Rachel A. TakeLessons Instructor Music, Cello, chamber music Somerville, MA

Thank you for visiting my page!

My name is Rachel and I am a cellist living in the Boston area. I moved here from Los Angeles in July 2006 to earn my Masters degree in music from the Longy School of Music (in Cambridge). I really enjoy teaching cello, and I hope to inspire many students to continue on the path of music. In Los Angeles I taught through the Harmony Project, Seoul School of Music, and Community Arts Partnership at the California Instute of the Arts. In the spring of 2007, I taught a mini-residency at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Brighton, MA.

I am interested in a variety of music styles including Baroque, Classical, jazz, improvisational, and contemporary music. I have participated in several international chamber music festivals including Zephyr (Italy), Bowdoin (Maine), and Summer Institute of Contemporary Performance Practice (New England Conservatory). My jazz quartet CD, When Manatees Attack, featuring music by percussionist Brad Dutz, was heralded in Jazz Times, "The musicians play with precision but let the music flow naturally...the solos are creative." I am also a member of Los Angeles-based Partch, a microtonal ensemble that plays the music of Harry Partch. In Partch I play the adapted viola and kithara (72-stringed harp-like instrument).

I earned a Master of Music degree in cello performance (with distinction) from the Longy School of Music and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts. My principal teachers are Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick and Terry King. I can also be heard on record labels pfMentum, Cold Blue, Innova and Afrasia Productions.

I tend to shape each lesson around the needs/wants of each student. Depending on the level of students, I use a variety of repertoire including Suzuki (I do not teach the method), Kummer, Celtic music, Schroeder, and anything else the student is interested in or that I can dish up. I also include improvisation in the lessons in order to put scales/arpeggios into some sort of musical/creative context. I encourage composition and experimentation when practicing. I am a detail-oriented teacher and I don't like to let "things slide." I believe that tcello technique (or any instrument) serves the purpose of the music; it is not a separate entity. I am very patient with students; music is not a race. I meet students where they are when they begin to study with me and grow from there. I believe that the relationship between teacher and student is a symbiotic one; I learn so much from my students. Even beginners. :)

When you arrive to lessons please bring blank manuscript paper that you can organize into some sort of notebook. I write down the main points of each lesson so that you can easily refer to these concepts during the week.

Lastly, I would like to add that practicing should not be a chore. It can be fun, and it is a time for discovery, exploration, and creativity.

I utilize ideas from several methods and have created my own flexible system for how I teach. I encourage improvisation and creative thinking.

Music, Cello, chamber music

Erin Barnes (Program Administrator at Harmony Project)

Janet O'Malley (parent of cello student)

Wayman Chin (chamber music coach)

Terry King (private cello teacher)