7 hours ago
14
Mastering the cello is hard enough, but Cellista also regularly performs upside down. She’s based in Las Vegas, but the aerialist spoke to us while traveling in Germany, and told us about what her life looks like training and writing for the stage.
What time did you wake up?
I woke up at 7.10am and beat my alarm clock, which was set for 8.01am. I felt triumphant. The feeling lasted until 11am and then I was back to my usual self.
Did you eat breakfast?
I fast. I really dislike eating in the morning and never have much of an appetite when I wake up. Although, technically I cheat because I have a nice big cup of coffee with ample milk and sugar.
What did you do before work?
I start every day by reading and journaling over coffee. I’ve been reading Nabokov’s love letters to his wife, Véra. He’s one of my favorite writers, but I now suspect from his letters that he was a neurotic love-bomber.
After reading, I write. I’m currently writing a book to accompany my aerial theater piece, Mémoire. It interlaces my writing, old journal entries, a film I direct and aerial cello into one stage poem or one-woman show.
What did work look like for you today?
I began the process of submitting the album that accompanies Mémoire for Grammy consideration. I also had to follow up with a client about their very overdue payments. It felt weirdly emotional for me. It’s the freelancer life: you feel guilty asking for what you’re worth, or requesting what is due to you, and you’re tempted to default to being nice because it feels easier in the moment.
Do you take breaks?
I suck at breaks. I know that rest is better for my body and mind. But my mind just chatters away, and it feels incredibly difficult to take enough time off from training.
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Who was your favorite person you spoke to today?
I got to chat with my dad. He was a professor of philosophy for 42 years at the University of Denver and I was sharing my experience visiting Nietzsche’s house in Naumburg. We talked about Nietzsche’s breakdown in Turin when he tried to shield a horse from being beaten by its owner and became inconsolable at the horse’s suffering. Nietzsche never recovered; it was the onset of the neurosyphilis that would kill him.
What did you do for dinner?
Since I’m in Bayreuth for the Wagner Fest, I got to eat schäufele, which is roast pork shoulder with crispy yummy skin. It came with a potato dumpling the size of the moon, and cabbage.
When did you go to sleep? Do you have a routine you follow?
I try my best to sleep by midnight. Every single night, I watch old episodes of The X-Files, but nothing after season seven because that is when it gets intolerable. I usually have a cup of cocoa and three Voortman Vanilla Wafers while I watch. By the time Scully utters her last exasperated “Mulder!!!!”, I pass out.
