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.