Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Interview with Daniel Dickson
F E A T U R E
Interview with Daniel Dickson
What is your favorite genre of music?
Classical by far. I do love rock and roll, and some indie/folk, but when driving cross country, I pack my bag with my 10 Mahler Symphony CDs.
How old were you when you first learned to play an instrument?
I played the glockenspiel when I was 6 under the instruction of some local nuns, but I think that traumatized me more than anything else. I started piano when I was 9, and cello two years later at age 11. Ironically I picked the cello out of laziness, because that was the only instrument that got to sit down when being played!
How is playing cello different than piano?
They are both so different. Piano teaches your brain to process lots of notes very quickly, while cello teaches you to be aware of every position and shape of your hands. It really is like comparing apples and oranges.
Who were some of your most inspiring teachers?
My most inspiring teacher was Joanna Hodges. I started lessons with her when I was 11 years old, and took from her for 5 years. She was the first teacher who taught me how to truly play music and enjoy it. She has sinned passed away, but every time I play the piano I think about her and the things she taught me. Many of the very things she had me do I make my students do.
What was your most memorable performance?
This is a tough question to answer. I have played over 2,000 concerts in my lifetime and there are so many that are memorable in their own ways. One of my more memorable performances was at a piano recital during my studies with Ms. Hodges. I learned, memorized, and performed Chopin's Scherzo in C# minor in 2 weeks. Granted this was not my best performance, but for a 13 year-old kid to memorize 23 pages of music in 2 weeks makes for a good story!
How often did you practice when you were a kid and how have your practices changed since you became a professional?
Since I was homeschooled I was able to practice a lot more than my friends. In addition to my piano practicing, my parents made me practice with my siblings for 1 1/2 hours every day, not counting my cello practicing. Ironically enough, I hardly practiced cello when I was in middle school and high school. On a good week I would practice maybe 2 hours, whereas on piano I could practice for up to 10 hours a day before my parents would force me to stop!
What do you like most about teaching young musicians?
Every student is different. I think this is what drives me as a teacher. Some students will excel at things and others will not. It is almost like a game that you have to constantly be thinking and evolving during. Watching students enjoy learning is the greatest thing in the world to me.
What is your best advice to students who want to learn a new instrument or improve their playing?
Do not be afraid of something new, whether it be a new instrument, piece of music, or technical feat. Success is a mindset. If you approach a new challenge with a positive mindset you will always be able to master it.
Any upcoming performances we should know about?
In the next couple of weeks there are two big performances. October 18, 2017, is the first concert in a series I set in Norfolk, aimed towards school kids and non-musicians. That concert is on the Note-worthy Facebook page. The second concert is one of the biggest concerts I will play this year. I was asked by Boston University to solo with the orchestra playing Dvorak's cello concerto. This performance is October 21, 2017, at Boston University and is free and open to the public.
When you are not performing or teaching what do you like to do?
I love playing volleyball, and I actually play on the Boston University team! I also love playing board games, and you will see me at my most competitive during a game of Monopoly!
Classical by far. I do love rock and roll, and some indie/folk, but when driving cross country, I pack my bag with my 10 Mahler Symphony CDs.
How old were you when you first learned to play an instrument?
I played the glockenspiel when I was 6 under the instruction of some local nuns, but I think that traumatized me more than anything else. I started piano when I was 9, and cello two years later at age 11. Ironically I picked the cello out of laziness, because that was the only instrument that got to sit down when being played!
How is playing cello different than piano?
They are both so different. Piano teaches your brain to process lots of notes very quickly, while cello teaches you to be aware of every position and shape of your hands. It really is like comparing apples and oranges.
Who were some of your most inspiring teachers?
My most inspiring teacher was Joanna Hodges. I started lessons with her when I was 11 years old, and took from her for 5 years. She was the first teacher who taught me how to truly play music and enjoy it. She has sinned passed away, but every time I play the piano I think about her and the things she taught me. Many of the very things she had me do I make my students do.
What was your most memorable performance?
This is a tough question to answer. I have played over 2,000 concerts in my lifetime and there are so many that are memorable in their own ways. One of my more memorable performances was at a piano recital during my studies with Ms. Hodges. I learned, memorized, and performed Chopin's Scherzo in C# minor in 2 weeks. Granted this was not my best performance, but for a 13 year-old kid to memorize 23 pages of music in 2 weeks makes for a good story!
How often did you practice when you were a kid and how have your practices changed since you became a professional?
Since I was homeschooled I was able to practice a lot more than my friends. In addition to my piano practicing, my parents made me practice with my siblings for 1 1/2 hours every day, not counting my cello practicing. Ironically enough, I hardly practiced cello when I was in middle school and high school. On a good week I would practice maybe 2 hours, whereas on piano I could practice for up to 10 hours a day before my parents would force me to stop!
What do you like most about teaching young musicians?
Every student is different. I think this is what drives me as a teacher. Some students will excel at things and others will not. It is almost like a game that you have to constantly be thinking and evolving during. Watching students enjoy learning is the greatest thing in the world to me.
What is your best advice to students who want to learn a new instrument or improve their playing?
Do not be afraid of something new, whether it be a new instrument, piece of music, or technical feat. Success is a mindset. If you approach a new challenge with a positive mindset you will always be able to master it.
Any upcoming performances we should know about?
In the next couple of weeks there are two big performances. October 18, 2017, is the first concert in a series I set in Norfolk, aimed towards school kids and non-musicians. That concert is on the Note-worthy Facebook page. The second concert is one of the biggest concerts I will play this year. I was asked by Boston University to solo with the orchestra playing Dvorak's cello concerto. This performance is October 21, 2017, at Boston University and is free and open to the public.
When you are not performing or teaching what do you like to do?
I love playing volleyball, and I actually play on the Boston University team! I also love playing board games, and you will see me at my most competitive during a game of Monopoly!
