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Jennifer Richardson put her cello in the closet for 15 years. She had had early success as a classical musician and was a section cellist in a symphony orchestra by age 17. She had the skills, the talent, and the musicianship to continue a professional classical career, but something didn't jive. Rehearsals conflicted with being on stage in musical theater. She couldn't imagine playing in the pit. And classical music wasn't her favorite.
One day in a Musical Artists Workshop she brought her cello out of the closet to play in a staged performance of the song, "I Hope You Dance," where three women represented one person: a cellist, a singer/guitarist, and a dancer. The cello helped bring that piece to a heart-centered place. She felt it. The audience felt it. And she learned that she could think outside the classical box, look away from the score, and find the cello voice in a piece of pop music. She discovered that she can hear a cello part (when one doesn't exist yet), hum it, then figure out the notes on the cello. It is an exciting departure from the classical training of "play what is written."
Today she plays on stages all over Los Angeles, in musicals, for bands and with singer/songwriters. She loves doing session recordings. And she thrives on combining her joy of being in the spotlight as a performer and actress with the talent she has a cellist to make a piece of art soar to depths of feeling unique to the cello.
MUSICALS
Jen has played cello on stage and off in musicals such as Annie (Grace Farrell onstage and cellist offstage), The Good Woman of Setzuan (the cello and erhu-playing Niece), James Joyce's The Dead (The Cellist), Barnum (Cello-playing Cirque Player), Cabaret (cello-playing Rosie in the Kit Kat Klub Band), West Side Story (cello-playing Velma) and more.
She has also starred in many musicals without the cello. When she played Maria in The Sound of Music, she toyed with the idea of toting the cello around instead of the guitar, but somehow, it just didn't seem to fit. (She learned to play the guitar, however, and LOVES the fact of frets.) Other favorite roles include Eliza in My Fair Lady, Linda in Blood Brothers, Pirate Ruby Red in Yo Ho Ho: A Pirates' Christmas, Bet in Oliver, and Beatles Gospel Choir member in Both: A Hard Day's Silent Night.
SINGER/SONGWRITERS AND RECORDINGS
Jen is playing lots of venues this year with singer/songwriters and bands. In March 2011 she joined Grammy-nominated and platinum recording artist Harriet Schock's band at three venues, played with David Babich's band Redlight Camera, performed for Elysa Gomez in a Cabaret Idol contest, and performed with singer/songwriter Bill Berry. She has recorded for artists Kyle Puccia, Gina Starbuck, Skyline, Phoebe Carter and more. Occasionally she gets to play with multi-artist Caroline Waters, whose music inspires her to be the best cellist she can be. You can hear samplings of Jen's recordings on her website listed below.
CLASSICAL PERFORMANCES
Jen still enjoys playing a bit of classical in chamber-style at special events like weddings, proposals, holiday parties, and church services with violinist, Eden Livingood.
JEN'S WEBSITE: http://www.web-jen.com/cello
JEN'S FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/web.jennieanydots |
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Member Spotlight Biography 
