Rosindust: Teaching, Learning and Life from a Cellist's Perspective
A fabulous collection of teaching knowledge that should be a must read for every string teacher. Watkins shares her joys, frustrations and insights in such a warm, comfortable tone. --Norman Fischer, Professor of Cello, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University Corky writes eloquently in her essays about the topics that studio teachers are addressing daily. Her sincerity and honesty in presenting situations, problems and solutions are inspiring. This is an important addition to the libraries of teachers, students and parents. --Mimi Zweig, Jacobs School of Music and author of StringPedagogy.com Rosindust contains a fine mixture of inspired imagination and sound good sense. A feeling of enthusiasm, kind-heartedness and - above all - joy in teaching permeates every word. --Steven Isserlis, Concert Cellist and Author of 'Why Beethoven Threw the Stew' How refreshing to read about cello teaching with heart. Not since reading Phyllis Young s Playing the String Game and Eloise Ristad s A Soprano on her Head have I been so enraptured about teaching. Ms. Watkins not only thoroughly discusses numerous technical areas that all teachers and students address, she delves into the emotional entanglements transpiring during the endeavor to learn a string instrument. She writes of her frustrations bringing poor technical training, ineffective practice habits, unanswered doubts to her first year of college. I see this as a blessing in disguise as she turned those self-reflections into a solid basis for her teaching career and this book. Her writing is full of imagery that she uses to relate everyday life to cello playing. Especially effective chapters treat positive teaching techniques, students singing in lessons, why we practice, and comprehensive teaching. This will be a welcome addition to any string teacher s bookshelf, not just to cello teachers. --David Littrell, Past President, American String Teachers Association This highly readable and eminently useful book started life as a series of monthly newsletters that Houston-based cellist and teacher Cornelia Watkins circulated to pupils and fellow teachers. The insights of Watkins s 30 years as a teacher which she modestly compares to rosin dust that can either stick to the cello or be wiped away are manifold, and always expressed in a practical, down-to-earth way. I really warmed to her straightforward approach and sense of humour. You can hear her voice, plain-speaking, reassuringly human, on every page Just be prepared to be labelled picky, she writes after one piece of advice. Above all she constantly refers to the student, how they might respond and what might catch their imagination, and she is endlessly inventive in coming up with ideas for this. Many pages feature boxed text with anecdotes from her teaching, often about particular pupils, and in her ideas she manages to be relevant to a young beginner s first lesson as much as to a conservatoire student. A lot of what Watkins writes from her invaluable chapter on preparing for performance, right up to what to do in the deer-in-the-headlights moment when it all goes quiet and you re about to put bow to string would be of use to any musician. There s a lot of positive psychology, but also plenty of practical suggestions, such as having focus points on Post-it notes stuck over the music, which have to be read then peeled off just before performing. The book also encompasses scientific insights on connections in the brain and the physics of intonation, which obviously fascinate Watkins, as well as suggestions on teaching interpretation by relating the music to students life experiences. Watkins of course writes from the perspective of a teacher in the US, but the fact that her pupils are preparing for all-region or all-state auditions rather than Associated Board exams hardly matters. --"The Strad" July 2009This highly readable and eminently useful book started life as a series of monthly newsletters that Houston-based cellist and teacher Cornelia Watkins circulated to pupils and fellow teachers. The insights of Watkins s 30 years as a teacher which she modestly compares to rosin dust that can either stick to the cello or be wiped away are manifold, and always expressed in a practical, down-to-earth way. I really warmed to her straightforward approach and sense of humour. You can hear her voice, plain-speaking, reassuringly human, on every page Just be prepared to be labelled picky, she writes after one piece of advice. Above all she constantly refers to the student, how they might respond and what might catch their imagination, and she is endlessly inventive in coming up with ideas for this. Many pages feature boxed text with anecdotes from her teaching, often about particular pupils, and in her ideas she manages to be relevant to a young beginner s first lesson as much as to a conservatoire student. A lot of what Watkins writes from her invaluable chapter on preparing for performance, right up to what to do in the deer-in-the-headlights moment when it all goes quiet and you re about to put bow to string would be of use to any musician. There s a lot of positive psychology, but also plenty of practical suggestions, such as having focus points on Post-it notes stuck over the music, which have to be read then peeled off just before performing. The book also encompasses scientific insights on connections in the brain and the physics of intonation, which obviously fascinate Watkins, as well as suggestions on teaching interpretation by relating the music to students life experiences. Watkins of course writes from the perspective of a teacher in the US, but the fact that her pupils are preparing for all-region or all-state auditions rather than Associated Board exams hardly matters.  Watkins is open about her own cello journey, the good and less good things she learnt from her teachers, the stripping bare of her playing after she suffered so seriously from tendinitis The pain was persistent, and I had to live through a cello-less summer with people telling me I had better choose another career because obviously I would never play again, she reveals and her continued explorations of what it takes to be a good teacher. Not surprisingly she writes from the heart about tension-free playing, with sections on yoga cello, Making peace with your instrument and Trying not to try . There is no index, but the detailed contents page with 16 chapters, ranging from Why We Practice and Positive Teaching to specifics like Shifting and Vibrato is a big help in finding your way around. --"The Strad" July 2009How refreshing to read about cello teaching with heart. Not since reading Phyllis Young s Playing the String Game and Eloise Ristad s A Soprano on her Head have I been so enraptured about teaching. Ms. Watkins not only thoroughly discusses numerous technical areas that all teachers and students address, she delves into the emotional entanglements transpiring during the endeavor to learn a string instrument. She writes of her frustrations bringing poor technical training, ineffective practice habits, unanswered doubts to her first year of college. I see this as a blessing in disguise as she turned those self-reflections into a solid basis for her teaching career and this book. Her writing is full of imagery that she uses to relate everyday life to cello playing. Especially effective chapters treat positive teaching techniques, students singing in lessons, why we practice, and comprehensive teaching. This will be a welcome addition to any string teacher s bookshelf, not just to cello teachers. --David Littrell, Past President, American String Teachers Association