About The Cello Guru
I sat on hard wood chair in my big old wooden house wondering what to do with myself. The sunlight of a warm September afternoon danced across the cold floor where Biscuit lay faithfully at my feet.
After driving my daughter through the pandemic and across the states from California to Ohio where she was to attend Oberlin College I had been somewhat of a hero, but now, just a week later, all I felt was emptiness.
In addition to that, I knew that I needed to somehow figure out how to pay the inflated Bay Area rent…or else I had to move to someplace cheaper.
I had not been practicing my cello, which felt awful, and I had not been playing any gigs for the first time in years. The world was shut down.
I felt lonely and sad…
How the heck, I thought…
And then an idea struck me: if I was struggling with loneliness and not playing my cello…surely others would be too. What if I somehow reached out to form a community and share musical expertise?
Could I really do that?
I remember calling my brother and asking: hey, would it be presumptuous of me to call myself the Cello Guru? His answer changed me. He said: You have put your entire life into this study. It’s who you are. Of course you need to share it…
And that is how the Cello Guru started.
Since then we've put together all kinds of fun and interesting intensive Cello Mentorship Programs and Bootcamps for adult cellists around the world, both classical and improvisation, and we've created communities that will inspire and encourage cellists to evolve musically and creatively.
My signature program Total Cello Immersion includes one on one lessons, group classes, guest speakers, and an online course the cellists can use daily as a supplement to their learning.
And it all started with some sadness and a dream.
Scale trepidation is real
This Happened to Me...
After attempting the four octave C scale that August afternoon, I was utterly humiliated, and I walked around for a week beneath the blazing Arizona sun in a daze.
I thought that my failure to execute it well meant that I was no good.
I had been in a music lesson with Dr Gordon Epperson, and I remember thinking… I'll never be able to play cello beautifully. And this tormenting C scale just proves it.
Funny, all I had done is played some notes on a wooden instrument and they had brought me to this sweeping conclusion about my overall music career.
Have you had this type of experience in a lesson? Where your hands get shaky and your brain clouds over with fog? Has a scale made you feel devastated?
I totally understand. I’ve been there…and it's ok.
That’s exactly why I started my intensive Cello Guru Programs.
To help you to feel better and to Play Better Cello.
And to help you to become an all around better musician.
You're not hopeless.
You just need some basic guidance…
At the Cello Guru, we've got you.
Shoot us an email or book a Play Better Cello call to get started...
Here's what Francis B. said to me about a recent video
"Breathtaking! Your cello playing is so emotive and technically stunning.
The way you bring out the nuances of the music is truly captivating. 😊
Beautiful performance!"
THANK YOU, Francis.
