Mellow Cello Podcast

Episode 79 RUNNING ITS COURSE Nov 22, 2024

This episode comes from the YouTube livestream on July 23, 2024. Things start off in darker space and then gradually get lighter and more hopeful as the piece progresses, with somberness in the beginning that opens up into a lighter hearted feeling. The second piece is a bit of a sonic reset, the likes of which typically comes later in the stream, but I felt the need to do early on to get the feel for things right. These types of open ended melodic meanderings are nice because they don’t require too much thinking about form, and are more incidental and a collection of harmonies. Third piece reminds me of something I can’t quite place my finger on, but in any case has a lyrical quality to it, with its call and response structure and slightly melancholy vibe. The fourth piece has a jaunty progression, but almost seems like something more upbeat that’s happening in slight slow motion, like the dreamy action of a slowed down super 8 family film. The fifth piece is an underwater journey into some mysterious spaces, with lots of nice color and curiosity. The sixth piece unfolds nicely, and has a tinge of an older sound, slightly bluesy, slightly desert epic, with a couple of brief Nirvana quotes. The final piece has a bit of a nostalgic feeling to it, like the end credits of a 90’s family movie, but with a bit more of a psychedelic tinge to it at times.

Episode 77 Pardon the Interruption Nov 08, 2024

This episode comes form the youtube livestream on June 26 2024. Things start off with a nice mellow flow, with a repeating arco figure that sets the mood off the bat with a bit of sass. The second piece takes a little while to develop, with some missteps along the way that give things a bit of an unsettled vibe, but it eventually lands somewhere, and achieves a bit of a watery flowy space. The third piece has a nice flow throughout and I really like the build at the end. The fourth piece has some interesting ‘self-sampling’ that I resorted to after some technical difficulties. I enjoy this effect, because without the attack of the initial part of the note, it becomes difficult to tell what instrument generated the sound. The final piece eventually gets some nice long legato arco layers as a bed for some pizzicato exploration.

Episode 75 Tip Toeing Oct 28, 2024

This episode comes from June 18 2024. I’d just loaded some new drum loops and as a result there’s a freshness to this episode that’s pretty fun. I really like the contemplative nature of the opening track that develops into something a bit more confident and forward marching with a nice closing theme. The third piece, has a lot more immediate structure, and I’m happy about the way I split up the energy of the different parts, most of which is driven by the nice ethereal background set early on. The fourth piece takes a while to develop into what it eventually becomes, which as it happens turns out to be a take on a previous progression which I used in the upcoming album, although I don’t think I realized it at first. The fifth song takes on a bit of a darker tone, with some really nice darker arco lines that create some nice big ethereal spaces. The sixth piece is brief and has an almost reggae feel to it, if that’s possible with cello I search a bit for a ‘chorus’ progression to relieve the searching nature of the initial progression, but don’t pursue it very far. The final piece develops into an exploration of different driving arco figures and layers,

Episode 73 Till June Oct 28, 2024

This episode comes from the livestream on May 16 2024, the last one before a brief hiatus from streaming. Things start off with the throwback sound of the earlier days of streaming, with a percussive loop created on the cello fingerboard, and the piece develops into a nice acoustic exploration with some nice vernal arco layers. The next piece uses the preloaded percussion sounds I have, and expands on some of the ideas from the first piece, with more effects, and takes things to a more developed place. Things take on a slightly darker tone for the third piece, but with some nice bluesy forward movement in the bass line, which then propels the arco. The fourth piece is a bit jauntier and more upbeat, but not without a sense of wonder, and this piece has some nice development. The fifth piece has a bit of an explorative vibe, with a bit of an eery alien world sound to it, like the theme for some funky otherworldly space exploration. The 6th and 7th pieces are related, and I think at the time I had a concept of being able to edit these two together somehow, which I may eventually do, as the 6th has a brighter sound and the 7th explores a bit more somberness, but both pieces have the same beat and could be intertwined with some production magic. The eighth piece has a bit of a western showdown vibe to it. The final piece has a bit more cosmic brightness, with some fun pizzicato and arco parts popping out of the background radiation.

Episode 71 Vibin Sep 10, 2024

This episode comes from the livestream on May 7 2024. The first piece gets off to a nice vibey start, with some nice development, especially in the rhythmic arco sections. The second piece explores some slightly darker sounds, but warms up a bit and becomes a more driving piece. The third pieces is a bit more laid back and jazzy, delving into some slightly more avant gard with a more stabbing bowing style at times. The fourth piece develops some nice arco themes once things get going, and feels a bit like a mystery being unraveled. Keeping with the mystery theme the next piece reminds me a bit of some sort of heist movie bass line, with some jazzier elements with the chords. The 6th piece is a bit more halting in it’s progression, but then has some nice running arco elements. The final piece has some nice lilting elements and ends things on a slightly dreamy and pleasant sounding note.

Episode 69 Harpin on it Jul 29, 2024

This episode comes from the Youtube stream on May 2, 2025. The opening piece is one that I really like, and will adapt into a piece with Japanese lyrics. The swinging bass line really provides some nice forward movement that at the same time evokes some kind of nostalgia. The second piece grows out of a small repetitive pizzicato loop, and takes a while to develop, but gets going with the arco section, which uses the quick repetition as a bit of a trampoline for some bouncier melodies. The third piece is a familiar progression, and the arco explorations sound more lyrical as a result. The fourth piece is on the darker side, exploring the realms offered by a back and forth plucked pattern. The fifth piece stays a bit resolutely in a sort of limbo state of more incidental random sounds, without ever quite needing to coalesce around a specific melody or chord pattern, as I was experimenting with a different way of using my loop pedal with perhaps mixed results. The final piece has more of a desert feel to it, with more of an orange and sepia hue to the tone and character of the progression.

Episode 67 Triple Threat Jul 02, 2024

This comes from 2 combined livestreams, each of which was abbreviated due in part to user error on my part for failing to record parts, and because I sang in some of the songs and have decided to exclude those pieces. The pieces are from Youtube live streams on April 12, 2024 and April 23, 2024. In the first half I was still in the midst of total thrall from my experience with totality, which I’d driven roundtrip to Bloomington Indiana to see, camping in a cow field, in the second my mind was on Earth day and all the climactic consequences surrounding the very big idea of the Earth.

Things develop gradually and rhythmically, as I build up a driving rhythm primarily with arco parts at first. I think this makes the entrance of the pizzicato arpeggio a lot more satisfying when it does come in. I really like the very jolly sounding place that the lead arco figure takes after the pizzicato loops have been set, there’s something very happy-traveleresque about the sound of the theme. The next piece is one that I’ve been working on and developing into a Japanese lyric song about my experience viewing the eclipse and how the whole world seemed to disappear. This piece has some really nice figures throughout, and I just really enjoy the sort of optimistic vibe it has. The third piece is a familiar progression, but it eventually takes on a wistful tone, with a wandering not quite lost sensibility.

In the second half the fourth song is from the second livestream. Things are a bit more somber and serious, with a heavier melancholy feeling, quoting some earlier themes I’ve used. I think the heaviness of the 5th piece is my favorite, with its dark drive, I really feel that this piece travels somewhere in time or space. There is a moment where I drop my bow, or knock over some of my streaming decor which you may notice. The final piece continues in the dark and heavy vein, but with a bit more sway to it, giving it more of a heavy dream like dance feeling to it.

Episode 65 Post Eclipse May 20, 2024

This episode comes from the youtube stream on April 11th 2024, just a couple of days after I drove 10 hours to experience the totality of the eclipse, which was an amazing experience. I have skipped forward a number of months because of the experimental singing that I was doing. It’s my feeling that while this was a worthwhile experiment, as it exists I’d prefer to spend more time editing the songs with vocals to make them more concise. There’s a lack of vocal clarity and a lot more empty space in these streams as I try to tackle a new form of live composition, which in the end never quite materialized in the way I’d envisioned. With some editing I may be able to make some of the pieces from this period work, but I’d prefer to keep this podcast solidly instrumental and use the vocal pieces as a separate project.

Starting with this episode there will be many more pieces with pre-recorded percussion loops, which I think give a nice texture to things and make for a more modern sound. The first piece is very driving and resolute, with a bit more edge in the arco parts, since I’m able to achieve more exacting rhythmic loops thanks to the well defined percussion. I really like the more expansive and laid back second piece, and like the juxtaposition of the swaying/sweeping arco and more bouncy pizzicato. The third piece is a real slow burn that builds gradually and really feels like it hits home with the entry of the low end. Something about the percussion keeping things driving forward makes me a lot more comfortable with letting things develop gradually, and to be more experimental with textures. The fourth piece adds a ‘chopped’ arco sound on top of the percussion, and then takes a little while to come together chord progression-wise, and ventures into some more dissonant textures. The fifth piece is built solely around a ‘chop’ rhythm, and ventures into some much more spacey textures, with a very relaxed overall beat. The sixth song stays similarly relaxed, with some nice arco figures, but with the introduction of a more driving bass. The final piece develops into something much more triumphant and rapid paced, with quick bowing that’s provides more excitement to things and is a more epic way to end things.

Episode 63 Sometimes Apr 26, 2024

This episode comes form the youtube stream on December 12 2023, the last one of the year. The title comes from the closing song Toki Doki, and is the english meaning of the Japanese phrase. Things start off with a nice expansive mid tempo piece that has a thoughtful repeated pizzicato figure that keeps things contemplative throughout. The piece has a second half to it built around big arco layers that introduce a dreamier feeling to things. The second piece grows gradually, but becomes more and more shimmering as pizzicato layers are added, with a dance-y-ness to it that I really like. The third piece delves into a ring-y ethereal realm, with nice sweeping figures that swirl in and out into some really nice ambient spaces. Things take a slightly darker turn with the fourth piece, sounding more like the quest for clues in some sort of spiritual detective story, which eventually opens up into the sounds of some kind of important discovery. The fifth piece is a further iteration of the fourth, with a tempo increase and building off the same bass line, with more layered experimentation. I close things out with an instrumental rendition of Toki Doki.

Episode 61 Post Turkey Day Apr 12, 2024

This episode comes from the Youtube livestream on November 28th, right after the Thanksgiving holiday. It takes me a little while to find the groove, but I eventually get there, with some washy bowing rhythms making things sleepy and sweeping. The next piece has a spacey contemplativeness to it that gradually grows into something warmer and more grounded. The third piece also has some nice big warm moments, and a laid back sleepy quality to it. The fourth piece begins with a bit of a mystical quality to the chord sounds that continues to expand with new layers into something more driving and somber. The fifth piece is livelier, with a more upbeat strummed chord progression and bouncy bass. The final piece develops into something nice and epic once all the layers get established, with a cool pizzicato thematic element that almost sounds like a Western movie, or some sort of showdown.

Episode 59 Meditative Moods Mar 22, 2024

This episode comes from the youtube livestream on November 16 2023. Things get off to a very nice mellow start, growing into an expansive descending river of bowed lines. The next piece grows out of a quicker paced back and forth arpeggio, evolving slowly out of an atmospheric ether, and then changing directions halfway through into something more upbeat. The third piece takes a little while to settle into itself, but once I find the bass line it has a nice groove to it. The fourth and final song is slower paced, built around another more atmospheric and stranger sound, but eventually developing into some nice crunchy arco lines.

Episode 57 Survivors Mar 15, 2024

This episode comes from the youtube stream on November 9 2023. Things get off to a flow-ey and somewhat dreaming start, with a shimmery loop that develops some nice bowed layers. The second piece develops with more drive, and continues in a dreamy vein, but in a perhaps more determined way. The third song starts off fairly weird and atonal but then develops into a very nice glassy exploration of wintery landscapes and shimmering sounds. The fourth song is probably my favorite of the stream, and develops with more weight, and with the bowed parts has some nice gravitas. The fifth piece is a bit of a weird soundtracky sounding piece, exploring some strange alien flora. The final piece is a more familiar arpeggiated pattern that grows, but with a nice/strange airy ambient loop in the background that whispers throughout.

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Episode 55 Feeling Froggy Mar 07, 2024

Things get off to a vibey start in this episode from the youtube livestream on October 26 2023, incorporating the whistling effect quite early, which I enjoy using because the treble register it provides pops out so much. The second piece develops from a persistent trickle into a big warm wave that ebbs and flows. The third song has a nice walking pace, with some swirly dreamy elements that drift in and out. The fourth piece takes a darker turn built around a weirder percussive effect, with some distinctly amphibian characteristics, which gradually metamorphosizes into something brighter. There’s something inspirational feeling about the final piece, thematically speaking, and with the quicker tempo and brighter sound of things.

Episode 53 Crushing It Feb 21, 2024

This episode comes from the youtube livestream on October 24 2023. Things get off to a nice airy start, built around a repeating arpeggio that has an 80’s movie interlude feel to it. The next piece develops into a broader sweeping journey that has some nice galloping tremolos. The third piece builds harmonies off a dancey kind of bass groove, and then has a nice alternative arpeggiated bridge progression. The fourth piece has some nice thematic elements to it, with a call and response feel to things. The 5th piece builds off of an almost electronic beat into a nice running arpeggio, and the final piece ends on a more contemplative note.

Episode 51 Hectic Recharge Feb 02, 2024

Episode 49 Thousandaire Jan 11, 2024

This episode from October 3 2023 starts off with a nice melancholy driving rhythm. The second piece has a similarly melancholy drive to it. It’s hard to describe what feeling this evokes exactly, something between determination and acceptance, with hope but sadness at the same time. The third piece has a bit of a talking heads start to things, with a driving bass line that develops into something more spacey and comes back to the drive again and again. The fourth piece gets nice and heavy really quickly, with some big arco bass to make things sound epic and forward flowing, which continues to grow into a nice swirling sparkling piece. The fifth piece has a rendition of New Groove from the first volume of the Sushi Tapes. The final piece is a jazzy little number I’ve done renditions of before on previous episodes.

Episode 47 Autumnal Colors Dec 12, 2023

This episode comes from the youtube stream on September 26, 2023. I love the liveliness of how things start out here, with an upbeat fast paced pizzicato ramble through some autumnal colored chords. The second piece gets groovier, keeping up the upbeat pace, but with a slightly darker tone, with some cool recurring motifs. The third songs builds into a much bigger and more aggressive driving song, that really pushes things forward with a big bass line that does a lot of heavy lifting and really develops into nice big thematic piece when the bowed layers build towards the end. The fourth piece builds out of a slightly weird detuned delay effect that creates a sense of anticipation, but then lands with some nice big bass again, keeping up the crisp driving pace of the piece before, with some more weird forays into different new digital effects, that are reminiscent of some of the cool things that Mark Mothersbaugh does with his collection of unusual instruments. The fifth piece doesn’t quite match the fullness and drive of the previous two, and is a simpler piece by comparison. Things become ambient for the sixth piece, with a self-sampled loop endeavor that flows into a nice dark river of a piece. The final piece is a return to the upbeat, with some nice full moments.

Episode 45 Fall Equinox Nov 16, 2023

This episode comes from the Youtube stream on September 18 2023. Things get off to a nice medium pace with a bit of a jazzy chord sound, that quickly takes on some nice autumnal colors with the bowed layers. Growing up in Vermont the foliage season has a great deal of nostalgia for me, and I think that this piece captures some of those windswept orange and red fall tones. The next 2 pieces are explorations of the same progression, with a second attempt being made to explore things a bit more, with some nice effects. Things get punched up a bit for a livelier piece with some bounce and a wiggly hook. This is followed by a much darker piece, that has some interesting darker brooding emotional overtones to it. The final piece is a bit of a watery jaunt.

Episode 43 Keeping Up the Pace Nov 07, 2023

Episode 43

Things get off to a bit of a rocky start, with the first two pieces not quite locking in. But I finally find something in the third piece (which starts about 13 minutes in). The fourth piece is my favorite, with a nice groove and shimmering chords, built around an initial harmonic figure that I love to reuse. The fifth piece has a cool groove to it, but the format is a bit hard to lock down progression wise, and this is one I’d be tempted to edit at a future date so that the transitions happen sooner and more concisely. The final piece is a fun one, with a nice lively groove and some cool arco parts with a nice bass line. I think things get gradually better over the course of the session, although that’s much easier to do when things get off to a shaky start!

Episode 41 Nov 02, 2023

This episode comes from the Youtube stream on September 5 2023. Things get off to a mellow start, with a thoughtful and meandering pizzicato loop, which allows for some arco expansion and contraction, venturing into the melancholy at times. The second piece grows even more melancholy than the first, thanks to some long arco loops that make a bit of a drowsy bed to things. This is followed by a much more driving piece, with a baseline that moves things forward in a space operatic way. The fourth piece has the halting rhythm i’ve used before but really gets going towards the end with some nice flowing layers. Things continue in a halting fashion for the fifth piece. With the 6th piece I need an ‘ambient reset’ as I’ve come to call it, self sampling and working less about progression and just trying to capture different textures. The last piece takes a bit to get going, but I really like the rhythmic arco layers that build up and drive the piece forward.

Episode 39 Playing Catch up Oct 17, 2023

This episode comes from the youtube stream on August 29 2023, things start off pretty mellow, with a meandering exploration. To be honest when I first started listening back to the second piece I wasn’t sure where it was going, or if it would ever get there. The piece isn’t without its missteps, but I find a lot more interesting sounds than I was expecting, once the staccato loops are laid and the middle eastern sounding line is introduced things find something of a form. I decided to spare the listeners the somewhat painful search for the chords in the third piece and begin when I finally find a pattern I like, whilst still stumbling a bit to find what works. One interesting thing about doing these streams and podcasts is how much more clearly I can see the stark difference in my on and off days. Some days things just seem to materialize with ease and others it’s a much more laborious process. At the same time however it’s encouraging to see that I can eventually overcome initial hiccups by sticking with it and allowing the wrong notes to fall away leaving the core of what works. This third piece is one such example, and fittingly it ends up sounding like some sort of witchy concoction of disparate elements. Things get smoother in the 4th piece, with a more uplifting piece as is the 5th, which continues in a very similar pace and tone. The 6th piece stands out as my favorite from the stream, as I find a nice almost reggae like uplifting groove towards the middle.

Episode 37 We call that Jazz Oct 12, 2023

The first piece takes a little while to develop, but becomes a nice expansive piece with some nice contemplative elements to it. The next piece I find in the revised second half, after redoing some of the chords I find a more natural feeling groove. The next piece ventures into some ambient spaces, with some wayward explorations. The fourth piece has a bit more of a lively start, but is in a key that is a bit harder for me to naturally land on the right note it seems. I try again in the fifth song to do the same progression with a different tempo to see if that helps, but it’s still a tossup which one has fewer wrong notes. As someone in the comments tried to reassure me - ‘we call that jazz’

Episode 35 Summer Rain Oct 05, 2023

This episode comes from the live Youtube stream on August 15 2023. If you’d like to get all episodes and some advanced EP’s, please consider supporting me directly by becoming a bandcamp subscriber. Things get started with a lively piece built around a rapid pull off riff, that gets built on and echoed with the bow, and builds into something that reminds me of a summer rain. The next piece starts off in a familiar way, but takes on a nice driving rhythm, that feels like an extension of the first piece. With the third piece I build things from a glitchier percussion sound, which works well with the sub bass effect to create a sweeping after-the-storm reckoning, with all it’s technological re-integration. Things get a little bit darker and more determined in the next piece, with some nice marching rhythmic sections, which help to build into a more epic and resolute piece, which may have also resulted from catching part of the Magnificent Seven on tv the night before. Things get more contemplative and brooding in the following piece, with smaller thoughtful figures and a back and forth feel, a bit like weighing a decision. The final piece has a hopeful and wandering sound to its arpeggiation which is a nice sentiment to end on.

Episode 33 Up and Airy Sep 22, 2023

This episode comes from the youtube stream on August 8, 2023. Things get off to a nice atmospheric start, with some sweeping pizzicato lines that shift and sway. It’s fun to find an arpeggio that works over the chord changes, and build from there. Things get dreamier and dreamier towards the end. The next piece develops slowly out of a murky ether. Sort of like a ship emerging from a dense fog. The weather changes a couple times through this piece, and the ship eventually emerges to a sea sparkling with sunlight, but there’s a storm on the horizon. The next piece develops into a nice airy piece, thanks to the pulsing reverb effect throughout. This is followed by a bit of a running rhythm, with a bouncing bassline, that stretches and expands.

Episode 31 Farmhouse Summer Sep 05, 2023

This episode comes from the stream on August 1 2023. The summer has been so hot, this piece kind of has a bouncy summer feel to it. The heavy bowed layers kind of add to the headiness of things, but then things open up nicely in the second half with an even bouncier/reflective pizzicato section. After the boisterousness of the first piece, the second one starts out a bit more hesitantly, but then evolves into a more self assured piece, with some nice arco bits towards the end. The third piece gets off to a much weirder start using some fun effects, but then comes together in a much more familiar place once the arpeggiated chords start. I think the effected sound provides a nice contrast, and results in a digital hoe-down canon, or maybe an electric farmhouse jam. The fourth piece has a very nice laid back to feel thanks to the little lick at the end of each chord, and i like the fun simplicity of this one. Something that’s been happening a bit more lately is that I’ve started to second guess the initial chord progression I come up with, feeling like it’s too simple or similar, which when I listen back is a bit of a source of consternation, and moving forward I’m going to try to stick with my first instinct. This really isn’t an exercise in coming up with some mind blowing new chord format, really more of an attempt at just capturing textures and textural feelings. As a result there are a lot of repeated sounds, but it’s more about the subtle variations and the groove.

Episode 29 A to Z Aug 24, 2023

This episode comes from the Youtube stream on July 25th, and follows a string of technical difficulties that I couldn’t seem to shake. What would have been the previous episode clipped to the point where it was unsalvageable, and during this episode everything crashed and I lost the first 20 minutes or so of recording. As a result though i’m a bit more warmed up than normal when the recording starts, so things get off quickly to a nice loop with some little figures that sound like a song from the 80’s to me. Something about the quicker chord changes or the forward moving pace is reminiscent of some of the Arthur Russel/David Byrne stuff I’ve heard, which I’m happy to imitate. The next piece has a happy dreamy quality to it - a very nice person in the chat mentioned that it was his daughter’s 10th birthday the next day and that she’d been born with my music as the soundtrack to her birth! I felt very honored and inspired by this wonderful bit of news. The third piece has a bit more of a grandiose sweeping quality, i think thanks to the weight of the bass, it’s also reminiscent of something I’ve done before. This one is followed by a bit of a sleepy lullaby type of piece. Finally a short rendition of a piece originally composed on the stream called Kickin Rocks, which is still unreleased.

Episode 27 Frisson Aug 09, 2023

This episode comes from the twitch stream on July 13, 2023. To access all episodes please consider subscribing on my bandcamp page, where all episodes are available in high quality downloadable format. For this stream I was able to sort out most of the technical difficulties this time, although I didn’t start recording until I’d started the first piece already, so we jump in as the loop is already going. Things are nice and hopeful and light right off the bat, with a bouncy yet driving little pizzicato loop. Things get nice and full with some bowed loops, and I think I cut things off at just the right point, when I was out of ideas and before it got too messy. The next piece has a nice contemplative feel to it. Still driving, but darker and more inquisitive sounding. Once the arco parts are played down and the bass comes in it really sounds like some sort of mission that needs to be accomplished. The nice one has a nice linear progression to a swinging fullness. I like throwing the high whistling effect in when things are really full to be able to make the melody stand out. I like the little doubled chord progression that develops, which is very mellow and wandering, and not without an occasional misplaced note. Things get a bit jazzier in the next piece, with a more blue sound. Someone in the chat commented that the piece gave them the sensation of frisson, which I then pursued further in the next piece with some harmonic looping, which I always feel has a more ethereal quality.

Episode 25 Eight Minutos Aug 02, 2023

This episode comes from the Twitch stream on July 6 2023. The idea behind this stream was to limit myself to (relatively) shorter jams, with a target length of 8-9 minutes, instead of the more usual 12 minutes. The first piece takes a little while to get going, but I like where it gets to in terms of fullness and the bowed parts. The second piece gets to a nice place texturally pretty quickly, with a very mellow and pulsing echoey flow to things that allows for some fun improvised noodling. Next there’s a bit of a computer-y element to things, like the sound of things processing, which develops into something more contemplative and emotionally explorative. Things get much more lively at about the halfway mark, with a nice uptempo piece that feels very dance-y. I often feel the need to do a little reset with a more ambient sound after a cohesive upbeat piece like this, but I like how this next one evolves through a couple of different parts. Then things get a bit more straight forward and waltzy and contemplative, short and sweet, as is the next piece. I really like the final piece, and think it could be reworked into something more fleshed out and cinematic. The bass works well and I like the longer arco themes.

Episode 23 Running Away Jul 13, 2023

Episode 23 Running Away

This episode comes from the twitch stream on June 22, 2023. I deliberately decided to start things off a bit slower in this stream, trying to get back to the mellow cello namesake. I really like how things start here, with a very laid back vibe. It’s easier to noodle around with the bow when things are more sparse and relaxed like this, as it doesn’t feel like a lot of layers are necessary. When I add in the bass of course a little more laying feels right.

I keep things mellow in the second piece as well, with a nice progression that has a call and answer aspect. I think the simple arco layers work to add some depth to things, and provide a nice bed for some soloing. I kind of tried to imagine this as a more vocal song and use the cello how vocals might sound, as this progression reminded me of some kind of ballad. Things pickup a bit in the third piece, with a bit more of a stomping rhythm, and a more blue grassy progression to go along with it. I like the bowed riff that goes along with things, kind of adds a dramatic action feeling to things, pushing things forward.

As usually at about the half way point it’s time to try something more ethereal, which involves an airy looped bow part over a spacier rhythm. Things start off a bit dreamy and then coalesce into a more coherent piece that has some nice textural twists and turns. I like when I’m able to build up some initial loop textures, take these away and build new ones, and then build up new ones yet again and take away the previous ones.

The next piece is built up with the idea of escaping something or running away from something, which I think the slightly tense sounding initial loop is able to help accomplish. I played the piece after telling the story of when Kathryn and I tried to camp in a very remote site in bear country in Idaho and encountered a mother moose and baby upon entering our site.

I end things with a more laid back piece with arco layers that breathe a bit.

Episode 21 Meta Cello Jun 29, 2023

Things get started off with a fun driving beat that develops into a bowed line that feels like it’s racing ahead to me, on its way to somewhere. I’m starting to feel like I’m almost as comfortable rhythmically with the bow as I am pizzicato, which is a goal I’m striving toward. The bow is always going to be slightly less rhythmic just because of the nature of the attack, but I like feeling like it’s close. Things slow down a bit in the second piece, but still keep a driving forward sensibility. I like the melodic theme I find here, there’s a lyrical aspect to the little bowed figures. The third piece keeps up the quicker pace, and I find a chord progression that I’ve done before, but with a new twist, which seems to often be the case, especially at the end with the layered lyrical arco figures. For the fourth piece I was inspired by Mark Summers, who’s piece Julie-O was one of the earliest pieces that really opened my eyes to alternative possibilities with the cello. I think I’d like to develop this piece a bit more and try to have another section, as it’s hard to keep this fast pace throughout without some sort of break in the action as a bit of a respite to the sound, but I think it sounds cool as a short little jaunt. We return to the driving forward feeling of things, with a cool rhythmic piece. It takes me a little while to find an arco line that works, but I eventually get there more or less. Things get a little darker, but I kind of like when I can slightly transform a darker sounding piece with little spots of brightness here and there. I think the final piece actually has some nice finality to it, so to speak.

Episode 19 Dark Bowings Jun 19, 2023

This episode comes from the Twitch stream on June 8th after I was away on a break, and I can hear myself getting back into the swing of things when I listen back. Things start off with a piece that develops into a bit of a jaunty theme, built around a bouncy pizzicato loop. The second piece is a bit more contemplative and downtempo. I think things started to come together for the fourth piece where I developed a bit of a darker sounding groove. I used my bow a bit more than usual throughout this stream/episode, mostly to try to practice regaining control of it, as that tends to be the first thing that goes after a break away from playing/practicing. I kept things going with the bow through the end, building up a lot of rhythmic arco layers for the final piece. I think the different staccato textures allow this piece to continue driving forward and provides a nice bed for the faster paced melodic runs.

Episode 17 Cellohmm Jun 07, 2023

Episode 17 is a throwback episode that comes from the twitch stream on February 24 2023. Episode 16 is a subscriber exclusive which you can find on my bandcamp subscription page. I start things off all arco, which is rare for me. I usually prefer to do things pizzicato to start with to give things a rhythmic base, but I think I should do more of this type of thing. There’s something a bit more cinematic about a driving bowed rhythm, but it’s more difficult to keep the conviction going I think with an all arco loop. Listening back there are times I wish big drums could come in, but I think there’s still something that works about the starkness. I like the shift that happens about 11 minutes in, where things open up a bit. After this I play The Voyage Home from Momotaro. The third piece takes a little while to get going, but I like the vibe when things start to come together. It’s an upbeat piece with some nice moments. The 4th piece at about 33 minutes in is a bit more frenetic and has some nice opportunities for a more brooding feel. Finally I end things with a Reversing from the album Reversal.

Episode 15 Cello GPT May 31, 2023

Episode 15 is a throwback episode from the Twitch stream on March 28 2023. Episode 14 is a subscriber exlusive episode available only on my bandcamp subscription page. Things take a little while to coalesce, but I really like the chord progression that develops, simple as it may be. The percussion plays a big part in the feel of this one, with a nice little shuffling drive to keep things moving forward. The second piece takes on a more brooding tone, with a slightly darker sound to things when the bowed layers get going. I change the chord pattern halfway through keeping the same percussion to brighten things up a bit, which is something I haven’t done in a while, but I like hearing it (at least when I can get it to work). The riff I land is something that has come up several times in other jams, and is something that I just like to use now and then. Third is a rendition of Kickin Rocks, which devolves into a bit of a deconstruction of the piece. After this is a sort variation of my song Watersong, and finally Toki Doki.

**Episode 13 On the Mend** May 24, 2023
This 13th episode comes from the youtube stream on May 16 2023. Episodes 11 and 12 are subscriber exclusive episodes over on my bandcamp subscription page. Things start off kind of contemplative, as I build things around a nice delay effect I found. I like the way the delay effect kind of creates a shape for me to explore, almost like a colorful tunnel I’m moving through and I can explore in different directions and decorate the walls as I move through the space. I always feel like it’s nice to explore the higher end first, which feels like the ceiling, and then to find the foundation in the lower notes. I continued this idea in the second piece, building on a delay effect again. This piece feels more like skating on a river though, less 3 dimensional somehow. Maybe it’s the slight iciness of the delayed repeating effect. When things get going halfway through and more color comes in I like to imagine myself skating down a frozen river under the aurora borealis. The third piece is built around the sort of shimmering drone effect and percussion loop. The strumming beat kind of lends itself to an almost reggae sound here. And I think the progression has a light vibe, which I felt suited the high pitched whistling effect. The next piece is more ambient and wandering, eventually filling out. The final piece has some more flow to to it, and I like some of the arco figures here.

Episode 10 One time at Bandcamp May 18, 2023

This podcast comes from the Youtube stream from May 2, 2023 and it’s the 10th episode of the podcast! With this episode I’ve launched my bandcamp subscription page, where you can subscribe and support me directly, and get early access to ad free episodes, individual song downloads and more.

Things start off to a nice relaxed pace with a slightly swinging shuffling pace to things, with an almost waltz like feel to things. The second piece expands on some of the themes from the first jam, which I find is often the case with these sessions. I like the bowed figure in the third piece that starts to develop, which I think adds a bit of cinematic drama. After this is an instrumental rendition of Traveling Light. Then it’s New Groove, from the Sushi Tapes EP, which was first composed on an earlier stream. The next piece has a bit of a nice forward drive to it, and I like the legato layers that give it a kind of meandering river feel. Things get a bit dance-y feeling with a nice bouncy pizzicato riff with some fun arco harmonies over top. The final piece takes a little while to develop, but I really like the melody that finally develops. It’s funny to listen back to it how I can hear hints of the final melody start to trickle in and I keep wanting it to land, and thankfully I think it finally does.

Episode 9 Nineties Feel May 01, 2023

This twitch stream from Thursday April 27th 2023 started off with a nice mellow vibe, reminiscent of some of the jammier bands I used to listen to in the 90’s. I’m not sure what it is that gives things a 90’s sound to me, maybe it’s a feeling of optimism I associate with the time, or the lighter sort of dancey sound to the notes, but maybe it could just be the emergence of Spring that’s putting me in that mood. Things get a little more contemplative and moody with the second piece, which takes a little bit longer to coalesce, but I think there were some nice melodic moments here and there. About halfway in I start to develop a simple descending theme that I try to develop over different progressions. I think I almost get there with it, kind of creating a 50’s dreamy bop sound like a Chad and Jeremy song or something along those lines, or hints of it anyway. I ended things with a song that I’ve developed over the course of streaming and will eventually release as a standalone song that’s called “Regular Sick.” Thank you so much for listening!

Episode 8 Quicksteppin’ Apr 28, 2023

Things started off to a quicker pace in this Youtube stream from Tuesday April 25, 2023, with a couple of fun little uptempo pieces. So much of the feeling of a piece is dictated by the percussion loop, and I just like to wing it and see what comes from trying out the first thing that comes to mind. The second piece is much jazzier, partially inspired by what I was listening to earlier in the day - my recent discovery of incredible jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby and her album Afro-Harping. For the third jam I kind of brought it back to a 90’s kind of feel, ending with more of a roots rock type of all hands riff. A couple of meandering pieces half way through, I think I almost got where I was trying to go with the 5th piece, sometimes It’s hard to truly arrive when you’re searching in the dark for a resolution to things. At 44 minutes is Midnight Bloom from Conclusion, followed by the Voyage Home. I finished things up with a piece that was originally written for a soundtrack, but has evolved over the course of streaming to a newer version that I will eventually release as a standalone song called Bamboo 2.

Episode 7 Cello Godzilla Apr 24, 2023

This episode comes from the twitch stream on Thursday April 20, 2023. I had just been messing around making some AI art, specifically images of Godzilla playing cello over his most recent destruction of a city in Japan. This imagery, as silly as it may seem was the inspiration for the first couple of pieces, which have a bit of a sad destructive tone to them. Things lighten up quite a bit for the third jam at around 18 minutes in, with a nice little riff that grows out of a strange delay effect I found and ending up with a fun whistle effect I also have, and am always careful to use sparingly. After that was a little Toki Doki. Around 45 minutes in I kind of hit on an interesting darker and heavier theme, more in the vein of the destruction of a city by a giant monster. I land on some cool ideas I think, not without some occasional wrong notes, but they kind of add to the ambience of doom in a strange way. Then a more mellow meandering piece followed finally by Dreams.

A little AI art I created of Cello Godzilla using the second piece from the stream

Episode 6 Throwback Tuesday Apr 22, 2023

Lots of older pieces from the Youtube stream on Tuesday April 18, 2023. Sometimes I’m not feeling as creative and so it’s nice to just jam out some of my older pieces. Sometimes I’ll think I’m writing something new, but it’ll just be an iteration of an older piece. That’s kind of what happened at about 10 minutes in when I realized I was just playing Fight to Make it Up. After that is a piece originally conceived in a stream a while ago that I’ve been working on over time called “Kicking Rocks” which is yet to be released. Then some Light the Flame, followed by a little creative burst, and then Nobody Said and to finish things off Reversing.

Episode 5 Rainy Day Tango Apr 18, 2023

This episode comes from the live twitch stream on Thursday, April 13 2023. Once again things got a bit ambient about halfway through, turning a bit dark even at about the 30 minute mark. I’d just been joking with the live viewers about how Spotify wouldn’t allow my all music podcast on their platform, as they require any music in a podcast to be channeled through their music tool so they can extract all its monetary value, and more efficiently crush independent artistic spirit. I suppose that some of my misgivings about the ever-presence of algorithms and the control they exert in our daily lives can be felt around this moment. About 39 minutes in after some meandering I played Exposition from the album of the same name. This is followed by the piece that the episode get its name from, which viewers commented had a “rainy day tango” kind of feel to it. I finished things up with Toki Doki from the album Conclusion. Thank you to all who have listened and subscribed thus far, I truly appreciate your 5 star ratings!!

Episode 4 Youtubesdays Apr 14, 2023

Episode 3 Mello Cellotron Apr 10, 2023

This instrumental jam comes from the Twitch stream on Thursday April 6, 2023. I was feeling in a bit of a funk to start things off, but I found my groove at around the 50 minute mark with a fun harmonic progression that allowed for a nice build. Listening back I think there were some other nice improvs in here too, with a dark and mysterious one at 43 minutes in. I also threw in some older songs of mine, including Bamboo 2 at 26:30, an instrumental version of Traveling Light at 34:30 and to finish everything off Voyage Home from Momotaro at 57 minutes.

It’s funny how at the time of doing these I sometimes feel like I’ve missed the mark, but when I listen back I’m able to hear more things that I like than I expected to. It’s kind of a nice musical journal in that way for me, since I can reflect on things in a new light and find something more positive about it all than at the time of the compositional experience. It reinforces something I’ve long felt about the whole artistic process too, which is that it’s most important to just consistently show up rather than sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike. In other words if you’re already in place chipping away at something, you’ll be perfectly poised to take advantage when inspiration does strike, as opposed to only then picking up the tools to begin the process.

Episode 2 String Theories Apr 07, 2023

Live composed on Twitch April 4, 2023

Episode 1 For Relaxing Times April 3, 2023 Apr 03, 2023

The music from this episode was all composed and performed live during a Twitch stream on March 30, 2023. Twitch username Takenobumusic.

Mellow Cello Podcast Trailer Apr 03, 2023

Background music taken from episode 1 For Relaxing Times