When we started this project, we knew that cellists were a special type of people, but it is always heartwarming to discover that there are even more cellists in Colorado than we could have ever imagined! We are now approaching our one year cello play-in anniversary in May, and have over 80 cellists participating in the project. 

Who knew there would be this many cellists wanting to play together? Simply amazing!!! 

We had a BUSY April with a 2-Day Amateur Workshop, Benefit Concert and exciting monthly play-in with Dr. Marcelo Sanches! See details below.

We have a new music sponsor!
OpusCello is the sheet music publishing company of Blaise Déjardin, a cellist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Cello Quartet. OpusCello publishes exclusively sheet music for cello ensemble, from cello duets and cello quartets up to 12 cellos and is the only place you can download sheet music from the Boston Cello Quartet. The sheet music is available as an instant PDF file download. The website also features cello interviews, with some of the major cellists of our time. Visit Blaise's website at: www.opuscello.com

Please welcome our new moderators: 
The Boulder Cello Project is ecstatic about collaborating with talented cello teachers from across the Front Range and national composers! To learn more about them visit our Play-in Moderator page. Becky will be moderating our June play-in and Marcelo will be moderating our July & August play-in!

An exciting April Play-in!
Dr. Marcelo Sanches joined the BCP Team last month, and moderated our April play-in. Not only did he moderate the play-in, but arranged some music for us to play as well! Below are two of the three arrangements that he created for us. A very enthusiastic and fun moderator, if you missed this play-in, he'll be back in July!

Yellow Cello Music
Our wonderful music sponsor Sheryl Smith has provided another new mixed level arrangement for the project called By The Light of the Silvery Moon. A milestone for Yellow Cello Music: 100 pieces are now available at the MusicaNeo pdf website, including a new, free technique sheet: 4-4 shifting exercise for pinky training. 

Spring Offer!  From now through June 15th, go to the Yellow Cello Music site (www.yellowcellomusic.com), and you can purchase an arrangement of By the Light of the Silvery Moon for just $1.50 (over 50% off!).  
There are two arrangements of this song: one for intermediate cello quartet, and the other for mixed-level cello ensemble (the one we played for our play-in!).  A note for the brave: you can sing the cello 1 part!

Thank you VOW for the beautiful benefit concert! We had a great time and enjoyed the wonderful music you played!

From across the "pond" Cello Pads (from the UK!) sponsored our benefit concert, and graciously agreed to provide a Cello Pad as a raffle item for our benefit concert. 

 

A Chase the Music & Cello Expressions & Boulder Cello Project Collaboration!
We are excited to collaborate with Chase the Music & Cello Expressions to create a special concert for C*! 
C* is a wonderful kid who loves Disney music from the Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, and Toy Story.

Chase the Music is a non-profit organization formed to facilitate the composition, performance and distribution of original music for critically ill children, or children who have been nominated and selected by the collaborating organizations. 

Music is a source of emotional strength for children, helping them cope with their illnesses and often contributing to improved physical well-being. If you know of a deserving child we should compose and perform music for, please contact us.

For more information regarding this concert, please visit the website here.

Whatever inspires you, drink from it often and cherish it always! We hope our updates and improvements to the project will help spread and further deepen you love of cello playing!

As always, we welcome your suggestions and feedback, and look forward to playing with you!


Happy bowing,

~The BCP Team

Annual Membership Fee Deadline 
Current members will have until March 31st to decide whether they would like to continue to participate in the project. On April 1st, passwords will be updated and new passwords will be sent to current members only - so don't forget to pay your membership fee!

Our goal is to have the project accessible to as many players as possible, and to have all of our current participants to continue their membership. Therefore, members will be able to select the fee amount they would like to pay of between $1.50 - $34.50. For more information, please visit our page at Annual Membership Fee.

A fun February play-in with Hodge Podge Photography
As usual we had a great time with Psyche Dunkhase moderating the play-in with 20 cellists playing at one time!

Thank you to Clark with Hodge Podge Photography for taking beautiful photographs of our play-in. To view more photos from Hodge Podge Photography, visit his website at http://photos.lodge.org/bouldercelloproject.

Concert Collaboration with Chase the Music 
Chase the Music is a non-profit organization formed to facilitate the composition, performance and distribution of original music for critically ill children. 

Music is a source of emotional strength for children, helping them cope with their illnesses and often contributing to improved physical well-being. If you know of a deserving child we should compose and perform music for, please contact us.

A concert collaboration with Chase the Music, our resident composer Nick Halsey with Cello Expressions and the Boulder Cello Project is in the works! We are still in the planning stages, but we will release more information in the next few weeks as we firm up details, and will post a Meetup event page for cellists who are interested in participating. Stay tuned! 

Rock Band Play-in with Psyche Dunkhase
As usual our cellists rocked out to some fun eclectic mix of music. Thank you Vicki for sharing your music with us! Our members were then treated to free massages by Healing Spirits Massage! 

 

 

Don't miss Clayton's upcoming concert!
Louisville Cultural Council presents a 20th century musical journey around the world, featuring pianist Eneida Larti and cellist Clayton Vaughn. This wide-ranging program will present works from some of the most significant composers of the 20th century who achieved compositional innovation, yet created beautiful and accessible music that is admired by all audiences. From the raw sounds of Shostakovich and the achingly beautiful harmonies of Bridge to the spirited sounds of Falla and the lyricism of Villa-Lobos, this program will take you on a whirlwind tour around the world in 60 minutes.

20th Century Music from Around the World
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Doors open 2:30pm
Program starts: 3:00pm

Voice of the Wood Cello Quartet Benefit Concert
We are excited to announce that we have confirmed the wonderful members of Voice of the Wood will be performing a benefit concert for the Boulder Cello Project to raise funds for operating expenses to develop more programs, play-ins, concerts and workshops for 2013. We hope you can join us in enjoying a wonderful cello quartet and to support our project. 

Saturday, April 13, 2013
Doors open: 6:30pm
Program starts: 7:00pm

Whatever inspires you, drink from it often and cherish it always! We hope our updates and improvements to the project will help spread and further deepen you love of cello playing!

As always, we welcome your suggestions and feedback, and look forward to playing with you!

Happy bowing,

~The BCP Team

It's official!
We are happy to announce that we have become an entity the Boulder Cello Project, LLC, and will be partnering with the Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA) as our Fiscal Sponsor. BCAA is an organization that provides leadership and resources for arts organizations, artists, educators, and the community of Boulder County. 

Signup to receive our Newsletter via email
Tired of checking our website for the latest news? ...although we appreciate that you do!! ;) 
Sign up to receive our monthly Newsletter via email by selecting the orange subscribe button on the left. The email Newsletter will also provide an "inside look" on current events and events that are "in the works," which will not be posted online.

 

Cello Expressions
Nick Halsey has been busy creating arrangements for the project specifically designed for mixed level ensembles. Don't forget to submit feedback regarding arrangements that we've played to help us improve our collaboration, so we may continue to provide enjoyable music that best fits our needs and to continually expand our cello library with fun beautiful pieces.  

All pieces arranged by Nick are listed on our feedback form, which is updated after each play-in to include new pieces. The form can be accessed by selecting the button below:

The first time our project has played an original composition created by our Resident Composer, Nick Halsey, called March (video below). Based on our feedback, Nick has tweaked the piece and we will be playing the new version for February's play-in! It's going to be beautiful - can't wait!!! :)

Yellow Cello Music's "Winter Free Offer"
From now through February 15th, go to the Yellow Cello Music PDF site to download a free cello trio piece. Thank you Sheryl! The arrangement is located under the collection of intermediate cello trios in the new print publication “Cellos A Trois." Or, select this link to be directed to the page.

We are excited to offer this workshop to our members! We are limiting the participant numbers to two cello quartets (or quintets) so instructors can work closely with each ensemble member and group.
 
This mini-workshop will provide ensemble tools to work effectively with other cellists (and players). Learn in a relaxed, non-competitive and supportive environment with like-minded adult cellists.
 
Ready to take your ensemble playing to the next level? Participants will be grouped with similar abilities, and repertoire will be provided based on the group's level. Pre-formed ensembles will not be accepted. We will select music to push each member out of their comfort zone - don't worry, nothing you can't handle! ;)
 
Participants will be provided 2 pieces of music to play with your group and one piece to play as a large ensemble.
Practice time with (and without) a chamber coach to utilize the "ensemble tools" will be provided. Participants will also have the option to do an additional performance before (or after) our monthly play-in session in March or April. No audition required.
 
If you've never played in a cello quartet or quintet before, than this is your chance to experience it!

Limited space available! Two groups only.
 
Instructors: Dr. Clayton Vaughn & Psyche Dunkhase
Cost: $75, includes lunch and coached and open practice time 
Dates: March 9th - March 10th

For more information, and to register please select this link here: REGISTER HERE.

SAVE THE DATE: Voice of the Wood Cello Quartet Benefit Concert
We are excited to announce that we have confirmed the wonderful members of Voice of the Wood will be performing a benefit concert for the Boulder Cello Project to raise funds for operating expenses to develop more programs, play-ins, concerts and workshops for 2013. We hope you can join us in enjoying a wonderful cello quartet and to support our project. 

Saturday, April 13, 2013
Doors open: 6:30pm
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: TBD

Whatever inspires you, drink from it often and cherish it always! We hope our updates and improvements to the project will help spread and further deepen you love of cello playing!

As always, we welcome your suggestions and feedback, and look forward to playing with you!

2012 Year in Review
Since our inception at the end of April, the Boulder Cello Project has provided 7 meetups, 1 Jazz Improvisation Workshop, 1 Beginner Ensemble Workshop, 1 "Rock Band" play-in, 6 holiday rehearsals, and 2 holiday performances for two retirement communities! Whew!!

What does this mean? We have some fabulously dedicated cellists from across the Front Range who love to play the cello and share their love of music with others! What's not to love? :)

We love our enthusiastic members!
During our November play-in we showed our thanks by doing a fun raffle and giveaway. 
Our "Highest Attendance" give-away prize of BCP hoodies was a tie between Abram (left) and Anna (right) who attended a total of 11 events which included play-ins, rehearsals, and/or workshops! 
Our first BCP donor, Susan (center), received a one-of-a-kind BCP track jacket!

Three New Arrangements by Nick Halsey 
We have some more great pieces arranged specifically for our group by our resident composer Nick Halsey (www.CelloExpressions.com) for our January playin. We thought a new year deserved more than just one new piece! Nick has arranged two new pieces: Bach's Chorale 43, Ermuntre Dich mein Schwacher Geist and Strauss' Auld Lang Syne, and a new composition created by Nick called March. 

SAVE THE DATE: Voice of the Wood Cello Quartet Benefit Concert - We are excited to announce that we have confirmed the wonderful members of Voice of the Wood will be performing a benefit concert for the Boulder Cello Project to raise funds for operating expenses and to develop more programs, play-ins, concerts and workshops for 2013. We hope you can join us in enjoying a wonderful cello quartet and to support our project. 

Thank you to all the members who participated in our holiday recitals. Performing for the two retirement communities was such a great experience! 

Participating cellists include beginners who have never played in a concert before, to cellists who have played a little longer than a year. Performers also include cellists who studied the cello when they were younger and are returning to the cello after a long hiatus, and even cellists who play regularly in orchestras. All levels and abilities are welcome to participate in our holiday performances. 

For those who missed attending our performances, check out our last performance at the Academy Retirement Community: 

The Academy Retirement Community (partial program)
Music starts at 1:40

Join the Boulder Cello Project as we perform for the Golden West Retirement Community and The Academy Retirement Community. Help us spread the holiday spirit and love of music! Listen and sing along to a selection of your favorite holiday tunes.

Everyone is welcome, and the recitals are free for all! We look forward to sharing our love of cello playing and music with the community!

Happy Holidays, 

~The BCP Team 

Date: Saturday, December 8, 2012
Time: 3:30pm 
Location: 1055 Adams Circle; Boulder, CO 80303

Date: Sunday, December 16, 2012
Time: 3:00pm
Location: 970 Aurora Avenue Boulder, CO 80302

The holiday season will soon be upon us, so we want to take a quick moment before the "craziness begins" to say "Thank You!" for making the Boulder Cello Project such a great success! To show our thanks, we're having a fun Holiday Raffle and Giveaway during our November playin session. Don't miss this play-in so you can enter your name to win some BCP merchandise! 

As always, thank you to our wonderful sponsors, members and volunteers, and please keep the feedback and suggestions coming. We look forward to planning more playins and events next year!


Happy holidays!

~The BCP Team

Exciting news!! We may have a local internet news station, Boulder's Channel 1, stop by for a visit during our October meetup! Don't worry - this is all for FUN, so just play the way you normally do and enjoy the playin! ;)

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, members and volunteers, and please keep the feedback and suggestions coming!  

We have a lot of exciting events planned and news to share! But first, we would like to welcome back our Music Director, Clayton Vaughn, to Colorado after his summer absence to attend Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Tanglewood is a renowned summer music intensive program by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where Clayton participated as a "Cello Fellow" in the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. For more information regarding Tanglewood and his concerts, visit his website here. 

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, members and volunteers, and please keep the feedback and suggestions coming! 


~The BCP Team 

• Yellow Cello Music – Exciting news!! Sheryl wants our feedback and has given our group the opportunity to “beta test” her new mixed-level ensemble arrangement, Satie's Gymnopedie No.1! Be one of the first cellists to play this new arrangement by Sheryl from Yellow Cello Music. Members who participate will receive a copy of the finalized version!
  

• YouTube Channel - videos of our last session on July 20th have been posted to our YouTube channel. We've recorded What A Wonderful World arranged by Cello Expressions, Blue Bells of Scotland arranged by Yellow Cello and Rondeau by Enterprising Rabbit. Check it out!

• Holiday Recital Concert - we are currently working on the program and will have the repertoire and information posted by mid-September. The repertoire will be more difficult than our regular play-in sessions, but we will have additional practice sessions planned. We will be playing for the lovely folks at Golden West Senior Living in Boulder and The Academy Retirement Community and will post more information at the end of August on the Meetup website here. 

• Discussion Board - Members, do you know about our Discussion Boards? Post ideas, feedback, music requests or general cello questions that you want your fellow cellists to answer. Feel free to use our boards to find other cellists who would like to work in a duo, trio or quartet! However, we are not responsible for anything that happens outside of our play-in sessions. 

• More sessions please! - we are aware that many of our members would like more sessions; and once a month is simply not enough! We heard you and agree, so we have plans in the works to add more sessions, including breaking out sessions to different abilities and genre interests in genres (folk, rock, jazz, etc). Additionally, we will be sending out a survey in the next few weeks to see what days our members prefer for our play-in sessions. If you want our sessions played on a specific day, we highly recommend that you fill out our survey, as we will be using the survey's responses to plan our upcoming sessions.

• Beginner Ensemble Series - More info will be posted shortly, including the start date. This 3 part series is for beginner adult cellists to learn how to play in a group ensemble. We are aware that many adult beginners have not had the chance to play with others. This series will help cellists feel more comfortable joining our Play-in sessions; whereas our guided Play-ins are geared to have FUN and is not meant to provide individual instruction or lessons, this series will be geared towards ensemble skills and instruction to play with others; with the goal that more "beginner" cellists are able to join our sessions with more confidence and play comfortably with others. This series is not required to join our Play-ins. A fee will be assessed to join this series.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, members and volunteers, and please keep the feedback and suggestions coming! 


~The BCP Team