Keith Williams, Professor of Cello

Before he was 20, Keith had performed in the five greatest concert halls across the world. His performing career across multiple genres has garnered numerous solo awards, chamber music accolades, and principal positions in multiple orchestras. Keith completed his cello studies with Juilliard professor of cello and world-renowned pedagogue Timothy Eddy for his Bachelor’s Degree, and internationally celebrated soloist Ralph Kirshbaum for his Master of Music Degree. A passionate educator, Keith completed his first teaching certification in highschool and has taught ever since.

Kids are more neurologically plastic and flexible, but have little focus, and must be “tricked” into learning with games, whereas adults have greater ability focus, work ethic, and discipline, are better at “eating their vegetables” for a long-term gain, and crucially, are less plastic than children. They are able to be taught how to learn most effectively, as opposed to tricked into learning. If an adult is taught in a way that takes this into account, they can actually be up to cello-playing speed quite quickly, instead of languishing for years in method books designed for children, wondering when they will ever get to play real repertoire. While this difference between adults and children seems self-evident to most, the application of it is severely under-utilized in the way adults are taught stringed instruments, resulting in a demographic of people who believe it is perpetually “too late for them to learn.” No, it is not too late for them to learn to play the cello competently and beautifully – they are just being taught in a way that is designed for someone else.