This week, I caught up with my sister's cello teacher, Mr. Andy Ly. He graciously shared with Bow Buddies some of the earliest steps that led him to pursue a career as a musician and teacher. I also recommend visiting his website where he has a practical list of tips for cellists on his blog!
When did you first start playing cello, and why did you pick cello?
I started at 11 years old. I was in the 7th grade. Originally growing up, I played violin and piano. Ironically, I was horrible at both and never practiced. I took lessons, but my teachers weren't happy with my performance. I was ready to quit, but my sister suggested cello. I went to my orchestra teacher, asked her to play cello. She said yes, and was happy to get me started with cello. Usually there are way too many violins, and not enough lower strings in an orchestra. It was really engaging because I had to learn how to play cello and catch up. At the time I didn't have a cello, so I would stay after school and use the school cello to practice. I did 30 minutes after school almost every day, and once my parents realized I was serious, they got me a cello. What drew me to cello was that both of my sisters played piano and violin. I felt like I was following their footsteps, so learning cello was my personal creative exploration. The ownership over my cello playing was nice.
What originally got you into music?
The short story is that my parents encouraged me and siblings to play music growing up. When I was younger and started learning cello, I remember a couple experiences that really drew me to cello. One was watching a documentary in music class about the life of Yo-Yo Ma and his career and approach to music. It was very inspiring to me. Listening to the great masters of cello was inspiring and led me want to be like them.
Who have been some of the most inspiring musicians to you?
The first one that comes to mind is Yo-Yo Ma, he's one of the most renowned cellists. Growing up I loved listening to him play, there was something that spoke to me. I also enjoyed listening to Mischa Maisky. There were so many cellists I idolized, and listening to these musicians introduced me to the whole world of classical music. Listening to great cellists made me become immersed in the repertoire.
What advice would you give to a student who is interested in playing cello or just starting out?
Practice, practice, practice. That's really it. I mean, have a teacher, study with a good teacher, and do what they say. Also, you should be inspired. Go watch documentaries of great performers on your instrument, go listen to great works in your instruments repertoire. In every instrument, there are the great works: Elgar, Beethoven sonatas, and Bach cello sonatas. They are very inspiring, will motivate you to practice more.
What led you to become a teacher?
That's a hard question. When I was in my senior year of high school, I was principal cellist at school at the time, I had many people in my section asking me questions about the pieces. I spent time during lunch and after school working with the cellists and helping them play. That led to me giving actual cello lessons, informally at first. It led me to see that this was something I really enjoyed. It grew over the years. Teaching students makes me learn, if I can't explain how I do it, I don't really understand my own technique. It's forced me to understand how I play, which is very important.