Here is the first of 12 Piatti tutorial videos!

It was so much fun putting this video together :). Instead of recording in a standard classroom, hall or studio, I thought it would be more interesting to film it in a casual space - my girlfriend's apartment in New Haven. Thanks, Marissa for your wonderful cinematography! :) I hope to record the next 11 in as many different spaces as I can, wherever I may be at the time. These videos are spontaneous and unscripted, mostly improvised, so that makes it all the more interesting because I myself don't know what will happen! I've tried to keep it as concise and direct as I can, and I hope these will serve you well.

I am excited to have this become a long term project of mine that not only benefits you, the listeners, but also myself and my own playing. Having to sit in front of a camera and articulate on the spot exactly how I perform certain techniques and produce different sounds and colors is not so easy, and with just one video, this has already taken my overall awareness of my cello playing and my physical motions to a much higher level. I urge all of you, next time you practice, to make the most of this sense of awareness - experiment with different motions and sounds, figure out what works for you and your body, think about why some things work and some don't. Ultimately, learn to become your own teacher!

As we were filming this first video, Marissa, our lovely cinematographer, thought it would be amusing to make me laugh at the most inappropriate moments - eg. midway through an explanation or demonstration. I wasn't so thankful at the time, but let me thank you now for keeping the atmosphere so casual and fun!

Being the first video, this one isn't perfect. But I hope they will get better and more helpful as they go on!