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Erik Friedlander, Playing the Cello with Pluck

The masters of cello have learned how to wrench mournful, longing sounds from their instruments, with the tug and stab of a bow across the four fat strings. But Erik Friedlander has a different approach: he strums and plucks the strings more than he bows them.

On Block Ice & Propane, he offers pieces that he says were inspired by the family road trips he took as a child with his father (the illustrious photographer Lee Friedlander) at the wheel.

Friedlander recently joined Jacki Lyden in NPR's Studio 4A, cello in hand.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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