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Cello Repertoire Initiative

You Know

by Bithyah Israel

Instrumentation
Cello Ensemble, Other
Duration
4'
Publisher
Castle of our Skins (Boston Public Schools Collection)
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About this piece

You Know is a work of about four minutes for cello and bass ensemble, composed for young players in Castle of our Skins' Boston Public Schools Collection. It was inspired by Lauryn Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and the song 'Everything Is Everything', and it explores perseverance and staying true to one's purpose. It comes with a curriculum guide by Diji Kay. The composer, Bithyah Israel, is a Boston cellist who founded the youth cello program City Strings United.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Fluent in positions 1–4 with confident shifts & reliable intonation.
  • Introduce 5th position via scales/études.
  • Learn tenor clef for higher passages.
  • Early exposure to thumb position basics.
  • Refine combined shifting & extensions.
  • Advance double stops (two‑note chords).
  • Refine vibrato for expressive shaping.

Right Hand

  • High control over multiple bow strokes.
  • Advanced spiccato for fast passages; reliable sautillé.
  • Apply martelé at frog and mid‑bow.
  • Execute rapid string crossings with minimal arm movement.
  • Adjust contact point to modulate tone.
  • Introduce complex bow patterns & chord rolling.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Faster tempos & varied meter challenges.
  • Tackle compound meters, intricate ornaments & syncopation.
  • Deepen expressive phrasing; analyze piece structure.
  • Clear dynamic contrasts; introduce slight rubato.
  • Enhance ensemble sensitivity.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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