#401 Alisa Weilerstein
Classical cellist and type 1
#401: Alisa Weilerstein: Scott reveals his love for the cello when he interviews 38-year-old American classical cellist Alisa Weilerstein, who has had T1D since just before she turned 10. They discuss cello music and her career extensively, as well as a variety of issues surrounding diabetes including tight controls; avoiding lows while performing; high protein, low-carb diet; and changing technology.
You can always listen to the Juicebox Podcast here but the cool kids use: Apple Podcasts/iOS - Amazon Music - Spotify - Amazon Alexa - Google Play/Android - iHeart Radio - Radio Public or their favorite podcast app.
Visit AlisaWeilerstein.com and find Alisa on Instagram
+ Click for EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.
Scott Benner 0:09
Hello, friends, welcome to Episode 401 of the Juicebox Podcast. Today, I'm incredibly excited to tell you that Alisa Weilerstein is on the program. Now there are two, two cellist in the world whose work touches me very deeply. Yo, yo, Ma, and Alyssa. So imagine my surprise when one day going over social media, something popped up in front of me that made me think, doesn't Alyssa Wyler, Stein have diabetes? And she does. Alyssa was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes 28 years ago when she was just about 10 years old. So she's here today to talk about that. And also to indulge me as I asked questions about the cello. Now, I know that a lot of you might not be classical music fans, but I implore you spend the next hour finding out what I love about the cello. And you might just love it too. Plus, you'll hear about some type one diabetes stuff. I'm tricking you into learning about the cello. But it's not really much of a trick if I'm telling you. During this episode, you're going to hear cuts from Alicia's newest album, Bach cello suites. Many thanks to her record label pentatone for allowing me to use some of the music. You can find out all about Alyssa on our website. Alyssa Wyler Stein comm you can see her upcoming schedule, a little biography, and of course, all of our albums right there in one place with convenient links to Amazon, apple, and Spotify. Before we start, please don't forget to check out T one d exchange.org. forward slash juice box. T one D exchange is doing amazing things for people with type one diabetes by collecting data that helps people make better decisions about type one T one d exchange.org Ford slash juice box you need to be a US resident with Type One Diabetes with a parent of someone with Type One Diabetes from the United States takes less than 10 minutes to become part of the registry, adding your answers to their very simple and straightforward questions. The data they get from you goes on to help make decisions like setting a one c standards. Whether or not people get test trips from their insurance. And if Medicare covers things like Dexcom you really will be helping other people who are living with Type One Diabetes. When you visit T one d exchange.org. forward slash juicebox join the registry today. Okay, you're ready. This is Alyssa. I'm so excited. I have a podcast that is now 400 episodes old, all about type one diabetes. And I have been for the last well since the since the the royal wedding. I guess I've had it in my head that I could actually get a type one who played the cello. Because Yeah, because cello is is is my if you told me you were gonna lock me in a dark room for the for the rest of days. And I could take one thing with me. I would take I would take some on accompany cello piece with me. Yeah, good taste. Thank you. And I have no background in it whatsoever. I am an absolute novice. I only know how I feel. When I hear it. I can only tell you that a couple of years ago when yo yo ma said he was going to be touring his his last album. I drove from the middle of New Jersey to Washington DC to hear him play
Unknown Speaker 3:59
my
Scott Benner 4:01
night and I sat about eight rows from him at the cathedral, and it was really amazing. And while my wife sat next to me, I think enjoying it and at the same time wondering how because it seems incongruous my, my whole personality and the fact that this is what I don't think they fit together very well. That's great. I really love it. So I want to hear a little bit about when you were diagnosed with type one. How long ago was it?
Alisa Weilerstein 4:31
It was 28 and a half years ago. Um, I am 38 now and it was the month before my 10th birthday. Okay,
Scott Benner 4:39
so I was gonna say when you were 10 but I didn't want to creep you out by proving that. I knew how old you are.
Unknown Speaker 4:46
That's great. All right.
Scott Benner 4:48
Do your homework. It's all right. No, no, it's not just that. I saw I was following you on Instagram before I recognize that you had diabetes. Oh really? Yeah. Okay. And then one day you did something on Instagram that made me go home. My God, that girl have type one. Because if she does, I'm getting her on the spot. I'm not embarrassed at all, by the way, the people listening, who probably would never imagine this about me, but I don't know why it's such an odd thing to some people. But but we'll get into all this at some point. So you're 10 years old? Was there any type one in your family or other endocrine issues?
Alisa Weilerstein 5:22
Not that we knew of. My mother said that her grandmother, and her grandmother, her grandmother died when she was fairly young. So she wasn't fully aware, but that there was some diabetes there. She thought it was type two, actually, which of course, as we know, has no real genetic link to type one. But um, many years later, my first cousin came down with it, and she was 23. So that's definitely on my mother's side of the family there. There's some sort of genetic
Scott Benner 5:48
thing going on. I like how you say came down with it. I felt like yes, I went down with it dad freezing. It's like you got a cold? Okay, I'm 20. Let's see, 20 years ago is 28 years ago, eight years ago. 1990 ish in the middle.
Alisa Weilerstein 6:06
- Yeah, it was actually the year, I remember. Well, because it was the year that the dcct trials came out with a definitive statement that said that a tight control could greatly reduce the risk of complications. And so it was a very kind of, I mean, if one had to be diagnosed with it, it was a very sort of hopeful time. And so that was something that my doctors really made sure that my parents understood. And that that I understood also, and it was kind of motivation to, to really keep a good eye on the blood sugar.
Scott Benner 6:37
Well, even just a few years prior to that, the disease was all about just do your best. And let's see how long you can make it. You know, pretty much Yeah,
Alisa Weilerstein 6:45
pretty much. And so my mom told me Actually, many years later that I mean, we had a lot of Doctor friends, and I was already pretty serious about the cello. And then there was a great insensitive doctor friend who said to my principal, you know, you can forget about the cello. She's going to have neuropathy, neuropathy in her fingers when she's 25, she won't be able to play
Scott Benner 7:05
Oh, my gosh, yeah, I'm glad you didn't look very nice. Let me say, I'm glad you didn't listen to them. Because so so you're gonna, there's gonna be a lot of moments where I'm gonna ask you to correct me during this if you're anything that I say that's wrong, but I hear cello playing from artists to artists. And to me, it feels, I used to think of it as like, more masculine or feminine. Oh, like control of the strings or depth of the tone. I don't even know how to put it. But you're the you're the first, like, female artist that I've heard that plays like a guy i think is the way I think. But I could be completely wrong, like my intuition about what that is, could be wrong. But you're you get more of a resonance out of the strings, then it feels like, like, I don't know what I'm talking about. It feels like some people have a harsher touch. And some people have a lighter touch. Am I anywhere near right about that?
Unknown Speaker 8:01
Yeah, I mean,
Alisa Weilerstein 8:03
although Have you ever heard Jackie do pray?
Scott Benner 8:05
No.
Alisa Weilerstein 8:06
Should I? I Yes, definitely. She was one of my issues, probably my primary role model as a child. And she had this no holds barred. Complete natural command of the instrument and strength and sensitivity. I mean, like the perfect kind of combination of that and passion. And so I was really, really attracted to that and attracted to her her approach to the instrument into her sound into her kind of into her instinct. There's something very raw about it. And so I think that's part of a part of kind of my, my own makeup with, let's say, my son, my earliest sort of sound concept, right? Um, but But yeah, I mean, I actually I feel pretty lucky because there, there is a kind of gender imbalance with jello. There are a lot more famous male cellist and there are female jealous and the female jealous that I, I mean, the challenge that I gravitated toward actually was I met and I listened to many and I admired many, but the one that I really related to was female, okay. And, and she played in such a way that I didn't think about her gender at all, not for a second I Oh, she was she wasn't a role model because she was a woman that she was just she was a role model because I just adored the way that she played.
Scott Benner 9:25
So let me give you what I think is an amazing compliment and maybe I'm out of my mind. Okay, a lot of people listening, I'm going to put the music your By the way, your record company sent me the music so I can put it in right in here what I'm talking about, but around a minute and 52 into the prelude of sweet one. Okay. It gets quick, it starts to speed up.
And then after that, I cry when Mark plays it, and you play it and no one else Oh, why is that? Like it pulls tears right out of me. And I don't know how to. I don't know how to explain it because I can listen to someone else play it and hear it and think, oh, that was done well, and it feels clinical to me. But my eyes filled with tears, and they fall down my cheeks when you play it and when he plays it, and I don't know why that is. And I just, I'm happy about it. Thank you.
Alisa Weilerstein 10:52
I'm happy. I'm happy to hear that. Thank you for telling me.
Scott Benner 10:55
Why does it happen? What what what is it like so? So for people who don't understand the cello? Yeah, there's a couple of functions about it that absolutely light me up. There's a way that the the tones lift you and keep you up.
And then there's a way that they lift you and drop you.
And then there's a way I feel like I'm being pulled forward and let go and then pulled forward again. But I don't know how to quantify any of that.
Alisa Weilerstein 12:11
But that's good. You should you shouldn't try to quantify it because it's, there's a very I mean, I think, a person's response to listen, listening to any music not only the cello, though, I'll get to that too. I mean, to why the cello also always moved me and why we're so attracted to it but there's something even if you don't know anything about what you're in the center you don't know the history you don't know who the composer is, it doesn't matter there is there is a very primal very direct and very emotional response that I think everybody has to music. babies have it to music. I mean, I remember when I might my daughter is now four and a half but let's say when she was like a newborn and I was traveling with her already, I mean there were certain things I would sing to her that would if she was fussy would immediately calm her down and you could feel her feel the rhythm you could feel her heart rate slowed down. I mean it's it's really within us I think as human beings to really have a very direct and visceral response to music that we don't to that we don't even have the spoken language as for the cello, and of course your your ma you that you've brought up before it has has said this that it's and many many others have said it but the range of the cello and the tambor of the cello is the closest to the human voice of any certainly any stringed instrument, okay. And, you know from from the, you know, from the deepest sort of Basile profunda voice into like this coloratura voice and every and almost every in every cello masterclass, you can hear the the teacher saying, Well, you know, you have to imagine the voice and how would, how would a singer go for that, you know, kind of go for that interval? How would the singer kind of go for that leap? And we are always trying to mimic the human voice and how somebody would sing. And so I think that I'm you know, I was four when I did when I told my parents in no uncertain terms that I wanted to pick cello. And I mean, I can't tell you in any intellectual way why, but that was I think, I think that was the emotional, Primal visceral
reason why I wanted to play cello
Scott Benner 14:22
I only have one other like physical. So there are lower notes with the cello that I feel take the tension out of my spine up into the neck. It just it relaxes me.
Besides being physically touched in a sexual way, I have no other competitor. And for how like the cello can make me feel like seriously like, I mean another person reaching out and touching your skin somewhere. You don't I mean,
Alisa Weilerstein 15:06
yeah, no, it's very human.
Scott Benner 15:08
Very, very. I don't know how I found it. And you know what? It's funny. I don't, I try to trace it back in my mind, because I like an eclectic mix of music, but it's a younger person. I was growing up in the late 80s. Like, we were all listening to Guns and Roses and Metallica and stuff like that. Like, you know, there wasn't really, yeah, well, I still love it. But nobody was coming up to me and saying, hey, you should really listen to this. Other than I do wonder if Peter in the wolf wasn't my first introduction to it.
Alisa Weilerstein 15:39
It's a lot of people's first exposure to classical music during the wolf. It's fantastic.
Scott Benner 15:43
Right? I feel like that may be it. But and then after that, the West Wing, an episode of The West Wing, where yo yo ma comes on in place the
Alisa Weilerstein 15:52
place the first week, right? Yeah.
Scott Benner 15:53
Right. So I mean, I can't I can't find another, but I can't remember. I'm 48. Now, I can't remember it not being it's it's my go to music constantly. And I like it and other forms and fashions. But why is why is Bach. Is there something technically about Bach that makes it? Is that the pin ultimate piece tie or no?
Alisa Weilerstein 16:19
Well, I mean, every composer that came after Bach was indirectly or directly influenced by what he did. He was a groundbreaker. He was, in every way, in terms of the polyphony that he created the rhythmic, the rhythmic language, I mean, really, pretty much everything you can think of. Um, he also, I mean, like, if, let's say, if we're speaking about the cello suites versus before, we're talking about the cello. cello suites of course, we know they were written 350 years ago or so. And yet they feel like they were written yesterday. There's a timelessness about Ba, which is an A universality. And yet it's still you know, some of the high church, some some literally church music, but this is not this is not religious music, but this is
intellectually emotionally.
It's, it's the music. That is I think it's the most satisfying and
pleasurable to listen to.
Scott Benner 17:26
Yeah, I always thought up until a couple of years ago, that it was a technical thing that all people playing it were striving for, like trying to get it exactly. I mean, quote, unquote, right. And until, until this latest yo yo ma album, where he kind of said, like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, like, lean into it in different places. I never heard anyone tried to do that either. And now I'm excited for people to try that.
Alisa Weilerstein 17:54
But he This is his third recording of the bob sweets. Yeah. And he recorded it in three different stages of his career. And that was in a way, you know, I, I just, that's my last album actually was all about sweets. terrifying. Oh,
Scott Benner 18:06
by the I sorry, I've been listening to it for a while yours.
Unknown Speaker 18:09
Okay.
Alisa Weilerstein 18:10
I mean, I was I was terrified to record them. Actually, you know, even though even if you had told me that I was going to do it even five years ago, I would have said, Oh, no way, I'm going to wait until I'm 60. Because that's, it's, um, I suppose Bach, for us, musicians is kind of that they say the equivalent of what Shakespeare would be to two actors. And this is kind of it's very, it's it's stuff that you feel like, okay, you need the experience, you need the life, the life experience, and the wisdom to really do justice to it. And what I kind of realized, and I talked to you about this, actually, about a year ago, no, was it you know, two years ago or so, when I was making the decision to, to set down recording dates and recording times as well. And he said, and he gave me really, really amazing advice. Actually, I've known him for a long time. And it was more or less something which I was kind of wrestling with, but he, which he kind of reaffirmed, which is that Bach is living music. And I was I finally had the courage to put them down onto takes when I realized, okay, this is how I am thinking about this right now. This is I'm I was 37. Yeah. And I was in a certain stage of my life, and I lived with the sweets for, you know, my whole life basically. And in 15 years, I might record them again, and they might be very different. And that's great, because Bach is truly living music. And it's something that evolves in one's mind and one's heart and everything else. And so, that's how, that's how I kind of got the courage to do it. It's just it's you're creating something from no recordings. And and when you think back to when they were made, it's not like, it's not like he was scoring a movie when he made those things. Those sounds they just keep going It came through a pencil from his head, I would imagine. It's an it's just, it's really stunning. Okay, I should ask you a diabetes question to keep people. Or this is just gonna turn, your listeners are gonna be like, is this a diabetes podcast?
Scott Benner 20:14
I asked her about the cello and forget about the diabetes stuff. So I'm hoping people listening will be drawn to try to try your album like I really do.
Alisa Weilerstein 20:23
Thank you, that would be great.
Scott Benner 20:25
I'm just thrilled that I found it honestly. So when you're when you're diagnosed, is it pens? Do you get pens? Or do you just get insulin? While?
Alisa Weilerstein 20:33
No, ours was directions? It was syringes with NPH and regular and regular, right?
Scott Benner 20:39
How long do you do that? For? Do you remember how long you did that before you went to a faster acting insulin?
Alisa Weilerstein 20:45
Uh, yes. It was about I mean, before human long, it was maybe three years, okay. And that was a revelation that I didn't have to take my, my shot, you know, half an hour to 45 minutes before I ate a meal. And so much less planning. Thank God wasn't, was involved. And so then I switched to remember I switched to ultra lenti and lenti. And then we had Then there were the pens and then when I was 16. So I'd had I'd had it for almost seven years, I switched to a pump. Well, electronic mini med.
Scott Benner 21:20
Everyone started with that one, I think
Alisa Weilerstein 21:22
I actually just got off it I was very loyal until like five months ago, I switched to the tandem.
Scott Benner 21:27
Oh, the are using control IQ.
Alisa Weilerstein 21:30
Not to control IQ because I don't like the target. Set it set. I use the basal IQ because it doesn't keep me between 110 and 160. I want to have better control than that. So I hear people put it in sleep mode all the time to get tighter control.
Scott Benner 21:46
Things I hear, okay, my daughter uses the DIY loop loop. The the open the open APS one. Oh, like she's getting like Auto boluses when her blood sugar goes up and, and all kinds of crazy stuff.
Alisa Weilerstein 22:01
It's very well, I might have to pick your brain about that. Okay.
Scott Benner 22:05
So using the Dexcom g six, yes. Yeah, that's a big leap from how you started. That was
Alisa Weilerstein 22:10
that was huge. That was probably the biggest difference, because during my pregnancy, which was in 2015, and 2016, I was on the G five. And it wasn't as it I mean, it was it was great, but it's not it was not as accurate. There was still you know, a lot of things a lot of finger sticking. So yeah, I mean, not now. It's kind of a new life and, and even even now without, I mean, of course, I mean, I work hard to keep my blood sugar under control. But I mean, I know, I could get it better. But it was it's like it's easy to hit like six now are easier to hit six now than it ever has been.
Scott Benner 22:44
Yeah, no, I completely agree. I think that people who listen to this podcast would agree with you as well. So this show is mainly about like how to use insulin. And so most of the people who listen to the show probably have agencies that are closer to six if they've been listening for more than a couple of months.
Alisa Weilerstein 22:59
Fantastic. Really cool.
Scott Benner 23:00
Okay, and I'm really proud of but I'm wondering, that's amazing. That's absolutely amazing. Yeah, so. So I'm thinking back to middle school, where they burned us all in the cafeteria and brought all the instruments in the world in front of us. And I was like, I'm gonna go get that cello. And then I moved by the way, it would not have worked out. I, I just I know, I couldn't have done it. I'm a little like, I can listen to it, I can appreciate it. I don't think I could have created it. But anyway, I'm moving towards the cello. And this girl steps in front of me and takes the last one. And I end up with a saxophone in my hand. And I'm like, this isn't what I wanted to do the same. So anyway, I don't play an instrument. I hope that girl still does whoever she is. I hope she
Unknown Speaker 23:42
gets to. I hope
Scott Benner 23:44
she took it and did some really great stuff with it. Yeah, but if I would have found it and had diabetes, what's the what's that? Like? Like? Like? I mean, I can I think it must have taken. It must have. I mean that that yo yo ma concert I went to must have been three and a half hours long or more, and he didn't get up and move or walk away. Yeah. So how do you do that with diabetes? Well, I'm
Alisa Weilerstein 24:09
I'm very proud to say I've never had a single low on stage. And the entire 28 years that I've had it, I've always I've always wanted it. And so then even way before the technology was there to where it's much easier to avoid a low now than it was certainly in the 90s or the early the early aughts. I before the CGM, I would test my blood sugar. And I always tested quite a lot. I mean, I was not you know, I've been luckily most of the time that I've had diabetes, I've had very tight control. But the hour in the hour before a concert, I would test my blood sugar at least maybe six times. So an hour before, you know 45 minutes before, half an hour before 15 minutes before and then like twice, twice more to make sure that I was I was never below 130 before I went on stage, like we'd like between 130 to 150 is kind of my sweet spot that, you know, just, you know, a reasonable number, I mean, not like an ideal number, but a place where I had to kind of special to drop, because just the kind of the physical effort of playing, and kind of the concentration required would always, would always make me go up a little bit. Okay. And so for for that for a Bach marathon, I would, the way the way I structured
those clusters, which were three and a half hours long,
I would do the first three sweets, that I mean that the three out of six weeks, right, so the first three suites are about 765 70 minutes. And so I would make sure I was about, you know, around 140. And then there would be a 15 minute intermission at 70 minute mark, and then where I would just make sure that I was, you know, I would I would keep some protein, and maybe a few grapes backstage, right.
Scott Benner 26:00
I'm a little slow acting a little fast acting carbs, right.
Alisa Weilerstein 26:05
And of course, having glucose tablets around, you know, in case I will, you know, case, I walked the state of walked off stage with like, 65 or something, right. Which almost never happened, actually. I mean, I want to I was, like, 110 or so when I when I walked off stage after that, and then I would just rate you know, I would I would take like, I don't know, four grades or something, and I would get myself back up to 130.
Scott Benner 26:24
What's the adrenaline like, while you're playing? Is it something you control? like a, like a baseball player trying to hit a baseball, it's there, and you have to quell it? Or do you? Are you kind of Zen when you play at this point?
Unknown Speaker 26:36
Um,
Alisa Weilerstein 26:39
then the adrenaline. I mean, I'm very grateful that I that I have it and that it's not, it's not something that gets in my way. Um, I've always I in people have asked me, you know, did you get nervous? And I and I always say no, because I mean, I feel the butterflies, but it's a kind of positive rush. like, Okay, I'm ready to go. And it's, I find it that it really focuses me. So I've never had a kind of adrenaline high. From a concert, I, where I've had adrenaline highs was when I was really nervous about something else. Like, for example, my husband had to have an eye surgery, and my blood sugar shot to 320 and would not come down. But I was like pumping and pumping and pumping. The corrections were like water, they didn't do anything until he was out of the bar. And I knew he was fine. And that my blood sugar plunged.
Scott Benner 27:33
Good if you had Pre-Bolus for two meals.
Alisa Weilerstein 27:36
Exactly. Exactly. So I mean, you know that the liver was just going so
Unknown Speaker 27:41
um, so Yeah,
Scott Benner 27:42
wow. Yeah. No, I just I, I mean, what's the biggest collection of people you've played in front of ever? Do you know?
Alisa Weilerstein 27:50
I think it was 80,000. I played a concert in the park. Wow. So like, like, like a pop concert. But I mean, that that's unusual for a classical sure concert. I mean, they're one of the most enjoyable experiences I had actually was during the Boston Marathon to the Alfa lamoni in Hamburg, which it's a Toyota Hall. That is the same acquisition who did the Disney Hall, okay in LA. And it's just absolutely gorgeous. And what they also what they did with the lighting was incredibly special, like, there was a spot around the piano bench because of course, in a Bach marathon solo Bach marathon is just me on the stage, and there's a and it's um, and so I mean, to do it to do that kind of in a in a huge hole, if the lights are fully on doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. And so they were able to create a kind of intimacy, where I was very aware of the people around me, but yet it was it was it I felt like I was kind of in a room with them, like having a direct conversation the way we are now. And I just felt like I was playing kind of on a mountain on the under the stars. That sounds that was for 2200 people it has it is a capacity hole. So that was, yeah, that was really, really enjoyable.
Scott Benner 29:04
So I learned something about people at Carnegie Hall once and I wonder if you agree with this or don't I? I noticed that when people are told to be quiet. They can't be and when they don't need to be quiet. They have no trouble with it whatsoever. And it's always throat clearing. Yep. Right.
Alisa Weilerstein 29:25
And they can the gum. Sorry that the cop drivers like, right?
Scott Benner 29:29
Yeah, it's um, so I've seen here my number of times, but one of the times as was it at Carnegie Hall, and he finished playing and there was a break. I think we were seeing the goat road stuff maybe got ready. Oh, yeah. Yeah, the goat rodeo stuff and, and during the break, the places silent everybody's sitting around, sort of like you know, like they're in church and being quiet and everything. And then the lights dim a little and they start to play and that's it. It just happens everywhere. And I'm like, I like bad. This is like the most interesting psychological look into people's minds. Like as soon as they thought I have to be quiet. They couldn't be. So I'm not wrong about that, right?
Alisa Weilerstein 30:13
Oh, god, no. Well, it's like, it's like children. I mean, as I said, I've, you know, I have a four year old. I mean, and if I tell her, she has to be quiet, she's like, and if not, you know, and if I totally leave her alone, she's like sitting quietly, you know, reading book or doing a puzzle or something like that. It's totally
Scott Benner 30:32
fine. I so have always wondered what that is. Because that's the first time I noticed it. And now I noticed it everywhere.
Alisa Weilerstein 30:38
I think we're I think we're just very contrarian beings.
Scott Benner 30:41
Honestly, I just find it really fascinating.
Unknown Speaker 30:45
I think, I think it's right.
Unknown Speaker 30:47
I love it. I'm like, now it's now. Okay.
Alisa Weilerstein 30:50
Well, I think it's an interesting point. I think it's a it's also people are generally uncomfortable with silence, particularly in New York, by the way, where there's just more silence at any time. So you find very often with if there's a pause, like, for example, I don't know if you're familiar with Shostakovich first Cello Concerto?
Scott Benner 31:10
I know I have it. It's in my giant group of cello music, but I don't know if I could recall it right now.
Alisa Weilerstein 31:17
Sure, sure. There's, the third movement is a cadenza, which means that the cello is playing entirely alone for about seven minutes. And then, um, and then, of course, the orchestra comes in for the lesson. And there are these really, really quiet moments and moments of silence and pauses that are that are written in the music. And playing in a New York where it was the rhythmic pauses, you know. And it was literally I would be like, blank. And so there was no silence at all. And so at a certain time, and there was this guy who was, I think he was having kind of a problem. But I mean, he didn't have the problem when the music was actually kind of covered up. And it was, I mean, it was hard to hard not to kind of break character, as it were.
Scott Benner 32:03
Everybody needs to look deep into their soul about why they open up their phone when the movie starts. And then we're looking at it during the preview.
Alisa Weilerstein 32:13
I think there is a kind of anxiety about being in a quiet spot.
Scott Benner 32:18
It must be I need it around around the cello. Specifically, I need the quiet because I don't know how to explain this to people. I'm not listening to it, and trying to absorb it. And I don't know another way to say that really. So
Unknown Speaker 32:31
Oh, that's, that's fair.
Scott Benner 32:33
I need to be in a like, I think the best thing you could happen to me is a deprivation tank. With a cello, I think that I would
Alisa Weilerstein 32:41
be careful what you wish.
Scott Benner 32:42
That might not be great, right? Hey, our instruments. Like, I'm assuming they're all different. But can you pick one up? Play it pick up another one and play it? It's not the same? Like, I'm sure you have one that you use, but I mean,
Alisa Weilerstein 32:58
another type of instrument? And yeah, I mean, I yeah, I could I could pick up any cello and play it? Yes. But um, no. I mean, my cello is a very wonderful, rare Italian instrument, which I'm lucky to lucky to have. So.
Scott Benner 33:16
So how do you? I don't how would you? How would a person categorize you? Like, you know, like, if you were a football player, are you? Are you like an all star? Or are you like, like, do you like how did what like how does somebody who's as good at this as you are? Like, how many people in the world even do this, I guess in a notable way?
Alisa Weilerstein 33:36
Well, they're not that many professional classical musicians. It's a, it's a kind of specialized. You know, that they're there. It's definitely it's a kind of, it's a limited audience. And we are always trying to expand our audience, but let's face it, they're they're not not everybody's as new classical music every day. As much as I would like them to. I mean, I think it's the greatest music there is, but we're, we're all trying to struggle to get that message out. And yeah, I mean, it's it's a lot of it's like dancers or athletes. I mean, it as you were saying, I mean, it's a it's a huge amount of discipline and discipline, hard work, and blood, sweat and tears, in training, which, you know, not everyone wants to spend their time doing and so they're not that many people who will go go into it professionally.
Scott Benner 34:26
How? That brings me to the question of how long did it take you like, however, whatever proficiency you feel like you're at now, how long does that take to accomplish?
Alisa Weilerstein 34:36
I mean, I feel like I'm, it's a lifelong thing. I mean, I always I still feel like a student. In many ways. I mean, certain things certainly get easier or and I and I hopefully feel like my understanding of certain music, which I keep returning to deepens over time. And sometimes, sometimes I feel like Well, I mean, I used to do this right naturally, and now I don't feel like it's so natural anymore. Therefore, maybe I should put it away for a while and then come back to it later. It's that kind of thing. I mean, it's ongoing.
Scott Benner 35:06
It's an ongoing kind of evolution. I can't where you said you wanted to do it when you were four. Yeah, were people looking at you like when you were six going, Hey, Wow, she's way better at this. And the other six year olds like getting better at this the eight year olds? And I'm like, is it was there a did your parents like, tell me the story that your parents taught everybody? When they're like, Oh, we know. Like, when was that?
Unknown Speaker 35:24
I can't tell you that. No, you don't know.
Unknown Speaker 35:27
What to say.
Unknown Speaker 35:29
You have that? My parents? Okay. Where
Scott Benner 35:33
did they come from? Yeah, like some musical background?
Alisa Weilerstein 35:37
Yeah, actually, my parents are fantastic professional musician. So my, my father was the first violinist of the people quartet for 20 years. And, and from 1969 till 1989. So he left when I was seven. And my mother's a fantastic pianist. And, but but they were, you know, so many people asked, well, oh, so therefore you have to do you have to do music. And that's actually the opposite is true. They were very hands off about that. I wasn't I never felt in, in any way, any pressure coming from them. As far as becoming a musician, when I mean, they were they were they were kind of hippie parents. They were like, oh, we'll follow your heart and
Scott Benner 36:19
right? Well, I'm really glad that your heart didn't like happy lead you to like accounting or something like that, you know, that they would have been supportive of it, which is telling you I would be upset. I'm sure you all would be happy. But But my life wouldn't be as good. So I'm thrilled. I mean, I can't imagine that, you know, that it's not. I mean, there's I'm sure it's not a terrible living, but it's also not, not a not crazy ladies like money falling out of the ceiling or stuff like that. So you
Alisa Weilerstein 36:51
know, I mean, as I said, it's it's a
you know, it's not a it's not a mass marketed product. So, so no, I mean, we're not, we're not making popstar money. Gotcha question.
Scott Benner 37:07
Yeah, no kidding. So we should be, let me say that before I move on, you really should be doing something that just so few people know how to do in a way that evokes people would love it, if they listened. I know that I know. It doesn't strike some people immediately. And there's no word so they can't learn it quickly enough to stick with it. It requires.
Alisa Weilerstein 37:31
I mean, some, it requires you to sit down and as you as you were saying, absorb it. Because it's a long form. Yeah, it can't be wrapped up in three minutes. You know, it's a, it's definitely it requires more from the listener than right. Another time. Yeah,
Scott Benner 37:48
it's, um, there may have been years where I listened to certain pieces before I went to bed every night. And it just, it's how you except for people listening. Like, you know, if we just pick some random like Diddy that you can like, you know, it's on the radio and you you can just it sticks in your head right away. Yeah. Like, it's like, it's like sound crack it just like right away you. But absolutely. It happens with classical music, too. If you just you have to hear it more often. So you give it a chance. Yeah. It really does. You said you had a four year old child. Is that right?
Alisa Weilerstein 38:20
I do. I do. Yeah.
Scott Benner 38:21
I wonder how much thought goes into having a baby. When you have diabetes? What did you think about before you did that?
Alisa Weilerstein 38:28
A lot. And I read a lot of books and spoke with a lot of doctors and did plenty of freaking out and everything else. Yes. It also, I realize I had to be selective with who my with whom I chose to talk about it. Just because a lot of people had kind of outdated concepts of what it meant to be diabetic and pregnant at the same time. Right.
Scott Benner 38:55
Those are not fun conversations to have with people who think they understand this whole thing and just naysay and like, like, you got it early on. Like Don't forget the cello, you know? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Now, you don't have to forget anything. And it's, especially with this technology. I mean, honestly,
Alisa Weilerstein 39:12
exactly. It's really, it's a very different story. And, and even even before, I mean, like, even, you know, five years ago, when I was pregnant, there was it was still it was an earlier generation of the dexcom. And I didn't have a smart pump. But I mean, I achieved between 5.8 did 6.281 C's and my baby was born completely healthy. And I was you know, I had a great pregnancy. Yeah. And, you know, a lot of hard work of course, and, you know, very restricted diet. I've always found for myself that low carb works. works much better for me than I mean, I I just, my body just doesn't process carbohydrates. Well, I'm, I'm just not I'm not one of the lucky ones with that and so I found having a not not quite ketogenic But let's say very heavy on protein and fat. diet has always worked better for me. I
Scott Benner 40:06
have an episode going out in a couple of days. Paul Saladino, he's a doctor who has a podcast about eating carnivore. He just I just recorded with him. Because on the show, we do a lot of different things. But Excuse me. One of them was, we're doing like a how you eat kind of series because people eat in so many varied ways. I will tell you that that at the core of this podcast, I, here's what happened is my daughter was diagnosed when she was two. And I was a stay at home dad, okay. And for the first couple of years, I was so bad at it and hurry once, he was always like, almost nine. And I didn't know what I was doing. You know, she had a seizure when she was little bit of a mess. Yeah. And so I wrote for years about it, I had a really popular blog, and I wrote for years on it. And one day I said to my wife, like after I had her her hurry once he was dialed in, and like, it was just easy. Like, I could just do it. You know, I said to my wife, I'm like, there's a system in here, like inside of these ideas, you know? So I put them together. And I wrote about them for a while. And then one day, almost seven years ago, I started this podcast. And I started telling people like, I started putting diabetes into like, easy to understand ideas. Right? And my goal was always I don't care how you eat. If you understand how to use insulin, you could have a one c like this as well. Right? Yes, absolutely. That that has been my whole goal. And now I'm trying to have people in who talked about the way they eat. Whether you're you know, your high protein or your your I don't know, you're a vegetarian. I don't care. Yeah.
Alisa Weilerstein 41:35
Anyway, many ways to do it. But I found for me that if for myself that a Yeah, let's say ketogenic light diet works best for me.
Scott Benner 41:46
I listen, I don't have diabetes, but if I have too much sugar, or flour, I will start retaining water like a pregnant lady. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 41:56
Nobody wants that.
Scott Benner 41:56
No, I've seen myself both ways. This is this is a better way. But But no, seriously, like, I could eat what what most people would consider to be a very reasonable set of meals for a week and be 10 pounds heavier at the end of the week, and it's all
Alisa Weilerstein 42:09
just wonderful. Absolutely. I mean, I think, you know, for for most people, I mean, most people should lay off the flour and sugar. I mean, it's just, it's a it's an unfortunate fact of life. But it's true, right?
Scott Benner 42:21
Which is terrible. Because a cookie is nice, but and I don't care what people say, I don't want a cookie made almond flour. You can keep that. What am I doing? What am I gonna do with that?
Alisa Weilerstein 42:30
And I've always found like, if I have I mean, I would I will have a cheat meal once every 10 days. That's that's something I need to do for myself. I mean, not not during pregnancy, but during normal times. Um, and my visor actually pancakes. buttermilk, gooey.
Scott Benner 42:48
Butter. Yeah,
Alisa Weilerstein 42:49
yeah, butter brown maple syrup. That works. Yeah, I find that having that once every 10 days is far more interesting and better and more satisfying and makes me eat better the rest of the time than having these kind of diet pancakes, which are keto pancakes. I mean, which just tastes like cardboard to me. So yeah, I prefer to have the real deal once and then, you know, be really strict.
Scott Benner 43:14
No, it's it's all doable, like so my daughter's 16. Now, wow, her a one sees been between five two and six, two for six and a half years maybe I think
Alisa Weilerstein 43:23
that is amazing. And
Scott Benner 43:24
she eats whatever she wants. Like she had graham crackers and some weird Cool Whip with pumpkin recent like this afternoon. It's just, I just know how to bowl. So listen, if you had me with you, I could take care of those pancakes for you if you need me to.
Alisa Weilerstein 43:37
Does it? Well, Pre-Bolus
Scott Benner 43:38
will make a little Temp Basal increase will do things in there.
Unknown Speaker 43:43
Walk me
Unknown Speaker 43:44
through that right over?
Scott Benner 43:47
How? So when I was getting this set up, someone said that you were hoping to get a little more involved with diabetes stuff. Is that something you're thinking? Yeah,
Alisa Weilerstein 43:55
actually. Oh, I mean, I mean, I'm in. I'm now I'm an official spokesperson for jdrf. Oh, cool. And also, I'm also an official kind of spokesperson slash consultant for Genesis, which is a I mean, they research not only type one diabetes, but they're there. They're basically cloning organs. And so they're, they're in a very specific angle for curing diabetes, for research. And so, so yeah, I'm working with and we're kind of now no pun intended. No pun intended, but we're kind of working in tandem. Together with Dr. Anthony Genesis with Clinton pop. Oh, so yeah, I'm um, I'm getting much louder about my advocacy.
Scott Benner 44:42
Did you ever as a child or younger person's you ever hide it? The diabetes?
Alisa Weilerstein 44:47
Yeah, a lot. Actually. I started playing professionally when I was 14. So I signed with the management and I was I wasn't doing that much. I would maybe one week per month. I would I would be doing like a concerto with orchestra. So a couple of recitals here and there. But especially because I was so young, and, you know, it was a new management and they didn't. And this was still in the mid 90s. So the preconceptions of diabetes, they were definitely changing by that point, but they are not what they are now for sure. And so my I remember speaking to my parents about it and saying, I'm not going to tell my tell any professional conduct about this. So I did hide it, I, I kept it hidden from from, from everyone who was really not, let's say, a close family friend, or very few sort of trusted person. And so I kept it a secret from my manager for three years. Well, until just because I mean, I was I was very driven, I was quite ambitious. And I didn't want anyone to treat me with kid gloves. And from any sort of preconceived idea, and she actually found out because when I was 17, I traveled I started traveling by myself a bit, but I didn't stay in hotels, of course, at that age, I stayed with host families, okay. And I remember going I went up to a family in Maine, they were wonderful family, and I stayed with them for about five days. And they that there was a girl about my age who was living there, and she had type one. And then of course, we you know, we compared notes all the time. And, and so my manager found out this way, they said, Oh, yes. And and both of them have type one and how wonder, you know, how, when or how wonderful, but how crazy. Yeah, and then I and my manager, who was very New York style, tough, but very well, actually very warm and fuzzy on the inside. She said, I don't know you're diabetic. Why didn't you tell me?
Scott Benner 46:44
You tell her why. Or did you just play it off and keep going?
Alisa Weilerstein 46:47
No, I
Unknown Speaker 46:50
she is
Scott Benner 46:51
you broke up? Hold on a second.
Unknown Speaker 46:53
Oh, sorry. No, don't worry.
Scott Benner 46:54
Can you hear me? I can, but we got a bad. I'll cut my video out and see if that helps us a little bit.
Alisa Weilerstein 47:01
Okay. Can you hear me now? Yeah. Okay. Well, she said, she said, Are you really diabetic? And I said, Yeah. And then she said, Well, why didn't you tell me? I said, I don't know. Just because I didn't I mean, like, why would I tell you? I mean, this is irrelevant? She said,
Scott Benner 47:20
sorry. I was gonna say was it freeing to tell somebody?
Alisa Weilerstein 47:24
It was definitely writing to tell her when I realized that I didn't have to hide anymore. Yeah, cool. Definitely. So definitely,
Scott Benner 47:33
I can understand why you did it. And a lot of people do. And it makes sense to me, you don't want somebody to limit you or make a decision that Oh, you definitely can't do this before you get a chance to.
Alisa Weilerstein 47:45
Exactly. I didn't want anyone even to have an even an unconscious bias. That was that was really impossible. And I mean, even a bit later, I remember when I would want to do sort of athletic things. where, you know, and I was it, I wouldn't say was I mean fully out with it. I mean, I wasn't shouting it from the rooftops. So people knew. And they would say, Well, are you sure that you want to do that? Like, did you eat it up before? Or you're not going to, you know, get low or something? or pass out? Are you the sort of insensitive things like that,
Scott Benner 48:22
then all the questions start and all the judgments and the side? Yeah, and all that stuff? Yeah.
Alisa Weilerstein 48:26
Yeah. And there's just like, Well, all right. I don't think I'm gonna talk about this anymore. And but then there's the other side of it as well, which is that? Oh, well. I mean, I always forget that you have it, because, you know, you handled it so well. It's so easy for you. And that's also not I mean, I prefer that perhaps to the other but it's that that's also a bit you know, it.
Scott Benner 48:50
Yeah, we we have an idea. Let's just put it that way. I have an episode about how to about how a layperson can understand diabetes, and it's just sort of an explanation of it. And it's, it's a very common thing is that most things that people think to say that they believe are comforting, aren't really it, you know, when they come from the outside, they just don't recognize it. I do think they're trying to be Yeah, kind about it, you know?
Alisa Weilerstein 49:15
Absolutely. I mean, there's, um, I, I don't I don't judge anyone for making a comment this way. And it's especially when it's not as a kind of encouragement. And it's just Yeah, it's a tough one. Um, you know, you you learn to you learn to have I mean, I'm sure your daughter can relate to this, too. I mean, one learns to have a pretty thick skin.
Scott Benner 49:35
Yeah, no, I I believe so. I think even parents might try my video again. I think even parents, and anybody your loved ones, it's hard to hear someone say something that burns in your chest and your and you have to be like, Oh, let me explain it to you. It's not like that where you have to decide I'm not gonna explain this. I'm just gonna walk away.
Alisa Weilerstein 49:52
I don't owe anyone an explanation. Yeah. It's just while I'm doing what I'm doing, and that's it. And you know, I love with it and that's,
Scott Benner 49:59
that's all Okay, what kind of music do you list? So do you for for enjoyment? Do you listen to music? Or is it like? Yeah, what do you listen to?
Alisa Weilerstein 50:09
I do? A, I was Hey, actually, may 85 90% of the time I'm listening to classical music because I really love it. And, and it's, uh Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's what it's what moves me it's what this what I really truly love. As for other types of music which I which I also love very much. I mean, I I went through a queen phase recently, actually, I mean, I listened to Queen growing up and but I found that again, I love it. Yeah. Freddie Mercury is one of my heroes. Bjork, I loved as a teenager, and then kind of, I went a little cold on it. Now, I know, I adore her again and again,
she's amazing. She's doing a
you know, the Beatles Of course, too. And
Scott Benner 51:00
I jump through stuff, too. I have to tell you that one of the things I listened to more than I am comfortable telling people but Sarah Burrell as I listened to her a lot, and I don't know why I'm laughing. She's got such a wonderful voice and, and I just I love how she writes. And, and I don't, again, people listening are gonna learn a lot about me today. But I do. You know, I go the other way. I'm kind of all over the place. I've been listening to a lot of more. Oh, gosh, a little more jazzy stuff once in a while. And Gary Clark Jr. I really love how he plays the guitar. It's a interesting mix of Southern and not Southern. It's I don't
Unknown Speaker 51:42
know, I've never heard it.
Scott Benner 51:43
He's, he's, he's a little more like Jimi Hendrix than, than anything else. So good, you know. But yeah, and I also do this thing where I'm very careful to, and I'm glad about Apple Music lets me follow my kids. And what they're listening to. That's very cool. And I like my kids a lot. I think they're decent people. And so when they're listening to things that I don't get, I try really hard. That's good. Have you right to do it, so I do no. Pop smoke. In case you're wondering. I'm sure that rap might have missed you. But But I'm, but I'm trying to I've learned to like Meek Mill. And I just it's just some my son listens to a lot of rap music. And he's a great bright kid. And I'm like, you know what, there must be something in here. So I talked to him about,
Alisa Weilerstein 52:30
well, it's good for you for being open minded. That's great. Plus, I
Scott Benner 52:33
don't want to be an old person one day, I was like, what's that you're listening to? I don't like it. You know, like, I don't want to sound like that ever.
Unknown Speaker 52:39
out of touch.
Scott Benner 52:40
Who's coming up in cello that I should be paying attention to?
Alisa Weilerstein 52:45
Well, you mentioned the royal wedding. I mean, you heard check and kind of Mason, who was wonderful. And it was super sweet guy. And, yeah, definitely keep an eye out for him.
Scott Benner 52:55
Okay, I keep messaging him privately, and he will not answer me back. I'm sure I just I'm like, I must come. I'm like, please come on my podcast anymore. But he won't even answer me. It's fine. He seems busy. It's okay, though. But I would I wonder too, if people don't sometimes want to mix their professional with their diabetes, too, which makes sense to me.
Alisa Weilerstein 53:14
I yeah. I mean, he's very young.
And I mean, I mean, I think he's, he's probably type one diabetic. I mean, he's, he's not hiding it. But, you know, people go through different stages with how much they want to talk about it. And it could be that
Scott Benner 53:29
makes sense to me. He and his family did something like his sisters and I maybe abroad, I can't it's all the siblings, something on Facebook recently. I was like, this is as good as a concert I've ever been to, like they were like pulling it off in their family room. It looked like really something. Have you tried that whole thing since COVID? Have you been like, Hey, I'm gonna play on my Instagram.
Alisa Weilerstein 53:50
Actually, yeah, in fact, right when it's when we were truly in lockdown. I did a I did a project called 36 days of ball. So this was it was it actually went from March 17 until April 21. That was 36 days.
And because there are 36
movements of buffering for cello, so six weeks, six months, six movements each and I posted one woman per day and I went through all six weeks and I would end at the end of each week I would do a live Facebook session actually. But it was it was posted on all of my social media channels
Scott Benner 54:29
people can find it still them and
Alisa Weilerstein 54:31
that was a it especially kind of when when it when the reality hit that we were not going to be congregating in any concert hall anytime soon. Yeah, it was. You know, as performers, we are trained. And what we want to do is just to give, we want to share, we want to communicate in that way. And so that was that was my way of doing that of sharing. Well, I'll make
Scott Benner 54:53
sure to put links to your social media in here so people can find it but you are playing in public just in Europe, right?
Alisa Weilerstein 55:00
Yes, I did. I did kind of five solid no three solid weeks of work in Europe just it just now she's like September October, because they things are things are happening in Germany and, and Switzerland and to certain very, very modest extent in the UK there. I mean kind of recorded streams, kind of the way they are here in the US. But I did yeah, I mean, I kind of had this burst of activity, I had maybe two, how many, like 10 concerts in the space about three weeks. So that audiences that was a big was a big deal. Yeah,
Scott Benner 55:37
this gap of time this year is going to cause gaps in the future that we don't realize yet. People, people not performing and honing their crafts and, and getting better you think about like bands that have to go out and just bar tour to get good enough that somebody will pay attention. None of that none of that's happening right now. It's hard. Yeah. I appreciate that. You did that and you want to keep going and just try to find some. I think everybody feels that way.
Alisa Weilerstein 56:07
And actually, I've been doing quite quite a lot of recording. I mean, as soon as I arrived back in San Diego, kind of mid October and recorded all five Beethoven's almost right away at the Conrad Conrad pepper Center, which is a glorious chamber Jeremy's I call it's just the acoustics are unbelievable. Like, I mean, you want once this is all over, you've got to go and listen to some concerts there. It's really pretty amazing.
Scott Benner 56:36
I'm sorry, me to cut you off. Do you ever? Do you have a recording of a volley? I find that to be the most joyous of the cello.
Alisa Weilerstein 56:41
Yeah, no, fortunately, I'm sorry. No, don't be sorry. One
Scott Benner 56:44
day you're apologizing? Apologize. I was just that, to me seems the closest to like, the holidays. I don't know what that Oh, yeah. Is that right? You know, okay. I don't know what I'm literally a neophyte. I don't know anything about it. I can't be technical or specific. I can just tell you, it's the greatest thing ever. So,
Alisa Weilerstein 57:06
but this is what, you know, there's no need for that. I mean, we, you know, I'm thrilled that you love it. This, it makes this making my day. Great. I'm glad.
Scott Benner 57:15
What, What is there? Is there any modern music that fits? cello? Like, are people still writing for it now? stuff that I don't know?
Alisa Weilerstein 57:25
Oh, yeah. Yeah, no, for sure. There's actually it's a very special time, I think for for contemporary classical composers. Because there, it used to be that there was kind of certain styles that were acceptable, quote, unquote, to write in, you weren't taken seriously, if you wrote something that was too, let's say, too easy on the ears too accessible. Whereas now, I mean, kind of anything goes, either. And that means that there are a bunch of different languages that that people are writing, and some are writing very great kind of tonal way that kind of looking to the past. Like pretty melodies and things like this, and others are writing in totally a tonal way very dissonant. Very kind of complicated rhythmically. And I mean, I think it's all really and sorry, and others are kind of relying on technology on electronics, special effects, and it's all super, super interesting. And so I feel lucky, because I have a lot of relationships with several contemporary composers, and they're all very, very different from one another. And so um, so that's, that's something
Scott Benner 58:31
I have a lot more to find. Can I ask a question like, to the real nuts and bolts question that I've never quite been able to make sense of in my head? The bow is nothing more than horsehair.
Alisa Weilerstein 58:42
No, it's it's a wooden stick and with with horsehair and, and then the frog is? Well, I mean, some of the older bows were made with an endangered tortoise shell. Unfortunately, they both are not made that way anymore. And actually haven't been for quite some time. But um, and then there's some some metal too, to tighten the hair.
Scott Benner 59:02
But then why can you pick up one bone? Another bone make the same sound with it?
Unknown Speaker 59:06
They're not exactly the same. They're not.
Scott Benner 59:08
Yeah, so do you hear the difference in the bow and then change?
Alisa Weilerstein 59:12
Uh, I mean, I have two bows. There's one bow that I really play with and one kind of one bow that I just I have is kind of an extra in case my bow needs to be to have a kind of serious repair or
something bad happens to it basically No kidding.
Scott Benner 59:28
See, that makes more sense to me because I if you've ever watched someone like I don't know what the terminology is, but you the Bogot's role during while it's making notes and you're like, you're more on the side of it, you're more in the center of it like and it's and I just thought like how can it be the same for everyone? So
Alisa Weilerstein 59:44
she makes it? Absolutely that's a very good question there. That's absolutely not the same. And those are, no bows are all over the place in terms of the weight is always slightly different. The and even the type of horsehair that some people prefer just in case It can be different. How do
Scott Benner 1:00:01
you choose one is that like Harry Potter? A little bit. I just find you. I love
Alisa Weilerstein 1:00:07
those broomstick scenes are the are the ones you know?
Unknown Speaker 1:00:10
Like choosing an instrument?
Scott Benner 1:00:12
No kidding. So you've Wow, that's really listen, I don't know how else to tell you that I think what you do is really genuinely amazing. And it feels magical to me. It really does. I don't I, I hope people I'm going to try to put enough of your music in this episode that people will want to go find the album and listen through Oh, also, that'd be me. I really want them to it just my life would not be the same. If people didn't write music for the cello
Unknown Speaker 1:00:41
then they wouldn't be
Scott Benner 1:00:43
I like it fine mixed with their stuff. But I it it doesn't get when it gets pulled out in front is is what I like. What's that? Um, there's a thing that your your mom put out recently, there's a track it's called Walt Whitman. Do you know that?
Alisa Weilerstein 1:01:01
I haven't heard that. Actually. I'm gonna I'm gonna have to listen to it.
Scott Benner 1:01:04
And but the violin is just kind of the it's it feels very American to me. Almost like folk folk music.
Unknown Speaker 1:01:12
Oh, yeah. Well, he puts out a lot of that.
Scott Benner 1:01:14
Yeah, but but the violin I can't think of the guy's name. This is so insulting Edgar.
Alisa Weilerstein 1:01:19
Edgar Meyer is the bait is the bass player
Scott Benner 1:01:21
is the bass and he's there. And then there's a violinist and maybe and it I can look Hold on a second. And it just it the violin takes over. And I love it. And at the same time, like could you shut up so I can hear the cello. And so I was like, I'm gonna find it for you. And then I'll let you out of here. I know you have a life. And I I do want to tell you a story. So we were supposed to record the other day. And it didn't it didn't go well. We just got timezone messed up like you said, You're the people who were helping you get this set up believed you to be your site. No, no while you were in I want to tell you the rest of it because the rest of it is hilarious. Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris feel alone. Oh, really? Okay. You anyway, it's, it's I love that. It's a short piece. I really love it. But anyway, so the night before I was going to record with you, I'll end with this. My computer, the one I'm using right now, the one that has 63 recorded, but not released episodes of this podcast on it just shut off and wouldn't turn back on again. She says so I spent the entire night. I literally found the courage to erase it and put it back on from a backup, which was, trust me I was like, I my wife's like you think you we're gonna throw up and I said it and so. And so I re backed it up. I got this computer online, five minutes before you and I were supposed to record at eight o'clock in the morning Eastern time. And I was like I did it. I did it. And then you weren't there. I was. I really? I have to be honest with you. I was relieved. But um, yeah,
Unknown Speaker 1:03:03
well, it worked out for the best and I'm
Scott Benner 1:03:05
100% that but in the so I woke up at seven in the morning to the to the the backup just about being done. And I started getting nervous and I put your music on and it calmed me down. And so I just stayed chill and I waited for it to happen. And then it all worked out for the better because I was probably exhausted. It probably wouldn't have been as much fun as I hope this was no this is great. I really appreciate you doing this. Pleasure a ton I I don't know just means the world to me.
Just a huge thank you to Alyssa Wallerstein for coming on the show and talking about the cello and type one diabetes. I just had the greatest time. You really should check her music out at Alyssa Wyler stein.com alisaweilerstin.com. I'll put a link in the show notes to her website, as well as Alissa social media.
I'd like to thank Alyssa his record label pentatone for allowing me to use cuts from her latest album Bach Cello Suite here in the podcast. For those of you who don't love the cello as much as I do, I want to implore you to just try the cello suites take a few hours and just absorb it. It's absolutely life affirming and life changing. And Alyssa does as good a job with it as anyone I've ever heard. I'll leave you now. With Alicia's version of the prelude from sweet one, please go find her in Apple Music Spotify, anywhere you listen to music weilerstein Bach, you won't be sorry.
If anybody's listening who knows Shay ku con a Mason, please tell him. I'd love for him to be on the podcast. Thank you so much for listening. I'll see you soon.
Please support the sponsors
The Juicebox Podcast is a free show, but if you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can make a gift here. Recent donations were used to pay for podcast hosting fees. Thank you to all who have sent 5, 10 and 20 dollars!
