About the Author: Stefan Joubert
Stefan Joubert: How old are you and how long have you been playing the cello?
Anne Gaurier: I am 42 years old and have been playing the cello for 33 years.
Stefan Joubert: What are your first memories of the instrument and what inspired you to start?
Anne Gaurier: I loved hearing my parents play in a quartet at home with friends. I loved lying in my mom's cello case.
Stefan Joubert: Were the first years of learning the cello difficult?
Anne Gaurier: I was mostly interested in sports. The first years were difficult because I didn't understand that I had to work hard every day.
Stefan Joubert: When did you start practicing more seriously?
Anne Gaurier: When I was at the conservatory in Paris around the age of 12, I think.
Stefan Joubert: Can you tell me about Madame Cochet? What did she do for your development and practice of the cello?
Anne Gaurier : She was an excellent teacher. She really taught me how to work on the instrument and become rigorous.
Stefan Joubert : How many hours a day did you practice when you started to take things more seriously?
Anne Gaurier : I worked up to 9 hours a day when I was a student in Paris at Philippe Muller's because I didn't have school to attend anymore and could devote my days to it. I used to wake up at 6am to start at 7am.
Stefan Joubert : This is commendable!
Stefan Joubert : At the Paris Music Institute, we specialise in teaching music to adults. What advice would you give to an adult who is starting to play the cello?
Anne Gaurier : Not to be discouraged if the sound takes a long time to be pleasant to listen to and always work in a relaxed way.
Stefan Joubert : Do you think everyone can learn?
Anne Gaurier : Of course.
Stefan Joubert : What is your teaching philosophy?
Anne Gaurier : Fun, enthusiasm and relaxation.
Stefan Joubert : How do you assess the progress of your students?
Anne Gaurier : By listening to the sound that becomes more and more interesting and seeing their dexterity evolve over time!
Stefan Joubert: How do you help students overcome difficulties?
Anne Gaurier: I like to find ways for them to work as if they were playing games.
Stefan Joubert: It's wonderful! It's a great idea!
Stefan Joubert: What do you think is the most important thing for a cello student to know?
Anne Gaurier: That without serious and regular practice, there will be no progress. The teacher is there to give the keys to learning and not to make them succeed in a piece from the first lesson.
Stefan Joubert: How do you help a student at the beginning of the course to read the notes correctly?
Anne Gaurier: By playing games according to their age, of course.
Stefan Joubert: Thank you!
Stefan Joubert: When did you start learning the viola da gamba?
Anne Gaurier: I think it was 13 years ago. (Interview was conducted in 2023)
Stefan Joubert: What inspired you to start?
Anne Gaurier: By listening to baroque music. I absolutely didn't know this magnificent sound that I was hearing!
Stefan Joubert: How do you maintain your technique and skills on both instruments?
Anne Gaurier: By working and practicing regularly.
Stefan Joubert: Is teaching the viola da gamba very different from teaching the cello?
Anne Gaurier: The teaching system is the same. However, the instruments are very different.
Stefan Joubert: Thank you!
Stefan Joubert: What are your goals for the future of your musical career?
Anne Gaurier: To teach more and more students and continue my career as a cellist in an orchestra, as well as my solo career or chamber music on the viola da gamba.
Stefan Joubert: Thank you Anne for your time.
Stefan Joubert: One last question: what advice would you give to an adult cellist who is having difficulties, who feels like giving up... what can you say to encourage them?
Anne Gaurier: To remember why they started in the first place. Usually, the answer will be because of their love for the instrument.
Anne Gaurier is a French cellist and gambist, specialising in baroque music. She has studied with renowned musicians. She is also an experienced teacher and teaches at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse. She performs regularly as a soloist, in chamber music and with orchestras.
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