Q&A - My honest answers about my cello journey
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Happy Thanksgiving! I've received a number of messages lately asking specifically about my personal journey with the cello...essentially how I navigated the path I've been on seeing as things are going to be a lot less straight forward and standard for an adult learner who decides to get serious and make a profession out of playing the cello.
If you have any other questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
♫ LEARN MORE ABOUT GETTING THE ULTIMATE START ON CELLO:
Cello in 30 Days Course: www.adultcello.com/courses
Billy Tobenkin is a Los Angeles-based cellist who specializes in teaching adult learners. As a professional cellist who started playing the cello from scratch at 25, he is in a unique position to help others, like him, who found the cello later in life. He has developed strategies from his own musical journey to accelerate the learning process, and he is here to share them with you.
Please contact him at billy@adultcello.com with any questions or comments! Or visit adultcello.com
Yesss! I would be interested in a retreat! Just to hear and learn with other adult learners would be amazing!
Thank you so much, that's great to hear!
I could so relate to your “ little boy sound.” I just started at age 64. I’ve been playing for a month. I’m fortunate to have found a teacher who understands adult learning. I’ve also learned so much from you and am so grateful for your videos and inspired by your journey.
I’m still amazed at your progress from a “significantly” later age. I’ve never been opposed to older folks starting but I’ve always been of the opinion about the earlier the better for career prospects. I mean, I started when I was 11 and I’ve always thought that was pretty late. In any case I resonated a ton with a whole bunch of the things you shared.
Your story is really inspiring. I play the cello and in the beginning of this year I decided I want to go professional. I'm not an adult learner but I didn't really practice at all for the first 9 years of my playing. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do, and I've been terrified I won't be good enough to make it. So when i found your channel and got to know that you started at 25 and was successful with your goals, I realised that I can do the same thing as long as I set my mind to it!
Thank you for giving me hope
(Side note, I think we have been playing for the same amount if time, 13 years)
That means so much to me to read your message! I totally understand how scary it can be to decide to get serious about the cello, but it's also so exciting to realize that you've found your calling! If you have any questions along the way, feel free to email me at billy@adultcello.com
Oh I would love such a retreat for adult cellists! Great idea!
That's wonderful to hear, thanks so much!
They exist here in the U.K. We have lots to choose from actually.
When Pablo ( Pau !) Casals was asked why he still practiced at the age of 90, he said, “Because I think I’m making progress”
That’s a wonderful quote.
There's a man who knew how to enjoy his journey!
Thank you so much for your honest and genuine attitude towards your journey. It's certainly inspirational!
I just started watching your videos, I’m 47 years old and just starting to learn cello. Thank you for your help!! These videos are great!!
I started playing in the first year of the pandemic and stalled after about 8 months. You have inspired me to start again. Thank you for your videos and tips.
For anyone based in or near London I would really recommend Evie Coplan at the London Cello Institute as a teacher. I started learning a little over a year ago, at the age of 28 and I have progressed *so much* in such a short period of time thanks to her. She specialises in adult learners 🙂
Good luck everyone, keep on moving forward in your journey, wherever you’re at! 💕
Happy Thanksgiving 😊 I'm Thankfull for your videos. Your posts are so Inspiring. Hopefully some day I can afford lessons. But till then I continue with your videos.
Thank you so much, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
I'm interested in a retreat, too! I'm learning really slow, mostly because of my demanding job and I would love to learn with adults :)
Hi Billy, thanks for the video, I think it can inspire a lot of people who are in the music journey. I have left message in your other video before, I am amazed by Corinne Seaside who had started to learn cello at the age of 65 and for 10 years long, I thought I was late (started at 51 😛), keep it up Corinne. I admit, when I first started to learn cello, my goal was to "kill time" due to my parents passed away in one month and I was in my grief period. However, after I have played for half a year, the way I looked at learning cello became different since music and the learning process helped me to come out from my grief and to move forward. I am now 54, although I do not have a goal to become a professional musician, we could always set goals in our learning journey I believe. I am currently having private lessons and my teacher is saying my progress is slow but "on the right track" and my strength is "hard working" (I played at least 1 to 2 hours daily after work). My first goal is the ABRSM grade 5 cello exam and I hope I can achieve it by the end of 2022. I also have the same dilemma that 1Dilaw has, can't see my progress myself, but my friend shared with me "Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, NO MATTER HOW SLOW - from Plato" that encourages me a lot, share with you too 1Dilaw, don't discourage ourselves. And, I totally agreed with Billy that to put down our self-esteem and do whatever we need at the fundamental level if we are serious about the learning. I am apparently the oldest student with my teacher and all my "classmates" are of age in single digit, sometimes we meet between class, I heard them played and they heard my play, they will shared with me how to hurdle the difficulties in the piece which I enjoy the most because they are genuinely wanted to help. Yes, we certainly are in age disadvantage but I still believe that we can achieve goals (not sky high goals) in double focus and double the hard work.
Regarding the retreat, love to join but I am on the other end of the world from LA, would you consider to have an online retreat, I can make up my time although it might be in the middle of the night that I cannot play together but would love to feel the vibes.
Hi Lisa! I remember your story and am so inspired by your dedication and goal setting! I also love that you and the other students in your teacher's studio will occasionally play for each other and share ideas! An online component to the retreat is a very interesting idea, thanks so much for your suggestion :)
I've done what you say about opportunities and reaching out. Like you I'm always under qualified. In my cello jourbey peopke have not been encouraging, supportive or nice about my wanting to grow and learn playing cello. It's been a very difficult, hrtful experience. After going through 4 teachers, I finally have a great teacher and Im not giving up. I dont want to be a professional but do want to play for an audience/people. I'm now 75, started at 65 yrs old. . Lost my parents at 9 yrs old, in foster care so no way I could have a cello. Never too late! Any advice?
Hi! It's inspiring to read about your ability to push through adversity! Having found a great teacher sounds to me like the single best thing you could have done for your journey. And I totally agree, it's never too late!
Super encouraging! Thank you for sharing this. I am going to practice even more now. (I’m not revealing my age, but I am much above 20, also thirty)..
@@newsigmundfreud3023 My pleasure, and I loved reading your message! Happy practicing!
@@adultcello Many thanks to you Mister AdultCello.
This is priceless, thanks for sharing your experiences and your journey. I would love to join your cello retreat if I wasn't at the other side and the other end of the world! Your response to the professional musician question was most considered. And by the way I don't have permission but I still dream about playing like a pro! Thanks again.
By the way at 3 weeks in my fingers were still sore, and I hadn't even touched the bow 😬
@@pakhoy8648 Thank you so much for your message, I really appreciate it! Yes, those first few weeks/months had a lot of sore mornings!
Thanks for sharing! As an adult learner myself I at times question myself why;?!Why am I doing this and what is the purpose? I found your videos extremely helpful and different from those pro cellists who started cello journey as a young kid.
Thank you!
My pleasure, and thank you so much for your message, I really appreciate it!
Amazing insight! I'm an adult learner but with violin. I agree with Kasey below! A retreat would be great!
Edit: that is of course if other violinist are also welcome
Thank you so much, and that is actually something I was thinking about, as well!
Loved this video. I'm definitely interested in a retreat, if I can get to CA.
Thank you so much, that's great to hear!
Have you, or have you considered going though Suzuki teaching certification? You'd be great with kids!!! You have the passion for the cello. You can still play gigs.
Happy Thanksgiving from an Englishwoman. Thank you for continuing to upload these absorbing and helpful videos. I’m an adult learner, 3yrs into the process. My biggest frustration is that I don’t feel that I have progressed as much I would have hoped by now but it may be the nature of the beast. I am playing the pieces from Suzuki bk 3;not brilliantly but I can find my way around them. My other issue is that I am not able to get much expression into the pieces which is frustrating. I haven’t mastered vibrato yet so I think it would help a lot if I ever get to master it. Thanks for this, interesting to learn more about your personal progress.
Did you try the vibrato boot camp from Cello Doll? It was pretty helpful for me to take a step back and work a month daily on the vibrato basics again guided by her. Helps to free the motion a lot (even though you already learned it). Or look after the vibrato video of AdultCello of course. The key to success is consistency I guess.
@@testkuchen3674 Thank you. I’ll take your advice.
I'm more than 3 years in and nay has the V word been uttered....
Thank you so much for your message! I totally understand where you are coming from, I have definitely hit plateaus before. In terms of expression in pieces, I find that is often completely a question of the bow arm, and sometimes to get out of plateaus I've decided to just focus on one aspect of playing for a period of time to see if I could bump myself into a new level of playing. Anyway, thank you again for writing!
@@adultcello Thank you Billy, that’s helpful.
Interested in a cello retreat!
I would totally do a retreat!!
Thanks so much for letting me know, and for your comment!
I would love a cello retreat for adults!!
Wonderful, thank you so much for your message!
@@adultcello I would love a cello camp/retreat
Let me preface by saying that I don't mean to sound harsh or demeaning; your videos helped rekindle an interest in learning music that have been lying dormant since I was a teen. Your first answer makes you sound not only very driven, but also gifted. You were enrolling in a music program after 9 months of playing the cello! I feel like that kind of potential is not available to every late starter, especially those who dream of more lofty goals. I commented once that I set my bar and goals relatively high, and maybe I'm being overly pessimistic (or just hit a slump), but it does feel like you were less like the average adult beginner and more like a one in a million story. Again, apologies if this sounds too harsh, I love your work and the fact that you are out there helping people learn music.
Thank you so much for your comment! I see what you are saying but I feel I should say that I'm by no means a natural on cello (trust me, you should have heard how I sounded when I got admitted into that first program 9 months in!). I was both shameless and very, very driven and I think the one in a million aspect was my luck in getting really incredible teachers to work with me. It's probably true that not absolutely anyone could reach a professional level of playing starting as an adult, but I think the number of those who could is much higher than us adults think it is. Anyway, I do appreciate your comment and am happy to hear that you're rekindling your love of music!
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your journey! I would definitely be interested in a retreat once COVID is under better control.
PS: insanely off topic comment: I LOVE the chair you're sitting in for this video....where can I get one????
Thanks so much for your comment! I believe the chair has been in the family since before I was born, so I'm not sure where it's from :)
@@adultcello LOL... that's what I get for coveting other people's property!! Thank you again, Billy, for sharing your knowledge. It's very generous of you :-)
How do I find groups to play with other adults? I would also love an adult retreat!!
I’m new here and would like to know did the Cello Camp ever start?
Hi! I am an adult learned! I started like 6 months ago and I’m obsessed. I just found your channel. Which cello pieces are your favorite and which do you recommend listening to
Hi! The three pieces that convinced me to take the plunge into learning the cello were the Brahms Sonata in E minor, the Brahms Double Concerto for cello and violin, and the Rachmaninov Sonata in G minor. I still love these works, and one thing I would suggest is listening to a bunch of different performers playing the same piece, it's fascinating and inspiring to do!
I would love to go to a adult cello retreat.
Thanks so much, that's great to know!
Thank you for this video. I still nervous to call a teacher. I'm afraid they will think I'm wasting their time. So i have been trying to watch videos like your and using the music skills from my opera singing life to figure things out. I'm really good at practicing. Yet I need some further instructions on concepts. How did you approach your conservatory teacher? Did you have to contact multiple times? I also live in SoCal. I just want to get good enough to play at church and in a small local orchestra.
Hi! My conservatory level teachers were a little later on in my journey, and in my case I had someone recommend me so I didn't have to cold call the teacher. I would suggest looking online and trying to find a few teachers who seem like they might be a good fit. I would see if you could have a trial lesson with each of them and my guess is by the end of your lessons you will know which teacher will be best for you. I wouldn't worry at all about teachers thinking you will be a waste of your time. A motivated adult learner who is ready to put in the time and effort to make progress is a dream student for almost anyone! Hope that helps!
@@adultcello thanks for the advice. I will try this and be courageous in reaching out.
Will you share the nameof the Californian place you went to interact with other adults?. I would be interested on going to your retreat!
Absolutely! It's called the SoCal Chamber Music Workshop (www.socalchambermusic.com/). I had a great time there. And thank you for your interest in a future retreat!
Can you recommend a good recording system to give the truest feedback of the quality of your playing?!
Hi! In terms of audio, I've had pretty good success with zoom recorders (for rehearsals with others). In terms of videos of yourself, I honestly think recording yourself with a smart phone does a pretty good job (it can be as helpful to see yourself playing as to hear yourself, too). Outside of that, the next level up might be a bit expensive and complicated. Hope that helps!
If you haven’t found something yet ken try the Blue Yetis they plug into a phone or other USB device. I’ve had success with their boom mounted mic and the Yeti Nano.
❤🇧🇷