[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img]Tears blurred my vision as I performed Fauré’s Elegy alone in the living room of my family’s summer cabin.
I had just heard the news of my grandfather’s passing, and I was pouring my sorrow and anger at the loss of so much history and memory into the dramatic fast notes leading to the piece’s climax.
My spirit wailed through this phrase, only calming into quiet resignation as I completed the final bittersweet melody.
This was my private memorial to my mother’s parents, both now gone.
Soon to begin my senior year of high school, I felt lost without their presence as a physical reminder of summers spent swimming in their pool, playing bridge and baking the best ever peanut butter cookies.
Endings as Beginnings
Suffering from tendonitis and self-doubt the following April, I had all but decided to go away to college in Boston to study engineering. My cello teacher had urged me to at least come hear some new instruments that were being presented to his university students before making my decision.
In support, my mother even offered to help share the 90-minute drive.
When the instrument dealer began playing the 3rd cello, I felt a deep stirring, akin to what I experience in the height of my emotional expression. Its voice exposed a lifetime of torment, longing, joy, and release.
My life shifted into focus when I began to play this cello. There was no more Boston, engineering, or running from my injury. The cello’s rich, somber voice offered me a glimpse into future passions and journeys. Nothing was more important to me than exploring this expression, this instrument.
In the room with the dealer, my heart nearly broke when he named the price. I knew that even though the cost was fairly modest (a fraction of what one would spend on an older instrument), it was outside of my family’s financial means.
As such, I was in complete shock when my mother gazed into my eyes, confirming how badly I wanted this instrument and a life in music, and got out her checkbook.
I learned later that she had just received her inheritance from my grandparents. Their passing had allowed me to pursue my dream inspired by the song of this new companion.
My family’s gifts and presence will always live in my music. And my cello and I are still together playing Fauré, sixteen years later.
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
