A Special Article in Báo Phụ Nữ: Performing Nhật Ký Của Mẹ During My Wife's Labor

I’m honored to share that Báo Phụ Nữ recently featured a story about a deeply meaningful moment in my life—performing Nhật Ký Của Mẹ (A Mother’s Diary) on the cello for my wife, Minh, during the birth of our first child. This song, written by renowned Vietnamese songwriter Nguyễn Văn Chung, holds a special place in our family’s heart, and I’m grateful that Báo Phụ Nữ saw the significance of that moment and wanted to share it with their readers.

Nhật Ký Của Mẹ tells the moving story of a mother’s love, her sacrifices, and the emotional journey she experiences as her child grows. When Minh was in labor, I arranged the song for cello and performed it to comfort her. The song provided a strong sense of connection to her Vietnamese roots at a time when she felt homesick, grounding her in her role as a mother and a Vietnamese woman despite being far from home. This intimate moment resonated with Báo Phụ Nữ, and they beautifully captured the emotion and significance behind it.

Meeting Nguyễn Văn Chung recently was an honor in itself. His songs have touched countless lives, including ours, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share our story in such a respected publication. Minh and I are looking forward to the possibility of collaborating with him in the future, as his music continues to inspire and bring people together.

It’s moments like these that remind me of the powerful ways music can connect us, and I’m so thankful to Báo Phụ Nữ for highlighting that connection in their article.

Performance at Vincom Center for Contemporary Art

Ah, Vincom Center for Contemporary Art, the weekend that just kept on giving! So there I am, at the heart of it all, performing a solo concert under the banner of "connection." I dished out my own compositions, threw in some Saint Saens' swan serenade, and sprinkled the air with the charm of Mua Xuân đầu tiên. But that's just the beginning.

In the midst of my solo serenade, this delightful young girl steps up and paints the air with the beauty of Khat vọng mua Xuân. Not to be outdone, a young lad decides to breakdance during my kid-friendly tunes. And, as if choreographed by fate, professional dancers gracefully join the stage, turning The Swan into a dancefloor spectacle. Talk about an unplanned dance invasion!

Now, solo gigs are their own breed of special, but the real magic happens when collaboration enters the scene. Cue Đàn Đó, the dream team that turned our original compositions into the grand finale of the night. The audience couldn't get enough, and to cap it off, we invited everyone into a circle dance extravaganza. From the beats of Hava Nagila to the soulful strains of Trong Com, the crowd joined in this cultural symphony.

But what made the night truly extraordinary? My immediate and Vietnamese families were there, soaking in the unexpected dance-off, and, lo and behold, my parents flew in from the States to join the celebration. Dressed in Vietnamese áo dài, we all linked hands and swayed to the tunes of Hava Nagila – a scene that would've left my ten-year-old Hebrew school self in disbelief.

Life, as it turns out, is full of surprises. A special tip of the hat to my orchestrator-in-chief, the lovely Bui Tuyết Minh. Not only did she coordinate this delightful chaos, but she also played the MC extraordinaire, captivating the audience and adding the perfect touch to this whirlwind of a night. Cheers to the unpredictable dance of life!

Photos by Vincom Center for Contemporary Art

Chèo Đình Làng Việt Collective Concert

What an unforgettable evening it was performing with the talented Đình Làng Việt collective at their 9th-anniversary show! This marked my very first attempt at playing Chèo and while I was still finding my footing during solo practice sessions, something incredible happened on that stage. As I began to play, surrounded by the mesmerizing sounds of the Chèo band, everything just clicked into place. It was like a musical revelation!

Performance at U.S. Embassy Hanoi on July 26, 2023

I am incredibly honored and humbled to make my return to Vietnam with a beautiful show at U.S. Embassy in Hanoi!

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the U.S. - Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, please join me and my fantastically talented Vietnamese artist friends Ngô Trà My, Phạm Trà My and Tri Minh. The concert will feature music from my new album, Tri Âm, in which I reimagine Vietnamese music through the lens of the cello. I will collaborate with these accomplished artists to create a mesmerizing performance that combines my newly composed works for cello with traditional instruments such as Đàn Tranh and Đàn Bầu. The collaboration will go beyond boundaries as we engage in a profound musical conversation, blending the enchanting sounds of these beautiful instruments with captivating electronic musical elements.

Make sure to register at this link if you'd like to attend in person:
https://creatorapp.zohopublic.com/pashanoi/form/form-perma/Public_Event_Registration/MGWweqynpdwKUUdPgf0GxxHFkTdVJsAkeKMNTxKkzDz5kwnZsjZqznYVrY2q00f4gWb20zp5UrUOWaQMnZBuhXMg4phN4NNCe6ff?fbclid=IwAR0zcYf8-5qWxJZy5wsUSMJhdsNnKn7iF-PXWJpuQUJIDG5-ISgp6N_3U-M

The event will also be livestreamed!

Bryan Wilson Cello Studio Student Recital 2023

Unforgettable Moments at my First Cello Student Recital

I am overjoyed as I reflect on my first cello student recital! The performances were absolutely stunning, and the atmosphere was nothing short of magical. I couldn't be prouder of my incredible students!

But the surprises didn't stop there! My 93-year-old grandpa, my first musical inspiration, graced us with his presence. His support and presence filled my heart with warmth and gratitude because he inspired me to start playing music.

And that's not all! I had the incredible honor of playing alongside my very first music teacher, Larry Marino. It was a nostalgic and profound experience to share the stage with someone who ignited my love for music.

The highlight of the evening was when all my students came together to perform the song, Orange County, from my String Jams book. Everyone took a solo and we jammed out together for the first time ever!

I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who attended and supported our recital. Thank you to my students who continue to inspire me everyday and to their wonderfully supportive parents, who have entrusted me to help them on their musical journey. Many thanks to Center for Modern Dance Education (CMDE) for the beautiful space for my students! Also, amazing filming done by Kan Hsiao. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

This recital marked a milestone in my journey as a teacher, and I am beyond excited for the musical adventures that lie ahead. Here's to many more beautiful moments of inspiration, growth, and unity through music!

Presenting Fearless Improvisation Workshop at ASTA National Conference 2022

I'm very proud to announce that I am presenting my Fearless Improvisation Workshop at the 2022 American String Teachers Association Virtual Conference. The online conference begins tonight and my session is an on-demand class so it can be accessed any time during the conference.

I hope other string teachers will find the information useful in helping their students (and in some cases themselves) start to improvise.

Here's a quick trailer so you can get a sense of the material.

If you'd like to see the whole presentation, you can visit https://www.astastrings.org/ and join the online conference.

Enjoy!

Performing with Rachael Sage's New Poetica Project

I’m really excited to be performing with the amazing Rachael Sage for her new Poetica album release. The music is super cool and is an interesting twist between spoken word and a plethora of diverse musical styles. I’m quite honored to play with Rachael, Kelly Halloran on fiddle, Andy Mac on drums/guitar, and Trina Hamlin on harmonica/vocals. If you’re in NYC, come check out the show!

Groove Study for 3 Cellos

I had the great honor of premiering a new piece called, "Groove Study for 3 Cellos," by a fellow talented (bald) composer from the UK named, Christian Morris ( http://christianmorris.net).

After seeing a video I made a while ago on how to chop in 7/8, Christian was inspired to write this piece. He contacted me and wanted me to record all three parts at home in true quarantine fashion.

This piece is super cool and I had a lot of fun recording it. If you support bald people, you should watch this. There's 3X the bald of me, which is painful for me to watch, but hey, what can you do.

Blame genetics.

Seriously though, it's an awesome piece. If you'd like to purchase the sheet music, you can do so at https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/.../groove-study.../22043035

Cello Madness Congress Show: Sat. April 24 at 8:30 PM EST

I'm very excited to play some new pieces, including some new comedy songs, this Saturday April 24th at 8:30 PM EST at the Cello Madness Congress.

I'll be sharing the stage with some extremely talented and creative cellists, Jake Matthew Rivers and Michael Fecskes.

Follow the link to grab a ticket and support these amazing artists.

Here’s a link to the Facebook Event: Cello Madness Congress Saturday April 24, 2021 at 8:30 EST

String Jams Chop Contest

String Jams Chop Contest:

Okay so here's the contest!

Take any piece from either of my String Jams books and add some chopping to it.

Be creative! It could be a different version of the melody with some chops, chops during the solo section, or anything you can think of!

Record a video of yourself playing and upload it to Facebook and/or Instagram with the hashtag #stringjams

You can upload it to YouTube if that's easier for you and send me an email with the link.

First Prize: Two Free 45 minute lessons plus the sheet music/backing tracks to my first album, Oso Perezoso.

Second Prize: One Free 45 minute lesson and sheet music/backing tracks to Ice-9 and Swins

Third Prize: Sheet music/backing tracks to Ice-9 and Swins

Contest ends at 11:59 EST on May 7th, 2021.

After the contest ends, I'll send an email with a link to all the submissions and you can vote for your favorite (it could be yourself).

Featured Soloist in Series, Red Pawn

I am very excited to hear the cello I recorded for composers, Ryan Rapsys and Scott McRae, for the series, Red Pawn! I'm featured in the opening sequence and throughout the score. Many thanks to the composers for the great music!

Intransience for Cello And Piano (feat. Bryan Charles Wilson)

West Troiano · Intransience for Cello And Piano (feat. Bryan Charles Wilson)

One of my all time favorite people from college, the amazingly talented pianist and composer, West Troiano, wrote a hauntingly beautiful piece for me. I had such a great time helping bring his composition to life (not that it was that hard to do since it's such a cool piece).

Lý Tiểu Khúc - Cello and Đan Tranh

One positive aspect of this time has been my ability to collaborate with wonderful artists from around the world. My friend, Duyệt Thị Trang, is a master of the đàn tranh as well as an expert craftsmen of Vietnamese musical instruments. I was very lucky to be able to play many concerts with him while in Vietnam and I've missed playing with him.

We decided to collaborate from afar and I am really happy with how this came out. The song is called, Lý Tiểu Khúc. and is dedicated to all the people separated by the COVID-19 virus. All the weddings that can't take place, all of the new relationships that have to wait, and all of the friends and family that can't meet.

I hope you enjoy it and hopefully this brings some peace and comfort to those far apart.

Reflections on Online Improvisation Workshop For Strings

Since the pandemic started and everything got shut down, I have been running free Online Improvisation Workshops for String Players. With the release of my new books, String Jams, I wanted to give people a glimpse at what the book offered, but also to give them concrete steps they could use to practice improvisation. Let’s face it, I’m not a doctor, nurse, or grocery store worker fighting for the safety everyday out there. Nevertheless, I did want to give something back to help boost people’s morale and the only real skills I have are cello and teaching, so I thought it could at least be a drop of positivity in a seemingly endless stream of scary news.

I have done 3 workshops so far and have been blown away by the support from the participants. Essentially, I give everybody the sheet music for a piece from my Advanced String Jams book as well as the improvisation loop track that comes with it. I then outline about ten different ways that they can go about improvising such as doing nonstop improvisation, limiting note choices, leaving space, etc. Everything I’m saying is detailed in the beginning portion of both String Jams.

It really is humbling and inspiring to have a workshop with people from across the globe in one Zoom meeting. I’ve had participants from Finland, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, USA, Germany, and more. This past workshop I had my grandfather attend. He’s a saxophone player and like I mention in the book, he’s the reason I started music and the inspiration behind creating these books. At the end of the lecture, he told a story about the first time he taught me how to improvise when I was around 9 or 10 years old. It was a story I hadn’t thought about in a long time and it was really special to have him remind me and the other attendees.

It’s been a really positive experience for me to run these workshops and connect with string players from across the world. It’s a very strange time and I doubt that live music gigs will return this year. Nevertheless, having the ability to connect with others virtually and offer something useful has been helpful in keeping me focussed and grounded.

I’m going to try to offer more workshops, concerts, collaborations, and music in the future and hopefully we will pass through this time safely.

Thank you all for the support.

Free Online Improvisation Workshop for Strings on Monday March 23rd at 8PM (EST)

The world is in quite a crisis at the moment as some of us are quarantined and scared to go out. Since this is a tumultuous time, I want to give back to help restore any semblance of peace of mind that's possible.

I will be offering a FREE 40 minute online workshop on Monday March 23rd at 8PM (EST) to string players across the world on improvisation. I'll be using my new books, String Jams, as material and will go over various approaches to improvisation. In addition, everybody in the workshop will receive sheet music and a backing track to one of the songs from my new book, Advanced String Jams.

Make sure to register now because there are only 15 slots available. To register for the FREE class please visit: https://forms.gle/sK2MTiuQaZgxEdG69

I hope that this workshop is helpful to string players across the globe and can offer a some positivity in a time of uncertainty. Remember to use art, music, and creative expression to boost your morale.

New Books, String Jams, Debuting on March 2nd, 2020!

I am really proud to announce the launch of TWO new books that I wrote on March 2nd, 2020: Advanced String Jams and Beginner String Jams. It took me 9 years to publish another book after Cello Chords and let me tell you, it might take me another 9 to do the next one. It’s a LOTTTTTTT of work, but I am very happy I did it.

So what exactly are these books?

Both String Jams books are an opportunity for violinists, violists, and cellists to go beyond classical music and start exploring contemporary genres! For Advanced String Jams, I composed 16 original songs in 15 genres including Hip-Hop, Hard Rock, EDM, Pop Rock, Latin, Synthpop, Film Score, Indian, and more! The book includes sheet music and high quality backing tracks for every song. It’s like you’re playing with your own band every time. This book is recommended for players with at least 5 to 6 years of experience on their instrument.

Even better is that each song has a space for improvisation as well. No experience is necessary with improvisation, I break down how to start going about it and provide cheat sheets in terms of scales and chords for every track. I want students to start diving into creating their own solos, songs, tracks, symphonies, whatever! Just get creative with it. I feel improvisation is a necessary and key element that is lacking in mainstream string education.

Every song has practice backing tracks as well at slow, medium, and performance tempo. Plus there is an improvisation loop track to practice jamming just on the improv section. Finally, I recorded myself playing all the melodies so you have the full tracks as a reference. But I really want students to explore and make these songs their own.

Beginner String Jams is comprised of 8 simplified songs from Advanced String Jams. The keys and melodies are easier, the range of notes is smaller, there are minimal extensions, the improvisation sections only use one scale, and there's no shifting! Beginner String Jams features backing tracks that come in Very Slow, Slow, Medium, and Performance Tempo, so you can practice with the backing track from the very beginning! This book is recommended for students with at least 2 to 3 years of experience on their instrument and again, no improvisation experience is necessary. 

I really can’t express how excited I am about these books (also how much work they were to produce, haha). If you want to preorder the books, you can get over a 20% discount before March 2nd, 2020. You can do so here: http://www.bryanwilsoncello.com/stringjams

Thank you all for your support! I am sure you are going to find this book not only super fun, but also really educational.

Music From "Inner Peace" Featured in Sahaja Yoga Video

I am humbled and honored to have two of my tracks from, "Inner Peace" featured in this wonderful video promoting the 25th anniversary of the International Shri Krishna Puja to be held at Nirmal Nagari, Canajoharie, NY. The music fits perfectly with the bucolic scenery and it's a fantastic event. I hope you enjoy the video, music, and good vibrations!

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 7

Yesterday was the culminating concert of the residency and to be honest I had mixed feelings about it. There were a lot of positives, though. First off, Ro Cham Ti, the master musical instrument maker got a traditional Jarai outfit sent down from the highlands of Vietnam just so I could wear it for the show. I got to show off my shoulder hair while being cool for once.

My wife, daughter, and mother and father in law came down for this concert and it was an absolute joy having my family there and especially seeing my daughter dancing and calling, “DADA!” I told everyone near me on stage, you’re going to hear my daughter and sure enough within about 30 seconds of the beginning of the show, you could hear her laughing and hollering with excitement. I proudly turned to my friends, “yep, that’s my daughter.”

The concert definitely had some great parts to it. We covered a lot of ground musically and showcased combinations of instruments that I’m sure have never been done before. Sometimes I felt like maybe there was actually too much. Maybe we tried to cram a bit too much musical material into one concert.

The sound on stage was not good, however. There were many times that microphones weren’t on and players couldn’t be heard and even when they were on, the mix was poor and it was difficult to hear one another. I wish there had been a more comprehensive sound check because when you are playing and can’t hear yourself (or others that you need to hear) it’s enormously frustrating.

People seemed to enjoy the concert, I even got an email shortly after the show from a guy who happened to be in Hoi An, heard the music, followed the sound, and came for the final number. He was bummed that he missed most of it but he really was excited by the music.

Sometimes when you’re performing it’s difficult to be objective about how it went. I think overall the concert was good and that the residency was worthwhile. I met a lot of really awesome musicians, who I hope to collaborate with in the future. I will say that I wish it was a bit better organized. Like I explained in previous blogs, there was a lot of downtime at rehearsals. So much downtime that I ended drawing a whole series of cartoon fruits with different fun expressions. I used to love drawing cartoons when I was younger, so it was nice to reconnect with that part of my brain.

I do wish I had learned some more traditional tunes from a lot of these musicians’ cultures. I feel like that element was lacking a bit. I know that organizing and coordinating something of this magnitude in creativity and scale is monumentally difficult. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in this residency and I hope to do a lot more experimentation, creation, and cultural exchange in the future.

This was a really nice way to end my year here in Vietnam. I’m currently writing this on my phone from the train from Hoi An to Hanoi (a 15 hours ride). Now we have about 5 days to pack everything up and leave to go back to New Jersey. It’s been such an amazing year musically and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to cap it off.

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 6

Last night I played a gig with a bunch of the residents from FAMLAB at this beachside restaurant in An Bang. I got there and was stunned at how beautiful the scenery was. The sun was setting over the ocean, the water was angelic, and air had a salty twang to it. There were 7 of us on total: Esther Swift on harp, Tom Bancroft on bodhran, David Shedden on tin whistles, LinhHafornow on vocals/electronics, Scobi Wan on electronics, and Escuri on electronics. I of course was playing cello, but I brought my đàn bầu as well.

The gig was incredible. It was one of those times playing music where you totally lose yourself in the moment. There’s nothing else besides just playing and creating.

Esther, Tom, and David played a bunch of traditional Scottish tunes from their home country and they absolutely killed it. Just amazing musicianship combined with some really cool music. It was a pleasure to watch them because I rarely get to hear that style and especially done so well.

I went on second with LinhHafornow. She is an amazing vocalist who combines her ethereal voice with looping and effects. I was quite excited to play with her because we have a similar musical aesthetic and I knew that our instruments would blend really nicely together. We had literally nothing planned, it was all going to be improvised. Honestly, I like that approach because it makes you really be in the moment. You’re responsible for creating every second, nothing is determined.

We started playing as the sun had just set and the music turned out so sublime. As I had expected, her lush vocals combined with my cello just created this sonic landscape that had me captivated. I’m a fan of doing ambient, slow, and melodic music and this hit the nail right on the head. I even jumped over to the đàn bầu for one song and messed around. People were actually surprised that I made it sound halfway decent. So was I. It’s nice to take risks on stage. I’ve been in situations before where I just felt like nothing was at stake when I was playing, no risk, no nervousness. That kind of feeling is kind of the death knell of creativity.

After a bit, we were joined by Escuri who added some sweet beats. It sounded fantastic and was so much fun to play over. Over the next couple hours we all did various configurations of the FAMLAB residents on stage. After sitting out for a bit, I hopped back on with Escuri and David on tin whistle and we created some Scottish folk techno cello madness. Unbelievable and awesome.

At the very end of the gig, we all got on stage and did an amazing slow meditation piece for the crowd. People were invited to lay down on the grass and look up at the stars as we lulled them into a different universe. It was truly beautiful.

Playing a gig like this really hit me deep. Not every gig is like this. Sometimes it’s a job, people don’t want to admit that, but it’s true. But this was different. This was why I love music and why I continue to do it everyday.

There’s just nothing like it.

Featured Article in Việt Nam News!

I was featured in the esteemed newspaper, Việt Nam News!