Inspiring creativity. Sparking imagination. Nurturing self-expression.
Psyche Dunkhase, Cellist/Teaching-Artist
Psyche Cassandra Dunkhase is a dynamic, dedicated and accomplished cellist and teaching-artist. With over 20 years of experience as a performer and educator, Psyche is committed to providing unique musical experiences that inspire creativity, spark imagination, and cultivate self-expression.
Psyche holds a Master of Music in cello performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she studied with Judith Glyde, and a Bachelor of Arts in music from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where she studied with Dr. Jason Duckles.
As a registered Suzuki Cello Teacher, Psyche is an active member of the Suzuki community and has been a faculty member of Boulder Suzuki Strings since 2010. Psyche is also the Founder/Director of Cellists for Change, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through music. Cellists for Change aspires to build a more equitable, inclusive, and connected world by investing in young people while making sustained progress toward ambitious community change initiatives and paradigm shifts within the classical music sphere.
When not teaching or performing, Psyche enjoys spending time with her amazing wife in their high altitude mountain permaculture home, reading a good book with a cup of Guatemalan coffee, and plotting her next travel adventure.
“Psyche is a brilliant combination of vision, heart, skill and practicality. She is a social activist artist in our community promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in music education. I am deeply inspired by her work and actively seek opportunities to collaborate as an educator and partner in music making. ”
Cello Lessons
Music education is extraordinarily important for our children, giving them countless essential life skills that are carried into adulthood and woven into the fabric of our society.
Children in music lessons are known to have increased spatial intelligence, pattern recognition abilities, and hand-eye coordination. They learn how to work together, break daunting tasks into smaller, more manageable parts, and communicate effectively. The study of music builds imagination, fosters empathy and develops creative thinking, while giving children a way to process, explore and express their emotions and environment. And perhaps most importantly, in the words of Clark Hodge, my dear friend and founder of the nonprofit Chase the Music, “Music has infinite power to create infinite joy.”
I am an enthusiastic teaching-artist with a passionate commitment to student development and the learning process. I have taught cello lessons for the past 20+ years and work with around 35 students on a weekly basis, ranging in age from 3-18 (as well as a handful of adults!) By providing music education to youth in my community, I have the honor and opportunity to help build a generation of kind, compassionate, and innovative individuals with the desire, drive, and tools to make the world a better place.
-
$80/hour lesson
$60/45 min lesson
$40/30 min lesson
$30/semester enrollment/recital fee -
Mondays and Tuesdays in Lafayette
Wednesdays in South Boulder
Thursdays in North Boulder
-
Engaging lessons that inspire creativity, nurture self-expression and ignite imagination
Exploration of cello fundamentals, technique, and musicality
Development of ear training and improvisation skills
Improvement of organization, time-management and practice techniques
Study of standard and extended cello repertoire, including repertoire by composers historically excluded in the classical sphere
“I feel very happy, satisfied and excited, because through the cello classes my daughters are discovering new skills such as creativity. It also strengthens their memory, attention, and concentration, forming in them the sense of responsibility and persistence. Thank you very much for all your work, patience and passion to teach my daughters.”
Performances
Psyche has performed nationally and internationally, in venues including Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Municipal Theater of Huehuetenango (Guatemala), opening for bands including the Punch Brothers and Gregory Alan Isakov, and has recorded with artists including The Lumineers and Esme Patterson.
She is passionate about performing works from the rich canon of repertoire by composers historically excluded in the classical sphere, as well as creating meaningful community engagement performance opportunities for youth through her nonprofit Cellists for Change.
“I love playing with Cellists For Change, because it is not only a fun way to play cool music with a group of cellists, but it is also a great way to play music for a cause. Throughout the years I have played with Cellists For Change, I have played concerts for many different causes that I care about and it is great to know that our music has an impact.”
