Bryan Charles Wilson is a cellist, film composer, educator and author of the books: Cello Chords, Beginner String Jams and Advanced String Jams, from New Jersey, USA. He also combines cello performance in many different musical spaces, from classical music, rock, to hip-hop or electronic. He has composed and released three solo albums: Oso Perezoso, Inner Peace and Kaia.
“What I'm trying to convey is a sense of healing, empathy and compassion through my playing,” said Bryan Charles Wilson.
Sharing with Travellive, artist Bryan Charles Wilson said: "You can hear and feel my music from films, commercials, dance works, puppet shows, theater and animation... As the founder of Bryan Wilson Cello Studio, I teach students about classical cello technique, improvisation, composition and music production. My books are used by professionals around the world and become resources for creative players."
Recently, Vietnamese son-in-law Bryan Charles Wilson and many Vietnamese artists performed at the US Embassy in Hanoi's 10th anniversary concert to celebrate the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership on the evening of July 26. He performed many Vietnamese songs, in harmony with the sounds of the zither, monochord and electronic music.
His special love for Vietnamese culture took root when he married his Vietnamese wife, Bui Tuyet Minh - a pioneer in introducing dance movement therapy to Vietnam.
American cellist Bryan Charles Wilson (in blue shirt) and Vietnamese artists performed at the US Embassy in Hanoi's concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership on the evening of July 26.
Travellive had a conversation with American cellist Bryan Charles Wilson
Reporter (PV): What chance brought you to the cello? What makes you pursue and persevere with the cello up to now?
Bryan Charles Wilson: My grandfather was a saxophone player, and I used to watch him perform when I was young and dreamed of becoming one. When I was in third grade, the school gathered the students in the studio to try playing three instruments. The teachers watched us perform and gave us feedback, even though we had never played before. I decided to try playing the drums first, but I still felt that the melody was not good enough, so the teacher gave me another chance. I was impressed with the cello so I tried playing a few notes and the teacher gave me a high rating for my performance.
Bryan Charles Wilson is a cellist, film composer, educator, and author of the book Cello Chords, from New Jersey, USA.
Finally, I chose to try the saxophone because I really wanted to play the same instrument as him. When the melody sounded, my teachers were not satisfied and advised me not to play the saxophone. That made me feel very disappointed. After that, I decided to choose the cello and considered it as predestined fate.
PV: It is known that you have performed cello in many different musical spaces, from classical music, rock, to hip-hop or electronic. Is there any difficulty in combining these genres?
Bryan Charles Wilson:I have no problem combining different genres. Some people call themselves a jazz cellist, a classical cellist, or a bluegrass cellist. I am none of those because I don’t fit into any fixed genre. All I try to do is be true to myself and use music to connect my inner world with others.
I always felt like I wanted to break out of the mold and try to do something different. In addition to playing classical music, I also learned how to write music, improvise, produce music... all of which have shaped me into who I am today and I try to instill that versatility in my students. It's hard to make a living as a musician these days so you have to be adaptable and have a wide range of musical skills.
PV: As a cellist, composer, music educator and author of the famous book Cello Chords, how many works have you composed so far? And what are your plans for the future?
Bryan Charles Wilson:I have released 3 solo albums and will soon officially release "Tri am" which includes songs inspired by the S-shaped strip of land, combining cello, electronic music and many other traditional instruments. This is a celebration of Vietnam's diverse and vibrant cultural heritage, simulated through the lens of the cello. The combination of traditional Vietnamese instruments with modern production techniques creates a unique and creative take on ancient music.
Bryan Charles Wilson was photographed performing in Hoi An with ethnic minority musicians in 2019.
In addition, I have also published 3 books: Cello Chords, Beginner String Jams and Advanced String Jams. These books are very familiar and are used by many people in playing creative string instruments. In the near future, I hope to collaborate with many Vietnamese artists playing traditional musical instruments combined with cello all over Vietnam, because my family has just moved here to live.
PV: Throughout your journey pursuing cello music, are there any memorable stories or memories?
Bryan Charles Wilson:One of my most memorable moments was when I was 15 years old, I played the first two bars of Haydn's Concerto in C major on the cello. I had spent a lot of time practicing before the performance. Although I played quite well, I still made some mistakes. After the performance, I left the stage and got into my parents' car, sobbing because I always wanted to be perfect. My parents were surprised and comforted me, saying, "I don't know why you're crying, we just know that your performance was the best of the program." At that moment, I suddenly realized that striving for perfection was meaningless and it only made me miserable.
Around that time I started exploring other aspects of the cello like improvisation and music production. I realized that with all these elements I didn’t have to be perfect, I just had to be myself.
PV: In the concert held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, you combined with other artists and traditional instruments to perform “Tri am”. What is special about combining many instruments to perform some Vietnamese songs?
Bryan Charles Wilson:I feel that the cello and traditional Vietnamese instruments such as the monochord and the zither have a deep harmony with each other. The album "Tri am" aims to honor the connection and the ability of people to understand each other through music. We can connect with each other on a deep level that does not need to be expressed in words.
Although the instruments originate from many cultures and appear in different time periods, they always seem to have a close relationship. By combining these instruments with the cello, I hope to create some unique culturally diverse music.
Born and raised in America, I don’t have much knowledge about Vietnamese music. However, I can still feel and create in my own way. And when I return to Vietnam, through my works, I want to bring the spirit of connection.
Artist family Bryan Charles Wilson and Bui Tuyet Minh in the dance "dancing flowers" at the 2023 Spring Festival in New Jersey, USA
PV: How has music influenced your life? What is the most important secret you would like to share in your journey of pursuing your passion for music?
Bryan Charles Wilson:Since I was 9 years old, music has been my way of expressing my emotions and healing myself. With music, I don’t have to express myself in words, but instead I can play an instrument to balance my emotions. In my opinion, passion and making money from music are two completely different things. It will be a struggle to make a living from music, but when you play music with passion and from your heart, everything will be easier.
Thank you so much Bryan Charles Wilson!
