Friends who like classical music, consider this...instead of dwelling on audiences that "just don't get it" for whatever reason, or focusing everything on how to make the concert hall experience more hip, take time to see what the next generation of performers is doing on their own and notice what drives them.
These ones were going at it for a while before I started recording, and the clip holds almost 20 minutes of positive creativity and energetic exploration, improvised on the spot. Check out the nonverbal cues as they go from section to section and how they develop different ideas by working together.
Whether you speak the language of their music or not, I hope you appreciate this glimpse of where the ball is going in string playing. I invite you to consider that showing support to young creative musicians by encouraging them to train and hone their skills towards their interests may yield much stronger results than reacting to fears of new trends in classical audiences.
Shout out to to the players Georgia Rae, Camille Vogley-Howes, Rose Kow Xiu Yi, Karl Henry, Sarah Gorak, and huge thanks to Christian Howes and the rest of the Creative Strings Workshop participants for a game changing experience!
Neil Fong Gilfillan is a Suzuki cello teacher in Frisco Texas. He and his wife Rachel Samson on viola/violin run Chili Dog Strings, the only string studio in Frisco named after a dog. To see more of his teaching techniques and performances, check their studio Facebook page, YouTube channel and Instagram!
Shout out to Georgia Rae Camille Vogley-Howes Rose Kow Xiu Yi Karl HenryChristian Howes and everyone else at the Creative STrings Workshop for a game changing experience!