Violin and Viola: Calebe Arruda and Earl Dean Alexander

Calebe and Earl playing


Interview with Calebe and Earl

Location: Union Square Station (Calebe's interview), Grand Central Station lower level by the coffee bar (performance)
Artists: Calebe Arruda (violin), Earl Dean Alexander (viola)
Medium: Classical violin

After 25 years Calebe still can’t pin down the reason he came to New York, “the music, I guess” is his answer as he shrugs. Calebe comes from Rio di Janero, Brazil. After a little warming up, though, he explains that he left Brazil when he was 19 because “I could not be a musician in Brazil,” citing that 25 years ago things were very different from today.

A classical Spanish guitar player since the age of eight, Calebe decided to branch out and began to teach himself violin five years ago. Now he splits his time between the two, playing the guitar, which has mastered, and challenging himself with the violin, which he is in the process of mastering.

Calebe has been playing in the subway for about 22 or 23 years but also plays gigs, including weddings, parties and the like. He also teaches music. Caleb plays in the subway for mostly for self-promotion and to meet people. He likes playing in the subway because it’s “contact with real life. In a concert people put on a mask.”

Influences: Bach

Earl Dean Alexander is from Brooklyn. Although he started on the violin when he was 10 and a half, Earl plays viola, which he’s been studying since he was 15, with Caleb. Earl studied violin under the tutelage of Sylvia Bedford Anderson and studied viola at the Henry Street Music house under Alexander Richter who was assisted by Manny Molton.

Earl met Caleb at the Mendelssohn night club where Caleb asked him to coach him on his violin. After working together for a while Caleb invited Earl to play with him through Music Under New York. Although he would rather be playing the violin (his first instrument), Earl says that “it’s more a credit to [Caleb] to play the viola, so I never complain about it.”

Earl has “got a lot of satisfaction out [playing in the subway]” but his main job is as Assistant Minister of Music at Bethany United Methodist Church and as an accompanist at Song Service and Sabbath School at Mount of Olive Methodist Church. For both he plays the piano, violin and viola.

Like what you hear? Check out
Caleb’s influences – Bach

Really like what you hear? See Earl Dean Alexander play
975 Bushwick Ave., Brooklyn - Prayer Service Wednesday evenings at 7:15; Song Service Saturdays at 9:15 and Sabbath School at 9:30

Classical Violin: Luellen Abdoo

Amazing Grace


For the purtists: A fast piece uncut (she pauses in the middle)


A fast piece edited (musical timing preserved)


Interview with Luellen Abdoo

Artist: Luellen Abdoo
Medium: Violin
Location: 42nd Street Grand Central by the L train

Luellen Abdoo is the Wedding Violinist. But I suppose that doesn’t tell you too much about her. She plays weddings, of course, but, along with Synergy String Quartet has played gigs, made CDs, worked with other famous artists and freelanced and worked with Music Underground in the subway.

Hailing from Clinton in upstate New York (that’s near Utica), Luellen went to school at SUNY Purchase where she studied under violin teacher affiliated with the school; including one former Concert Master of the NY Philharmonic. “Actually,” Luellen explains, “I wanted to play the cello but the violin teacher said ‘you’re too small to play the cello, why don’t you play the violin.” At 11 years old this might have been true but Luellen contends that his advice was because he was a violinist and needed violinists for his ensemble.

Now that she’s into violin, though, Luellen is hooked. “Once you get into the violin there’s no turning back.” It’s a very challenging instrument, she explains, and there’s so much music for it that you become caught up in it. True to her statement, Luellen works her violin in all forms of musical delight, usually playing classical but also throwing in ethnic music, some Beatles or a Hymn. The Amazing Grace featured, for example, was played in memorial to the Virginia Tech massacre.

Luellen plays with Music Underground an MTA program. She plays in the subway for exposure and the tips but also for the people. “The people are great, actually…usually. I mean, obviously a lot of them ignore you but when someone comes up and they really appreciate it, that makes it all worth while.” Luellen recounts that he has had a person come up with tears in their eye and say “you just made my day.”

The Wedding Violinist has a simple, message: Live music is really important. Luellen herself keeps is real by playing “au naturale” with no amplification and only a little stereo for backup.

Like what you hear? Book her or her entire quartet for a wedding, party or gig
www.synergyquartet.com
Luellen – 917-593-1010