Meet Tess Crowther: Cellist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tess Crowther and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tess, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
That’s a tough question.. I think for me I have a deep sense of trust in the idea that wherever you are is where you are meant to be. There have actually been several times where I have tried to give up, or intended to give up, or did give up for a period of time, but I was pushed (or pulled) back to music and back to playing cello. So I don’t think there is really a way to know, I think you just have to follow your intuition as best you can, and the pieces will fall exactly where they should. If you really feel in your heart that you’re not happy and you should quit, try. There’s a great quote from one of Elizabeth Gilbert’s books that has always stuck with me “If you happen to discover after a few years away from [your craft] that you have found nothing that takes its place in your life – nothing that fascinates you, or moves you, or inspires you to the same degree that [that] once did… well, then, I’m afraid you will have no choice but to persevere.” Life is to short to spend it doing things you don’t love. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from other cellists in particular is my ability to cross genres fluidly. As much as I love classical music and that’s where my roots are I do a significant amount of work with rock, pop and jazz artists. What I am really excited about and proud of are my recent collaborations with JoslinMusic, you can find those videos on youtube if you want to check them out! How I got to where I am today? Honestly I think a combination of having a totally amazing support system, teachers, friends, colleagues who have been totally indispensable in launching my career, combined with hard work. But it’s hard to take any of the credit, I really wouldn’t be where I am today without those people who have lifted me up. I wouldn’t say it was easy but nothing worth doing is ever easy! I think the most recent lessons I have learned are about the importance of self care. Learning how to slow down in order to speed up. Taking time for reflection and making sure that the direction I am going is really where I want to end up so that I am not just running in circles. I had heard these things so much and never really believed how much power and truth there was to it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Favorite place for eats, unquestionably is Velvet Taco. But lets be serious, if it’s a whole week? Cafe Madrid, Roti Grill, LA Burger, Baboush, omg do I need to go on? I live right by west village and there is so much good food and eats near me. But also, Katy Trail and White Rock lake are amazing places to go for walks and spend time outside. Beautiful trails and lets be honest, it’s quarantine times and going for walks is maybe the best activity for rn… hehe

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout first and foremost to David Hetherington. He was my teacher for two years when I lived in Toronto and he totally transformed my cello playing and consequently my life. It’s sort of a funny story how I met him, this was one of the times when I was turning away from music, just feeling really depressed and down and like maybe music wasn’t for me. So I was signed up to audition for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (for like the 3rd unsuccessful year in a row), but I got an email about my audition saying that a lot of people wanted my time slot and was I sure I wanted to audition? So I thought this is my sign, and I cancelled the audition. A few months later I got an email from David Hetherington (who was and still is the main cello coach at NYOC) saying that they were still looking for cellists, and was there any chance I would still be interested in auditioning? So I said yes, I auditioned, I was accepted, I had my first lesson with David, and it was so eye opening that I immediately set in motion plans to switch schools to continue studying with him. If I had to credit one person for any of my successes it would be him. The other mentors and teachers in my life that have been totally critical to my development both personally and as a musician I would not have met if it weren’t for David accepting me as a student and believing in me. Making the switch to his school (The Glenn Gould School) was where I met Andres Diaz, my next teacher and another totally monumental figure in my life. He is the reason I moved to Dallas to study at Southern Methodist University, and that’s where I met my next greatest mentor Sasha Adkins. Living in Dallas and the connections I have made here is what has launched my career, so I am so thankful to all these people. Looking backwards it seems so linear and so clear where my life was taking me but of course when you’re in the middle of it, it always feels like a mess. So to anyone out there who is feeling lost, another favorite quote of mine is from the Desiderata “you are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”

Website: https://www.tesscrowther.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tesscrowther
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-crowther-7212217b/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tesscrowthermusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQ4f09O-oPuhZcCPejao1w/

Image Credits
Connor Kent Joslin D’Sousa Robbie Higgenbottom