I know you all like to poke fun at the relationship between me and my cello but overdoing it is another thing altogether. For instance, referencing certain private parts of females while referring to my cello.


This is a good time to state that I am generally disgusted with most sexual humour and don't see what so many guys find funny.


You all have dubbed my cello "Jacqueline". I find that inappropriate, but I shall let everyone have their fun since nicknames aren't really a bad thing.


The reason why I don't give my cello a human name, or can't even decide if it leans more to the male or female side of the human species is as such: Cellos are not humans! The human-to-instrument relationship, in my opinion, should not be viewed in the same way as a human-to-human relationship - though a human does whatever is humanly possible to defend his instrument and his music. My cello's identity is defined by its sound, and with me behind; with someone else its identity is sort of changed, for everyone plays differently. That specific identity will not be complete without me to play - my cello takes on a different face with different people playing, the same way we act differently in front of different people. And my own identity would not be complete without a cello. Entities do not require names - as long as they know who they are. Names are a human invention for easier communication - because they cannot get the message of whatever it is they are referring to across effectively.


Or if you don't understand or choose not to believe any of that, you can just go back to the viewpoint that my cello is the girlfriend I never had, and never will have - and like any other attached guy I will demand that she be treated with respect.

Oh, I'm playing the (overused by students but not really by performers) Saint Saens concerto now. Reason being that the soulful melodies of Rachmaninov are utterly beyond me - maybe Mr Chan will teach me someday, though I think that he will be unable to, not because he is inadequate - the fault here, I believe, is inherent in the student and has nothing to do with the teacher. I don't hate Rachmaninov yet, (in fact I quite like his music)but the appropriate playing style for his music is frustratingly elusive.


Back to power, speed, clashing dissonances, impassive harmonies, and to a certain extent, grace. Yes, that's right. Thankfully, my Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and other Classical or Baroque period playing are not as crippled as my take on Rachmaninov - though like everything else, there is much to work on.