Cello Lessons for Adults

About Me

I started teaching cello in 2008, full-time since 2010, and online since 2013.

I’ve taught for over 10,000 hours and currently teach all levels - adult beginners with no experience, up to professionals on 3 continents, including a college cello professor, who are enrolled in my advanced technique online course.

I come from a musical family.

My grandfather was the bass player in the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He met my grandmother at Juilliard.

My mom was a major harpist - the person who certified Suzuki Harp Teachers - and she was also a Music Theory Professor.

She had me take piano when I was little - I wasn't serious at all (and she was fine with that).

But then I started cello at age 10 and I was hooked.

I won my first professional audition at age 15 for a section job with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra (I'm from Colorado). My mom had to come with me to my first week on the job because I only had my driver's permit!

At 16 and 17 I was accepted to the nine-week Aspen Music Festival, where I met my college cello teacher, Richard Aaron.

Learning from Richard Aaron

Richard's cello studio is the hardest to get into of any in the country.

Last I heard, he had more than 300 applicants! He accepts fewer than 10 per year.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to study with him at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

So when he announced at the end of my sophomore year that he had taken a job at the University of Michigan, it was a no-brainer to follow him.

I wound up graduating from U of M in 2008, summa cum laude, as a triple major: BM Cello Performance - BM Music Theory - BM Music History

Around that time, Richard accepted a position at Juilliard as well, but he didn't want to fly back and forth every weekend, so he started teaching his Juilliard students... on Skype.

That's right - the most prestigious cello teacher in the country teaches his students at the most famous music school in the world... on Skype!

Working with Richard on a Technique Book

There is a major early 20th-century technique book by David Popper. It consists of 40 technique studies ("Etudes") that every advanced cellist learns at least some of.

The five of us freshmen in Richard's studio gathered every Saturday morning at 8:30 AM to play them from memory for each other as a technique class. (Honestly, it was Cleveland... there wasn't anything fun to do on Friday nights anyway!)

We did one Etude a week for our freshman and sophomore years of school - they're the basis of Richard's approach to technique.

So I was flattered and thrilled when he asked, during my senior year, if I would work with him to make a new edition of it.

Over the next two years, he and I did 17 complete drafts of the 72-page technique book that I now publish.

Co-editing the Popper Etudes with Richard Aaron was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dive deeper into Richard's theories on pedagogy. No one else has ever gotten such an opportunity - he trains his students to perform at the highest level in the country, but I also got to engage directly with him on his teaching philosophies and technical theories.

That edition became the first book I published for my sheet music company, and cellists and cello professors from literally all over the world order it from me.

Training Beginners with Richard's Philosophy

Needless to say, in 2010 when I started teaching full-time, I had a very different approach to teaching than the average cellist.

I had done certification and training directly with the foremost Suzuki trainer in the country. She literally wrote the Suzuki Cello books as they appear today.

But the Suzuki books don't take into account any music after about 1920, which means they don't equip cellists to tackle any of the music of the last 100 years.

Which is fine - you only listen to Bach & Beethoven, right? Me too ;)

So, with the end goal of equipping my cello students with Richard's pedagogy right from the get-go... and an intention to introduce students to music besides Bach & Beethoven... and a singular goal to make learning the cello fun and rigorous for adults, especially (no Twinkle Twinkle for you!)... I made my own comprehensive cello method: Cellosophy.

About Cellosophy

So ... I kind of did a Kickstarter campaign to get my method off the ground(?!) It was successfully funded with 94 backers.

Teachers across the country use Cellosophy with their students.

I've worked with my students on the first 10 volumes of it.

Volume one looks like this:

And it includes music from tons of genres: Bluegrass, Musical, Medieval, two brand-new pieces of "classical" music from the last five years, and the standards you'd expect like Bach and Mozart and Beethoven.

It also includes 48 pages of music theory homework (1,400 problems) to help adults feel really comfortable at reading cello music.

I supplement lesson time with a comprehensive rhythm book that my mom wrote for her college students. It gets your rhythm to be rock-solid.

And, since I publish the sheet music for both of them, I will provide you with all the sheet music you ever need, including those two volumes.

Where you'll go:

Cellosophy Volume 1

You'll play music by: Hildegard Von Bingen | Bela Bartok | Felix Mendelssohn | Ludwig van Beethoven | Erik Satie | Modest Mussorgsky | Daniel Pesca | Sergei Rachmaninoff | Piotr Tchaikovsky | Johannes Brahms | Maurice Ravel | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Edgar Meyer | W.A. Mozart | J.S. Bach | And me - Eric Moore.

+ 20 page technical guide
+ 48 pages of music theory (note reading)

Cellosophy Volume 2

You'll play music by: Brandon Vance | Bela Bartok | Ludwig van Beethoven | Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov | Franz Joseph Haydn | Air (the band) | Missy Mazzoli | J.S. Bach | Daniel Pesca | Gustav Mahler | John Dowland | Eve Beglarian | and me again!

+ 12 page technical guide
+ 48 pages of music theory
+ 13 pages of guided improvisation
+ 13 pages of guided composition

Cellosophy Volume 3

You'll play music by:

Leah Asher | Ludwig van Beethoven | Bela Bartok | J.S. Bach | Frederic Chopin | Lera Auerbach | Jean-Philippe Rameau | Gyorgy Kurtag | Claude Debussy | Martin Torch-Ishii | Antonio Vivaldi | Carl Frederich Abel | Dream Theater (the band) | and me again!

+ 12 page technical guide
+ 48 pages of music theory
+ 13 pages of guided composition
+ 13 pages of guided lead sheet activities how to read chord charts in rock/jazz)

Cellosophy Volume 4

At that point, we're into professional repertoire!

The 1st Bach Cello Suite - you know... the famous one!

Plus, other beloved favorites like The Swan :)

And remember those Popper Etudes I told you about earlier? You start in on them here, too.

We also start on my own set of 40 Etudes, an original composition that I've been composing on and off for years that's nearing completion: 40 Variations on the Schindler's List Theme.

And Beyond...

After that, as I mentioned before, I've had students play Volume 5-10, each of which contains fantastic music from the cello repertoire.

How You'll Learn

As I said, I've taught all ages, absolute beginners as young as 4 to adults well into their retirement who have never played a note. I've also taught professional cellists looking to up their game. My high school students have gone to college and conservatories for Cello Performance, Composition, Conducting, and Music Education.

If you're a beginner

Congrats on taking up the cello! This is an exciting time :)

Once you get a cello (I've got recommendations) we'll dive in over Zoom until it makes sense to do in-person lessons.

In your very first lesson, you'll learn:

• How to tune your cello

• How to hold your cello

• How to rosin your bow

• How to hold your bow

• The names of the cello strings

• How to read cello music (!!)

• A 2-Octave Scale (which you will decipher completely on your own)

• Your first complete song (which you will decipher completely on your own)

Then we'll work together to get you advancing as quickly as possible.

I know and you know that cello is not the only thing you have going on in your life, so I'll provide strategies to get you practicing on a "regular" basis.

It seems like most of my adult beginners do about 30 minutes a day on most days. Those who advance faster have carved out an hour or so.

If you're intermediate

Awesome! I'm glad you're continuing the cello! We'll work together to figure out a good entry point and dive in!

We'll work together on fantastic repertoire from all eras of music. I’ll stretch what you can do and provide direction for where you’ll be going.

My 3-octave scale system is designed to get your fingers in the best shape ever.

I'm assuming you're doing at least an hour or two of practice on most days - if you're not, we'll work together to get you there! It can be done, even with a busy lifestyle :)

If you're advanced

Fantastic! I look forward to sharing some new ideas that I guarantee will change the way you approach the cello, for the better.

I've played the complete standard baroque, classical, and romantic-era cello repertoire.

I've also had the opportunity to teach most of it at this point.

We’ll work on 4-octave scales / arpeggios / double stops.

And if you're preparing for an orchestra audition or something similar, I'm excited to share what I learned from my two years of lessons with Jurgen DeLemos (principal of Colorado Symphony) and of course excerpt work with Richard Aaron.

As principal cellist for a number of orchestras, myself, I've sat in on audition committees and chosen which (if any) cellists are added to an orchestra - I know exactly what the panel is listening for.

And I currently train conservatory-trained professionals on 3 continents - including a college cello professor - through my Popper course. I can absolutely meet you at your level.

Approach for adults

First of all, it's NEVER too late to learn an instrument. It's ludicrous to think otherwise!

Though kids and adults learn differently, for sure.

Kids make the same mistake 10 times in a row and aren't afraid to sound bad, so they progress really fast.

But adults have focus, analytical skills, and motor control that kids lack… so I'd actually call it a wash!

If you commit to the practice, you'll absolutely be playing the cello (and sounding good) in no time.

And I have a practice system that turns adults’ focus and analysis into a serious strength for advancement.

As I already mentioned, my method, Cellosophy, is geared towards adults.

• Four printed technical concepts for each piece of music.

• "Scaffolded" techniques that are organized sequentially.

• Clear goals for "mastery" of each piece.

• Checkmark boxes to track your progress.

• Fantastic, real music that isn't just Twinkle Twinkle - you won't feel like a kid.

And it's designed with longevity in mind - I've worked with septuagenarians and octogenarians, so a major goal of the technique that I teach is that there should be no physical strain.

One of the reasons that so many advanced cellists (e.g. practicing 5+ hours a day) get tendonitis is because most cellists think they have to slam the string down to the fingerboard.

Richard Aaron's proteges have a different approach than that. It saves tendons and doesn't fatigue the muscles, and I've adapted it for adult beginners.

Private Lessons over Zoom

Online lessons are really not that different than in-person.

Remember when I said my own teacher, Richard Aaron, teaches his Juilliard kids via Skype?

I've been using Skype (and now Zoom) since 2013 to teach online. In fact, I've been teaching many hours a week on Zoom for years now.

There are a couple differences, of course, like you and I can't play duets.

But I've developed strategies to work around that.

And I never physically adjust my students in their lessons anyway (I'm hands-off), so that's not any different.

The sound of my cello may not fill your room in the same way... but I've even got some tricks for that, too.

Group Opportunities

And I've got regular performance classes where my students all play for each other.

It probably sounds terrifying!

But it's actually a lot of fun and provides regular landmarks (and motivation) for your progress.

I'm really fortunate not to have to work with anyone I don't want to - the people in my studio are really sweet and here to learn... not prove anything to anyone.

We won't throw you in til you're ready, but you'll be surprised at how quickly that is.

My unabashed resume
(so you know who you're working with)

Performing Cellist

Principal Cellist - 4 Orchestras including La Jolla Symphony (at age 23)
Assistant Principal Cellist - Symphony Napa Valley
Section Cellist - 10 Additional Orchestras (including one at age 15 and another at age 16)

"Beethoven Award” at the Ruthenberg Chamber Music Competition

"Album of the Year" recognition for TEXTUREN: The Music of Katharina Rosenberger
Awards from German RCA | The Wire | Time Out New York
with the Wet Ink Ensemble - NY Times' 2018 Ensemble of the Year

I specialize in performing new "classical" music and have collaborated with some of the world's leading composers including:
5 Guggenheim grant recipients
3 Grammy winners
2 Pulitzer Prize winners

My Studies

University of Michigan - summa cum laude

• BM Cello Performance (with Richard Aaron)

• BM Music Theory

• BM Music History

Began studying at Case Western Reserve University / Cleveland Institute of Music on a full ride scholarship - winner of the Joan Terr Ronis Recital Prize.

Primary Teachers

Richard Aaron (now University of Michigan and The Juilliard School)
Jurgen DeLemos (then principal cellist of Colorado Symphony)
Dr. Jim Fittz (then at the University of Northern Colorado)

Other lessons or masterclasses with

Alan Harris (then at the Eastman School of Music) | Anthony Elliot (University of Michigan) | Arie Lipsky (former principal of Buffalo Symphony) | Benjamin Cline (Fort Hays State University) | Colin Carr (SUNY Stonybrook) | David Geber (Manhattan School of Music) | Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick (CalArts) | Ron Leonard (former principal, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Colburn Conservatory) | Wendy Warner (Roosevelt University) | Yao Zhao (principal of San Diego Symphony) | Members of the Cavani String Quartet, Cleveland String Quartet, and Phoenix String Quartet

My Teaching

Former Adjunct Professor in Napa County

My high school students have won auditions with adult orchestras

My students have attended college (and conservatory) for cello, composition, and conducting.

Suzuki Certification, though of course I use my own method now ;)

Other cello teachers use my cello method.

I teach professionals on 3 continents including a college cello professor, through my advanced online course.

My private students play with:
La Jolla Symphony & Chorus | Grossmont Symphony | North Coast String Orchestra | Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra | UC San Diego Chamber Orchestra | San Diego Youth Symphony | Napa Valley Youth Symphony | New Youth Orchestra | Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra | San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra

As an Adjudicator

• Music Teachers’ Association of California Concerto Competition

• Music Teachers’ Association of California Goodlin Competition

• Orange County American Harp Society Competition (2x)

  
  

As a Composer

"Documentary of the Year" Nomination for Everyday People
as the soundtrack's composer and performer

My 38-minute work Soliloquy for 5 cellos was described as “a richly complex, inventive, moving and often startling work” by the Napa Valley Register.

Original Cello Duos performed around the world, recently on Brazilian TV.

Other

Publisher of 10 Sheet Music Volumes

Music Education app company co-founder with 3 apps, 50,000+ downloads

Black Belt in American Kenpo Karate

Yogi & Half-Marathoner

Addicted to puns

Cost of Cello Lessons

My former teacher teaches at the University of Michigan and The Juilliard School.

Because of our time making that new edition of the 40 Popper Etudes, it’s likely that no other cellist knows the inner workings of his teaching as well as I do.

My current rate for a one-off private lesson is $200.

But I charge a monthly tuition of $600. It includes

• Four hour-long private lessons per month (normally $200 each)

• Monthly 60-minute drop-in online performance class (12/year, $200 value each)

• Monthly 60-minute masterclass (12/year, $200 value each)

• Separate formal 90-minute recital opportunities (2/year, $200 value each)

• Cellosophy Volume One ($35 retail)

• Rhythm Workbook ($20 retail)

• Guided Practice-With-Me videos for my entire method ($99/mo)

• Video Archive of all previous masterclasses ($49/mo)

To recap

Beyond your weekly lessons, you get

• $4,800 of group class opportunities in the first year alone

• $1,188 of guided practice

• $588 for the masterclass archive

• $400 of recital opportunities

• $50 of books in the first year

• $2,400 off the cost of individual lessons for the year

=$9,396 value

Final Details

I would love to have you join our community of 20 cello students - half of them are adults, many with no musical education prior to this :)

The first step is applying with the button below.
I’ll reach out to you and direct you on how to acquire a cello if you don't have one. You’ll need to call them to schedule a time to go snag it.
Once you’ve got it, we’ll set up a time for your first lesson.
Then, I’ll send you policies and a PDF with the sheet music you’ll need.
After our lesson, I’ll get you the bound copies of the books and we’ll officially start your cello journey.

I’m looking forward to working with you!
—Eric Moore