Kathy McTavish and Duluth's cello uprising

Despite its relatively small size, Duluth is brimming with cellists.

"I love the thought of a cello uprising in Duluth," jokes Kathy McTavish, a composer and improvisational cellist. "Watch out, Duluth!"

In fact, the city is quickly becoming a regional hub for the instrument and its supporters.

"This town is lucky to have some amazing cellists," said McTavish, a classically trained musician who grew up in the Twin Cities and now lives in the woods north of Duluth. "From the intense, soulful classical sounds of Betsy Husby (of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra) to the whimsical, innovative, creative work of (Chance's) Ed Willett, Duluth has some great options for listening to cello."

McTavish also said she was excited to read about fellow cellist Josh Aerie pulling classical music into the coffeehouse scene - a scene to which she is no stranger. McTavish continually performs at venues such as Amazing Grace, Beaner's Central and Superior's Red Mug - both solo and in groups like Cosmic Pit Orchestra, Quetico, and Yeltzi: Twisted Gypsy.

"Collaborating with others is a deeply moving experience," she said. "It is quite addicting. ... I frequently work in collaboration with other musicians, writers, visual artists (and) dancers to stretch my boundaries - to learn and be transformed."

On the other hand, McTavish said her solo outfit, Cellodreams, is an equally essential part of her artistic output.

"I need time to reflect and weave in what I have learned," she said. "The solo work does that for me."

McTavish first fell in love with the cello the summer after third grade, when she was invited by her school to choose an instrument.

"When I heard the cello, I was transfixed," she said. "I had such a longing for that sound."

But that sound didn't come easy.

"It was so hard to hone the physicality of playing into the sound in my mind," McTavish said, admitting that she spent many hours for many years working with the instrument. "I was so in love with my instrument ... so haunted by it. It often felt overwhelming."

Despite this love, the musician actually put down her cello for a spell to study music theory and composition.

"The music around me was so different than the classical music that I had been steeped in," McTavish said. "I immersed myself in those new sounds and learned more about late 20th century classical composers as well.

"This opened a new view onto the world for me."

Five years ago, McTavish returned to the instrument of her childhood, incorporating all she had experienced into her sound.

"Much of what I do comes from a post-punk sensibility that I think impacted people of my generation - a liberating experimentation with sound that was also explored by some of the minimalist classical composers that I love," she said. "… I try to be very present when I perform. I mostly work in complete improvisational environments; wander musical landscapes without a map."

And this is something her myriad collaborations have allowed her to pursue.

"I like the psychedelic, trippy spaces I have been exploring with the Cosmic Pit Orchestra," McTavish said. "It feels like we are on the start of a long, very fulfilling journey together."

News to Use

Kathy McTavish will perform with poet Sheila Packa at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, at Red Mug Coffee House (on the corner of Broadway and Hammond in Superior). She will also perform with the Cosmic Pit Orchestra at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Quaker Meetinghouse, 1802 E. First St. Cost is $5 - or whatever you can afford. For more information, check out www.cellodreams.com.