Meet Clancy Newman | cellist and composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clancy Newman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clancy, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I think that people often assume that the less rules, the more room an artist has for being creative. I actually find the opposite to be true. Whenever I start a new project, one of the first things I do is construct some parameters to follow. My Pop-Unpopped project is a good example of this: I forced myself to write a solo cello piece every month, based on whatever song was #1 on the US billboard charts on the first of that month, and then I posted a video of me performing it by memory at the end of the month. Or another example is my Golden Ratio Method, where I composed music based on the rules governing how some trees grow new branches to maximize exposure to sunlight. In each of these cases, my self-imposed rules forced me into a state of desperation, and I had no choice but to pursue creative avenues that would never have occurred to me if I’d been more relaxed.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I knew that I wanted to be a professional concert cellist ever since I was about 9 years old, and the career path seemed deceptively clearcut: you practice hard, get into a top music school, win some big competitions, and then presto!, your career is assured. The reality was a little more complicated. I did accomplish those things, and for a number of years I was able to ride the momentum of that success. But there came a point at which I could no longer be billed as a “rising star”… and I realized that simply playing the cello well was not enough. Of course, I had always been a composer… but I now discovered that other facets of my life could also play a role in my career. My love of rock n’ roll led to my Pop-Unpopped project; my interest in math and the outdoors led to the development of my Golden Ratio Method; and, when an organization asked me to create some educational videos, I discovered that all those papers I’d written as an English major had prepared me for script writing! I am continually amazed at how my leisurely interests have become intertwined with my professional life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I am not a Colorado native (I live in Philadelphia), I have been coming out to Colorado every summer for the past 15 years to play with the Snake River Chamber Players. I’ve always loved the mountains, and I’ve climbed a bunch of them in the Sawatch and Front Ranges. A highlight for me was camping out near Buena Vista and climbing mount Belford, Oxford and Missouri Mountain.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s funny how you never know when you might meet someone who will change your life forever. For me, it happened when I was 6 years old. After my sister’s youth orchestra concert, I remember my parents leading me through a forest of people to a man whom I recognized as the conductor. His name was David Gibson, and not only was he a conductor, but he also taught the cello. After my mother asked if he would teach me the cello, he explained that he usually didn’t teach children — especially beginners! — but that he would give it a try with me. Over the next 11 years (until I went to Juilliard), he not only taught me how to play the cello, but he also infused in me a love of music and an enthusiasm for the creative life. He was like a mad scientist!

Website: www.clancynewman.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTsOLjkRSAxout_0CX24O4Q

Image Credits
The main photo (“Clancy playing photo”) was taken in Korea and the photographer is unknown. “Clancy in red” should credit Lisa-Marie Mazzucco. “Moab on raft” should credit Nisha Sonde.