Confessions of a Rock n' Roll Cellist @noahhoffeld - Tumblr Blog

Indie 5-0: Five Questions with Noah Hoffeld

We think it’s safe to say that when you think of ROCK, cello is not one of the first things that comes to mind. Since rock’s inception though we’ve come to realize that rock music is more about rocking than it is about fads and stereotypes. Noah is here to rock and debunk all the false notions you have about what that means. We sat down with the NY native and asked him a few questions about his cello rock release Play Human. 1. Do you feel that rock is more “exposing” than classical music? Which genre feels more revealing to your fanbase? I don’t think either is really more exposing. They both expose me in different ways. Playing classical music, I’m able to really bear my heart through another person’s composition. When I play, I’m expressing who I am while trying to bring out the identity of the composer as well. With rock, I’m doing it through my own music. Same passenger. Different boat. Both ways, I feel really exposed! Since my rock music is new for my fans, it’s like opening another door for them into who I am. They’re hearing a side of me they didn’t know was there. That’s fun. 2. Cello-Rock is a hybrid between classical and rock. How do you dress for that part? Haha! It’s not so much a hybrid of classical and rock as it is about bringing a typically classical instrument -the cello- into a rock setting and then using it to rock the f out. I think leather is the best option, don’t you? 3. What are you listening to these days for musical inspiration? I’ve been watching the “Muscle Shoals” documentary and that’s been inspiring the hell out of me. All the truly great artists who made music in that one spot- Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, and so many more, along with the amazing backing band and producer-. If you haven’t seen the movie, do yourself a favor. The passion that came out of that place is a great reminder of what music can be. 4. There’s a lot of graffiti in your videos and photos. Is there something that draws you to this imagery? That’s a good question and one I’ve never asked myself. I can’t say for sure why I’m so drawn to it, but I’d guess it’s ‘cause graffiti is a form of art that inherently bucks the system. By its very existence it’s violating the rules and telling the powers that be that it can’t be controlled. I think all art should play that role, especially in our society who’s priorities are so backward, where greed is king and racism keeps us from caring for our brothers and sisters. I hope my music conveys some of the same message as graffiti does. 5. What is your favorite Bowie Phase? Favorite album or track - tell us more in depth! It’s always changing! Right now, I’m in love with the early album 'The Man Who Sold The World.’ 'The Supermen’ is my favorite track. It’s an album where fantasy really rules the lyrics and David’s conjuring up these amazing images of an ancient world or maybe a world outside of time. I love it that he’s willing to go there. Not so different from Zeppelin singing about the Hobbit I guess, except Bowie does it in his own special way. It’s outrageous as always. If you don’t know it well, check it out! Nirvana of course did a great cover of the title track, but the original is super powerful.

noahhoffeld

Thanks to @independentartistbuzz for sharing! Again!

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Very excited to be a part of the new song Ubi Caritas, by @Ambikachant, which I mixed and played on. Ambika is an amazing sacred music artist who is donating 50% of the proceeds to Cathedral Cares, the charity of St. John the Divine. Ambika’s music is heartbreakingly beautiful and healing to the Soul. Please buy the track and donate on bandcamp. Link in my bio. #sacredmusic #chant #kirtan #newmusicfriday #SaintJohntheDivine #fridayfeeling #mlkday2021 #cathedralcares #ambika #cello (at Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKETs27hkJa/?igshid=rzhavvr8wu3x

#sacredmusic #chant #kirtan #newmusicfriday #saintjohnthedivine #fridayfeeling #mlkday2021 #cathedralcares #ambika #cello

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#sacredmusic #chant #kirtan #newmusicfriday #saintjohnthedivine #fridayfeeling #mlkday2021 #cathedralcares #ambika #cello

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Happy new year! (SOUND ON) Love to all for a happier, healthier and peacefuller 2021. Amazing sounds by @jeremyhoffeld Amazing sights by @ioanana (at Catskill Mountains) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJtIqHhh5UV/?igshid=13kvirol8v25k

New Cello Video!!

Dear Friends!

I hope this finds all of you well as possible.

I'm writing to you to share a video of Summer's Spell for Cello and Loops, a piece that's meant to soothe. In these times, I've noticed it helps me to listen to music that's soft and healing, and I hope this fills that need for you. Later this year, We'll be releasing an album of this music co-created with my friend, pianist Wells Hanley.

I made this video as part of a fundraiser for Saving Wild Tigers, an organization that works to preserve the habitat and lives of tigers in India, home of the world's largest population of tigers in the wild, and the most viable population for the survival of the species.

If you feel moved, please make a donation however large or small here. The organization, founded by wonderful chant artist Nina Rao, gives all money directly to work in the field.

Please subscribe to my Youtube Channel thank you! Be safe and stay well. Love, Noah

Moving Forward

This is a photo I took while walking a road through the mountains this weekend. Moving forward isn’t always easy but it’s something we must do. We feel called from the beyond to emerge from limiting spaces into a broad openness we intuit, but can’t yet say we know. What calls us is unknown, but it’s voice is heard nonetheless... it’s time to move on.

Beautiful New Album with Cello

Proud to be a part of this new release by master magician, Bryan Senti. I’ve played cello on many of Bryan’s amazing film scores, including Experimenter, with Winona Ryder and Peter Sarsgaard. It was great playing on this new album which takes aim at injustice and inequality. Now out from Kowloon Records 👏👏

Get it on: iTunes Amazon

A Male Survivor Watches the Kavanaugh Crisis

As a survivor of sexual abuse, I watched the Kavanaugh proceedings with a combination of civic duty and mesmeric fixation. As the hours and days passed, I was unable to turn my attention away, and my usual powers of restraint, my ability to shut down the news for my own wellbeing, were lost. It was as if the boy in me believed the outcome could somehow reshape his own terrifying past. That if Dr. Blasey Ford were taken seriously, my own experience of abuse might be erased, or at least mitigated significantly.

Since then I’ve wondered, why was I so compelled? Even my morning meditations were punctuated by the reappearance of one or more of the players on my inner screen. Despite the devastating outcome we’ve witnessed, and the consequent terrible pain we’re experiencing, Dr. Ford’s testimony has left a lasting impact on my system, for the very good. The fact that truth was spoken, and heard by so many millions around the globe, will have a tremendous impact on our collective future. We can’t begin to calculate the enormity of that influence. The truth we heard affects all of us.

Dr. Ford chose to speak out at a crucial moment, a moment pregnant with change and potential, her words having an exponential relevance. She spoke not only for herself, not only for all female victims of sexual assault, and not only for all women and girls in their struggle for safety and equality. I realized that, as a survivor, she had also spoken for me.

Her testimony came on the heels of a huge wave of revelations of widespread sexual abuse of children in our country, and around the world. I believe that timing is no accident. The World is ready to hear. This was confirmed last week, when the Nobel committee awarded its 2018 Peace Prize to Nadia Murad and Dr. Denis Mukwege, two unbelievably courageous opponents of sexual violence.

The difficulty of speaking up after sexual abuse of any kind is common to all groups of survivors. Feelings of shame and violation make it incredibly painful to remember, recount, and relive those moments, and Dr. Ford spoke of this terror. Although she told her own story, her bravery bridged the gap between female, male and otherwise identified, speaking for the vulnerable of every gender. She stood as a human speaking for all humans.

Christine Blasey Ford used her voice and physical presence to speak truth to power. Her very being expressed the truth of a humanity intentionally and despicably suppressed. And in the seismic moment she told her story, that dehumanization was suddenly collapsed, like a burnt-out star taking its last gasp.

What we do with that moment is our choice. The future belongs to all of us to shape. We must think longterm, taking hope and momentum from the powerful light Dr. Ford shined on our predicament. Acknowledging, but not giving into our despair or powerlessness, will be a key to our success. Embracing hope and taking time on a daily basis to cultivate and celebrate our own strength will be priceless assets in changing this godawful situation, as we work to create long-lasting, meaningful change.

Dr. Ford acted like a fulcrum, one that finally frees a boulder that's ready to roll. And roll towards sweeping change it must. Society must recognize the equality of women and girls in all regards. All of our legislative power must be put to use, from equal pay to the right to choose. We have to make our voices heard now more than ever to that end. Everywhere law fails to reflect equality is a place where a clear message is sent to all- that females are lesser than, and as such are justified targets of violence, sexual and otherwise.

The struggle for legislative justice may have become more difficult, but the story is not done being written. And, perhaps more importantly, we have a new and unprecedented depth of opportunity to examine and transform our own communities. Our boys need to be taught new ways of seeing, speaking, and of being. And we men need to re-evaluate all of our thinking and doing, taking our lead from the women amongst us, whose wisdom is sorely needed now, and always. This is not a mere idea, but a practice. Deep listening, and the moment-to-moment willingness to surrender our claim to being right, are keyholes into this new room of parity and true health for our society.

Safeguards against the abuse of children must also be put into place. Our world needs reforms that protect children from predators by staving off the causes of predation. This should begin with the Catholic Church allowing its priests to marry. Although warring factions within the Church blame the age-old epidemic of abuse on either clericalism or the permitting of homosexuality within the priesthood, the simple truth is that priests allowed partners would be less likely to feel loneliness and isolation, thus less likely to seek intimacy from the powerless. And as a survivor, I pray for the passage of legislation like the Child Victims Fund, introduced in the N.Y. State Senate this May, which would eliminate statutes of limitation, subsidize counseling and treatment for survivors, and require reporting of abuse from within the clergy.

We have a long way to go towards building a society which supports all its members fully and equally, and protects the powerless from abuse. I’m deeply thankful to Dr. Ford for her enormous sacrifice, her courage, and her eloquence. The events of the past weeks, as gut-wrenching as they have been to watch, are actually signs of a tectonic change happening at our roots. Where the tree falls is up to us.

An Album is Born

Hello Dear People,

I hope the Summer has been good to you and that the beginnings of Fall find you well. I've been working hard to bring the music out of its shell, and also taking some time to be in Nature, and with friends, to reflect and enjoy. I’m very excited to share with you the release of Anubhav, the new album by chant artist Nina Rao which I produced. For the past year and change, Nina and I have worked to create a world of sound that celebrates Spirit in all its forms, with a special emphasis on the Divine Feminine so sorely needed in these times. Nina has a special connection to practices in praise of the goddess, and it pours through in her music. I feel blessed to be exposed to this wisdom through her music, and I’m happy to say that I feel a greater presence and connection to our divine Mother thanks to this album. I know you will too. Anubhav uses instruments from around the world, including tabla drums from India, kora harp from west Africa, violin and cello, and guitar and bass to highlight Nina’s beautiful voice and harmonium playing. Her wonderful songwriting made my work as producer easy. Enjoy Anubhav on CD here, download on iTunes, or stream on Spotify or your favorite streaming service.

I hope to see you soon at a live show! 10/6 w Krishna Das in Huntington NY 10/20 w Nina Rao in Hudson, NY 10/27 w Krishna Das and Nina Rao in New York, NY 11/3 w Krishna Das and Nina Rao at the Ahimsa Festival, Hunter NY 11/9 w Krishna Das in New York, NY 11/10-11 Workshops w Krishna Das in Brooklyn NY 11/17 w Nina Rao in Saratoga Springs, NY Please see NinaRaoChant.com and KrishnaDas.com for details and tickets

Thank you for all of your support! I hope to hear from you! with love, Noah

Carnegie Hall Lullaby with Natalie Merchant

Howdy!

Hello Lovely People,

I hope you're all well and enjoying some lazy summer days. I've had some beautiful days myself, visiting my teacher Ram Dass on the island of Maui for an intensive retreat. He always brings so much Joy into my life, and then this extends into the music I make. Life becomes richer, and I feel gifted to dip my toe into the deep pools of sound this particular world has to offer. One seed which recently came to fruition is The Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project. The Project sends songwriters to Rikers Island and other institutions, where mothers have been separated from their babies or struggle to stay connected to them. There, these writers team with mothers to co-create lullabies for the children. Some of these songs were recorded by singers including Fiona Apple, Rosanne Cash, Angélique Kidjo, Patti LuPone, Natalie Merchant, and Dianne Reeves, and are now available on Decca Records. I was blessed to play quartet cello with Natalie on a wonderful song. I've even got a little solo! Listen on Spotify or buy the CD here. It's also on iTunes.

I'm looking forward to the Fall, and to new releases- Anubhav, the new album by beautiful Nina Rao which I produced, and Mantra Brothers, the debut album my brother Jeremy and I made together. Please stay tuned for those! Meanwhile, if you'd like to come hear me play with Krishna Das, please see his calendar at KrishnaDas.com. I begin on September 7th in Northampton, MA. I hope to see you soon, and share a dip in the pool. With Love, Noah

Big Cello in a Little Film

A beautiful film score by Fabian Almazan, featuring my cello in an almost-concerto-kind-of-way. We had fun this week with Fabian and Linda May Han Oh going out to see the screening of this short by Kenneth Murphy. And in a bizarre twist, the film was shot where I had my Bar Mitzvah party??!! Life is weird.

A Film Score is debuted at MoMA

Thrilled to share that tickets are now on sale for the world premiere of a film I scored, Instructions on Parting. MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in NY, has chosen the film to show as part of the museum's 'Doc Fortnight'. Instructions is a beautiful film about a family’s cycles of life, as seen through the camera of one of its members, director Amy Jenkins. A powerful piece of art. It would be lovely to spend the evening with you there, Feb 16 at 7pm. Tickets are $12 at http://mo.ma/2EDZKk0

A strange thing happened tonight while watching @gaydillingham’s wonderful ‘Dying to Know’ about Tim Leary and Ram Dass. The phone rang and we paused the movie. After the call, we looked up at the screen only to notice it exactly mirrored the photo on my desk. (at Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Brooklyn Landscape. (at Williamsburg Waterfront Piers)

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Auguste Rodin, in the flesh. (at Brooklyn Museum)

Had a great time performing w @nina_rao tnite for @beherenownetwork. The eve was called No Mud no Lotus, as depicted here in the beautiful calligraphy of Thich Nhat Hanh. To his left is MK Gandhi walking thru Union Sq Park. Love. (at Deepak HomeBase)

I’m honored to be a part of the new album by Krishna Das, Trust in the Heart. Trust is KD’s 15th album and was Apple Music’s World Music Pick of the Week. The songs are beautiful and heartfelt as always and I hope they will bring a lot of joy and healing to a lot of people. (at Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

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Confessions of a Rock n' Roll Cellist