Kendra Grittani is an experienced cellist, having started playing at only four years old. Kendra has completed her Masters in cello performance at McGill University with accomplished symphonic and chamber musician, and cello professor, Elizabeth Dolin.
Kendra has performed with various orchestras including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the McGill Opera Orchestra, the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, the Thunderbay Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.
Recently, after forming the piano trio, Trio Meira, the chamber group swept the McGill Chamber Music Competition 2018, being awarded 1st prize. Along with a debut performance in Montreal, Trio Meira was awarded a week long residency at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Kendra has also had the privilege to perform alongside accomplished professionals such as Axel Strauss, Stephane Lemelin, Elizabeth Dolin, Ariel Barnes, Riko Higuma and many more. Kendra is currently a substitute musician with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra cello section, the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony cello section, and the Thunderbay Symphony Orchestra cello section. Kendra is working as a freelance cellist, chamber musician and as a private teacher in Toronto.
Get to know Kendra…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Aerial Acrobatics, animal care.
Musical influences: Johannes Moser and Santiago Cañon-Valencia
Favourite food: Sushi
Least favourite food: onion
Favourite music: Esperanza Spalding and Ariana Grande
Favourite song: Midnight in Harlem – Tadeschi Trucks Band
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Hamilton
Favourite book: The Book Thief
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Exchanging teaching techniques with other excellent teachers
Latest Homework from KENDRA
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Matthew – Nov 22nd
Hi Matthew!
Great job with the bow this week. It is starting to look a lot more natural.
Slurred String Crossings
- 2 beats on C, 2 beats on G. Devide the bow in two parts. 4 beats on the up bow (push bow)
- Drop the elbow as it comes into the cello, this will keep the tip going in the correct
- reach around the cello with a straight arm on the A string to keep the right bow trajectory
Scales with the bow
- Raise the left arm for the C and G strings – make sure there isn’t a bend in the wrist
- Be aware of the left thumb. is it bent is it relaxed?
- be aware of your bow hold. Are some fingers pointing out?
- Don’t forget to drop the bow elbow on the up (push) bow
- Make sure the left hand doesn’t become “slanted” on the A string
Start the second octave of C major. Make sure you use the 2nd finger for F and C natural. Add the bow – one note per bow.
French folk song – Intonation and bow angle was SO GOOD
- tempo: make sure all quarter notes are even. increase tempo slightly
- make sure long notes are a full 3 beats
- work with a metronome = 75 for the quarter note is goal tempo. start at 65, increase metronome slowly, once you are ale to play through successfully without mistakes or stopping
- use a little bit less bow. We don’t always need to use the whole bow. Utilize a slower bow speed and you will get a clearer and more controlled sound
- use your open strings to think ahead
Tucka tucka stop stop w/ Twinkle
- less bow
- do the rhythm slightly slower, think about the swinging pendulum of your bow arm.
- The bow arm initiates the bow stroke
- make sure to pull first
- bow elbow up on the A string. straighten ou the arm and come around the cello
Twinkle straight rhythm
- use 2/3rds of the bow. start a little further out in the bow, and don’t travel completely to the tip of the bow
Lighlty Row
- pluck along with the recording. listen for intonation. You’ll find the video at the link below. Have a good week :)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16KULY7zr5kkfeaTcnsBjX_Cu2fN4i6Hl/view?usp=sharing
Preferred Books for Kendra’s Students
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Suzuki Cello School
Teach cello with the popular Suzuki Cello School. The Suzuki Method(R) of Talent Education is based on Shinichi Suzuki’s view that every child is born with ability, and that people are the product of their environment. According to Shinichi Suzuki, a world-renowned violinist and teacher, the greatest joy an adult can know comes from developing a child’s potential so he/she can express all that is harmonious and best in human beings. Students are taught using the “mother-tongue” approach.
Suzuki Cello School
Teach cello with the popular Suzuki Cello School. The Suzuki Method(R) of Talent Education is based on Shinichi Suzuki’s view that every child is born with ability, and that people are the product of their environment. According to Shinichi Suzuki, a world-renowned violinist and teacher, the greatest joy an adult can know comes from developing a child’s potential so he/she can express all that is harmonious and best in human beings. Students are taught using the “mother-tongue” approach.
Suzuki Cello School
Teach cello with the popular Suzuki Cello School. The Suzuki Method(R) of Talent Education is based on Shinichi Suzuki’s view that every child is born with ability, and that people are the product of their environment. According to Shinichi Suzuki, a world-renowned violinist and teacher, the greatest joy an adult can know comes from developing a child’s potential so he/she can express all that is harmonious and best in human beings. Students are taught using the “mother-tongue” approach.
I Can Read Music
These easy-to-read, progressive exercises by Joanne Martin develop a student’s reading skills one stage at a time, with many repetitions at each stage. I Can Read Music is designed as a first note-reading book for students of string instruments who have learned to play using an aural approach such as the Suzuki Method(R), or for traditionally taught students who need extra note reading practice. Its presentation of new ideas is clear enough that it can be used daily at home by quite young children and their parents, with the teacher checking progress every week or two.
Position Pieces for Cello
Position Pieces for Cello is designed to give students a logical and fun way to learn their way around the fingerboard. Each hand position is introduced with exercises called “Target Practice,” “Geography Quiz,” and “Names and Numbers.” Following these exercises are tuneful cello duets that have been specifically composed to require students to play in that hand position. In this way, students gain a thorough knowledge of how to find the hand positions, and once there, which notes are possible to play.
