Meet our instructors: Scott Crowley

What does tennis have to do with playing the cello? Ask Scott Crowley, cello instructor at the Patel Conservatory.

In his teaching and playing, Crowley draws inspiration from the book The Inner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallwey.

“I’m always on a quest to explore cello technique and how to let go,” said Crowley, who has a masters in music performance from the University of South Florida.

Gallwey’s book explores the mental aspects of achieving peak performance in his sport. Similarly, Crowley examines both the physical and psychological aspects of how to play cello.

“It’s just not about studying an instrument,” said Crowley, “It’s all about trusting yourself and letting go.”

As an instructor and a performer, he explores the art of being “centered, focused and observant” in order to commit completely to the moment and play as naturally as possible.

“Every performance is completely new and original,” he says. “There are definite correlations between having faith in yourself and in performance.”

In addition to teaching private lessons, Crowley is a freelance solo cellist who plays an array of musical styles from Christian to classical. He’s performed with the Southwest Florida Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast and The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as with artists and groups that include Blood, Sweat and Tears, Johnny Mathis, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Frank Sinatra Jr. and many more.

Crowley enjoys writing about his philosophies on his blog and eventually plans to write his own Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance on cello technique.