The reason I started cello was because of groups.

Back in the early 90s in South Florida when I was growing up, there was a yearly event called Cellobration that brought together all the local cellists for one day of music-making. My parents are both cellists and would participate as mentors for this event, inviting their students to participate. One of my earliest cello memories is from this event, when I saw, perhaps for the first time, over 100 cellists together on stage playing as an orchestra.

I was blown away. The next year I had convinced my parents to let me start playing. To this day, my absolute favorite group to play with is a cello ensemble.

String players tend to learn to play in groups. As children, we are socialized quite early in small ensembles, then big ensembles, and most often spend our careers playing in groups more than playing as soloists alone on stage. The majority of fellow musicians I've spoken to about this agree that playing with other people is the most fun aspect of playing an instrument. Practicing at home alone is the least fun (though very necessary). My teenage years were not filled with very regular practice, but I rarely missed a youth orchestra rehearsal - meeting up with friends and playing in a group was always a highlight of my week. 

Once I started teaching, I quickly fell in love with teaching adults. While kids are cute and fun and creative in their own way, adults are… well.. adult! I can explain complicated concepts to them, and they get it, and are able to coach and guide their practice sessions to make the most of their limited time and make enormous progress despite often spending less than 3 hours on their instrument in a week (lesson time included).

But once the very basics were down, most of my adult students started to flounder, the motivation started to disappear. What to do now? So much repertoire to choose from but… no one to play with except for me, during lessons. And duos just don't always cut it. 

So I created my favorite ensemble for my students - a cello ensemble. Today they're called the Cellibears and they're an adult amateur cello ensemble in Berlin you can join. The Cellibears have members who are beginners with just 1st position under their belts, making their very first forays into the world of ensemble playing, as well as intermediate and advanced players who are seeking more challenging parts to better their ensemble playing skills. I don't teach cello technique during rehearsals, we rehearse like a regular ensemble: finding the parts that fit together, learning to breathe and move together, and most importantly, finding connection with others.

Connection while playing, and connection while not playing.

Some of the Cellibears members practice very regularly, more than 3 hours per week. Some practice less than 3 hours per week, but always get a little time in. And some don't practice at all - they don't even take their cellos out during the week. Work, kids, stress, whatever the case may be, they just can't get the motivation or time to take their cello out. But they come to rehearsal, and they make progress anyway as a result, even if it goes a bit slower than with the ones who are practicing (there's no way around it, practice really makes progress). 

The reason is connection. Connection is a primal instinct in humans. We want to be seen, we want to be accepted, we want to be heard, we want to be understood. We create connections with other humans. Joining any ensemble, whether a cello ensemble or a choir or just a duo with your kid or partner or friend, creates that sense of connection.

So why group classes? Mostly for connection. One teacher can connect with many students. Those students can connect with each other. It is also financial of course - group classes are cheaper than private lessons, yet still give the teacher fair payment for their time.

And yet it is also tradition. Traditional music education always involves groups - ensemble playing is an integral part of becoming a full-fledged musician. My university cello professor offered a group cello class once a week, masterclass-style, where some of us would present what we are working on to our peers and our teacher, and we'd all contribute constructive comments to help each other progress, with our teacher moderating and expanding on our ideas. Learning from my peers was one of the most powerful experiences I had and one of the things I still do every time I meet with other cellists - I ask questions, I compare notes, I learn from their experiences and better my own playing as a result. 

You can join this tradition. Join the Cellibears. Attend a technique class. Whatever group class you choose, know that you're contributing to connection, and connection is always worth it. 

by Natasha Jaffe