Next Level Journals Strings Summer 2015

16PETERWILEYHow I Discovered the CelloI was seven years old when I discoveredthe cello and remember a couple distinctthings. First, the smell. This may sound oddto some.. But that scent stays in my brainsomehow and over my life comes backperiodically. Second, the C string (lowestnote on the cello) is the very first note Iplayed. That beautiful deep, resonant, lownote. I still get goosebumps just thinkingabout it.A family of 5 siblingsMy four brothers and I all playedinstruments at some point in our lives. Myoldest brother, four years older than me,had started to play the violin, so he was ina way greatly responsible for me decidingto play an instrument. I began hearingcomments that I was talented from peopleand it was a way to distinguish myself frommy brothers. As a young child, I’m notsure if I was actually talented or if I wantedto carry the idea forward for my ownpurposes.My Training and Professional CareerI was thirteen years old when I firstattended music school at the CurtisInstitute of Music and spent six years there.My first job was in the Pittsburgh SymphonyOrchestra when I was nineteen years old.Nine months later, I played principal celloin the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra andremained there for eight years. When I left