'TUTTI CELLI' Newsletter

_ / ` INTERNET | CELLO -|- SOCIETY | \_/ 'TUTTI CELLI' Monthly Newsletter, May 1995

NEW ICS MEMBERS MESSAGE

Welcome to the Internet Cello Society! We are currently 300 members strong and represent 14 different countries around the world!

'Tutti Celli' is the Internet Cello Society's monthly newsletter and serves several purposes: 1.) to make announcements of new happenings within ICS, within the Internet music world, and throughout the real music world. 2.) to feature a prominent cellist and an ICS member. 3.) and to summarize activities in ICS cello forums and departments. For easier readability, you may want to print out this electronic newsletter.

ICS is a virtual community of cellists that relies on its membership to ***volunteer time, share expertise, write articles, and submit archive materials.*** If you have any documents that you would like to share with the global society of users, send them directly to CelloTalk@aol.com or on disk via snail mail. For a truly global perspective of the music world, the Internet Cello Society needs the active cooperation and contribution of each of its members.


ICS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

This month the magic number seems to be 300. We have now 300 members and our World Wide Web frontpage has been visited 300 times in the last week! We are happy to hear that someone is checking out our site. Recently we have made several modifications our WWW site:

http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/

and would like to get your feedback. On the frontpage, please check out the "What's New" link. Volunteer and non-cellist Josh Childers is still working hard on establishing a comprehensive, bug-free registration form and search tool program. His effort will greatly enhance our WWW site. We hope he can get it done soon...if you are particularly eager for this feature, please drop a note of encouragement to Josh at childers@tahoma.cwu.edu

ICS is running out of Member Spotlights and Feature Articles. We need the participation of each member to create an interesting and truly internet-ional society. Please submit original articles, or articles that you think warrant reprinting. The other option is to have only a bi-monthly newsletter. Tell me what you prefer.

America Online users will be happy to hear that World Wide Web access is just around the corner! Here is the lastest from the President of AOL, Steve Case:
"Dear [AOL] members:
As I said last month, providing you with a World Wide Web connection has been one of our top development priorities. We're readying Web browsers for both Windows and Mac, and they should be available at about the same time. The engineering is now "code complete" and we are making good progress in quality assurance testing. We're aiming to make these browsers available for downloading late this month, but as I said in my letter last month, there's a chance availability may slip into early May. But when you see our browser in action, I think you'll agree that the enhancements we've incorporated make it well worth the wait."

If you have direct internet access, all you need is a World Wide Web browser like Mosaic, Netscape, MacWeb, or the text only Lynx application. After opening your browser application, simply open the URL address of the Internet Cello Society WWW site:

http://tahoma.cwu.edu:2000/~michelj/

JOHN'S JABBER

A bit of the New York subway life came to the small town of Ellensburg, WA in the form of the unique Chinese violinist Chen Cong. The second involved experiencing the increased freedom, power and energy of the body by applying principles of the Alexander Technique.

He talked about how the 1966 Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong and other govermental restrictions suppressed his musical aspirations. After he miraculously obtained a Visa, he came to New York and enrolled at Manhattan School of Music. Upon his arrival he had essentially no money, but, after observing musicians performing in the subway, he decided to try playing as well. He became very successful at it. Chen Cong, also a remarkable storyteller, recounted how he dragged $800 worth of quarters to the bank in order to exchange it for bills. Because he didn't have an account, he was forced to return and pay his rent in quarters! He also paid his $4000 of tuition in single dollar bills! Chen Cong is an inspiring living story of resilience, unwavering dedication to music making, and endearing, humble appreciation for everything good in life. You may have read the recent New York Times profile of Mr. Chen: "his devotion to making beautiful music carried him through persecution, delivered him to America and has blossomed two decades later into such a striking, unanticipated flower that beggars empty their tattered cups into his violin case."

While many musicians are already aware of the benefits of the Alexander Technique, I had my first in-depth experience this past weekend. Clinician and cellist Suzanne Finger gave a workshop on the principles of the Alexander Technique. She described the nature of the Alexander Technique in various terms including the conscious awareness of the body and its parts to modify subconscious habits. Through positive, simple suggestions she guided the parts of the body into natural balance and lengthened alignment. Her method was not goal oriented but process oriented in that the purpose was to heighten awareness not necessarily to get it correct. The class learned more efficient approaches to standing, walking, sitting, looking around, resting, and establishing various instrument positions. And as a cellist I learned how to avoid straining of the back to reach for the lower positions and how to prevent the joint pain I had been having in the third joint of my left second finger. The problem was not where I had expected; I exerted unnecessary force to lift my third and fourth finger, and this caused the undo pressure on the joint.

Until the ICS membership reaches 500, forum discussion will be done via e-mail correspondence. Please continue sending questions and letters to the appropriate forum leaders below.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

***If you would like to respond to something you have read in 'Tutti Celli', write to CelloTalk@aol.com and type "Letter to Editor" in subject field. (Letters may be edited.)***

NEW MEMBERSHIP LETTERS
What a great idea - I am an Internet novice but this has given me the inspiration to get better! Anyway best wishes from us all over here - we are looking forward to a fruitful exchange of ideas.

William Bruce
Director, Cello Club from Great Britain


Hi ICS!
I recently discovered you on the Web and would like to become a member. Thanks for all your hard work putting this together! It's look great! I found out about ICS from a friend who "surfs the Web." I don't have access to WWW at work or at home, but my husband does at this lab. I'm looking forward to all that you will be offering via WWW.

Maria E. Schwartz
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign


FEATURED ARTICLE

A SURVEY OF BACH SUITE EDITIONS
by Tim Finholt
With more than 80 editions of the Bach Cello Suites, it is no wonder why cellists have difficulty choosing just one. As the article suggests, each edition serves its own purpose, either to show the interpretation of a renowned cellist or to preserve the authenticity of the original copies of the manuscript. One could buy all the editions and make ones own assessment as to the value of each edition, but Tim Finholt spares us some trouble and cash.

***For a complete transcript of the Survey of Bach Suite Editions, click on title or write to "CelloPaul@aol.com" and type "Bach" in the subject field. Please note that there are some graphics of musical excerpts that will accompany the article. The scanned graphics are in jpeg format.***


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

TIM FINHOLT
This month's spotlight is on an important contributor to the Internet Cello Society. The past three feature articles of 'Tutti Celli' have been written by Tim Finholt. An excellent amateur cellist, he makes his living as an electrical engineer. I can testify to his intense passion for Bach and the cello. At the annual Seattle Cello Society Bach Marathon, he played the Prelude of Bach Suite #5 in c minor powerfully and with much sincere expression.

***For a complete transcript of this member's spotlight, click on title or write to "CelloPaul@aol.com" and type "TFinholt" in the subject field.***


FORUM HIGHLIGHTS

!!!What's going on? Where are all you talkative, opinionated musicians? Please write the forum directors and start up some controversial topics! Let the fur fly!!!

***This newsletter section will draw from correspondence and discussion in the following on-line departments. All members are encouraged to join a specific forum mailing list. Send any pertinent discussion, questions & answers, articles or other correspondence to the appropriate department. ***

DEPARTMENTS

LIBRARY ADDITIONS

If you know of any other cello society newsletters, bibliographies of music, teaching materials, references, indices, lists or articles that should be added to ICS Library, please (send data to CelloTalk@aol.com or send disks to Internet Cello Society; c/o John Michel; 1309 Skyline Drive; Ellensburg, WA 98926.)

Library contents will be available to all Internet users; please include author and written statement of unlimited or limited distribution and reproduction.

ACTIVITIES AND NOTES BOARD

***All members are welcome to post announcements or news that are pertinent to our global cello society. Send information to BPSmith@aol.com***

OTHER INTERNET MUSIC RESOURCES

***Paul Critser, ICS Internet Surfer at CelloPaul@aol.com***

CLASSIFIEDS & ADVERTISEMENTS

Classifieds are now possible via the WWW Classical Music Store! Any businesses or individuals that might be interested in posting advertisements, please write CelloTalk@aol.com and type "classifieds" in subject field.


Address letters to the appropriate department editors listed above and any other correspondence to John Michel at CelloTalk@AOL.COM
Send comments on the content of this server to John Michel at director@cello.org.
Copyright © 1995 Internet Cello Society