T-SHIRTS

Voila! Our latest Paul Perley Cellos accessory. Yes, you can get through a cramped, poorly-lit gig without it, but these T shirts are cool, unique, soft, and comfortable anywhere, including in an overheated orchestra pit.

The design, engineered by Melissa, was based on the woodcut done for us by VT artist and friend Ed Epstein; the pepper color was chosen by a panel of random shop customers for its go-with-everything look and the way it augments the cellist’s hands.

We’re proud to show off son Ethan and girlfriend Renee displaying their previously untapped modeling skills. Ethan is 6’1” and wearing a large, Renee is 5’0” in a small.

Some data about the shirts: the shirt itself is a 1717 Ringspun Heavyweight Tee Shirt: 6.1 ounce ringspun cotton, softwashed garment-dyed fabric, pre-shrunk, set-in sleeves, 1” ribbed collar with double-needle top-stitched neckline, double-stitched sleeve and waist hems, taped neck shoulder to shoulder. (Probably a lot more information than you really want.)

Sizes: we have Small Medium & Large in stock, and X-Large on order. The chest size is roughly twice the body width.

The Shirts are $20.00 ea (VT residents add 6% sales tax). Shipping is $4.50 for the first shirt, $2.50 for each additional shirt.

Below is an order form. At present, we have two ways to order: by phone (802 229-1501) or mail to: Paul Perley Cellos T-Shirts, 452 Brookfield Road, Berlin, VT 05602.

ORDER FORM

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Shipping Address: ____________________________________________________

Suite, Apt. __________________________________________________________

Town/City: __________________________________________________________

State, Zip: ___________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________________________

Number of shirts:_________________

Sizes _____________________________________________

Total Cost: Number of Shirts X $20.00 + 6% tax (VT residents only) + shipping.

q Enclosed is check for $_____________________(US)

q Visa, O Mastercard, q AMEX, : #______________________________________

Exp_________________ Security Code _________________

Billing address (house number and zip only) of card if different from shipping address.

House Number_______________________________________ Zip ______________

OTHER ACCESSORIES

Like most cellists, several times a week we slog off to rehearsals or performances, and then practice in the studio in the off times. Over the years we’ve found tons of accessories that are completely frivolous and next to useless, but discovered a select few that make cello life not just easier but sometimes possible at all.

First the stool. It doesn’t take most cellists long to learn than many, if not most, performance spaces include some of the most uncomfortable chairs ever made (like the ubiquitous tan/gray metal folding chairs most which are bent beyond practical use, and all of which slide you backwards into an extremely uncomfortable, unplayable position). Plus every time you go to a new place, your height from the floor, i.e, your knees relative to the cello, is different. And sorry, but I don’t mind a little padding for a 3 hour rehearsal.

The bench we carry wasn’t originally intended for this, but it is the perfect seat for your practice, rehearsals, and performances. It’s easily carried, the height is adjustable, and once it is set you are always the exact same distance from the floor. It’s appropriately padded, and its appearance is sophisticated enough for the world’s great performance halls. Neither Melissa nor I ever rehearse, practice, or perform on anything else. $35.00

Now let’s look at a really functional portable music stand. We’ve all used wire stands, which admittedly have grown a bit in sophistication since the original basic Hamiltons. And yes, they are highly portable. But the best ones need a mechanical engineering degree to open and fold: and if you do either incorrectly (as almost everyone does the first time) it retains the shape of a run-over tricycle for the rest of its life. And try to write on a single sheet of paper on one of them. What we all really want is a stand that has the big, flat, easily-written-on desk of the Manhassets (the ones that all the orchestras have.) Well, here it is. Manhasset has come up with a stand that has the exact same desk and the exact same post as the orchestra Manhassets, but with a sturdy, light foldable base. And it all fits into a lightweight, easily carried bag. Are the wire stands easier to carry? A little, but after discovering these, we’ll never use them again. With bag: $64.00; or $48.00 stand only.

Many cellists leave their instrument in its case in their practice room. It’s a good idea: the case protects the cello from flying objects, identified or not, that kids can send around the room. If it gets knocked over by the family Newfoundland, its chances of survival are greatly increased over leaving it naked. But if your practice room is off limits to young offspring and if uncontrolled bounding dogs are not part of your household, we highly recommend, and use ourselves, the Ingles cello (and bass) stand.

The design of this stand is superb. It’s sturdy, all the hardware is well-made, and it is adjustable to the point that you can leave your endpin out when you place it there. That’s right: just take it off the stand and play. It has a lock so the instrument can not fall out, and of course a bow-holder. And you won’t slowly wear away varnish taking your cello in and out of your case. $60.00

It's unfortunately not unusual to be hired for a function requiring chamber music and be stuck someplace where there's barely enough light to open your case. Our solutions in the past have included a) carrying a regular clip-on, plug-in stand light and a thousand feet of extension cord because there will never ever be on outlet close by, b) carrying a small lightweight battery-powered light that never exceeded 4 candle-power after the first 5 minutes, c) carrying a battery powered light that weighed considerably more than either of our cellos in their cases.

Recently we came across this extremely small, lightweight clip-on light that has enough brilliance even for my eyesight. They make a single and double version, but the double is really the one to get. Melissa and I take these to every gig - you rarely know what the lighting will be like. At this writing, 19.95 each.

QUESTIONS? Email us your questions – pperleycellos@AOL.com – and we’ll answer the most interesting on this page of the web site.