Role of The Performer: 2 Cellos

    The duo that is 2 Cellos has been an absolute inspiration to me since I picked up a cello. It is one of my many dreams to be able to perform with them and learn from them because of their incredible talent. I have spent countless hours listening to and practicing their unique style. I even started writing my own sheet music for songs I love and composing my own pieces because of these two musicians. My grandma has even my ringtone set to their cover of  'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC! It's all I would listen to for months because I was trying to dissect the song to write my own sheet music. Of course, that did not pan out the way I intended it to but it still remains to torture my grandfather when I call at random hours of the day.

    The Croatian cellists, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, first rose to fame in 2011 when their cover of 'Smooth Criminal' was posted to Youtube and was a massive hit. This lead to them getting a record deal with Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks. They have toured with Sir Elton John and collaborated with many big names like Steve Vai and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. They even appeared in an episode of Glee performing 'Smooth Criminal' accompanied by the late Naya Rivera. Sulic graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London and Hauser graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Both have been playing the cello since they were young and their hard work and time obviously shows.

    These two musicians have provided countless hours of entertainment and inspiration for my forays into music composition. However, it is not just me that these two legends have played adored influencer to. Their purpose, as with any performers that play covers, is to inspire others to create beautiful things. Whether it be covers or their own music people are creative masterpieces and produce wonderful and unique works of art. These performers are there to show people that they too can travel the world and collaborate with other musical icons.

    I personally was first inspired by, as mentioned before, by the cellist's cover of 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC

What struck me (pun fully intended) about his video was the smooth and seamless transition between the standard classical sound into the classic rock sound. Along with this transition, there is a crescendo to a climax which marks the full transition between the two genres. That is what I wanted to replicate the most because not only was it subtle but it was also very shocking if you did not know what to listen to.

This song has been shown to me, quoted at me, and played at me since I picked up a cello. The reason is pretty obvious (my name is Annie) but it still got annoying. Until one day I decided to learn how to play it so I could drown out any jokes with the sound of screeching strings. It was quite fun! What truly blew me away about this song was how frantic they made it sound. It truly sounds, at times, like they are being chased down and hunted by someone. This is also enhanced by the video which shows the two cellists brawling in what seems to be a bar or pub. It also used to amaze me at how beat up their bows got. Never in my seven years have I played hard enough to rip more than two or three hairs from my bow even if I was sawing heavily and frantically at my strings.

   Some of my other favorites by them are their covers of Eye of the Tiger, Whole Lotta Love vs Beethoven 5th Symphony, Welcome to the Jungle, Highway to Hell, Game of Thrones and, Hallelujah for the music but also for the cinematography and storytelling.   

“Biography.” 2CELLOS Official Website, www.2cellos.com/biography/.

“‘I Play Yamaha’ 2CELLOS.” 2CELLOS - I Play Yamaha - Yamaha Corporation, www.yamaha.com/en/ipy/2cellos/.