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Carry that weight: Cellist with a lime green case packs a wallop in her playing style • Monday performance at Kent Concert Hall includes technical challenge of Saint-Saens' Concerto No. 1 in A minor By
Jennifer Pinnock
Emily Price, a cello performance major at Utah State University, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall. Her cello is about 4 feet tall. Since her instrument is three-fourths her size, Price has leather backpack straps attached to her cello case so she can carry it around campus. Price had her friend, an art major, paint her case lime green and inscribe a quote by comedian Emo Philips on the front of it. The quote reads: "Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps." Price said it refers to a person in an insane asylum, wearing a straight jacket and strapped to a bed. Without use of arms or legs this person must use his or her teeth to break free from the leather bands. "I love this phrase," said Price. "It is hilarious, mainly because it implies that this person gnaws the straps every morning." Price said she put this quote on her case even though it doesn't relate to music because she thinks it is clever and unusual. Price became interested in music in fourth grade when a list was passed around for students to sign up to be a part of an orchestra class. There was a list of instruments students could choose to play. "Everyone chose the violin," said Price. "I wanted to do something different than the other kids so I chose the cello." Price took lessons from a music teacher at Woodruff Elementary School in Logan, and continued to play throughout middle and high school. She didn't start taking private lessons until seventh grade. "I don't know why I kept playing," she said. "It would have been so easy to quit and I never practiced." Price said she now feels guilty because she used to take a practice sheet back to school that said she had practiced every day, which was not true. It was not until last summer that Price said she became serious about her practicing and began playing every evening. At the beginning of spring semester she changed her practice time to 6:30 a.m. and practices two to four hours a day. After high school, Price auditioned for a music scholarship at USU and has been on scholarship for four years. Michael Carrera, a cello professor at USU, approached Price in January with music to learn for an audition to perform a cello solo in a spring concert. Price will perform at Concerto Night, which begins at 7:30 p.m. April 9 in the Kent Concert Hall. She will be playing the first movement of Camille Saint-Saens' Concerto No. 1 in A minor. Carrera said that five of his students auditioned for one spot in the concert. "All five students are very strong cellists," said Carrera. "I did not know which one would get the part." Carrera said that Price is one of the strongest students in his studio and knew she would do well at her audition. "Emily rose to the occasion and played extremely well," he said. "It was the best she has ever played." Price said she did not expect to be chosen to play in the concert, but felt good about her audition. She said she was surprised when Carrera told her she got the part. Carrera said he chose the Saint-Saens' piece for Price to play because it is French Romantic style, a different style than Price usually plays. Also, because it challenges Price technically. "The piece is challenging in every aspect from the bow technique to the left hand technique," said Carrera. "It requires a great amount of dexterity." Price said she is not a strong technical player and she has to try hard to get the technical parts of the music correct. "But you don't learn if things come easy," said Price. Saint-Saens' Concerto No. 1 is one of the standard repertoire pieces that every cellist should learn to play, according to Carrera. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians says this piece is one of Saint-Saens' more serious works and has a "stormy" opening movement. "The piece is amazing," said Carrera. "It is exciting from the first note." Price said she learned the piece very slowly and started by learning the notes and practicing them with a metronome. "When I learn a piece I have to prepare both physically and mentally," said Price. Price said she has to practice stretching her fingers to make sure the shifts are smooth and mentally understand her mistakes. She said if she keeps making errors in one part of the music she has to figure out what she is doing wrong and how she can fix it to make it sound better. "After I memorize the piece and fix all the problems, I can go back and add all the fun musical stuff," said Price. Adding slides and vibrato into the piece is the musical stuff, according to Price. Price demonstrates a slide where her fingers glide down the cello strings in a continuous motion that makes the sound of the note more drawn out, instead of fast and choppy. She said vibrato in a cello piece is just like the vibrato in singing. "By shaking my finger back and forth on the string the note will make a la-a-a-a-a sound instead of a plain laaaaa." These simple musical tricks are not written into the music, and Price said she adds them wherever she feels they sound good. "It adds personality to the piece and shows the audience how I feel," she said. Price said she is still practicing and perfecting her music. "I have high expectations for myself," she said. "I want to do well and get frustrated if I don't, so I keep going over and over the tiniest details." Carrera said that Price has done an amazing job with Saint-Saens' Concerto. Overall, Price said she is ready for the performance but has had a hard time finding a dress to wear. "I am especially picky," she said. "I need a dress that I can function in, but also one that is flattering." Price said she could not find a dress that met her qualifications so she is making some improvements on a dress that she already owns to wear in the concert. Price said she loves to perform and doesn't get extremely nervous before going on stage. "I get a little jumpy right before I play," said Price. But after I start, it is thrilling, like I'm on a roller coaster." Price said she enjoys sharing her talent with others because she likes to make people happy and loves to see their reaction after hearing a beautiful piece of music. "You can't go wrong in sharing something that you love to do," she said. Price has one year left to finish her degree and has plans to go on and complete a master's degree in music. With Carrera's help Price is researching and setting up auditions at various schools. "Emily is going to go far, if she sticks with it," said Carrera. Price said that after she finishes a master's degree she could teach others to play the cello in a college setting or in a private studio or be in an orchestra. But, she hasn't made any definite plans. For the present, Price will continue to carry her cello around USU. "The size isn't all that bad," she said. However, Price said she was jealous when she saw Fiddler on the Roof because the actors were playing their fiddles and dancing around at the same time. Price said that would not be possible with a cello because it is basically the size of a person. "The cello becomes a part of you -- an extension of your body," she said. "It is a very personal instrument and lets me express myself, my thoughts and feelings without words."
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