I've been playing the cello for one year and eleven days. Last year, when I first signed the rental agreement and took on the daunting task of learning the cello as an adult, I told myself that even if I got frustrated and wanted to trade her in for a triangle, I had to stick with it until at least June 25th, 2014. Well, June 25th came and went, and I just renewed the rental agreement.
This past year, I had a wonderful teacher who shared her love of the cello with me, and patiently stood by as I made exceedingly slow progress. I met her at a local adult ed beginning cellists' class, and later took several private lessons with her. Due to scheduling conflicts though, I had to find a new teacher.
Last week, I had my first lesson with my new teacher, and so far, we are off to a good start. I've been practicing every day, and I now have stickers on my cello to help with finger placement. I look forward to the day when I can remove them, but for now, the visual and tactile feedback from the stickers is helping to boost my confidence and my cello's sound. Already, my coordination in my left hand is improving and I can transition between notes much more smoothly.
The cello is a finicky, visually beautiful creature. If played correctly, its sound sends chills down your spine and can make you weep with the beauty of it. But getting a cello to reveal its true voice takes a lot of hard work and patience. Most of the time, my cello still sounds like an ailing cow, but once in a while, she sings, and the sound and feeling of those elusive perfect notes is enough to make me keep working at it, at least for one more year.
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