Cello with Richard L.

Hello! My name is Richard Li. I did my undergraduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and my graduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. As a teacher, my job is to cater to the student's goals while also making cello playing as painless as possible. I want every cello student to achieve the following: 1. Setup. Every cellist will play with good posture. Cello playing can be played without pain and with ease. 2. Tone. Every sound a cellist makes will be played with a good sound. 3. Intonation/Reading Music. Every cellist has the ability to play in tune. In order to do that, they must become fluent in reading music. 4. Musicality. The fun part of music playing comes from expressing ideas. Cello playing can be daunting, but with patience and effort, I will help the student achieve their goals. I have been playing cello for 21 years and have gained a lot of experiences during that time. Many people have inspirational stories about their humble beginnings. Some people might have heard the sound of a violin and fell in love with the sound, causing them to want to learn the violin. Other people might have seen a famous soloist and wanted to be like them. But for me, I was forced to play the cello by my mom and I did not like it at all. I understand through personal experience the pain of cello playing and how frustrating it can be. For a long time, I did not enjoy playing the cello, but a couple events would change that. The first experience was when I was able to play in an orchestra. It was fun to meet friends who also played other instruments. The second was when I met my first teacher who saw something in me that other people didn't. Although he was very intense at times, he also showed how fun cello could be. What really made love music was when I went to a summer music festival where I saw many people who were so motivated to improve. It was at that moment where I knew I wanted to pursue music. Music has given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. I have worked with many professional orchestra musicians of major symphonies, well known chamber musicians, and prominent university professors. Music has allowed me to travel to Carnegie Hall, concert halls in the U.S., and communities such as retirement homes, churches, and hospitals. Music has allowed me to be invited to play concerts with an American Symphony Orchestra. I hope you can also appreciate music.