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CHRISTINE GAGE !

Christine Gage, from Dingwall in the Highlands of Scotland, was always passionate about the cello, but the closest teacher was too far for her to travel to. Fortunately in the year 2019, she found a Chinese cello with a remarkable history, owned by a woman named Wendy Hunter. She bought the cello, which she named Wendy in honour of its first owner, and soon started to taking lessons. 

Her first few lessons with Tam Hardy in Paisley, Scotland, flew by and Christine quickly moved up to grade 2, though she had trouble getting used to the backing tracks. Dorothy Braker was able to give her a lot of help with this, despite living in the US. Suddenly, her progress stumbled as her beloved dog became ill and Christine was unable to concentrate on the cello playing. She continued to play around her dog to help soothe it, though she kept the mute on. 

John McRae was her next teacher, from Inverness, Scotland. In his long two hour lessons, Christine would sit beside him while he played, feeling somewhat relaxed with the music he created. This helped improve her playing, and with Laurence Hughes’ support and guidance on Grade 3 pieces and Ness Sinfonia, she was soon ready to join an orchestra. 

Though initially hesitant, Christine eventually joined the orchestra, taking on the challenge of rehearsing and learning music for the first time since grade two. Her cello was always a source of comfort for her during this time, helping her remember why she started playing in the first place. 

Christine’s musical journey certainly tied in with her other hobbies. She had learned to swim and eventually became a swim teacher. She also enjoyed cooking and baking, finally mastering bread-making after relying on a bread maker for too long. Christine even found the time to improve her Spanish-language skills. 

Christine was finally able to fulfill her dream of just playing the cello well and joining an orchestra. With her loved ones’ support and her own determination, she did it. Although Christine’s cello lacks the fancy label of other instruments, its story is far more interesting than most. Most importantly, Christine learned an invaluable lesson: to have the courage to take on a challenge, even when you can’t predict the outcome.

This is Christine’s third GCP!

STRING COMBINATIONS: D&G Larsen, Pirastro Evan Pirazzi A, C unknown

FAV PIECE: Stairway to Heaven