Piano Lessons in Daly City, CA

David S

Instruments: Cello

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
This was something I knew I was going to be ever since I started playing the instrument. Even at such a young age, there was no doubt that this was the only thing I could be.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Romantic period of classical music. It still features the structure and tonality of previous genres, but creative enough to readily break these rules. It's in my opinion the best balance of structure and expressiveness.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
A chef, for sure. I took up cooking as a way to pay my way through music school, and it was useful to me having a useful second skill.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I've finished writing my first full cello sonata. It is currently circulating in competitions around the world, and has already received positive feedback, and a semi finalist award.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Absolutely not. I'm particularly against the Suzuki method. "Methods" put students in a box, and by it's very nature it is a one dimensional way of exposing a student to the tools they need for the instrument. This is why a good teacher is so valuable. A great teacher can observe the students style, strengths, and weaknesses, and give personally tailored objectives to improve weaknesses and emphasize strengths.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I always found it a deep shame that Brahms never wrote a fully fledged cello concerto. My goal one day is to write such a piece as Brahms may have done, and perform it live with a symphony. I think I could die a happy man if that were to come to pass.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a Bachelors of Fine Arts in cello performance and music theory. I originally wanted to be strictly performance (after I narrowed down the ten or twelve majors that I wanted to pursue in college), but I became so fascinated with music theory and had a passion for composition, so I decided to do both for my undergraduate.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The bow. No competition. Anyone can learn distances on a fingerboard. It takes a true master to have your bow arm be able to produce any sound you could want and possibly imagine.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I started playing cello because my middle school orchestra had no cellos. A lovely local cellist volunteered to give me lessons to teach me the basics, and I fell in love immediately.

When will I start to see results?
This is probably a frustrating answer to, but it really depends. You get out of the instrument what you put into it. A serious commitment will produce higher quality results faster, and the inverse is true

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
First of all, and I cannot stress this enough, they need to show an interest. Too may colleagues I have met have went through music school hating it because they were forced into it by their parents. Introduce them to the instrument and the music first, and if they are interested, then proceed with lessons. I dont think age matters nearly as much as this.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Effective practice requires first and foremost honesty. It requires the ability to identify a mistake, and the ability to say to oneself "no, this could be better." Without these fundamentals, practice is essentially worthless.

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