This is a page from the old Von Cello website. Click here for the updated page:
http://www.voncello.com/about_voncello_updates.html
Here you will find out about what has been happening with Von Cello (Aaron Minsky) since this site was completed in 1999. (Other pages get continually updated too, especially the Guestbook and the Visitors' Corner.) We'll start with the latest entries and work our way back. If you would like to read the entries in chronological order, scroll down to the bottom and read from the bottom up!
Feb. 2002 -VON CELLO LIVE! -
So far we have two gigs for February. Both are very important. The West Virginia gig is at a music industry conference called Kanawhapalooza. We will get a chance to be heard by agents and other industry people. The gig at Elbow Room is important because this is one of the top venues in the city for new rock music. Our goal is to get booked there on Saturday nights when they get very large crowds. Hope to see you there! Here are the details:
Feb. 2, Saturday, 12:00 A.M. (midnight), Sam's, Charleston, West Virginia
Feb. 5, Tuesday, 9:30 P.M., The Elbow Room, New York City (Bleecker just east of Thompson)
12/9/01 -VON CELLO LIVE! -
Yes, Von Cello and his power trio are now getting steady gigs around New York City. Come by and check out this hard rock trio in the tradition of Hendrix, Cream, and Nirvana, but with a new sound that combines hard rock, rap and alternative with a touch of classical. Von Cello is truly breaking new ground! Here are the dates:
December 10th, Monday, 9:30 P.M., Acme Underground, 9 Great Jones St., New York City, (212)-420-1934
December 27th, Thursday, 9:00 P.M., Kenny's Castaways, 157 Bleecker St., New York City, (212)-473-9870
January 9th, Wednesday, 7:00 P.M., The Izzy Bar, Ist Ave. and 10th St.
If you tell us that you came due to seeing this, we will give you a free copy of the new Von Cello CD, Von Cello Rules! See you there!
11/2/01 -PROFESSOR VON CELLO? - Von Cello was offered a professor of cello position at the State University of New York at Potsdam, Crane School of Music! It would have been a one semester position while the full time professor was on sabbatical. He did not accept the position, though he felt very honored by the offer! So the next time you see Aaron rocking out on his cello like an adrenaline crazed kid, remember, he could have been Professor Von Cello!
11/2/01 - VON CELLO CROSSES THE HUDSON! - Yes, right over the George Washington bridge into New Jersey, went Von Cello, to give two seminars for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA/NSOA)! These were particularly fun because they were mostly for students. The kids came from all over the Garden State. Aaron demonstrated how the cello could be used in rock music. Then he organized a reading session through some of his Oxford music ensemble books. Around fifty of the students signed up for the email list. The response was so positive that Von Cello was offered other clinics. The message is spreading. Stay tuned.
10/10/01 - 10/14/01 - THE VON CELLO BENEFIT TOUR! - Less than a month after the 9/11 Attack on New York, Von Cello headed south for a tour, in part, to benefit the survivors of that act of terrorism. First stop Nashville, where the band played at the club Springwater. They premiered Von Cello's new song about those who gave their lives, "Let's Hear It For The Heroes". The following day, Von Cello opened an outdoor concert to benefit the victims, playing the Star Spangled Banner (with Phil Carnevale on drums). He also donated CD's with all proceeds to go to the fund. They were so well received that they were asked to stay and play the Anthem again, which they did a few hours later. It was a long hard trip, but well worth it!
10/01 - MINSKY GOES ON RECORD! - The first public recording of Minsky's etudes has just been released (year 2001). The Ten American Cello Etudes are on a CD called, The American Cello, which includes works by Minsky, Crumb, Siskind and Sessions. The performer is Lawrence Stomberg of Oklahoma State University. We are happy to say that Mr. Stomberg signed a licensing agreement with Oxford, so this is an approved recording. May this be the first of many recorded releases of the published music of Aaron Minsky! Who's next?
9/6/01 - NO SLEEP FOR BROOKLYN! - As the song lyric says, their was no sleeping at Peggy O'Neils Bar in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn as Von Cello played a rousing set. This was particularly fun for Aaron because he grew up in Brooklyn. The band was booked by the same agent who books the famous Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge. The older Irish soundman came up to Aaron at the end of the show and in his heavy Irish accent said , "Me boy, I think you're going places!"
8/13/01 - TEACHING TEACHERS AT THE NYSSMA SUMMER CONFERENCE! - NYSSMA, the New York State School Music Association, is the state organization of music teachers in New York. At their summer conference in Albany, Aaron gave a Yamaha sponsored clinic about the growing use of strings in popular music and how his music books and CDs are helping to propel that revolution forward! Aaron also performed his Hendrix inspired rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and was honored with the opportunity to conduct the NYSSMA Directors' Orchestra in a performance of his "Pacific Northwest Suite" (published by Oxford University Press)!
7/31/01 - 8/9/01 - VON CELLO IN CALIFORNIA! - Von Cello took a ten day trip out to California to lay the ground work for a future tour. He saw concerts and networked with agents in L.A. and took in the inspiring views from the Beverly and Hollywood hills. For contemplation and songwriting he spent several days in the Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite Parks, ending the trip in the city by the bay, San Francisco. It was just a taste, but now he is California dreamin' and looking forward to coming back with the Von Cello Band!
7/30/01 - PICTURESQUE PAGES! - This site is the proud parent of two new pages. Go the the Pictures page and click on the Family and Friends link or the Humor link. These pages are lot's of fun and add a lot to this site. Also see the updated Von Cello Photo History on the Pictures page and the updated Publicity Hound page.
7/9/01 - LINK OF A LINK IF EVER A LINK THERE WAS! - Check out the Links link at the bottom of this page and link to the new and improved links page for this site. We now have around 100 links related to Von Cello on the page. You'll find everything from other Von Cello sites, to audio and video clips, press releases, related music sites, and dozens of search engines that list him first under rock cello!
5/31/01 - 6/2/01 - VON CELLO AT THE AMERICAN CELLO CONGRESS - Representing Yamaha, Von Cello attended the the Sixth American Cello Congress at the University of Maryland. It was a great networking opportunity. Here are some of the highlights: an article will be written for the Kindler Cello Society of Maryland about Von Cello’s use of the Yamaha Silent Electric Cello in recordings and performance, Strings Magazine will do a review of his CD "Breaking the Sound Barriers", several famous cellists now have copies of his etudes including Ronald Leonard, soloist and professor at the University of Southern California, and Mark Summer of the Turtle Island String Quartet. Von Cello also met Ken Finch, cellist of the Oregon Symphony who reported performing "October Waltz" from Aaron’s "Ten American Cello Etudes". Aaron premiered several pieces from that set at the University of Maryland thirteen years ago at the First World Cello Congress. Things have come full circle!
5/28, 5/29, 5/30/01 - THE VON CELLO BAND GETS AROUND - In conjunction with the Just Plain Folks networking organization, Von Cello just played three mini gigs in three days in New York City at the Lounge, the Baggot Inn and the Parkside Bar and Grill. All were successful bringing many connections and new fans.
5/24/01 - GEORGE BUSH IS FOLLOWING ME! - After spending some time in Maine last week gawking at the Bush family residence, I ended up playing for George and Barbara Bush tonight at a fund raising dinner on Wall Street! I mentioned this coincidence to the bassist on the gig. He said it was a sign that Von Cello would play at the White House. This brings to two, the former Presidents for whom I have played. The other was Ronald Reagan. Recently I played for some other celebrities such as Martha Stewart. I also played on the Regis and Kelly Show on ABC television. In that case I played cello and also had my national debut on violin!
5/18/01 - MINSKY IN MAINE - I gave a clinic for the Maine Music Educators Association representing Yamaha which included a demonstration of the Yamaha Silent Electric Cello using my original music published by Oxford University Press. I also had a reading session through some of my ensemble music with some of Maine's finest music teachers. The attendees were very warm and receptive. Having driven all the way up to Maine, I also enjoyed hiking in some of the parks and took a drive to Kennebunkport, the home of Ex-President George Bush. (See posts in the Guestbook for more details.)
4/1/01 - AUDIO CLIPS ADDED TO VON CELLO MP3.COM SITE - The Von Cello site at mp3.com has just been expanded to include a "History of Von Cello"! The clips include: Von Cello's creation of a new style of cello playing in 1975, songs, jams, classical and rock groups of which he was a member, and compositions in many genres. To check it out, click on this link: http://www.mp3.com/voncello
3/31/01 - VON CELLO GETS TIGHT WITH SLIPKNOT! - Slipknot, Boston's premiere Grateful Dead tribute band, have been together for twenty five years and have played with several Dead and Allman Brothers members. The following is a description of a very special event: On Saturday night (3/31/01) Slipknot opened with a few original tunes and it became clear that this was a great band with a lively sound. Then Perry Seigle came to the mike and introduced that "famous New York cellist Von Cello." From the first notes the audience knew that they were in for a treat. Shouts emanated from somewhere in the back. College kids were swirling and twirling to the music. People were getting goose bumps and the band was feeling like Von Cello had been playing with them for years. Of course he had played with Perry for years, and everyone on that stage had jammed countless times on Dead tunes, so it was like slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers. In reality it was anything but comfortable to listen to, it was more like riding waves of energy! Highlights included "I Am The Walrus", made all the more intense with the cello lines and the audience screaming, "woo" after each lyric. The band in total space mode traveled into some Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon and wandered in and out of Mountain Jam, The Music Never Stopped, Dark Star and other classics. At 2 A.M., which became 3 A.M. because of the start of daylight savings time, the band ended with their encore, One More Saturday Night, and the screaming transfigured masses filed out into the crisp March Boston air! (This account was made up of various peoples' impressions.)
2/26/01 - THE BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIERS CD CONTEST RESULTS - The results are in for the Von Cello CD contest! Over a thousand people hit the contest page. See Visitor #5 in the Visitors' Corner to see the winning entries, and to see Von Cello's responses to some selected entries (interesting reading!).
12/30/00 - MINSKY MAKES IT TO COLLEGE! - Speaking of links, I just went to the site for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, U.K., and found that pieces from my Ten American Cello Etudes are now included in their curriculum for college level students! Previously, I found other pieces included in their high school level curriculum. (See my Links page.) The Associated Board gives music adjudication exams to 500,000 music students, in 80 countries, each year!
12/29/00 - LINKS GALORE! - Check out my Links page. In the past few months I have found dozens of sites that mention Von Cello or Aaron Minsky. Some are quite surprising.
12/28/00 - VON CELLO CD CONTEST! - How would you like to win a prize worth $100 just for listening to my CD and writing a few sentences? Just go to the following link and enter by 1/31/01.
http://musicdish.com/contest.php3
Here is some of what you'll find at that link:
In a controversial move, the NARAS classical committee just took a CD that was entered in this year's Grammys in the Classical Crossover category and moved it into the Pop Vocal category! The CD was rock cellist Von Cello's CD, "Breaking The Sound Barriers." Von Cello intentionally created a CD that would break the traditional barriers between classical music and rock. It was therefore entered under Classical Crossover, but the classical committee said no!
12/27/00 - VON CELLO NEEDS YOU! - Von Cello the band is going through some growing pains. We need a new bass player. Good singing and rock attitude a must. Good chops and professionalism go without saying. If interested go to Musicians Only for the email link.
11/3/00 - VON CELLO MAKES SOLOWS' LIST! - Von Cello's music book "Ten American Cello Etudes" has just been included in Jeffrey Solow's "A Guide to the Standard Cello Repertoire"!
Jeffrey is a famous cello soloist and the editor of the Violoncello Society Newsletter, an organization that includes many of the worlds' greatest cellists. This is one more indication that this book will get passed down through the generations! "Ten American Cello Etudes" is one of Vons' twelve books published by Oxford University Press under the name Aaron Minsky.
For more information, see Compositions. To see the relevant part of Solow's list, go to the Visitors' Corner, and see #2.
10/24/00 - VON CELLO - THE BAND! - It's official: after months of auditions and trying differnet combinations of instruments, the band Von Cello appears to be set. We are a power trio in the tradition of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream! The instrumentation is cello, bass and drums. Though we are three, with the use of foot pedals, electronic drums and vocal harmonies we can sound like many more. We are planning to make a demo soon and then start gigging. I'm really looking forward to finally getting out there after these years of learning computers, cutting a solo CD, and developing an internet presence. Stay tuned!
10/20/00 - VON CELLO FEATURED ON THE WEB - I am now being featured on a couple of websites:
9/29/00 - YAMAHA CLINIC AT POTSDAM - I took a trip all the way up state almost to the Canadian border to the State University of New York at Potsdam. There I gave two clinics for music students and faculty. I demonstrated the sounds that I get from my Yamaha electric cello, and had a reading session using my ensemble music. The students were great. Many joined the email list. One highlight was meeting the viola professor, Ken Martinson, who said he was interested in transcribing some of my cello etudes for viola! Another highlight was the drive I took along the northernmost road in New York state. My favorite landmark was a store called, "Groceries, Guns and Guitars"! The fall foliage was fantastic.
8/17/00 - D'ADDARIO ARTIST - VON CELLO - Von Cello has just joined the ranks of Santana, Joe Satriani, Bruce Springstein, Jean-Luc Ponty, Al DiMeola, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Kevin Eubanks and others as an official endorser of D’Addario Strings! This brings his official endorsements up to four: Yamaha, Gallien-Krueger, PegHeds and D’Addario. What a winning hand! Check out the press releases at the following links:
http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=11968
http://www.newmediamusic.com/ps/daddario_9600.html
7/17/00 - WHO'S WHO? VON CELLO, THAT'S WHO! - It's now official: Von Cello has been accepted into the year 2000 edition of Who's Who In America! The edition will be printed in October. To see press releases about it, go to the following links:
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=10305
http://www.newmediamusic.com/musicianspr/voncello.html
7/4/00 - CD FOR SALE - Reading through the updates, I just realized that I never made it official: the CD, Breaking The Sound Barriers, is now for sale on this site in the Store. Next comes the hard part: publicizing the CD and the website. On another track, I started auditioning musicians for Von Cello, the band. I'm getting top professional candidates. I will keep you informed.
6/30/00 - ASCAP AWARD - ASCAP (American Society of Composers And Publishers) has just informed Aaron that he has been chosen to receive a grant for uncollected royalties for performances of his music around the world. The award was given by the Popular Music Panel of the ASCAPLUS Awards Program. This recognition, by his esteemed colleagues at ASCAP, confirms his growing reputation as a composer of popular music!
6/22/00 - NEW DIRECTIONS CELLO FESTIVAL REPORT - As announced, I appeared at the 6th New Directions Cello Festival at the University of Connecticut, representing the Yamaha electric cello (working with Yamaha reps. Mike Schraner and Phil Carnavale), and it was another great opportunity. Other electric cellos were represented at the festival and the Yamaha compared very favorably.
Though this was a much smaller festival than the World Cello Congress, it was made up entirely of people with an interest in new styles of cello playing. I found out that Mary Lou Rylands, the cello professor at the University of Connecticut, is an avid user of my Oxford cello etude books! I gave her, and several other cellists, who are leaders in the new directions cello movement, copies of my Three Concert Etudes. All were very pleased. I also performed a movement of the suite, receiving many compliments. I think the time is ripe for this piece to gain in popularity, like the Ten American Cello Etudes, and receive a premiere by a major concert cellist in a major concert hall! (Anybody listening?)
I was also able to sell CD's, perform my rock-cello tunes, and publicize the name Von Cello to cellists who only knew me as Aaron Minsky. One highlight was a jam session that I had with Jeff Chen, an up and coming new directions cellist, who has been a fan of mine since my concert at the 4th New Directions Cello Festival. Another highlight was meeting Shirley Wright, a cello teacher from Prince Edward Island, Canada, who uses my pieces. (I always enjoy finding out that people in different corners of the globe are enjoying my music!) Other highlights included listening to several outstanding performances in various genres that are all new to the cello.
A touching moment came when I was speaking to a young cellist who expressed joy at being exposed to so many alternative cello styles in one setting. He seemed surprised when I told him that when I was coming up, none of this existed. It just shows how times have changed! A cellist from Harvard, who is doing a thesis on cello festivals asked me if I thought there was anyone out there who could finally bring the cello into main stream popular music. I said, "Yes...me! "
Chris White, who leads the festival should be commended for another great gathering of new directions cellists!
6/7/00 - WORLD CELLO CONGRESS III REPORT - My appearance at the World Cello Congress III, performing on the Yamaha electric cello worked out great in several ways. Many cellists got to try the cello, including some world famous cellists. I played the cello several times a day at the Yamaha exhibit, often attracting a large crowd. My music books and CD's were on display and attracted much attention. Many well known cellists told me that they are using the books, such as Paul Katz, professor of cello at Rice University, Houston, and former member of the renowned Cleveland Quartet.
This was my first opportunity to sell my CD. What a great way to start a buzz! Due to the international attendance at the congress, cellists from many countries purchased CD's. The CD's will find new homes in Australia, England, Holland, Canada, France and many parts of the United States.
There were many highlights for me. I will mention some of them: a) Selma Gokcen, a cello teacher from England brought three English cello students with her. One student, upon seeing my book Ten American Cello Etudes, exclaimed that she played the piece, Broadway, for her audition for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Exam, level 8. You should have seen her face when Mike Schraner of Yamaha pointed out to her that the composer was standing next to her! b) I played my Train Whistle etude as a duet, along with Marilyn Harris, who played it in recital in 30 locations throughout the U.S.! It sounded really full that way. I enjoyed Marilyn's interpretation, which is a little more involved than mine. I enjoy seeing how my music is reflected through other people's prisms. c) I gave out copies of my Three Concert Etudes to a select group of famous cellists: Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Timothy Eddy, Ko Iwasaki, Laurence Lesser, Paul Katz, and teacher Selma Gokcen. All were pleased. I am still waiting for a major concert cellist to premiere the suite in a major concert hall! d) I got to try several cello related products and received some offers for endorsements. I will post the names when the deals are finalized. e) My personal favorite moment came in the lobby of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. After a concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma, I was approached for an autograph by a teen age cellist who had heard me play at the Yamaha booth. Surprised, I said, "After seeing Yo-Yo Ma you come to me for an autograph?" He said, "Anyone who can make the cello sound like Jimi Hendrix, I want his autograph!"
5/26/00 - NEW DIRECTIONS CELLO FESTIVAL - It"s official: Von Cello will represent Yamaha for all three days of the New Directions Cello Festival, June 16th - 18th!
5/18/00 - WORLD CELLO CONGRESS III - Von Cello will be representing Yamaha at the World Cello Congress III in Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland, May 31st - June 1st in the exhibition area! This will give him the chance to play for hundreds of people including many of the world's most famous cellists. Hope to see you there. He also plans to attend the New Directions Cello Festival, University of Connecticut, on June 16th to celebrate the release of his CD! More news coming soon.
5/17/00 - ARTICLE PUBLISHED - I recently wrote an article about the dangers of internet music distribution. It was first published in the New York City musicians' union paper. As word of the article spread through the national union body, I received requests and gave permission for it to be reprinted in the musicians' union papers of Los Angeles, CA, Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, BC. Next it will appear in an updated version in the International Musician, the paper of the national musicians' unions of the United States and Canada. It is reprinted in it's entirety in the Musicians Only section of this web site.
4/9/00 - NEW DIRECTION - While I have been working on this site and getting Breaking The Sound Barriers ready for release I have also been composing rock cello tunes. I have been moving in the direction of the new hard rock (ex. Creed, Nirvana and Metallica) which in many ways is a continuation of classic hard rock, before it was so rudely interupted by disco. I also like the 60's retro sound (ex. Smashmouth) and the sparser sounds of groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the way Kid Rock and others are mixing elements of rap, classic rock and modern rock. Now add a touch of classical music to the mix and my friends, we have a new direction!
3/19/00 - MIXING AND MASTERING CD - I spent the fall and winter completing the recording of my CD. The mixing was done by Edward Douglas and myself. The mastering was done at the legendary Sterling Sound Studios with Ed, myself and mastering engineer Paul Angelli. In response to the many questions I've been getting about my music, I recently wrote several articles to explain my musical background and concepts which will soon be included in this site. My next step is to get my CD duplicated and to offer it for sale on this site and elsewhere. This should be accomplished by the end of April. Stay tuned.
8/30/99 - YAMAHA TELEVISION APPEARENCE - My first television appearance as a Yamaha Artist was with Reuters Television on 8/19/99, with two other musicians. Reuters has an international feed that gets picked up world wide. Impressed with my "Hendrix" style of playing, Yamaha's media consultants arranged a solo appearance of myself for Associated Press on 8/21/99. This was done as a tie in to the thirtieth anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. We did a two hour shoot at Kenny's Castaways, Bleeker St., NYC. Associated Press also has an international feed. Mr. Kenny was so impressed that he offered an open invitation for me to return. A most fun appearance followed on Good Day New York, with Gordon Elliot. This very popular New York City morning show had me playing at full volume at 7:00 A.M. in the middle of an intersection in New Hyde Park, Long Island. Soon people were dancing in the street. The segment was so enjoyable that they returned to us ten times!
8/15/99 - INTERACTIVE MUSIC XPO - I played at the Interactive Music XPO at the Javits Convention Center, N.Y., on 8/9/99 & 8/10/99 for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, representing Yamaha, with drummer Dino Foggan. We played my rock cello songs and some covers. Our rendition of the Star Spanngled Banner stopped people dead in their tracks! (After all, many people know me as "the guy who plays the cello like Hendrix.") Other highlights were my song "Something True" and Lennon's "Revolution." Even though it was just the two of us, we were very well received and many contacts were made.
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