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July 5, 2013
Violinist explores genres
Rebecca Cherry achieves creative successes.
OLGA LIVSHIN
As the daughter of two professional musicians, it was almost destined that Rebecca Cherry become a violinist.
“Rebecca was registered for the Suzuki violin course at the Vancouver Academy of Music soon after she was born,” her father Gordon Cherry, formerly with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (as principal trombonist), told the Independent. “When she was three, she began her first classes at the school and was given a tiny violin. The Suzuki approach involves a heavy involvement from a parent, and her mother Joyce [a pianist] was there to coach her at home between lessons and classes. This is part of Suzuki’s ‘Mother Tongue’ approach of treating early music like learning a language.”
Rebecca Cherry recalls that, as a child, she was interested in many things: “Like other young girls, I wanted to be a ballerina or an archeologist,” she said in a phone interview. “I wanted to explore the world but, as my abilities with the violin grew, I became more enchanted with the instrument, more focused on music.”
Cherry’s musical path, which originated in her native Vancouver, led her to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and, from there, to New York. “New York is the centre of music and arts, the top of the musical world,” she said. “It was the obvious choice for a musician.”
She arrived in New York in 2001, a few weeks before 9/11. The tragic events of that day and their aftermath cemented her connection with the city. “I was a relief aid volunteer after 9/11,” she explained. “I helped with the evacuation, brought food to the rescue workers.”
She has seen the city at its worst and at its best and although she has left it several times for prolonged professional engagements – a Lion King tour in 2003, and stints with the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, the London Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony and the VSO – she has always returned. New York is her home.
Cherry’s childhood dream of exploring the world is coming true, and her journey involves not only places but also musical styles and genres. Like her parents, she started with classical but wouldn’t confine herself to its strict protocols. “I love playing great music with great musicians,” she said. “It’s not about the genres. It’s about the quality of music.”
She belongs to a generation of musicians who blend classical and popular music. “It is important to stay viable and current as an artist, regardless of your instrument or genre,” she said. “I have been influenced by so much in my life. As I started to explore more styles of music on my instrument, it became clear that this was a direction that I wanted to follow. I still play traditional classical music, and I love it. It’s not about making a separation, more about having freedom to play other genres and bring the violin into current music while keeping it viable.”
As a musician unconnected with any specific orchestra, Cherry is always discovering new venues for musical experimentation. One of them is The Lost Victrola Sessions / The Violinist (Mulatta Records, 2011). Focused on the opium culture of New York in the 1900s and its influence on the arts, the project incorporates many modes of expression, resulting in a seamless, multifaceted whole. It weaves together live music by Dave Soldier and a black and white film The Violinist, stylized as an old, silent documentary. Cherry plays the lead role in the movie and performs on the violin.
The music of Sessions mixes retro and folk tunes, rock and classical influences. Cherry’s violin laments the lost times and bemoans the misguided souls. Her strings and bow weep in grief and soar in joy; they intrigue and provoke. The entire project is further evidence of music’s ability to explore complex, loaded themes such as drug use.
In addition to her solo performances, Cherry composes music for television, movies and commercials. In 2008, her piece for monster.com won a Clio Award, “presented annually to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication.”
She is also a member of two distinct musical ensembles. Cherry joined Divhan three years ago. An all-female ensemble dedicated to Middle Eastern and Sephardi music, Divhan performs locally and internationally, their music highlighting the common ground between diverse Middle Eastern cultures and religions. The other group is Rebelles, about which Cherry said, “It is a new all-female trio. It includes a DJ, electric violin and electric cello. We play live remixes of current pop music. We formed the group in 2013.”
Cherry explained, “There is a big difference between playing alone and playing in a group. A group or ensemble involves working with others, building relationships, collaborations, etc. When you are alone, you are making more of the decisions on your own.”
Gordon Cherry, who admires his daughter’s free-spirited musicality, said: “Rebecca has always been a creator, much more so than her mother or I. I’m a re-creator, a performer. I make others’ music as beautiful as possible, but Rebecca wants to create her own in anything she touches – classical music or jazz, rock or Jewish tunes. Even in the kitchen, she is a creator. I would follow a recipe. She would make her own.”
For more information, visit rebeccacherry.com.
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
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