Cellist Amanda Gookin
on arts advocacy, trauma, and finding agency through cello in a society that tells girls that they can’t
My guest in today’s Sound Off is cellist Amanda Gookin. Her Forward Music Project, launched in 2015, commissions new multimedia works for solo cello that elevate stories of feminine empowerment through raw performances and educational initiatives. I Care If You Listen describes the project as “a premiere example of feminist advocacy done right.” I’m in love with this project and its viscerally transcendent potency.
I started tearing up many times when conducting my interview with Amanda, and while editing this one. Our conversation explores issues of art advocacy, trauma and finding agency through cello in a society that tells girls that they can’t. I also play a couple tracks from the project from composers Allison Loggins-Hull and Kamala Sankaram. Sometimes I can’t believe I have this opportunity to have such meaningful conversations with artists who mean so very much to me and then bring those conversations directly to you! It feels like magic. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this one, dears!