Music
Hayes Piano Trio
Selections from the recital “An Evening of 20th Century Chamber Music” by the Hayes Piano Trio and String Duo, the graduate chamber ensemble at Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music. Performers: Taylor McCulloch, piano; Caroline Farmer, violin; Lisl Kuutti, cello. Coached by Dr. Nancy Bargerstock and Dr. Eric Koontz. April 24, 2019, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Boone, NC.
Chamber Music
iBachAPP
The time I dressed up as Yosef (Appalachian State University’s mascot) to play my own composition that was a mashup of a Bach cello suite prelude and the school’s fight song, which I put together to support the Hayes School of Music in the university’s annual iBackAPP fundraising campaign, and then University Communications filmed it, and it ended up being the university’s most shared video ever on social media
Improvised Music
High Country Improv Collective
About the ensemble: “We are an open group of musicians of all levels of experience. Following the principles of the Music for People organization, we believe all people are inherently musical and capable of authentic spontaneous expression. In improvisation, we believe there are no wrong notes and we strive to create an environment that is nonjudgmental, joy-filled and builds community. We meet on a weekly basis and perform at various times and places throughout the year.”
The music below was fully improvised in the moment without a defined theme. (Lisl added the track titles later.) The members on these recordings are Rob Falvo, percussion and piano/keyboard; Jim Lodin, piano/keyboard; Susan Schiller, flute and clarinet; and Lisl Kuutti, cello. These were recorded at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone, NC on October 24, 2025.
Kuutti Family Jam Session
It’s a church! It’s a home! And we’re in the sanctuary! I dug up the recordings from my first ever music improvisation session on January 1, 2017, a family jam in the church building where my late grandpa lived at the time. I’m one of 12+ cousins in the family, and many good memories were made there. (It’s now up for sale, so holler if you aspire to own a home/church/airbnb/artist retreat/performance venue in Maggie Valley, NC).
Liina Kuutti (electric guitar/electric bass) and I basically came up with these on the spot. Disclaimers about the one where I sing: 1. I only sing if I’m feeling very free and inspired. This one is a bit silly! 2. Many things I sang were accidental or outdated now: Liina’s name and instrument, my name and instrument on the song, the bit where I had a husband… 3. The string instruments have now found friends, gotten their bridges fixed, and had their bows rehaired =)
Popular Styles
Deans’ Duets
The videos below are examples of how a cello can fit into different styles of music. I spend many Saturdays making magic at weddings in the most beautiful places in North Carolina, combining formal chamber music skills with a bit of applied improvisation. I most often accept wedding gigs through Deans’ Duets, a professional gig company based in Charlotte, NC that sends duos, trios, quartets, and more across North Carolina and the Southeast. I have probably played 100 weddings with them so far. I recommend them for their gracious, efficient planning and their wide network of professional musicians!