Cellist Arsène makes a living from his concerts, but cannot help but devote part of his time to teaching: every month, in Châtellerault, in an astonishing property on the banks of the Vienne, he brings together around ten students of extremely varied ages and levels, some even practicing an instrument other than the cello.

More than the specific study of each instrument, it is the very meaning of music that Arsène tries to interest those he calls his apprentices, using very diverse, sometimes disconcerting, experiences to achieve this. Often drawing on theatrical techniques, drawing from Stanislavski but also from Diderot, he reveals the importance of the inner world in the musician, and refuses to dissociate technique and music, considering the art of interpretation as a whole.

In this idyllic setting, conducive to personal development, learning is not confined to lessons per se, but extends and develops well beyond them, thanks to the many discussions that enliven meals, walks, or impromptu meetings in the large garden. If Arsène's tireless demands always find an echo, including among the youngest, it is because it is served by a perpetual enthusiasm, sometimes unbridled, always communicative. By calling himself an amateur teacher, he rehabilitates the original meaning of this word, which has been so distorted that we have forgotten its root, amare: to love.

Largely inspired by Jérôme Pernoo's personal experiences, this work brings them together and organizes them in such a way that it can be read as a novel or consulted as a guide.