Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ivan Moreland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ivan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My primary mode of musical expression is the cello. However, I was not always interested in playing the cello.

When I was in the 6th grade, I really wanted to play the alto sax. I signed up for band, and on the first day of school the band director sent me home with an order form for my parents to fill out, to buy a saxophone for me. The price of the saxophone was close to $2,000. As much as my parents wanted to buy me saxophone, they simply couldn’t afford it, as I was the youngest of five mouths that they had to feed. After several months of sitting in band class without an instrument, and watching the other students learn to play their instruments, the band director told me that I could no longer be in his class; and that I would need to choose choir or orchestra (where the school provided the instruments). I chose orchestra.

The next day was my first day in orchestra. I was asked to select an instrument, and I chose the cello. Initially, I struggled to keep up with the other students, who had already been practicing their instruments for several months. In fact, I was struggling so bad that some of the students asked the director to remove me from the class. I was even asked by the director not to attend the first concert, because my skill level was not up to par. Despite embarrassment and ridicule, I persistent and consistently improved over time. I’m not sure if I was fueled by spite, or simply a need to prove something to myself, but by the next year, I was first chair in the cello section. In retrospect, I learned the cello out of scarcity and necessity. I think operating out of that mindset initially sped up my learning process; I was hungry for it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a cellist, vocalist, and pianist. I’ve always been surrounded by music, by way of my upbringing in the church. My father is a pastor in the black Pentecostal church, and music is a core part of the black church experience. I believe the church prepares some of the best musicians. Some of the most complex music comes from the black gospel tradition. As a vocalist in the church, you must be able to quickly produce harmonies, riffs, and runs on the spot. As a pianist, someone could burst out into a song that you don’t know, and you are expected to quickly pick up the key and the chord progression. Church is musical boot camp!

I think my versatility and adaptability is what sets me apart from other instrumentalists. My upbringing in church gave me a dynamic perspective on music that I used in my approach to learning cello. I see my cello as an extension of my voice; uninhibited by measures, key signatures, or written notes. It’s been my goal to show that a traditionally classical instrument can make legitimate contributions to non-classical spaces; and I think I’ve been pretty successful! Not many people can make a cello sing like Al Green.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative, is pulling down ideas from the “ether” and manifesting them in real life. When I think of a melody and execute it in the exact way that I thought it, it’s like fulfilling a silent contract with myself.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was a child, my mother would frequently educate me about Ivy League schools, and careers that are lucrative. In fact, I vividly remember her encouraging me to be a mechanical engineer. At age 10, when asked what I wanted to do/be in life, I would tell people that I wanted to attend Stanford University and become a mechanical engineer; I had no idea what I was saying.

A lesson that I had to unlearn is that there is a singular path to success; especially as it relates to institutionalized education. I think many adults think that they are doing a service to youth by preaching the importance of the college to job pipeline. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with encouraging youth to go to college, but there is danger in presenting it as the only option for success. It’s also harmful to regard some career fields are inherently more lucrative than others. This mindset is what made me apprehensive to study music in college, and led me to pursue a more “safe” degree.

The glorification of institutionalized education even permeated my idea of what “success” looked like in music. I felt that if I did not get into the most prestigious university for music, or at least major in music education, then I would not have a future in music. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that while there is value to a degree, there is always an opportunity learn outside of a formal institution; and you do not need the external validation of a degree to be a great musician.

A lot of people think that there are only two options for a music career: you can be a superstar millionaire, or a starving artist. This either you “make it” or you don’t philosophy is harmful. Success as a musician is relative and subjective. I am a testament that you can achieve success and financial security as a musician without having a music degree or being a super star.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ivanmoreland.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ivanthegem