videos

There are 168 posts filed in videos (this is page 14 of 21).

O Holy Night – Cello Version


I put together this cello rendition of “O Holy Night” in the hopes of bringing everyone some Christmas cheer. This video is dedicated to my mother, Marilyn, who gave me the gift of music. Can’t wait to see the whole Chen family in Seattle in a few days!

This is my first cello video using pre-recorded loops. I liked how it turned out although the arrangement is very simple – hopefully I’ll be able to play with some more complex rhythms in the future. Find the rest of my looping cello videos at DaveChenMusic.com.

I hope everyone has a happy holiday season this year. To those who’ve read this blog and supported my endeavors, you have my gratitude.

Maverick was a phony

Right around when LA Weekly’s Amy Nicholson was releasing her biography of Tom Cruise, we discussed how she might go about promoting it. Typically, an author will make appearances on podcasts or do Q&A’s with various publications. I pitched the idea of a video essay instead, and Amy happily obliged.

Unfortunately, I got mired down in random things like a sinus surgery and completion of The Primary Instinct. But I was able to scrape together some time this month to finally put this together and give it the attention it deserves. 

I don’t always agree with Nicholson, but I always find her viewpoints interesting and thought-provoking. I hope you will too.

“Time” from Hans Zimmer’s ‘Inception’ Score – Looping Cello Version


Things got unexpectedly emotional for me the other day.

I spent dozens of hours over the summer and fall practicing a looping cello arrangement of “Time” from Hans Zimmer’s score for Inception. The arrangement was done by musician/composer extraordinaire Andrew Barkan, but I added a few little flourishes to make it my own. On Thursday afternoon, I pushed my little creation out into the world at /Film.

Subsequently, I was very happy to see this video appear at places such as Reddit Videos, The Dissolve, The Film Stage, and MovieFone. But really, what was incredible were all the positive comments the video got via /Film and Twitter.

Best thing I’ve seen or heard this week: @davechensky solo-performing “Time” from Hans Zimmer’s INCEPTION score. https://t.co/I3F4MVJHRI
— Matt Zoller Seitz (@mattzollerseitz) November 7, 2014

A fantastic reminder from @davechensky that the #Inception score is more than just BRONG: https://t.co/sYG3QA84Ud.
— Myles McNutt (@Memles) November 9, 2014

It’s been about 4 months since I started playing cello again after a 10-year absence. I spent over a thousand dollars to get my cello shipped to me, get it repaired, buy a looping pedal/amp/equipment — all with just a vague hope that I’d be able to use it to create something unique. There was never any assurances of success, or any reasonable expectation that if I did succeed, the work would ever catch on. To see thousands of people enjoying the video just made my heart very full.

Since I started playing cello again, my new Youtube channel has accumulated over 40K views.  I wouldn’t describe it as even close to “going viral,” but it’s enough encouragement for me to keep on going for a little while longer…