My Biography

 

Cynthia Longley, M.A., MT-BC, is a freelance cellist, music teacher and music therapist. Hailed as a cellist of ‘clarity and taste’, she performs regularly with orchestras throughout the state, and made her orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall performing under composer/conductor, John Rutter. She has had cello performance studies with Andre Emelianoff, Nicholas Tzavaras and Colin Carr, amongst others. She received a B.Mus in cello performance from James Madison University and a Performer’s Certificate from Montclair State University. Ms. Longley also completed her Master’s Degree in Music Therapy at Montclair State University. 

Ms. Longley has had the opportunity to play with such artists as violinists Robert McDuffie and Glen Dicterow, and guitarist Pepe Romero. Ms. Longley has also had the opportunity to perform and record with various pop acts and artists, in styles ranging from Celtic and early music, to bluegrass to rock. She also played with Joe Piscopo and the New Jersey Pops. Ms. Longley has performed in recital, and was featured as a soloist with the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra

Ms. Longley currently is the music teacher and therapist at the Therapeutic School and Preschool in Belleville. She was an adjunct professor at Montclair State University teaching the string technique classes for music education majors and has also been an adjunct cello instructor at Caldwell College. As a music therapist, her area of specialization is with children with disabilities, specifically with Autism Spectrum Disorders and communication disorders. She is very active in promoting musician's wellness through body awareness and correct movement in playing positions, as well as neurological-musical connections.

An active member of the American String Teacher's Association (ASTA), Ms. Longley was one of the first cello teachers in the nation to send cello students to the national Certificate Advancement Program, known as ASTACAP; her students take the exams yearly. Ms. Longley's students perform with youth orchestras in the area, and are often principals in their sections. They include Regional and All-State placements. 

Ms. Longley lives in Millburn with her husband and two sons, and their cats, Tiger and Talula.