Cellists Learn from World Master

Middle School students Joe Cohen, Grade 8, and Talia Grynberg-Schepis, Grade 5, shared a unique experience in April when they attended a master class led by world renowned cellist and virtuoso, Yo-Yo Ma
Middle School students Joe Cohen, Grade 8, and Talia Grynberg-Schepis, Grade 5, shared a unique experience in April when they attended a master class led by world renowned cellist and virtuoso, Yo-Yo Ma.

Appearing at the University of Denver for a solo recital, Ma taught the class for area music students from DU and the Denver School of the Arts. Other young musicians, like Joe and Talia, were able to sit in on the lesson for their own enrichment.
 
Talia picked up the cello four years ago, but that instrument wasn't her first choice. "I used to really, really want to play the violin," she explains. "Then when I was seven I heard the cello and I liked the deep sound of it. It has a low, rich sound. Also I get to sit down when I play!"
 
From Ma, Talia learned that to connect emotionally with the music, she needs to put more effort into practicing.
 
"No one says, 'Yay, I get to go practice my instrument.'" she says. "But I want to get better and play more with other people in an ensemble. After the class I think I need to 'feel' the music more."
 
Joe has played cello since kindergarten, going on nine years. He reflected on Ma's analogy between music and ballet as it relates to transitions in the music.
 
"Before a dancer moves on to the next dance move, she extends the last pose," he explains. "It's the same with music. Before a rest you have to extend the note and make it fade instead of having an abrupt stop." 
 
Joe is attending the Rocky Ridge Music Camp this summer before starting at Denver School of the Arts in the fall. He practices his instrument as much as five hours each week.
 
"My personal goal is not to become a professional musician, but to see how far I can take my talent and to play different types of music," Joe says. One of his favorite pieces is the theme from Mission Impossible.
 
Ma "had a very cheerful attitude, not uptight or pretentious like a lot of professional musicians can be," Joe remembers.
 
"I felt very privileged to learn some of his techniques. He's a world famous cello player and that doesn't come without hours and hours of practice."
 
Talia agreed: "It was a once in a lifetime experience." 
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  • Philip Hickey
    What a wonderful opportunity~

Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.