Jun 7, 2024 | By: Matthew Freeman

In Focus: Minnesota Man Begins Journey Down the Mississippi with His Cello

Bemidji is known as the First City on the Mississippi, and many venture to the city to attempt their journey across the over 2,300-mile-long river to the Gulf of Mexico. Zak Rivers is the latest to attempt this massive feat, but Rivers is adding a little something extra to his journey: playing his cello along the way.

Rivers, a Minnesota filmmaker and photographer, has had quite the relationship with the Mississippi River. He was a documentary crew member who followed 87-year-old Dale “Greybeard” Sanders as he broke the record for oldest person to canoe the entire Mississippi River. Zak was inspired by this feat, and decided to attempt the journey himself.

“I fell in love with the river after going down with Greybeard and filming the scenery, you know, the water, the people. He really showed me how awesome it was,” said Rivers. “I’m a Minnesotan. It’s always been in my backyard. I’m surprised more people don’t even section paddle it. I love paddling. There’s something Zen about paddling, and – and, you know, I’m 52, I gotta do stuff.”

But Rivers is doing his journey a little bit differently. He’s decided to paddle alongside his cello that used to be a major part of his life and perform concerts at every city that he stops in.

“I want to reestablish my relationship with the cello, that was a big goal of mine,” he explained. “I started playing at about second grade when people get to pick their instruments and I played all through high school and I went to college on the cello, played in the Mankato Symphony for a while there. Then in my forties, I started working hard. I had a solid calendar every summer and I started getting a little burnout after a dozen years of that. And I thought, you know, ‘I need to reestablish my connection with the cello.’ I bought a cello that could maybe withstand the rigors, fingers crossed.”

Rivers has given himself 100 days to make it to the Gulf of Mexico and is excited to stop at different cities along the way. But he’s hoping to grow his concerts even more with different pieces of music, and possibly with any street artists who want to join.

“I love New Orleans, I would love to play on the street there,” added Rivers. “It’s more about the people in the cities. Greybeard lives in Memphis, and I can’t wait to see him again. Big Mike down south in Mississippi. My uncle is going to kind of roadside with me and through Iowa. I’m meeting so many cool people, you know, having just kind of rediscovered the cello. I’m a little rustier and I would like it to be maybe 40 minutes instead of 20 minutes, or just play all day and improvise, you know, do some improvisation and then stuff like that. I need to spread my wings a little bit. So if you’re a street musician, hit me up.”

If you wish to follow River on his journey across the Mississippi, and possibly watch some of his concerts, you can do so on his website.

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