"Sacred Strings and Sweetgrass Things" - An Interview with Cellist Wilhelmina Smith, Soloist and Chamber Musician, and Composer Dawn Avery, Professor at Montgomery College

A sacred plant, a living coastline, and a cello that sings in two voices—Sweetgrass brings them together with uncommon clarity. The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, sits down with composer Dawn Avery and cellist Wilhelmina Smith to share how a pandemic idea turned into an immersive album where Mohawk language, indigenous song forms, and contemporary classical textures breathe the same air. Dawn traces her journey from conservatory training to a compositional practice grounded in Mohawk heritage, storytelling, and soundscapes that fold in blues, meditative space, and rock energy. Wilhelmina reflects on early breakthroughs at Curtis, a life-shaping stint in George Crumb’s experimental lab, and the chamber instincts that make her a natural collaborator. Together they unpack the title track’s symbolism—sweetgrass as strength and tenderness—and the craft behind multitracking cello lines that anticipate each other’s rubato, merging voice and instrument into a single, human pulse. We go inside key works, including We Enter Together and Decolonization, a gripping solo journey that threads a healing song, a women’s stomp dance, blues gestures, and a Hendrix-tinted national anthem to reframe what “American music” can hold. The conversation widens into a practical guide for making records today: funding with grants and community programs, choosing the right hall and producer, navigating label partnerships, owning your masters, and prioritizing digital releases when physical CDs gather dust. At heart, this is about why artists still record: to plant repertoire for younger players, to carry culture forward with respect, and to keep curiosity at the center of the craft. If you care about new music, indigenous voices, recording workflows, or the evolving music industry, this story offers both inspiration and a roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves the cello, and leave a review with the track that stayed with you. For more information on Wilhelmina Smith: https://www.wilhelminasmith.com/bio.html For more information on Dawn Avery: https://www.dawnavery.com/ You can also find Wilhelmina and Dawn on Instagram and Facebook: @dawnaveryartist @wscello If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & YouTube: @theCelloSherpa For more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com