Sharon's Cello Challenge for Kids

Last year, ECPAT-USA Board Member Sharon Appelman faced her fears and watched a scary movie to raise awareness of our work (and bring a smile to people’s faces) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, she’s given herself a new challenge: proving that any genre can be played on the cello.

Sharon grew up around music and started playing the cello when she was seven. After injuring her shoulder while studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Sharon pivoted her career and now works in finance - although she still finds the occasion to perform. And we are grateful that Sharon is tapping into her musical talents in support of ending child sex trafficking and protecting kids across the country.

While the cello is usually associated with classical music, Sharon believes the instrument shouldn’t be confined to just Bach and Beethoven. You can help her test that theory by participating in her Cello Challenge for Kids. When you donate to her ECPAT-USA fundraising (any amount), you can also name the song or genre you would like her to play. Learn more about how you can participate in Sharon’s Cello Challenge fundraiser and more about her love of music below.

Tell me a little about your history playing the cello. How long have you been playing? How did you get started?

I was born into a very musical family. My father was the principal cellist of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England for the majority of his career. My mother, a pianist, graduated from the Music Academy in Tel Aviv, Israel. She also teaches piano and choir and has written multiple musicals and plays. Her twin sister, my aunt, was a cellist in the Israel Philharmonic orchestra. My brother is a phenomenal electric guitarist and sound engineer. Music was in the water I drank and in the oxygen I breathed growing up. My grandfather bought me a cello at age four after observing me staring, mesmerized, at my father performing the cello. However, at that young age, I didn’t have enough strength to press down the strings. So we waited and I started playing at age seven. My father was my main teacher. He taught me formally from age seven to 13 at which point it was advised that I learn from a non-family member. While that may have been good advice for some, in our case I don’t believe it was necessary. The cello brought us closer together and did not create any tension. Even as I received formal instruction from other wonderful teachers, my father continued to inform my growth as a cellist. By the way, he began learning the cello at age 14 and was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music just four years later. That’s an example of raw talent at work! While my father taught me the cello, my mother taught me music theory and piano (and she was the choir teacher in my primary school). My overall musical instruction came equally from both of them.

You now work in finance. How often do you play or perform the cello these days?

During my undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, I did intend to become a professional cellist. Unfortunately towards the end of my studies, I injured my right shoulder. It was not clear how long it would take to heal and I decided to go in a new direction. So I haven’t regularly practiced or performed for about 23 years. In the last few years, I have had the occasion to participate in a few small performances and loved every moment of it. I do not practice the cello anymore unless I have a specific performance coming up. So generally, the dear thing stays locked away in its case for as much as nine months at a time. For this challenge, I will not have much time to practice tunes and so I have had to moderate my usual drive for perfection. Not every note will be perfectly in tune. That’s not what this is about. My aim here is to experiment with multiple genres and have lots of fun in the process!

Last year, you watched Scream to help raise awareness of child sex trafficking after saying that no one could ever pay you enough to watch a scary movie. How did you come up with the idea for your fundraiser this year? 

As a classically trained cellist (I am also a Royal Academy of Music grad) I received wonderful instruction in classical music and cello performance, covering music theory, orchestral works, and chamber music. However, I do not recall being encouraged to dabble in other genres. That came later. My firm has a rock band. I started playing the cello in the band five years ago and in so doing had the opportunity to play many different songs and experiment with different styles and genres. In addition to finding joy in this experience, I also discovered a propensity for playing by ear and playing different styles. I suspect this experience is behind the Fundraiser idea which just popped into my head a few months ago.

I saw that songs from Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees were already on the list of songs that have been requested. Are there any genres in particular that you are more excited for or you think will be more challenging to tackle?

I am very excited about my multi-part cello rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish”. This was actually my song choice. It’s my view (and that of many others) that Stevie Wonder is one of the best musicians that has ever lived. The term genius can be over-used, but few are more deserving of the title than Stevie Wonder. “I Wish” is one of my favorite Stevie Wonder tracks. The amazing thing about this tune is that the more you listen the more you find. As I was identifying the various parts in my head, in anticipation of my recording, I kept discovering more details and nuances. Arguably the best thing about his music is the unbridled joy it evokes. Putting this song together was a real challenge and I hope I’ve pulled it off. I couldn’t have done it without the hours of painstaking editing by my Dad!

The second genre that I had fun with was heavy metal. Readers should be sure to check out the “mystery” heavy metal tune, whose identity we will reveal at the conclusion of the fundraiser. I recorded three separate parts for this tune. The main challenge here is that the voice part involves more talking or shouting than singing. This is very difficult to accomplish on the cello. So I listened carefully and tried to pinpoint the range and pitch that was close to the voice at any given time. For this song, my definition of success is whether or not listeners can identify the song from my rendition!

What do you hope others take away from your challenge?

Primarily I hope they have fun with it. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of the collective suffering that has taken place in the past year. I think we all need some light-hearted frivolity. I believe we can fundraise for the most serious of causes in fun and creative ways. Hopefully, this will inspire others to use their talents in an original way in support of whichever cause is closest to their hearts!

How can others participate and support your fundraiser?

Request a song! Spread the word. If listeners enjoy it I hope they will forward it on to their friends, family and coworkers. ECPAT-USA’s work is so crucial and it would be great if this fundraiser could raise awareness of the excellent work the organization is doing.

You can donate to Sharon’s fundraiser and request a song here.

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