[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img]This is hilarious. I have been playing cello for over 25 years (15 of them as a professional), hold a doctorate in music, and can boast over two decades of teaching experience.
Yet here I sit, scrunched over my notebook, surreptitiously eyeing each professor who walks out of the office to see if he or she might be *the one*, trying not to stick out from the others lounging in the hallway.
Back to the Beginning
I guess I should be glad that it has only taken me ten years to get over my ego and its need for perfection before I even begin a new project.
I have created a game surrounding my artistic development by compiling a wish list and taking a course a year. Thanks to my spirit of adventure, I can now at least fake my way through belly and tango dancing, freehand drawing, and gourmet raw food preparation.
This summer, I took this game to new heights by enrolling in a music-related course, one bound to send me back to the starting line.
I am enrolled in Beginning Jazz Improvisation.
One might think I hold the home court advantage and that my years of practicing concertos and chamber music would enable me to breeze through this seemingly intuitive process. I wish. I have tried informal lessons with friends, instruction books with playalong CDs, following along with recordings, and dozens of how-to websites.
None of my self-help methods has gotten me past my mental blocks at learning this new skill. Even before I begin playing a note, I get stuck trying to decide whether I should ornament the bass line, create a countermelody, or weave in and out in a completely unique manner. And that’s where I go back to what I know, or at least what I feel won’t leave me flat on my face in the wake.
Thankfully (and finally) here I am, another number at a community college waiting eagerly for class to begin.
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.
Ms. Dewberry is celebrating the release of her new album, “Origins.”
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
