Student and Educator Testimonials
I am a former Topeka Cello Collective member, as well as a TCC scholarship receiver. I was able to create a wonderful community of fellow young, aspiring musicians. We were an incredible support system to each other as we learned to be more proficient on our instruments, but also as we experienced life together and gained life skills from our wise instructor, Erinn Renyer. Being in the collective taught me to be an active listener. I value constructive criticism and making meaningful changes to my life because of what I learned during my time at the TCC. I was also given the opportunity to be a leader and help others be the best musicians they could be. Being a stressed high school student, I was grateful for the opportunity to relax and create beautiful art with my friends. Without the Topeka Cello Collective, I can easily say I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
Seya Tenny
I teach orchestra at Chase Middle School and Highland Park High School in Topeka and know first-hand how beneficial this group is for students. The Topeka Cello Collective has made a huge, life-changing impact on one of my students particularly, this year. He has decided to continue playing the cello in college and is considering majoring in music. This student, as well as the majority of the students that I work with, would not be able to participate in a group like this one, if it wasn’t for financial support in the form of a scholarship.
Melinda FlohrOrchestra Instructor, Chase M.S
Highland Park H.S.
I have known Erinn Renyer, the director of the Topeka Cello Collective, for many years, and I am one of many students who have benefitted from her tutelage and mentorship over her many years as a cello instructor. Without Erinn’s guidance and exceptional advocacy for me through this process, I would likely have missed out on thousands of dollars in scholarships. Erinn’s work for her students is holistic and balanced, with the Topeka Cello Collective simply serving as the platform by which she tirelessly (and successfully) prepares the next generation of student leaders.
Cole King
TCC allowed me to see the beauty of collaborative ensemble work. Starting at the lowest level, a cello 4 in the younger group, and making my way up, up, and up, until being seated first chair of the choir in my last year of high school has taught me so much about teamwork and composition. Some aspects of the collective that I think are most important and quite unique to this program stem from the wide range of abilities you’ll see in each group and the benefit of being a cello-only ensemble. Younger students in the program have the opportunity to watch and listen to older, more advanced students and the feedback they receive. Professor Renyer does a great job of arranging the music so that every section has an appropriate difficulty level. The skills in listening, intuition, and collaboration that our focus on self-reliance fostered are noticeable when her students join other ensembles. What I’m trying to say here, is that the Topeka Cello Collective isn’t just a fun ensemble to be in. It is, most definitely, but it also has had a huge impact on my life.
Katelyn Bitner
TCC was an awesome experience for me that helped me grow in many ways, not just musically. It is great to see Erinn continue to expand the TCC to touch the lives of more musicians.
Danny Lytle
Washburn University Graduate, Orchestra Teacher, Olathe Public Schools
My name is Rosalyn Taylor, and I am a current Master of Music Student at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I discovered my passion for the cello through Erinn where I attended the Topeka Cello Collective from the age of 10 all the way through my undergraduate degree. I truly believe it to be one of the greatest communities I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of.
Rosalyn Taylor
Washburn University Graduate
That first semester I was involved with TCC, I remember playing William Tell Overture with a cello orchestra including me, a middle schooler, as well as high schoolers, collegiate musicians, and professors, and this was my first real experience and exposure with just how grand and amazing music can be. Years down the line, I reached the level where I could play all the music and I was the cellist other younger cellists looked up to, and I realized here that there is more to music than being able to play the notes.
Hunter Turner
Current Season Underwriters
