Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Beth Bryant.
Hi Mary Beth, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Acworth, Georgia. I received my business degree in 2003 and then decided to pursue cello studies from Martha Gerschefski. She showed me that it really is possible to play cello beautifully– with a huge amount of work and a few tears and frustration– and it’s all 100% totally worth it. I then went to graduate school at the Hartt School of music in Connecticut.
I practice yoga daily at Yonder Yoga and I believe there are so many parallels between my yoga practice and my music practice. The mindfulness, breath work and balance are tools I like to weave into my lessons. I love teaching and I love creating cellists that play beautifully. When my students give me goosebumps– it makes me so happy. This is another reason why I teach.
I met my husband on tour with the Sigmund Romberg Orchestra Christmas show. I knew instantly we were going to be married. Our ten years anniversary is this July!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
In 2017, I found myself saying yes to every job and every student that came my way and I became radically overwhelmed. My sleep suffered which then triggered daily migraine headaches. My doctor ordered an MRI to rule out anything serious and when the results came in, my doctor told me I had a brain tumor. The following week I got a follow-up scan. As it turns out, the first scan just showed a shadow which resembled a tumor – so there was never a tumor on the first scan. Though that was good news, I had residual anxiety which is why I sought out yoga. It made a tremendous impact on my mental state. I feel strong physically which means I feel strong mentally. And I have learned the art of saying “no” to work. My husband also started doing yoga as he watched me fall in love with it and he is now is a yoga teacher.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love teaching cello. I love watching my students transform from pre-twinkle music to the Haydn C major cello concerto. Every child can learn how to play the cello and I am certain of it. It may take shorter for some and longer for others. You may fail sometimes and you will learn and you will succeed and then you may fail again and learn even harder. With grit and sweat, I am 100% sure my students can become beautiful cellists. My ultimate goal in my studio is to create confident cellists who understand what it takes to get there.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I tried to quit playing cello in 9th grade, but I was required to be in an art course so I auditioned for chorus. I didn’t get in, so I stuck with cello.
I used to be painfully shy. I went to Australia by myself when I was 22 and that forced me to meet people. It cured my shyness.
Contact Info:
- Website: Cellolessonswithmarybeth.com
- Facebook: Cello lessons with Mary Beth
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/lessonswithmb/videos
Image Credits:
Alice Hong
