Cello Day VI
Coronado HS
March 13, 2010
The 6th annual Cello Day began with a familiar sight from previous years with students and parents gathering early, thirty minutes before registration, cases and siblings in tow. While cellists, and people related to cellists, waited patiently in the chilly, early morning winds, t-shirts and registration efforts were organized for distribution. At half past eight, students began to file through, don their Cello Day fashion, find their rooms, deposit their belongings, and await the welcoming address in the theater.
This year’s cellotastic event departed from tradition and featured live-looping cellist Matthew Schoening whose 5-string NS electric cello and elaborate setup enabled him to create a symphony of sound from a solo instrument. In classes, Matthew gave a short demonstration of alternative performance methods and encouraged students to explore their instruments discover that there is more to cello than only classical playing. He remarked that he would probably “...be the only teacher to encourage you to hit your instrument,” as he demonstrated possible percussive effects on the fingerboard.
This year’s co-chairs, Jeremy Woolstenhulme and Andrew Travers, ensured an exciting event with original music and exercises composed by Mr. Woostenhulme and T-shirt design and photos/filming by Mr. Travers. Next year’s Cello Day will be taken over by Mr. Woolstenhulme as full-time chair of the event.
After 3 hours of morning classes, students were more than ready for an hour of pizza and soda whilst the instructors rehearsed for the afternoon concert and Mr. Schoening fine-tuned his equipment in the theater for his electric demonstration. Mr. Schoening took apart his process of live-looping for the students and elucidated how to construct a song with a variety of looping pedals and effects. Next, he assembled the bits and pieces into several songs and treated the students to an abbreviated performance from his three solo albums.
Following this unique musical excursion through electric cello land, all of the students and teachers gathered on-stage to rehearse Mr. Woolstenhulme’s arrangement of Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Swan. There was barely room for all to play (Mr. Travers squeezed in by standing and playing) but everyone fit and formed the solo and accompaniment as one great cello orchestra.
The afternoon concert began with Cello Class 5 performing, including a selected arrangement of Coldplay. Next, Matthew gave a short demonstration for the parents that impressed the audience with its originality. The faculty took the stage and performed selections including Klengel’s Hymnus for 12 cellos, a semi-electric version of Vivaldi’s Double Concerto in G minor, and Sousa’s Washington Post March. At the grand finale, 120-plus students and teachers once again swamped the stage. The performance embodying the idea of the swimming swan met with great applause and yet another fantastic day of cello came to an end in Las Vegas.