Beautiful Experience

I like the mellow sound of the cello, so last year when Yo Yo Ma came for a concert we signed up to work the show. We didn't get the assignment. This year he returned for a concert and we signed up again. This time I didn't get the assignment , but hubby did. I signed up to be on the waiting list, but that did not happen either. As a new event came up featuring Yo Yo Ma the day before his concert, I immediately requested to work the event as did hubby. We both were selected to work the event.

The event turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all involved. Three local student cellists were selected to receive a 40 min. lesson each from Yo Yo Ma with a select audience of about 200 looking on. It was an intimate setting. While I was not able to hear much of what he said to the students because he is soft spoken and did not always talk into the mike, it was evident that he is a gifted teacher. He was very much an encourager, painting perfect word pictures for the students to get through to them the refinement he felt would improve their playing. He displayed a sense of humor and thoughtfulness. He admitted that his real motivation in his career as a musician is people, bringing to them the joy of hearing and the connection with the composer's and the music's message. He thus reaches out to a variety of musical tastes. The focus of his advice to the students was not on technique, but on freedom of interpretation so as to send the audience the intended message.

Those students, their teachers, and we in the audience will likely not get another glimpse into the heart of the great Yo Yo Ma, and I am grateful for the opportunity.