We have a lot of incredible people teaching for our programs, and while our students get to work with them every week, we know that our wider community might not know them!
We fell off of the Teacher Feature Wagon for a month when Covid-19 hit, but we’re back! Our featured teacher for April, Betsy Rettig, is the Cello/Bass coach for Academy Philharmonic and a cello teacher in our Bergmann Project. She is also a SMMUSD Dream Strings coach at John Adams Middle School!
EM: How long have you been teaching for Elemental Music?
BR: I started teaching Bergmann lessons and coaching for Elemental Music in 2017.
EM: How did you get started playing your instrument?
BR: I started playing cello in 4th grade, in my elementary school music program - like many of our Elemental Music students!
EM: What inspired you to become a professional musician and music teacher?
BR: I was very lucky to be a part of two really great youth orchestras where I grew up in Tucson, AZ. I started in Tucson Jr. Strings when I was in elementary school and stayed with that group, moving up through the different orchestra levels and chamber music programs until I graduated from high school. Even when I stopped cello for a brief time, I was drawn back to it by the awesome, supportive music community I found in the teachers and students in these programs.
EM: What is one of your favorite musical memories?
BR: Some of my favorite musical memories are of the summer chamber music camp up in the mountains that I attended in middle and high school – setting up rehearsal spaces in the woods, practicing on a log after hiking somewhere with your cello…
I also had a fantastic time touring in Europe when I was in a band based out of Milwaukee, WI. When you are travelling and performing every day, you share the most incredible (often unexpected) experiences with your other musical collaborators, and meet the coolest people!
EM: If you could give our students one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, what would it be?
BR: Take advantage of your time in these ensembles we share – make new friends, prepare your music as much as you can…it’s way more fun when you aren’t worried about not practicing! Remember how important you are to any group you are in. You don’t have to be the best player in the orchestra to make a gigantic contribution to the music – every player’s sound coming together creates the larger sound that is the orchestra!