Expanding cello performance: interviews with cross-genre cellists

This thesis consists of interviews with five cellists who built careers in jazz, pop, folk, and other genres. After receiving training in Western classical music, Dianne Betkowski, Mike Block, Natalie Haas, Tomeka Reid, and Mark Summer pursued other styles of music. Their stories can serve as a resource for other cellists and all musicians, whether they seek to learn more about these artists, to explore these styles of music, or to understand how professionals build performance and teaching careers outside of classical music. An introduction to the artist prefaces each edited interview transcript. In the interviews, each cellist describes their background, education, and experiences that led them to their current positions. They discuss the technical foundation their Western classical education provided, the limitations of that technical focus, and ideas for educational opportunities in other musical styles. Each cellist points to the versatility of the cello, which allowed them to explore different styles of music. A selected discography for each cellist follows the transcript of their interview. This study concludes with a discussion of points from the interviews which highlight areas for improvement in college music programs. It serves as a record of these cellists’ stories and perspectives, as well as a record of the past and present environment for performance outside of Western classical music as experienced by these cellists. Readers can learn how Betkowski, Block, Haas, Reid, and Summer developed their careers and apply the insight of these cellists in their own lives.