August 2025
Hello from Chelsea-
It’s here, my favorite month of the year! August, in all of its hot, sunshiny glory has descended upon us and we are officially closing out Summer 2025! Late summer for me means another turn around the sun, connecting with people I love, and preparing for the sprint that is getting to the end of the year.
As you may know, I’ve been working hard over the past several years to recover my musical expression, specifically cello playing. Since 2020, I have performed for schools, given lessons, taken auditions for the OKC Phil, and secured gigs from coffee shops to regional performance halls in effort to elevate my practice to a professional level. This journey has meant pushing and challenging my body and mind beyond anything I have ever done before! I am so grateful for every gig, every rehearsal, and every chance I get to share music. On that note – come see me!
Upcoming Shows:
Aug 16, 11am-1pm at Yellow Dog Roastery
Sept 25, 7pm at Radke Theatre
Sept 27, 10am-12pm at Bookish
I have more shows coming throughout the fall including the return of Chamber Music! I’ll continue updating my website with more information so bookmark and save the dates!
Recapping Summer So Far
In June, I embarked on the next leg of my journey by opening my schedule for cello performance to take the lead. My primary focus each day and each week is working my repertoire and endurance, and pushing my sound to new spaces. I picked up several gigs over the month of June and rehearsed as a cello quartet for the first time with 3 incredibly talented cellists! Part of this new freedom to play was a bittersweet goodbye to an organization and group of people that I love, respect, and cherish dearly. OKYO (Oklahoma Youth Orchestras) had been my work home for the year prior, after I exited the company I built throughout the pandemic. While with OKYO, I reconnected with past contemporaries and mentors, made new friends along the way, and realized that being on stage with cello in hand was wanted I wanted more than anything.
July was a big month, starting with an 8-day trip to Vancouver. Chad, Liam and I made our way into downtown Vancouver, then out to the Sunshine Coast, and back into downtown for a trip full of trying new things and breaking up the noise of home.
We got back to OKC and I hit the ground running with coffee meetups, waffle breakfasts, and a long-awaited rehearsal of one of my favorite piano trios with two good friends. I also started working part time at the neighborhood grocery store Flora Bodega – an oasis of farm fresh food and local creativity in the heart of OKC.
Birthday Month!
August is always busy as folx sink into the grind of fall semester. My favorite part about August? Well, it’s my birthday month of course! Garden party, anyone? Put this date in your calendar: Sunday, August 24!
Thanks for reading and for those of you coming to a show or my bday festivities, I’m so looking forward to seeing you 🙂
Happy August!
Chelsea
