–Gregg Wager, Los Angeles Times

Upon the Cello is a celebration of the first sound almost anyone makes on the cello. As a young child, I was fascinated with the mysterious, shrill, distant sounds that result from playing with a light bow close to the bridge (sul ponticello.) I returned to that sound many times as a composer, but found it impossible to consistently control until I gained access to electronic equipment. All the sounds in the piece are derived from two notes played on the cello, a low ponticello D (which is the first note heard in the piece, unaltered,) and a harmonic A, played with a martelé stroke. These two notes are gradually transformed with the Synclavier into a 14 minute piece.