Number 31 - Started and will continue!

So, number 31 on the list was for me to improve my Cello playing and write and arrange for it more.  Well, with me having recently undertaken recording 10 original tracks by Britt Harris I've found the perfect opportunity to improve and experiment with my Cello playing.  One track of hers called "Mocking Bird" was crying out for some almost double-bass style playing to add a cheeky, jazzy vibe to the song and it's worked well.  I've been chatting to another producer about the track and he reckons some low, bowed Cello would work under the second verse, so I might just add that in too.

Another track "Glass Houses" called for much more subtle bowed Cello work, adding some lovely sonorous and sustained notes underpinning the beautiful delicate guitar that Britt had laid down.

Collaborating in this way, and allowing other people's writing to inspire me is really helping release some of that creative tension that sometimes builds up after you've just released an album and you're promoting it and playing songs from it and pushing it when sometimes all you want to do is play or write something new.  

It's really great to have so many musical friends to bounce ideas off, and playing the Cello has literally added another string to my bow, well 4 strings actually :)

Here's a little picture of me when I first bought the cello nervously holding onto it for dear life in Wednesday's garden.  I hope next time you see me with it, it might be at an open mic or gig playing alongside one of my friends - more practice needed though, so I'm counting this one as a half-ticked box to be updated :)