MY LIFE'S MOTTO

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

Group travels to music store to try electric cello

One of my ensembles, 4 Players 1 Cello, have been practicing playing on a regular cello, but when you have 4 people playing it at the same time, we have found it a bit cramped if you can imagine that. The electric cello has a lot smaller body so after one rehearsal in July, we decided to end early and travel to the music store and try one out to see if we liked it better. Here are the girls trying out the electric cello experience.

Josie on the electric cello.

Katelyn on the electric cello.



Maddie on the electric cello.




Lyndi on the electric cello. She is new to our group. She will be the youngest player in the entire concert. I am very excited to have her in this group. She actually plays her part from the floor. We got a better sound from the electric cello than a normal one since she is playing below the bridge which is unusual for cellists.


Once all the girls tried the cello, we tried playing it all together.



All of the girls agreed that the electric cello better suited our needs for this piece. The fun part came when Maddie wanted a yellow one. What a fun experience! I think that using an electric cello will also make this group even more original. It looks cool and sounds amazing! I can hardly wait to hear it in that huge auditorium.

Let the costuming of groups begin- MIssion Impossible Group

The show groups in the concert have practiced their music and now have begun costuming. Here is the group getting ready for Pink Panther and Believe. Teenagers are so fun!


Nathan, Isaac and Debora



Cassie, Rosie & Debora



Debora, Cassie & Rosie




Rosie



This is my daughter Salest. I have tried to include her in this experience as much as she wants to be. I have wanted her to experience all of this too!

More costuming

Here is the group 4 players/ 1 cello. We were at the fabric store trying to figure out what fabric they wanted their dresses out of.

Winding down summer rehearsals- gearing up for the all cello orchestra part now.

We are now winding down summer rehearsals with the show groups and are now ready to start rehearsals for the large all cello orchestra.




I sat up for hours and hours separating the music and putting into folders. I took the folders to the first group and let them pick the parts they want to play. (Sylvee and Rebecca)



At that rehearsal, we listened to the audio of the music and then the second time sight read playing with the audio tape. Hopefully this helped the cellists get a better feel for how the music works so they can start practicing. YAY- they love the music!

FINAL PHOTO SHOOTS

In the foyer going into the auditorium, I want to post pictures of the stars of my show. There are 27 cellists in 4 groups and I wanted individual pictures of them with their cellos. I plan to give that picture to those that finish this with me. I hope it is an experience that they will never forget.


We held this photo shoot at the Orem Library after rehearsals. It is the largest group and I figured the easiest place to get that many cellists together again.

Jason, Kayloa, Rebecca, & Michael

Sylvee

Kayloa

Rebecca

Michael

Jason

Cheryl

Professionally made advertising posters

There is a man named Nick Crow, that I work with at church whom during a meeting I found out is a graphic artist. We were talking about my concert and he offered to help me with my posters. When it came time and after many tries of coming up with posters myself, I finally asked him for his help. He put them of a CD the correct size to send directly to the printers. I sent them to Staples and the posters were amazing. I offered to pay him, but he asked me if the concert was going to cost and when it told him no that I wanted it to be free, he told me that his service didn't cost either then. I will do something, but I must say, I never expected to have something so wonderful. Thanks Nick.

First All Cello Orchestra Rehearsal

Saturday, October 9 was the first all cello orchestra rehearsal. I had visited everyone that would let me come, put up posters around town and done everything I could think of to get cellos and now this was the day to find out just where I would be. I hat knots in my stomach for days before hoping people would come. I knew that just because I talked over a hundred people, that I would only get a small percentage, I knew that. But I hoped for alot still. The day arrived. I headed over early to get set up. Cellists started arriving. I didn't have as many as I wanted but I did learn something that day. I learned that I didn't want 100. There is no way that many would really fit as Mr. Keyes and I had thought would. I am thinking more along the lines of 50 or 60 now. I wasn't disappointed with how many, we seemed to of filled the band room still but when I told other how many, I always saw a look of disappointment. I was okay though. I knew now what I had and that I need to roll my sleeves up and get to work. I was right to start early. I also realized that I need more adults and college age kids. The music is more challenging than I thought it would be. I know it will work out- this day was a learning experience and I felt a great success. I also showed pictures to the group of what has happened so far and then showed them the amazing auditorium and stage they will be performing on. I also let them hear a couple of the groups that will be performing. I felt like it was a great success.

All Cello Orchestra Sectionals begin

Sectionals for the all cello orchestra have begun. They were optional at this point for those that felt like they needed the extra help.

Section leaders working through the different parts that were challenging.

I have had older cellists ask me if there were only "younger" cellists in the group and younger cellists ask me if "older" people were going to be in it. I always put a big smile on my face and tell everyone that it is not about about age, but about being a cello player. It has been fun seeing them all play side by side. I get goosebumps when I think of this concert being so diverse in ages. It really is about each person regardless of age enjoying in their own way, their cello!

Getting Cello Players

Getting Cello Players has been harder than I ever imagined possible. I have mostly focused on High Schools because it was easy to call the schools and get the orchestra teachers name and email. Most teachers emailed me back and either let me come and talk to their students or put up a poster and pass out fliers. My greatest success comes from meeting with the cellists.

A few stories-

I have wanted to meet with this one local university and tried last year and this year with no success at any reply back. None. I finally decided that I would stop by the school and see if handing out fliers to their cellists was even an option and hanging up a poster. This was my last effort. I wasn't sure where the music building was and parking was so difficult and I saw a police man and asked him. He told me I was by the music building but that I would have to clear down the hill to park and then walk up. I only had 20 minutes so I thought I would have to bag it that day. On my way leaving the parking lot, the coolest thing happened. I saw the orchestra director standing in the parking lot at the back of his truck working on something. I debated on whether to talk to him but knew I wouldn't let this opportunity go by- I felt like it was dropped from heaven so I stopped. He seemed hesitant to do it, but after I asked him if he would give his cellist the opportunity to choose whether they wanted to participate, he agreed. I do not know if they were passed out, I did not have any attend the first rehearsal, but I was glad I made it that far this time. YAY!

I had also been trying to get a response back from a teacher that was very difficult to get ahold of last year. This year I had NO response so I decided that the drop by the school thing might be something worth trying. I said a prayer in my car and drove by his 2 schools. I found out that he was in class and that it wouldn't get out for 45 minutes and I couldn't wait so I left fliers and a poster in his box with the secretary. I headed to his other school and was going to do the same thing, but as I was walking up to the school, I felt prompted to enter a different door than the one by the office and you will never guess who was right as I walk in the door, the very teacher. I gave him the posters and fliers and he agreed to hand them out. As I was leavning, I had goosebumps at how that all went down. I was just told he was in class at another school and here he was right at the very moment right in front of me at a different school.. I am not sure if he passed out his fliers because I had none of his cellists and he had over 30 last year, a dream to get some of them, but atleast I made a step forward. YAY.

I also had no response back from a teacher at a High School. I was at a school in a town close by meeting with their groups, and I inquired of that teacher about this other teacher and she said that she didn't think he would respond to me. She said to just show up. So I did once again, do that and he wasn't there, they meet at a different time, but I left the posters and fliers anyway and that very night I got an email from him inviting me to come. When I arrived, he was alittle standoffish, but after I gave my presentation to the entire orchestra, he invited me back the next day to his other orchestra. WOW! Major cool! The lessons learned, don't expect high success rates with lots of work, it takes more work to get 10 cello players than I ever imagined but the ones that come- really want this too. Cool lesson. I also learned that prayer can open ways that I never could. People in the right place at the right time-miracles to me. I thank God for that. He truly blessed me.

My wish for this Dream........

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

~ Henry David Thoreau

• I hope that my dream touches the lives of my own children. I have always loved the thought: As parents we give our children 2 things. One is Roots. One is Wings. I hope that my children learn from this experience that they too can fly with eagles and reach their dreams because their mom showed them she could do it.

• I hope that some of the cellists in this experience will be inspired to find their own unique talent with their cello and use their gifts and talents to bless others.

"Some men see things as they are and say 'why'? Others dream things that never were and say 'why not'?"

~ George Bernard Shaw

• I hope that as I share the song "dream big" and a story about someone who reached their dream with all the cellists at the beginning of every rehearsal, that they will be edified and uplifted from having participated.

• I hope that the cellists will make new found friendships with each other, that they can enjoy this time with others who have a common talent. I hope they make bonds that last.

"We grow great by dreams.
All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening.
Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."

~ Woodrow Wilson

• I hope that the teachers will see that what they do makes a different in a child's life. My dream came from teachers who believed in me and encouraged me and gave me every opportunity possible to be the best I could be.

• I hope that parents will feel like it was a great opportunity for their child. That they felt like it uplifted them and made them a better person even in small ways having participated in it. I hope that parents will realize that for me this wasn't about the actual performance as much as it was about helping youth become better selves.

"God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow in them. "

~ Unknown

• I hope that all those who so selflessly helped me with things I was lacking in, will be blessed one hundred fold for offering their talents to me.

• I hope that the amount of people playing the cello will increase in the valley. I hope others will see the beauty and diversity of this instrument and give it a try if they feel inspired to.

"Within your heart, keep one still, secret spot where dreams may go."

~ Louise Driscoll