January 02, 2013

The Boulder Cello Project

January 02, 2013/ Christen Stephens

I have been a member of the Boulder Cello Project almost since its inception in June 2012, and I think this group is doing great things and want to share a little about it.

What is the Boulder Cello Project? The Boulder Cello Project is a group of beginning through advanced cellists who meet once a month to learn about the cello and make music together. In addition to their monthly meetings, members can attend classes led by local experts on specific subjects of interest related to the cello. The group also gives back to the community and gains performing experience by doing regular concerts at retirement communities.

What to Expect The Boulder Cello Project is a friendly and supportive group and no audition is needed to join. When you come to a meet-up, you can expect to meet cellists and eat snacks during our optional socializing time, then play lots of cello music during our organized play-in sessions. The group consists of over 60 members, and typically about 15-30 attend each play-in. The music we play is written by local and national composers who collaborate with us to provide a wide range of parts of varying difficulty so there is something that everyone will enjoy playing.

How to Join Joining the Boulder Cello Project is free, but donations are encouraged to assist in keeping up with expenses and maintaining the quality of the meetups. You can learn more about the Boulder Cello Project and join the group on the The Boulder Cello Project Meetup Page or the Boulder Cello Project Website.

Boulder Cello Project Holiday Recital at the Academy Retirement Community

August 20, 2012

The 2012 National Flute Association Convention - Las Vegas, NV

August 20, 2012/ Christen Stephens

This past week, I attended this year’s National Flute Association conference held in Las Vegas, NV. The weather was extremely hot with highs ranging from 106 – 110 degrees F, so I was happy to spend most of my time inside the massive (and air-conditioned) Caesar’s Palace.

This year I played with the Professional Flute Choir in a concert featuring the two winning songs from the Flute Choir Composition Competition, Alberto Guidobaldi’s “Tarantella for 12 Flutes”, and David Gunn’s “The Fifth Universal Principle of Alignment”. Peter Sheridan, bass flute extraordinaire, supported our flute choir with the rich low sounds of his various bass flutes. He also did an amazing job playing “Nuestro Pueblo”, a piece that highlights three different bass flutes and includes some wonderful improvisatory sections.

I also attended various concerts, masterclasses and instructional classes during the convention. Perhaps one of the most interesting classes was the one on circular breathing, a technique I have been interested in learning for a long time but never had the opportunity. With a great sense of humor, Robert Dick gave us step by step instructions on how to achieve circular breathing, along with several impressive and fun demonstrations of his own circular breathing.

Another class I really enjoyed was taught by Phyllis Avidan Louke, who delved into the details of teaching beginning flute students. It was refreshing to learn new ways to explain the very basics of flute playing, and I learned a number of cute ways to help children learn and remember new concepts and techniques.

This was also the first year I was able to attend the closing ceremonies, entitled “All the Things You Are”. The event featured a variety of musical styles ranging from Celtic to rock music, serious classical pieces to some lighthearted and humorous numbers - all featuring the flute. The final performance was ”Bumble Boogie”, a fun and very fast piece performed by four amazing soloists accompanied by our professional flute choir.

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