Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Gerber.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Greenville, SC, into a home that was filled with music. With both of my parents being professional musicians and all ten of my siblings playing musical instruments, there was music in every corner of our home. For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by the sound of the cello. Some of my happiest memories are of drifting off to sleep as a child with the soothing sound of my Dad’s cello wafting up the stairs into my room.
When I was nine years old, I began taking formal cello lessons from my Dad until he passed away when I was 12. He was such a cool teacher because he only used words when it was absolutely necessary. He taught me mostly through demonstration and by letting me play a lot during lessons. Losing him was such a shocking and profound loss, but it eventually deepened my connection to the cello. As a teenager, I inherited his beautiful 200-year-old cello, and I have been playing it ever since.
While growing up in Greenville, I continued studying cello with Martha Brons, a very skilled and patient cello instructor. I competed in competitions, won some awards, and spent my summers immersed in cello studies at music schools throughout the United States and abroad in England, France, Germany and Canada. Those experiences broadened my horizons and fueled my passion to learn everything I could about playing cello. After graduating from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance, I got married and moved to Berlin, Germany, where I earned my Master’s Degree in Cello Performance at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. My daughter, Isabelle, was born while we were living in Berlin and I look back on that time as one of the sweetest times of growth for me both personally and musically. After earning my degree, we moved back to the US to take a University teaching position. We spent the next 10 years pouring into the lives of our students and welcoming two more beautiful daughters into our family. In 2011, after a difficult divorce, I started my business as a full-time freelance cellist to support my daughters and myself, and I have never looked back.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first major challenge I faced as a young musician was the death of my Dad when I was 12. I didn’t know if I could carry on playing cello without him because he was my main inspiration and motivation. A couple of months after his death, I started taking lessons with Martha Brons. I vividly remember coming into a lesson one day feeling completely overwhelmed with sadness. I told her that I hadn’t practiced that week because I was just so sad. She looked at me, almost surprised, and said, “Well, there’s no better time to play the cello than when you’re sad!” That moment marked the beginning of a transformation for me. I started learning how to channel my emotions into my cello playing. When those waves of sadness would hit, I would pick up my cello whether I felt like it or not. Eventually, my heart would start to follow, and then it was hard to stop! It was during those times that I truly began to experience the healing power of music and the joy of being able to express my emotions through music.
In 2012, I faced another significant challenge and turning point in my life and career. A series of difficult circumstances led me to becoming a single parent and sole provider for my three daughters. It was during this pivotal time that I made the decision to start my business and go full-time as a freelance cellist. I knew that my passion was sharing the beauty and healing power of the cello, so I developed a solo setup that would allow me to showcase the sound of my cello. I branched out into other genres of music beyond classical and performed wherever I could – coffee shops, parties, corporate events, for weddings, funerals, educational events, concerts and more. I even took to performing on the sidewalks downtown to share the beauty of the cello and to promote my services. During this period, my passion for sound production drove me to learn more about sound engineering and I set up a simple home studio and began working as a recording artist, both creating my own music and collaborating with other artists. One of my top priorities as I built my music business was to base my work from home so I could be there for my daughters as much as possible. Looking back, I am deeply grateful for those challenges. While I never would have chosen them, I’m so thankful for the way they grew me and pushed me to start pursuing the things I am most passionate about.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a passionate believer in the healing power of music and my mission as a musician is to bring that power right into the special moments of people’s lives. Whether it’s playing for a wedding, funeral, concert, corporate event or small family gathering, I want to create a space that allows people to feel the significance of these moments and experience lasting emotion that they can take with them into their lives. I perform throughout the upstate and beyond, both solo and with my daughter, Anya. I also perform with my sister, Joanna Mulfinger, in our “Mulfinger String Quartet”. Last year, I had the joy of playing for around 90 events with nearly 50 of them being weddings!
Something that is especially dear to my heart is playing for people who are struggling or without hope. I have gone into homes and hospitals to play for people who were discouraged or unable to get out and experience live music. These are some of the sweetest times of music-making that I have ever experienced. It’s during those times that I am reminded what a powerful and transformative gift from God music is. It not only connects us to each other in deep and empowering ways, but it lifts our spirits beyond the struggles we are facing and connects our hearts to God, our true source of hope.
As a recording artist and producer, I am especially passionate about creating music that brings hope, healing, and joy. I have produced an album along these themes called “Into the Night” which can be heard on my Youtube channel (Sharon Gerber Music) and I am currently in the process of creating more. My daughter, Anya, and I also perform regularly as featured recording artists for “Sleeping At Last.” You can hear our work in countless Sleeping At Last songs and you might even hear my cello in TV shows like Gray’s Anatomy or So You Think You Can Dance, as well as in various films.
If you’re interested in booking me for a concert or special event big or small, I’d love to connect!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My Mother has had the most profound impact on me, both musically and as a person. In addition to being a loving mom to each of her eleven kids, she was also a very accomplished violin teacher and performer. As busy as she was, she was never too busy to stop and admire the everyday wonders of nature. Whether it was stopping to admire a tiny bloom or listen to a bird singing a cheery melody, she taught me to see the world with childlike awe and wonder. She infused this sense of wonder and sheer amazement into her music and into literally everything she did. Even the smallest things brought her such great joy. Performing alongside her in our family string quartet helped me to develop a genuine love for the people I play for. We shared so many special moments playing at weddings and I’ll always remember how she would quietly bow her head to say a prayer for the couples we were playing for. She also accompanied me on the piano when I competed in solo competitions as a student. We had some great times travelling together sometimes across the country to compete nationally. She taught me how to handle stressful performing situations with a sense of calm and how to draw strength from my faith when I felt scared or stressed. She always encouraged me to forget about the competition part and to just make music from my heart. My Mom passed away unexpectedly in 2009, but her spirit of peace and joy lives on in every note I play.
My three daughters have been my biggest cheerleaders throughout this journey of building my business. My youngest is 16 now, so we’ve been at this for a while. Their encouragement has been a constant source of strength for me, and they have shown incredible patience through all the challenges over the years. Whether it’s keeping perfect silence while I record or stepping over piles of music gear as I prepare for a performance or praying for me to come home safely after a long gig, they have embraced it all with patience and love. They are my heart and my reason for pushing through and they remind me every day what truly matters. Now, my daughter, Anya, works alongside me as a violinist, both performing for live events and in the studio. Nothing brings me more joy than getting to make music with her and pass on the lessons my parents taught me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebash.com/cello/celloasis
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celloasis?igsh=NWNycGszMHVhOGN2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sharongerbermusic/featured
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/sharon-gerber-music-greenville-sc-513598
