Album Notes

"Shooting stars" would describe most rock stars: they flash across the musical landscape, then quickly burn out. The revolutionary, the one who changes the course of music, is the one who remains like a fixed luminary in the heavens. Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the guitar, Ian Anderson revolutionized the flute, and Aaron Von Cello is revolutionizing the cello.

Like a general who keeps his secret weapon hidden until the perfect moment, Von Cello has spent his life preparing for this time. In his early teens Aaron was already a famous rock guitarist and singer/songwriter in the populated New York City neighborhood of his youth. Suddenly at the age of 15 he stunned his friends and fans: he quit his band, cut his hair, and started practicing the cello day and night. Few could understand his disappearance from the popular music scene, but Aaron had a vision: he would bring the dignified yet overlooked cello into center stage. He would teach the cello to rock! Thus he became known as Von Cello.

A student of music history, Von Cello realized that a true revolutionary must first master the tradition he hopes to revolutionize, so he began studying with the finest cello teachers from Juilliard and elsewhere, obtaining a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music. Then came the years of establishing himself as a respected classical musician: premiering his original music at the First World Cello Congress and the New Directions Cello Festival, performing in top orchestras on two continents, concertizing in Carnegie Hall, on radio and television, giving interviews on major news networks including Reuters, Associated Press, and FOX, performing for presidents, senators, and other VIP's.

Expanding on his award winning song writing ability, he composed over a dozen music books which are published by Oxford University Press. With thousands of copies sold, excellent reviews, and the praise of many famous musicians, these books have started a revolution in string playing. They are now considered standard repertoire, even appearing in the curriculums of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, U.K., and the American String Teacher's Association. The international performances of Aaron's music are tracked by ASCAP, of which he is an award winning member. He is also a voting member of NARAS (the Grammys). Recognizing his rising fame, Yamaha Corporation invited Von Cello to become a Yamaha Artist. D'Addario Strings quickly followed suit. All of this acclaim has led to Aaron's inclusion in Who's Who in America and the International Who's Who!

There are famous classical musicians who occasionally "cross over" to pop, but there has never been a rock artist who crossed over to classical, gained respect, and then came back!

The time is now. The musician: Von Cello!