Richard Steel

I am a rather recent adult addition to Emily’s family of cello students and I wanted to take some time writing this review that would be an accurate representation of Emily as a cello instructor.  Since I started my formal musical lessons 63 years ago, I felt I had some experience learning from many types of instructors regarding an assortment of musical instruments.  So it is with Emily that, not so long ago, I started this journey with her into the workings and mysteries of this remarkable instrument.

It’s very easy for me to say that Emily has been one of my favorite instrumental instructors.  It feels like I flood Emily with constant questions every lesson, ranging from the serious ones like bow arm and vibrator techniques, to the totally ridiculous ones like; “Why don’t we just put frets on this instrument and call it good?”.  She answers all of my questions with the knowledge and patience that is the hallmark of her teaching philosophy.  During my 5 years of attempting to teach myself into some semblance of a competent cello player, it felt like I was in a real rut with no true progression.  However, in just the short time with Emily, my learning curve and improvements have skyrocketed.  I think, and I may be wrong, that I represented for Emily, a larger challenge than many new students, due to the excessive baggage of poor playing habits and the lack of truly understanding this new instrument that I carried around in my cello case for far too long.  She has been truly helpful in unlearning these bad habits, while at the same time, laying down a new and more durable foundation to my playing that has helped make me sound so much better.

Regardless of the types of instruments we choose to make as a part of our lives, while we as students are trying to understand and comprehend this new and strange instrument, that it always takes an instructor like Emily to help us along in this new endeavor — to not just learn from her, but in addition, to gain from her a lifelong appreciation and attachment to this wonderful instrument.

I feel very lucky to be part of Emily’s musical family.