Learn At Home!
Learn about instruments, composers, music, and even how to conduct from the comfort of your home!

Activity

The Cello

Learn about the cello with Olivia Kingsley, BSO Program Intern!

Questions to Consider:

  • How does a cello make sound?
  • What family is the cello a part of? What smaller instrument is it modeled off of?
  • How did the different excerpts (pieces of music) make you feel?
  • Watch this video with a violin string in slow-motion. Was this what you expected the string to look like while being played?

Fun at Home!

  • Even if you don't have a cello or string instrument, you can make a sound like one!
  • Step 1 - Get a ruler or paint stick, glue, stapler, a cereal box, and rubber bands.
  • Step 2 - Glue the ruler/ paint stick halfway onto the cereal box. You want the stick to hang off the end of the box quite a bit. 
  • Step 3 - Once the glue has dried, cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle about 3 inches wide and 1.5 tall. This will be your bridge. Take your bridge and glue it a few inches underneath the end of your paint stick onto the cereal box. 
  • Step 4 - Once the glue has dried, find four rubber bands (with different thicknesses if you can!). Cut the rubber bands so that they are long  strips. Staple one end of the strip to the paint stick and the other end to the cereal box so that the rubber bands rest on the bridge.
  • Step 5 - Staple four different rubber bands onto your “violin” in the same way as before.
  • Step 6 - Now that you have your violin, you can put your fingers on different parts of the paint stick/ ruler to play different pitches. To make sound, you can “pluck” your strings with your fingers. Happy playing!

Click here to check out more Learn At Home activities!

You Can Help Keep the Music Going!

If you enjoy our weekly activities, please consider a donation to the BSO. The BSO does over 90 in-school performances each year, reaching thousands of students throughout Whatcom County.

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Whatcom Arts Project

The BSO is a proud participant and a founding member of the new Whatcom Arts Project, a group of over 30 community arts nonprofits. The goal of the Whatcom Arts Project is to reach our community during this time of need to provide hope, entertainment, learning opportunities, and a sense of togetherness. Each week during the pandemic, the BSO posted learning activities and videos on our website and to social media as part of the Whatcom Arts Project.

To learn more about the Whatcom Arts Project and home friendly activities in our area, please visit: www.facebook.com/WhatcomArtsProject/ or https://www.bellingham.org/whatcom-arts-project/.