At four years old, my little brother’s two favorite activities were riding on our dad’s lap on the big John Deere tractor and playing the cello. Today, James is still playing the cello, and his son Elijah gets to sit on his lap as he plays.
James and his family spent several days with us over the holidays, and we had a blast playing Bach and bluegrass around the house. We also got to share some music at a local retirement home, as we did countless times growing up.
James is a world-class, international prize-winning cellist, and we discussed his 20-year journey from starting the cello at age 4 to how he landed a job as cellist with the “Pershing’s Own” U.S. Army Strings. You will not meet a more humble guy in the profession, and I am proud to see how James loves and cares for his family amid his excellent musical pursuits.
Navigating music and parenthood is a lifelong journey, so come learn with us. This is the first podcast episode of The Musical Father, and you can gain future episodes and regular articles on music, family, and the polyphonic life of J.S. Bach by subscribing at themusicalfather.substack.com.
The intro music for the podcast comes from a very special memory of James and I playing together just before he left for boot camp for his current role.
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