The Cello Museum – Inspired by Miriam K. Smith

Prodigies have fascinated the world throughout history. Showing passion and an extraordinary aptitude for their art at an early age, prodigies have appeared in many fields. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, and, more recently, Yehudi Menuhin, all showed exceptional ability at young ages. The cello has its own prodigies – both Jaqueline du Pré and Yo-Yo Ma are well known for performing at a high level even at a young age.

One of the newest cello prodigies is Miriam K. Smith. Although still in her teens, Miriam has recorded her first album, Ignite, with pianist Jacob Miller and has a second album being prepared for release.

Click on the picture to purchase the album.

Miriam has soloed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, among others. I sat down with Miriam via Zoom to talk about life as a musical prodigy.

[This interview transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity]

“Aha!” Moment

Jonathan Simmons [JS]

The first thing I’d like to ask you is was there a specific “aha!” moment that made you want to play the cello? Was there a defining moment that you wanted to be serious about music?

Miriam Smith [MS]

When I was eight years old, I had my first orchestra performance. That was a pretty big deal for me. It was just with a little local orchestra. And I remember being really, really nervous, obviously. But also because it was the first time that people other than my family and close friends had come to hear me play. I always thought that was a big thing. And I thought that was amazing. I was like, “Why would people want to come and hear me play?” So, after that concert, I just remember being really happy. And I thought, “This is something that I . . . want to keep doing. I want to keep performing for people.”

What was on the program at that concert?

I played the Haydn C Major cello concerto.

How long had you been playing at that point?

Let’s see, I think, four years.

That’s great progress in four years!

Living in Two Separate Worlds

That brings us to another question. As a prodigy, you live in two separate worlds. You’re a professional. You’re making music with adults a lot of the time, and you also have friends your own age, and you’ve got a social life. Do you see a difference between those two worlds? How do you manage them?

There’s definitely a difference. Especially with the adult world, I feel like, as a prodigy, you were kind of thrown into the adult world. And you had to learn how to hold yourself and how to act and how to be professional around adults.

I really enjoy that. I’ve been around older people pretty much my entire life, and I really enjoy interacting with them. I, of course, also enjoy hanging out with my friends and talking with them. I’m homeschooled, but I do go to ballet a lot, and I have a lot of friends there. We get to talk and dance together all the time. So I enjoy both worlds pretty much equally.

Other Inspirations

I was home-schooled as well. And I appreciated the time that it gave me for music. . . . You mentioned dancing – ballet. Do you have any other hobbies outside of music? If so, do any of them inspire your music-making? Or is your inspiration something separate from your hobbies?

Yeah, one of my biggest hobbies is definitely dance. I’ve been taking ballet since I was three, which is even before I started cello. It’s a great way, after sitting in a practice room for three or four hours, to just kind of let loose and be able to exercise and move freely.

Also, starting ballet at a young age is a great way to learn rhythm, how to count beats, and how to move with the music. It . . . definitely inspires me still today, especially with stage presence and discipline. Going back to the adult world, learning how to stand, [improving my] posture, has certainly helped with that.

One [other] thing that I really enjoy doing is watching UFC fights…. I don’t know if that necessarily helps me in cello, but maybe it helps with stronger, more powerful expression.

About Cellos

So back to cello. Have you ever tried any other different types of cello? Baroque cello, electric cello, anything along those lines?

I actually own an electric cello, but I mainly use it in case I’m going on vacation, and I don’t want to buy a ticket for my cello on the plane. So I will just bring my electric cello and practice on that. Because it’s more compact, it can go underneath the plane. So, I have not actually used it as an electric cello, per se, but I would definitely like to get more into that.

I have never played a Baroque cello, but I would absolutely love to do that. I have not even seen one or touched one. That’s something that I definitely want to pursue in the future.

So, what size cello are you using right now?

Full size.

Growing up, as you were progressing, was it difficult to find partial-size instruments and bows?

Yes, I was blessed with many nice instruments in quarter size, half size, three quarter, but it was a struggle every time that I had to get a bigger cello to find a nice one. But I was absolutely blessed with nice instruments every single time.

It’s really hard to transition, especially with your fingers. The spaces get wider. One of my struggles was that the bows would always get heavier, and I still play with a lighter bow than other people do. I find it easier to use, but it’s very difficult to find nice instruments that are small.

Cello Mentors

Jacqueline du Pré was another prodigy. She called William Pleeth her “cello daddy.” How is your relationship with your teachers? Would you describe [your teachers] like that or more as mentors?

Definitely more as a mentor. I would say, my teacher, when I was younger would definitely help me with technique, interpretation, expression, stuff like that. Nowadays, we collaborate on stuff, and he still helps me a lot.

But, it’s more of a mentorship. Kind of giving me his thoughts, but also letting me put in my creativity and interpretation. So, it’s kind of a progression over time.

Collaborating with Another Prodigy

In your playing, have you ever played with other prodigies?

I have, actually! One of my best friends – she’s a wonderful violinist. We’ve played several duos together, and it’s really fun and enjoyable to play with somebody else who is so good at what they do.

You can play off of each other, and you can teach each other stuff and you can learn from each other. And you can push each other to do better, like kind of friendly competition, if you will.

Advice for Parents of Prodigies

What advice would you give to other prodigies or parents of prodigies?

I would say, definitely push them, and help them to be their best, to reach their goals. Also, let them be creative and figure some stuff out on their own because they have a God-given talent and they sometimes know what to do with it.

But, that’s why we have parents, so they can push us. Let them [prodigies] grow up, but also be a kid and experience that age of creativity.

When you say “age of creativity,” is there an age limit?

Well, there is no limit to creativity. I would say, five to ten or eleven is the age where you don’t really care about the professional world yet. So, you’re just having fun, and you’re just loving what you do.

Debut Album: Ignite

And by the way, I see your Ignite CD on the shelf behind you. I really enjoyed it, especially the first piece on it, the Ginastera. I thought it was really well done. Did you pick out any of that program yourself? Was that your teacher’s idea?

[It was] a collaboration. Those were some pieces that I had been working on. And then I was like, well, these are pretty good, I think we should record these. It ended up being a pretty big project and turned into an album.

On Music

You’ve mentioned Haydn, you mentioned duos with your friend. What other kind of music do you like to play – sonatas, unaccompanied? Do you have any specific pieces that you really, really enjoy?

Actually, duets are some of my favorite types of pieces. Specifically, the Ravel duo was absolutely one of my favorite duets, especially with my friend. It’s a very tricky piece rhythmically and just technically. And it’s very hard to put together after learning it separately. It was a lot of work.

But I really liked the way that Ravel was able to kind of take both instruments and [bring] unexpected aspects out of them and make them sound really modern and untraditional.

On Ballet and Teaching

Outside of cello playing, if you could do anything else in the world, what would you choose?

I would probably choose to have a ballet studio where I would teach students. Ever since I started ballet, I always loved the idea of teaching. I think it’s really fun. I have had very strict teachers my entire life. So I’ve kind of wanted to, I don’t know, be strict on other people.

Do you feel like their teaching style would affect how you teach?

Yeah, for sure. But I would probably be a little bit nicer . . .

Have you ever taught cello yourself?

I have not, but I definitely do want to. I may not have a specific studio, but I definitely look forward to teaching masterclasses or just lessons here and there to anyone who wants them. Ever since I was young, I would love to listen to what the teacher said, like a masterclass, and I would think [about] what I would say and compare it to what the teacher is saying.

How would you feel teaching another prodigy? Is that something you would be interested in?

I don’t really know. I’m not sure that I would particularly enjoy it. Because, with young students, I really want them to kind of figure out what they want to do and use their creativity and create something new. So I don’t know if I would want to. Of course, they need help when they’re young, but I kind of want people like the children and the kids in this generation to kind of create something new – create something that they love and that they think is creative.

What would your ideal student be, then, if you feel like a prodigy would need to leave their own mark?

High school age, college, something like that, maybe, where they already know what they want to do. And they’re just getting some helpful hints or some tips in there.

Favorite Aspect of Playing the Cello

As you’re playing, what is your favorite thing about cello – playing it specifically?

I have always felt like the cello is a very relatable instrument. I’ve talked to a lot of people, and, when I tell them I play the cello, [they say] “oh, that’s my favorite instrument! I love the way it sounds.”

I think that’s because it’s very similar to the vocal range that we have. It’s such a warm and beautiful sound. So, that’s one of my favorite things about the cello and the instrument itself.

Of course, I love performing. It just makes me really happy. One of my little things is that I like to try to find a few people in the audience who are really enjoying my playing and focusing as much as I am on the piece. Of course, I love finding those people that are smiling. Nowadays, [you] can’t see their faces . . . that’s sad.

Have you been able to do any Zoom concerts, or anything like that, recently?

I’ve not done any Zoom concerts, but I’ve done several recordings.

[In live performances] I love finding people who are as passionate as I am about what I’m doing. I like to play for them. Of course, I play for everyone, but I always find those few, special people.

(View one of Miriam’s recent recordings here.)

That’s a great concept because I think I would tend to think of the critics in the room and try to spot them, but finding your supporters is a much better idea.

What it Feels like to Perform

You talked a lot about the sound. How does it feel when you’re playing?

It is so interesting. I wouldn’t know how to explain it. But there’s such a difference between going from rehearsal to performance, where you have a packed crowd.

Even if it’s the same room, just having those people interested in what you’re doing, transforms you into a completely different player. It’s something that I would never be able to do in a practice room.

That’s one of the things that I love about performing. And that’s one of the things I love about soloing because the audience is so invested in what you’re doing. And it helps you to perform even better. Your best playing is going to be in your performance because [of] the adrenaline. If you’re nervous, that means something great is about to happen. Or something not so great, but usually it’s great.

On Playing the Piano

Outside of cello, do you play any other instruments?

I’ve played the piano ever since I was like two or three. Before I even started cello, after my brother’s lesson, his piano teacher would just put me on the bench and just kind of guide my hand on the notes. And sometimes after a performance, she would invite me to come up on stage and just play something. And she would just, again, guide my hand to play it.

But that was the age where you don’t get nervous. You don’t care. You’re just like, “Oh, I get attention from people. Yay!” But I think the piano is such a great instrument to start on. Because you can look, you can see what you’re playing. With cello, it’s a little bit harder because you can’t really see which specific note you’re playing.

So, the piano is just a great way to learn rhythm and notes and scales, because it’s a visual thing. You can see what you’re doing. It’s a different part of your brain that works when you’re playing the piano because both of your hands are doing the same thing, which you would think is easier. But it’s not, because they’re both playing music. On the cello, just your left hand is doing the notes, and then your right hand is making the sound. So that’s a different thing.

Career Goals

Is there anything you’d like the Cello Museum audience to know about you or about music? Something that you think would be inspiring to them?

One of my goals for my career is to create something new that my generation would love. Because right now, I would say the arts and classical music is not the number one thing that people would go listen to. I feel like a lot of people in this generation, or a lot of kids in this generation, would think that it’s boring or something for, I don’t know, the “older” crowd, but it’s not.

I think that classical music is going to come back in a big way, especially after the year that it’s been through. But that’s my goal. I really want the children of this generation to come to enjoy classical music and to love it.

What ideas do you have there? Is that going to be commissioning pieces or catering to a different audience in a different way?

I don’t have a specific plan right now. That is just a goal in the future. I would love to start composing soon, but who knows what the future holds?

Her Inspirations

As Miriam seeks to inspire the next generation, she is also inspired by fellow cellists. Here are a few of Miriam’s favorite recordings for your enjoyment.

Alisa Weilerstein – Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No.1, Op.107 – 4. Allegro con moto

Mischa Maisky – Haydn: Cello Concerto No 2 in D Major

Yo-Yo Ma – Saint-Saëns: “The Swan”

Thank You

Thank you to Miriam and her family for this interview! All of us at The Cello Museum wish her the greatest success and look forward to following her career.

To learn even more about Miriam, and to see her perform, watch her interview with Barbara Keller.

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