Contrabass Conversations (Jason Heath)
Explore every episode of Contrabass Conversations
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2021 | 766: Thomas Fiorini on orchestral playing | 01:06:46 | |
Thomas Fiorini is a member of the bass section of the Brussels Philharmonic and is an active performer in many genres.Equally at home on the bass guitar, he has performed with acts such as Rob Thomas, Gap Mangione, Bjork, Dave Samuels, Gregg Allman and top Belgian singers like Sarah Bettens, Stan Van Samang, Natalia, Niels Destadsbader, Belle Perez, Jean Bosco Safari, Boogie Boy, Wim Leys and N8N.
Thomas is an alumnus of The Berklee College of Music and has received his Bachelor’s Degree from Mannes College of Music and Master’s Degree from The Lemmensinstituut.
We talk about all kinds of topics, like playing together as a bass section, Tom’s path through the music world, his decision to move to Europe and what that experience has been like over the years, and much more.
Enjoy, and be sure to check out Thomas on Facebook, YouTube, and his website!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 07 Mar 2019 | 570: study bass in the South of France! | 00:20:34 | |
Rencontres de la Contrebasse will be taking place for the second year August 19-24, 2019. Learn more about this cool event in today’s conversation with Eleanor Martindale, and visit their website and Facebook page for more info. Also, check out this cool video with faculty members Giuseppe Ettorre and Lorraine Campet! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 06 Feb 2025 | 1079: Jake Thurston on his YouTube journey | 00:53:01 | |
Jake Thurston is a double bassist, educator, and YouTube content creator based in Boulder, Colorado. In this episode, we explore the story behind his YouTube channel, share insights about creating engaging content, and discuss how he balances content creation with performing and teaching. Enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to Jake's YouTube channel and also check him out on Patreon! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsor! Upton Bass - From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like ME Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations. Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today! Theme music by Eric Hochberg | |||
| 18 Oct 2021 | 845: Andrés Martín’s solo bass launch | 00:44:55 | |
Andrés Martín’s Signature Edition double basses are now available through Eastman! We go behind the scenes with Andrés on the experience of making these basses today. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 25 Nov 2019 | 645: Norman Ludwin on orchestration | 01:02:20 | |
I’ve been a fan of the music of Dr. Norman Ludwin for years. In fact, his bass ensemble The Love Story led to one of the most entertaining memories of my early years of teaching bass! Norman was in San Francisco doing a talk on orchestration for the American Federation of Musicians Local 6. I had a chance to attend his presentation and also sit down with him the next morning for an in-depth interview on: • his early training and musical background • his time performing in the Florida Symphony and co-principal bass in the Natal Philharmonic in Durban South Africa • getting into the LA studio recording world • making the pivot into the world of composition • building the world’s largest bass catalog with Ludwin Music • writing 11 books on orchestration • his current work as an orchestrator, clinician, and author Lots of funny stories and heartfelt moments in this one—enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: D'Addario Strings This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Steve Swan String Bass Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Modacity Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be. Kolstein Music The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. A440 Violin Shop An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. nkoda nkoda is a sheet music app for iOS, Android, and many platforms. It includes music from over 100 of the major music publishers like Boosey & Hawkes and Barenreiter. Practice, play and perform your sheet music, and mark up your parts as needed. This subscription service has received praise from Sir Simon Rattle and Joyce DiDonato. Start your free trial at nkoda.com. Contrabass Conversations production team: • Jason Heath, host • Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing • Mitch Moehring, audio engineer • Trevor Jones, publication and promotion • Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 07 Dec 2016 | 283: Weekly Update for 12/7/16 - Double Bass News and Events | 00:13:00 | |
Welcome to the weekly update from Contrabass Conversations! Visit contrabassconversations.com/news for all previous episodes and more information. News of the WeekGiving Tuesday from the International Society of Bassists
DaXun Zhang launches dragonetti.org
Thanks to D’Addario Strings for sponsoring!
The Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition
Do you have news you’d like to share?
Louisiana Bass Fest
Second Annual San Diego Bass Fest
Hosting provided by Bass Capos!Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. Learn more at basscapos.com. Support Contrabass ConversationsLearn about all the various ways you can support Contrabass Conversations (both financial and non-financial) at contrabassconversations.com/support. Listener Feedback:
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| 25 Apr 2016 | 207: Claus Freudenstein on heavy metal, minibasses, and arranging | 00:46:27 | |
Today we’re featuring Claus Freudenstein, who is pushing the boundaries of the double bass in some really interesting ways. Claus is innovative on a number of fronts. He joined the world of the bass later in life than many people, and he came to it through heavy metal and the electric bass. This resonates greatly with me because this is the exact same way that I arrived at the bass. Claus has taken this love of heavy metal and channeled it into the Bassmonsters, a bass ensemble that is expanding the repertoire into metal and bringing a whole new audience into the fold. We feature three clips from their first album Classic Meets Rock: Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns & Roses, Creeping Death by Metallica, and Thriller by Michael Jackson. You can find this album on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes. Claus is looking for a new record label to publish the latest Bassmonsters release. He has some tracks to pass along, so listeners, if you have ideas for a new label for Claus, send him an email and let him know. Claus has also been quite innovative in the world of teaching with his creation and popularization of the mini-bass. We discuss Claus' work in education, his approach to repertoire, arranging and composing, and many other topics. Enjoy! | |||
| 16 Feb 2023 | 975: Roberto Cassani of poet / shuts / clock | 00:45:26 | |
Roberto Cassani has recently released a duo album on Sunnyside Records. Titled poet / shuts / clock, it is a collaboration with saxophonist Fraser A. Campbell and is filled with a rich array of textures and sonic explorations.
Enjoy this new release from Roberto and Fraser, and check out our past conversations with Roberto here.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
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| 14 Oct 2016 | 260: Break into the Scene with Seth Hanes | 01:27:35 | |
Seth Hanes is a horn player, digital marketing consultant, and the author of the new book, Break into the Scene: A Musician's Guide to Making Connections, Creating Opportunities, and Launching a Career, which is available now on Amazon. If you want to check out some free email templates that will help you pick up gigs and some other bonuses, visit breakintothescene.com. We talk:
Break into the Scene hit #1 in Amazon's music business category within days of its launch. Check it out--it's a great read and full of actionable advice! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! | |||
| 17 Sep 2018 | 522: Amy Baltzell on performance anxiety | 00:41:11 | |
Amy Baltzell is a sports psychologist that serves as Clinical Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Sport Psychology Specialization at Boston University. The author of Living in the Sweet Spot: Preparing for Performance in Sport and Life and The Power of Mindfulness: Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport, Amy has worked with many musicians over the years to alleviate performance anxiety. Amy and I dig into performance enhancement, positive psychology, mindfulness, self-care, and much more in this engaging and spirited conversation. A big shout out to Naomi Steckman for connecting me with Amy! Links to check out:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 03 Jul 2017 | 369: Kieran Hanlon on teaching the fundamentals | 00:32:49 | |
Kieran Hanlon is Assistant Professor of String Bass and Jazz at The State University of New York at Fredonia. In addition to his teaching, Kieran is a first call performer in both the classical and jazz idioms, and enjoys a diverse performing career in both genres across Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. We dig into all kinds of topics, including:
Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 11 Jul 2016 | 229: BASS2016 Prague European Biennial Double Bass Congress Preview | 00:18:33 | |
Today’s episode features a conversation with Ursula Dieterich-Pedersen, who is organizing the 5th European Biennial Double Bass Congress, which will be taking place in Prague this September 20-25. Ursula and I got a chance to talk recently about some of the details for the event. You can find all the details for this event at bass2016.eu. | |||
| 06 Dec 2018 | 545: Traveling with a Bass | 00:12:25 | |
Today’s episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of traveling with a bass:
Listen to more “best of” episodes at contrabassconversations.com/highlights.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 08 Nov 2017 | 424: Matthew McDonald (from the archives) | 00:41:05 | |
This "best of" episode features Berlin Philharmonic principal bassist Matthew McDonald. Enjoy, and check out the original episode from 2016 here. About Matthew McDonaldAs a child Matthew McDonald was actually interested in playing only jazz and rock music. His parents gave him an electric bass for Christmas – but only under the condition that he would also learn to play the double bass. Matthew quickly fell in love with the big instrument’s dark, mellow sound. In 1996 he began his studies with Max McBride at the Canberra School of Music, later continuing with Kees Boersma in Sydney, where he completed his bachelor’s (BMus) degree in 2000. From 2000 to 2001 he was a scholar of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Orchestra Academy, and then was immediately engaged as deputy principal bass of the Danish National Orchestra. He relinquished that position in order to prepare for his concert exam with Esko Laine at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin. Engagements followed as principal bass with the Ensemble Modern (2003-06) and with Berlin’s Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester before he came to the Berliner Philharmoniker. As a chamber player, Matthew McDonald is a regular visitor to the Open Chamber Music seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall. He devotes his free time to his family, first and foremost, and also enjoys reading and going to the cinema. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! The Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton’s Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn’s preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass. | |||
| 24 Mar 2022 | 888: Auditions and more - live from the 2022 Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium | 00:59:46 | |
Today’s episode is a panel discussion on auditioning and other topics from the 2022 Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium. The panelists for this discussion are Brandon McLean, Andrew Kohn, Tracy Rowell, Jeremy Kurtz-Harris, and event organizer Micah Howard. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
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| 21 Jan 2021 | 768: Aaron Olguin on orchestral playing | 01:01:36 | |
Aaron Olguin serves as principal bass for Norway’s Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and he has appeared several times on the podcast in recent years.
We connected for today’s episode to discuss bass section playing and the challenges of not falling behind the beat for a recent video, but we cover a lot of other ground and get a general life update on Aaron and how things have been during the pandemic.
Enjoy, and be sure to check out Aaron on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and his website!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 11 Nov 2019 | 641: Brianna Goldberg on bows and business | 00:54:27 | |
Brianna Goldberg has quickly become one of the most sought-after bow specialists in Southern California. After several degrees and years of performing across the country, Brianna became inspired in part by a conversation with bowmaker Sue Lipkins, to look into the world of bow rehairing and repair. We dig into Brianna’s backstory, the challenges and rewards of starting a small business, what having a physical retail shop can do for you, and numerous questions about bow maintenance and care. Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Brianna on Facebook and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. nkoda is a sheet music app for iOS, Android, and many platforms. It includes music from over 100 of the major music publishers like Boosey & Hawkes and Barenreiter. Practice, play and perform your sheet music, and mark up your parts as needed. This subscription service has received praise from Sir Simon Rattle and Joyce DiDonato. Start your free trial at nkoda.com. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 17 Feb 2022 | 878: Orchestra vs Jazz Pizz | 00:09:43 | |
Today’s deep-dive takes a look at the similarities and differences between orchestral and jazz pizzicato—enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 05 Dec 2019 | 648: Jory Herman on narration and bass | 00:38:34 | |
Los Angeles Philharmonic bassist Jory Herman is releasing a new album of pieces that combine narration and bass. This album, which is an outgrowth of his community engagement work, features a mix of pieces geared toward children with other works like Frank Proto’s Mingus - Live in the Underworld and Jon Deak’s BB Wolf. Many of the tracks feature actress and narrator Cloie Wyatt Taylor. Jory was a guest on the podcast back in 2016 when he was still a member of the San Diego Symphony. In this chat, we talked about his solo Bach album and his Life album, work-life balance, and many other topics. In addition to covering the album, I couldn’t resist asking him a few questions about what it was like preparing for and winning an audition for the LA Phil while also holding down a full-time job, being a dad, and working on all of his musical side projects. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. nkoda is a sheet music app for iOS, Android, and many platforms. It includes music from over 100 of the major music publishers like Boosey & Hawkes and Barenreiter. Practice, play and perform your sheet music, and mark up your parts as needed. This subscription service has received praise from Sir Simon Rattle and Joyce DiDonato. Start your free trial at nkoda.com. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 09 Dec 2022 | 956: 15 practicing mistakes and how to fix them | 00:19:38 | |
This episode elaborates on a blog post devoted to common practicing mistakes and their solutions. Enjoy, and you can check out the video version on the topic here.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
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| 28 Jun 2018 | 498: Steve Tramontozzi on his path through the music world | 01:11:35 | |
I first met Steve Tramontozzi back in 2000 at the Pacific Music Festival. Steve was our bass coach that summer, and it was such a pleasure to work with him on solo playing, orchestral repertoire, and bass ensembles. Steve is assistant principal bass for the San Francisco Symphony and also teaches bass at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Steve is also one heck of a solo player, and I’ve had several opportunities to see him play here in San Francisco.
Steve just released his latest album Walkabout. This album features pieces for double bass and piano in a variety of styles. It’s a super-cool project, and you have to check out the cover for an epic view of Steve with his bass!
We dig into Walkabout, his journey from the East Coast to Brazil, how he found himself in San Francisco, and what it has been like being in the orchestra over the years. Enjoy!
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 10 Oct 2019 | 632: Fausto Borem on Brazilian musical explorations | 00:17:21 | |
Fausto Borém is the Grand Prize winner of the 2018 International Society of Bassists Research Competition. His document, titled Intonation in the Performance of the Double Bass, was presented at the 2019 ISB Convention. Fausto has been on my “to interview” list for years, and it was great to have the opportunity to connect with him in person for the podcast! We talk about his ISB presentation and much more. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 15 Mar 2021 | 783: John Goldsby on Tell Your Story | 00:57:42 | |
John Goldsby is one of the world’s best-known jazz bassists and a course creator for Discover Double Bass. His latest course Tell Your Story covers the topic of developing jazz soloing abilities. We talk about this course, what it’s like filming courses for Discover Double Bass, John’s latest album Segment (check out his website for more info), his very cool recent set with the John Goldsby Trio, which was live-streamed on Facebook through the WDR Big Band, and much more. Enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 125+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 07 May 2020 | 693: Elisa Janson Jones on online learning | 00:49:02 | |
We’re chatting with past podcast guest Elisa Janson Jones today. I had the chance to spend some time in person with her during the NAMM Show in January 2020, and I was interested in learning about how she has been handling the current pandemic, with its many challenges and opportunities. Elisa wears many hats: entrepreneur, author, educator, host of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast, and the founder of the International Music Education Summit. We cover all kinds of online teaching topics in this helpful conversation, which Elisa also published on her podcast. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase:
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 09 Oct 2017 | 409: Caitlyn Kamminga on life in Trinidad and Tobago | 00:25:26 | |
It is such a pleasure to bring you this conversation with Caitlyn Kamminga! Caitlyn has had a fascinating journey through the music world, and we dig deep into her journey across the globe from New Orleans, Hong Kong, and London to her current home of Trinidad and Tobago. More About Caitlyn:Caitlyn Kamminga graduated cum laude, with both a BM and MM from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied with premiere double bass pedagogue, Paul Ellison. She accepted her first job in 1992 in the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, where she held the position of Principal Double Bass until 1995. Subsequent positions include Associate Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO), Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and founding member of the Hong Kong Chamber Players. In 2001 she left Hong Kong to accept the position of Assistant Principal Double Bass in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. After six years in the BBC NOW, Kamminga moved to London, where she was largely employed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the London Mozart Players. Kamminga currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Academy for the Performing Arts. Recent creative projects include the 2014 world premiere of Jab Molassie, a Trinidadian adaptation of L’Histoire du Soldat, authored by Kamminga; and River of Freedom, an inter-disciplinary work about the African American slaves who fought with the British in exchange for freedom and land in Trinidad, which premiered in May 2015 with narration by Kamminga. This work was underwritten by matching grants from the United States Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago and the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation. Kamminga has been published in several musical journals, including the International Society of Double Bassists magazine, Bass World. She is a regular contributor to ALT/space, a project of the Teaching Artist Journal, a peer reviewed print and online quarterly that serves as a voice, forum and resource for all those teaching their art. Links to Check Out:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | 968: Cole Davis - The New Simandl | 00:17:07 | |
Today’s episode digs into a new version of the Simandl Method by Cole Davis that is re-fingered with the jazz bassist in mind. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
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| 02 May 2022 | 899: Barry Green in Ohio | 00:10:03 | |
Barry Green hit the ground running when he moved back to Cincinnati a few years ago, and I was fortunate to be a part of two recent Ohio events. This short episode features an interview with Barry and is a great example of his enthusiasm for the double bass and the community surrounding it. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
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| 29 Nov 2008 | 102: Jeremy McCoy Interview | 00:30:14 | |
We’re chatting with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Assistant Principal Bass Jeremy McCoy on this week’s Contrabass Conversations episode. Jeremy attended the Curtis Institute and was a member of the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada prior to his appointment with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Jeremy and I discuss a wide variety of topics, including his early experiences on the instrument, life in the Met, thoughts on teaching, recording a solo album, and much more. We’ll conclude this two-part interview in the coming weeks. Enjoy! | |||
| 21 Sep 2023 | 1008: Pete Lampe on building his own double basses | 01:07:14 | |
Pete Lampe is the owner of Pete's Upright Bass Shop in Portland, Oregon, and he has been an active bassist in Portland since 1986. He won a Silver Medal for Tone at the 2023 International Society of Bassists Convention, and he is currently focused on building his own double basses. We dig into Pete’s background, setup, strings, the “Golden Age” of bass building happening now, and much more.
Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Pete and his great work on his website and on Instagram!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – The School of Music at CMU highly values each and every individual who wants to be a part of an innovative fine arts community immersed in a top research university.
Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad’s subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don’t want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!
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| 18 Aug 2022 | 922: Top 10 double bass excerpts | 00:57:35 | |
This episode features audio from a Bass Works live stream featuring Cleveland Orchestra bassist Derek Zadinsky. This is a companion to a YouTube video that Jason did reacting to this super-cool recital of the top 10 most requested double bass excerpts. You can also pick up a PDF copy of these excerpts here.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad’s subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don’t want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
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| 15 Jul 2021 | 818: Christian Gray on opera bass life | 01:16:39 | |
Christian Gray joined the double bass section of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra at the start of their 2017-2018 Season. Prior to his appointment, he performed frequently with numerous other ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and San Antonio Symphony.
We talk about what life in an opera orchestra is like, how he prepared for this particular audition, performing for the 2021 Sphinx Competition, and much more.
Enjoy, and be sure to follow Christian on his YouTube Channel!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 28 Dec 2018 | 551: Gary Karr new course! | 00:14:02 | |
I had the chance to chat recently with Denis Chang, who has produced a new four-part double bass course featuring Gary Karr! This course rocks. I’ve been using it for my own playing and with my students with great results. Here are links and details: In The Style Of Gary Karr, Vol.1 Lessons
Performances:
In The Style Of Gary Karr, Vol.2 Lessons
Performances:
In The Style Of Gary Karr, Vol.3 Lessons
Extra - Stretching Routine (Uninterrupted)
Performances:
In The Style Of Gary Karr, Vol.4 Lessons
Performances:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 20 Jul 2023 | 999: How to bring up your energy for a performance with Louis Levitt | 00:15:41 | |
Today we feature double bass performer and educator Louis Levitt on how to bring up your energy level for a performance. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Louis’ website, Rutgers University teaching profile, and Instagram, and be sure to follow along with his awesome group Sybarite5!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad’s subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don’t want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!
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| 01 Nov 2021 | 849: Ultimate Music Business Summit | 00:35:12 | |
The Ultimate Music Business Summit will be taking place January 6-8, 2022. We talk with event coordinators Dr. Garrett Hope, Dr. Heidi Kay Begay, and Arthur Breur about the story behind the summit and what to expect in 2022. Learn more here, and I hope you can join us! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 22 Feb 2008 | 66: Owen Lee Interview part 2 | 00:45:42 | |
We’re continuing our chat with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Check out the first segment of this conversation on episode 55 of the program. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real pleasure to do this interview along with Contrabass Conversations regular collaborator John Grillo. John, Owen, and I chat about Owen’s experiences recording his solo CD, key selection for the Bach Suites and his use of solo tuning for the recording, his performances of the less popular but extremely engaging Bottesini Concerto No. 1, performing the Tubin Concerto with orchestra, the Harbison Bass Concerto project (which Owen performed with the Cincinnati Symphony), and his practicing habits and exercises. We also feature the first movement from the Cello Suite No. 5 by Johann Sebastian Bach from Owen’s Boston Records CD, plus listener feedback, bass news, and a link of the week. Find Owen Lee on Twitter here. Enjoy!
About Owen: Described as “a true virtuoso” by legendary pianist Gary Graffman and praised by The New York Times for his “deft and virtuosic solo performance” at his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall, double bassist Owen Lee has earned acclaim as a soloist, chamber musician and since 1996, at the age of 26, as Principal Bass of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lee is heard regularly as a soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Jesús López-Cobos, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under John Harbison, and the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas in Miami and on tour to New York’s Lincoln Center. During the 2006-07 season, Mr. Lee and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, along with a consortium of other soloists and orchestras, will present the world premiere of John Harbison’s Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra. Mr. Lee’s prizes in competitions include First Prize at the 1995 International Society of Bassists Competition and Fourth Prize at the 1992 Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco. He has been presented in recitals throughout the United States, and in Geneva. For the Boston Records label, he has recorded the Misek Sonata No. 2 and Bach Unaccompanied Suites No. 3 and No. 5. American Record Guide praised this disc for its “tasteful phrasing, polish and verve” while The Strad wrote “Owen Lee is a fine player with strong musical ideas. A dark and austere sound is produced for Suite No. 5 and the architecture of each suite is carefully considered and shaped. I look forward to his next recording.” Mr. Lee’s extensive international chamber music experience includes three summers as the bassist of the Marlboro Festival. While there, he performed extensively with such artists as Richard Stoltzman, Midori, Nobuko Imai, Bruno Canino, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and members of the Beaux Arts Trio, Guarneri Quartet and Juilliard Quartet. He also collaborated with composers Gyorgy Kurtag, Leon Kirchner and Richard Danielpour preparing performances of those composers’ works. Mr. Lee was born in Berkeley, California in 1969 to Chinese parents. He began playing bass at age 15 after previous study of the piano. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Mr. Lee’s principal teachers were Dennis Trembly, Edwin Barker and Paul Ellison. Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Lee was a member of the Houston Symphony under Christoph Eschenbach. In addition to his position with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lee serves as Principal Bass of the Shanghai Festival Orchestra. Owen is married to CiCi Lee. He enjoys bicycling, snowboarding, cigars, auto repair and playing drums and writing songs with his rock band Toe (Eric Bates, CSO 2nd Assistant Concertmaster is Toe’s guitarist and lead singer, and Ted Nelson, CSO cellist is Toe’s bassist).
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| 18 Oct 2018 | 531: Ron Wasserman on 1000 Nutcrackers and career diversity | 01:27:54 | |
Ron Wasserman has been a frequently-requested podcast guest over the years, and it was such a pleasure to be able to sit down with him in person and dig into all kinds of topics. In addition to being the longtime principal bass for the New York City Ballet, Ron is the founder and artistic director of the New York Jazzharmonic, an active composer, and wears many other hats.
On his website, Ron describes himself as follows:
Ron Wasserman is (in this order): 1. a native New Yorker 2. a fourth generation musician 3. a veteran bassist 4. a composer
We talk about these roles, Ron’s backstory, and much more!
A few links to content that we discussed in this interview:
Ron and I definitely need to do a “round two” interview sometime soon--we barely scratched the surface of what we could cover!
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 11 Dec 2017 | 438: Leigh Mesh on discipline, fitness, and stories from the pit | 01:16:28 | |
It was a pleasure to chat with Leigh Mesh for the podcast! Leigh is the MET Orchestra Associate Principal Bass and teaches bass at Bard College. This is a fun and wide-ranging conversation with a ton of great advice throughout. About Leigh Mesh:Leigh Mesh, Associate Principal Bass, joined the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 1993. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he has taught master classes at the New World Symphony in Miami, the Cincinnati Conservatory, the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Mesh has performed regularly at the Verbier Music Festival, and with the MET Chamber Ensemble, the Caramoor Virtuosi, and the Brentano and Tokyo String Quartets. He lives with his wife and two children in New York, and pursues cycling and skiing whenever he can. Mr. Mesh is an exclusive artist for Thomastik-Infeld Strings. Links to Check Out:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 05 Sep 2024 | 1057: From Naples to Berlin with Giuseppe Bottiglieri | 00:47:41 | |
Giuseppe Bottiglieri's musical journey spans from his early years in Naples, Italy, where he transitioned from guitar to double bass, to his career development playing on cruise ships and exploring jazz and contemporary music. Currently based in Berlin, Bottiglieri focuses on solo bass performances and experiments with electronics, drawing inspiration from various sources, including visual arts. The supportive arts scene in Berlin has significantly influenced his work, leading him to reflect on the importance of live music. Throughout his evolution as a musician, Giuseppe has embraced diverse experiences and influences, shaping his unique artistic voice in the vibrant cultural landscape of his adopted city. Giuseppe also shares insights on his upcoming projects and future aspirations, providing a comprehensive view of his evolving musical career. Enjoy, and follow along with him on Instagram.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass Rosin, developed by Gary Upton, boasts an excellent feel, response, and tone for double bass bows. Gary believes it's the best bass rosin available. It's appreciated by users like Blake Hinson from the New York Philharmonic for its quality and performance. Learn more about Upton’s rosin, basses, and more at uptonbass.com. Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah’s website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here.
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| 23 Jan 2017 | 304: Weekly Update for 1/23/17 - Double Bass News | 00:05:28 | |
Here’s the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you’d like shared at feedback@contrabassconversations.com. Stories Covered:Quote of the WeekLink of the Week
Events (calendar link)
Book Recommendation
Recent Podcast GuestsSubscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. | |||
| 02 Apr 2020 | 683: Valentina Ciardelli on arranging | 00:47:51 | |
It was great to have Valentina Ciardelli back on the podcast to talk about all the new developments in her career. In this episode, recorded on February 20, we dig into her new arrangements, including Zappa, Stravinsky, and her new arrangement of 'Nei Cieli Bigi’ from La Bohème for cello and bass. We also talk about Music Academy International and other topics. Valentina is currently offering Skype lessons for bassists worldwide, so be sure to reach out to her if you’d like to study with this inspiring artist! Also, she is now selling the following two arrangements online:
I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: | |||
| 29 Jul 2019 | 611: Tom Knific on creative careers | 00:33:58 | |
Tom Knific leads a full life as a bassist, composer, and educator. He has taught at Western Michigan University since 1987 and was appointed Director of Jazz Studies in 2000. He is also extremely active as a composer and touring musician. Tom has also been involved in the double bass community for many years as a past president of the International Society of Bassists and host of the 2005 ISB Convention. We sat down with Tom at the 2019 ISB Convention to talk about his career, the bass community, composing, and much more. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 09 Jul 2018 | 502: BASS2018 Lucca final details | 00:14:27 | |
BASS2018 Lucca will take place July 31 - August 5, 2018. Today, we chat with Artistic Directors Gabriele Ragghianti and Alberto Bocini about what to expect at this event. I'll be there covering the event and having many conversations for the podcast. We all hope to see you there! | |||
| 17 Apr 2017 | 334: Ranaan Meyer - Round Two Interview | 00:24:52 | |
Ranaan Meyer is the bassist for the dynamic trio Time for Three. I had Ranaan on the podcast back in the early days of the show, almost ten years ago. Time for Three was performing with the Modesto Symphony here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ranaan had a chance to sit down for an in-person "round two" for the podcast. We dig into all kinds of things:
Links to check out:
Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! This episode is also brought to you by Rosin Saver, a revolutionary storage device that keeps bass rosin feeling as fresh as the day it was made. Rosin Saver is used by members of the New York Philharmonic, the MET orchestra, the Los Angles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Use the promo code 'HEATH' at checkout for 10% off any and all orders from rosinsaver.com. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! | |||
| 23 Nov 2016 | 277: Florian Pertzborn on Europoean orchestral experiences | 00:22:13 | |
Florian Pertzborn launched the European Orchestra Experience Award for the BASSEUROPE Orchestral Competition this year in Prague. The recipients were:
Florian and I got a chance to sit down in the beautiful courtyard of the HAMU in Prague to discuss this competition. We talk about why Florian launched this and what benefits he sees it bringing to young double bassists. We also cover:
It was great to chat with Florian! He's a great guy and is working hard to provide opportunities for young bassists across Europe. Links to check out:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!
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| 24 Nov 2023 | 1017: Gregg August on balancing jazz, classical, and composition | 01:08:17 | |
Gregg August is a New York double bassist who successfully balances careers in classical and jazz music, as well as composition. He is member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (Associate), the American Composers Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He is also an active composer and performer in avant-garde, jazz and Latin jazz worlds. We talk about his background, how he balances these multiple disciplines, his 2020 project "Dialogues on Race," his experience with the innovative "Bang on a Can" summer festival, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Gregg’s website to learn more about his exceptional work!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – The School of Music at CMU highly values each and every individual who wants to be a part of an innovative fine arts community immersed in a top research university.
Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
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| 31 Oct 2016 | 267: Johnny Hamil on student motivation and building bass events | 00:57:22 | |
Johnny Hamil has dedicated his life to teaching bass. Starting out as a music education student, Johnny met George Vance at an International Society of Bassists Convention, and his life has never been the same since. After years of prodding from George, Johnny started the Kansas City Bass Workshop. This event has grown into one of the most vibrant double bass events in the country. But Johnny's not worried that others are going to take students away from him by starting their own events.In fact, he's convinced that every city should have their own bass event. And after listening to this conversation, I'll bet you'll agree! Johnny’s book Jamming On The Bass is an improvisational accompaniment to Vance’s Progressive Repertoire series. Check it out! It'll add some great variety to your teaching. Here's a video describing Johnny's teaching philosophy. This will give you some background on why Johnny was inspired to write his book. Learn more about the materials Johnny uses and what hundreds of other leaders in the double bass field use at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. More links to check out:
Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! | |||
| 01 Jan 2017 | 294: 10th Anniversary Show! | 01:04:53 | |
Thank you.Really, I don't know what else to say. Thank you to each and every one of you who have taken your precious time these past ten years to listen to these episodes. You've written in. You've suggested guests. You've shared your passion and energy with me and with the wider community. Thank you to the hundreds of guests who have lent their valuable time to this crazy project. Through the gift of your time, energy, and experience, you've helped thousands of people across the globe. Thank you to John Grillo, who co-hosted this and so many other episodes with me. John, Win Hinkle, Jonathan Stefaniak, Kells Nollenberger, other folks have guest interviewed people for the podcast, for which I am so grateful. Thank you to D'Addario Strings, Bass Capos, Discover Double Bass, Upton Bass, The String Emporium, Riccardi's Violin Shop, Classic Contrabass, and Douglas Mapp Music for their support as sponsors over this past decade. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your support with keeping this juggernaut going. And finally, thank you to Lloyd Goldstein, Mitch Moehring, Szymon Marciniak, Tracy Friedlander, Jay Stark, Adam Booker, and Justin Locke for calling in and contributing to this 10th anniversary episode! Here's to another 10 exciting years!Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. | |||
| 22 Apr 2016 | 206: Auditioning for Music Schools | 00:48:01 | |
Trevor Jones and I have done joint clinics in the past, but this is the first one since restarting the podcast, and I figured that it would make sense to put it out this week since we just released our conversation a few days ago. This talk was held at Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall as part of the 2016 Chicago Bass Festival, which is an event put on by the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Michael Cameron of the University of Illinois and Allan Dennis, former double bass professor at the University of Wisconsin and the MYA executive director, were both in the audience, so you’ll hear us refer to both of them a couple of times during the talk. I left Curtis off of my list of schools putting out successful auditions, but of course that should be at the top of the list! My mistake. Some of the questions from the audience are kind of hard to hear, you’ll get the gist of the question as soon as Trevor and I start talking again. We talk about Don Greene’s excellent books on auditioning—all three are highly recommended: | |||
| 28 Jun 2009 | 124: ISB 2009 Impressions | 00:19:23 | |
We’re featuring some brief interviews I did with people on the floor of the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention at Penn State in June. Feel free to check out my ISB 2009 Retrospective blog post for even more information on what was happening at this year’s convention, and stay tuned for an avalanche of content from this event over the next couple of months! During this episode, I chat with Bill Wasson, Ian Saunders, Robert Meyer, and several University of Michigan students, as well as featuring some listener feedback and news. | |||
| 22 Feb 2017 | 317: Concorso Bottesini Competition Overview | 00:25:47 | |
The 2017 Concorso Bottesini competition will take place April 18-24. Enrico Fagone and Francisco Donati chat with Jason about the details surrounding this event. The jury members for this event are:
Be sure to check out the website for Associazione Bottesini and follow along with this organization! Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. | |||
| 26 Dec 2020 | 760: Garrett Hope on Dorico and portfolio careers | 01:09:54 | |
In addition to a thriving career as a composer and podcast host, Garrett Hope has been using Steinberg’s new music notation software Dorico for several years. After having Daniel Spreadbury, Product Marketing Manager for Dorico, on the podcast, I decided to sit down with Garrett to talk through my experiences with the software as a novice and his as a seasoned professional. We also talk about how Garrett has been adapting to changes brought about by the pandemic, how musicians can continue to build their portfolio careers despite the current challenges of live performance, and much more. Check out Garrett’s 2016 appearance on the podcast, and be sure to subscribe to his excellent podcast as well! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 90+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors! Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 13 Oct 2016 | 259: Trevor Davis on his luthier path | 01:10:57 | |
Spread and focus. That’s what Trevor Davis thinks about as he makes his basses. It’s all in the arching. That’s what makes an instrument sound great. But Trevor didn’t just magically know this from the start. His tale is one of persistence and grit.Carving scrolls during the night shift at 7-Eleven. Dragging his half-made first double bass back and forth across country. Making violins during the day and sleeping on the floor by his workbench at night. But then...Winning a certificate of workmanship at the 2013 International Society of Bassists Convention. Getting hired at a luthier at Robertson & Sons Violin Shop. How did he get from the night shift at 7-Eleven to making award-winning basses and working at one of the world’s great instrument shops? Listen and find out!Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! | |||
| 18 May 2020 | 697: Susan Cahill on staying inspired under quarantine | 00:56:58 | |
Susan Cahill has been finding all kinds of ways to keep herself inspired musically during the pandemic. She had finished filming an episode for the PBS Series Now Hear This prior to the lockdown, and she has been immersing herself in several music at-home projects. We talk about these projects, how practicing other instruments fits into her musicianship, thoughts on small and large group performances going forward, and much more. Enjoy, and check out her appearance on the podcast from 2017 here! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!
I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase:
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 17 Mar 2022 | 886: Weird bowing sounds | 00:15:48 | |
Today’s deep-dive covers the strange sounds that we can get when learning to bow, and some possible diagnoses. Enjoy, and check out the accompanying YouTube video there plus a PDF copy of the checklist.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
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| 07 Sep 2023 | 1006: Abe Gumroyan freelancing chat | 00:57:54 | |
Abe Gumroyan is a Grammy-award winning bassist who plays a wide range of gigs, ranging from major motion picture soundtracks to professional orchestras like the San Francisco Symphony.
We dig into Abe’s background, what it’s like freelancing, advice on developing a multifaceted career, Abe’s surprising “pandemic job,” and much more. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – The School of Music at CMU highly values each and every individual who wants to be a part of an innovative fine arts community immersed in a top research university.
Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad’s subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don’t want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!
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| 19 Mar 2009 | 113: Lawrence Wolfe Interview part 2 | 00:48:07 | |
We’re featuring the second part of our interview with Boston Symphony Assistant Principal Bass Lawrence Wolfe this week on Contrabass Conversations. I had a chance to check out a wonderful master class that Mr. Wolfe did at Northwestern in the fall of 2008, and I did a summary/synopsis of some of the concepts and ideas covered in this class as well. I’m really looking forward to chatting with Larry–he’s one of my favorite bassists, and listening endlessly to his solo record really shaped how I approach the double bass when I was in college. Larry is one of the most influential bass players in the United States, having taught countless players during his years at New England Conservatory and other Boston academic institutions who are now in major orchestras or pursuing other successful musical endeavors. We’re also featuring the Gliere Scherzo and Koussevitzky Valse Miniature from Larry’s solo album, both of which you’re really going to enjoy. Larry will be doing a presentation at this summer’s International Society of Bassists convention, which I am definitely looking forward to checking out. Be sure to check out Larry’s website (which he is in the process of revamping – listen to the interview to learn more about this), and stay tuned for tour final segment of this interview very soon! | |||
| 17 May 2021 | 801: Marc Gelfo on the art of learning | 00:56:35 | |
Marc Gelfo is the founder of Modacity, which has transformed my practice habits during the three years that I’ve been using it. We dig into what Marc has been up to since our last podcast chat, the power of deliberate practice, new features coming for Modacity, the new iPad edition, and more. Enjoy, and check out this special lifetime offer that Marc has set up for Contrabass Conversations listeners! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 16 Mar 2020 | 677: Bass Gear Geek-out | 01:04:53 | |
Today’s episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of bass gear:
Listen to more “best of” episodes at contrabassconversations.com/highlights. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Modacity is a practicing app that helps musicians be more effective at practice. They help you get the results you want, while keeping you encouraged and motivated to stick with it and reach those goals – however big, or small, they may be.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 19 Sep 2017 | 397: John Goldsby on writing books, life overseas, and innovation | 00:42:53 | |
Where do you even start when you're talking with John Goldsby? I mean, this is the person who literally wrote the book on jazz bass playing with his groundbreaking work The Jazz Bass Book. I've been reading articles by John in Bass Player Magazine ever since I picked up the instrument, and it was such a pleasure to chat with him for the show! More About JohnSince 1994, John Goldsby has been a member of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (also known as the WDR Big Band or the Cologne Radio Big Band). From 1980 to 1994, Goldsby lived in New York City and was a fixture on the jazz scene there. He continues to contribute to the art form as a bassist, bandleader, composer, teacher, clinician and author. Mr. Goldsby has written two other instructional method books, Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist and Bass Notes. Bass Player magazine says, Bass Notes is an excellent resource for intermediate to advanced jazz bassist.” The National Association of Jazz Educators says, Bowing Techniques should be a required publication for upright bassists!” Goldsby is a disciple and master of the Paul Chambers school of jazz bass playing, and spent many years perfecting his own style of arco (bowed) jazz playing. Through private study with Dave Holland and Michael Moore throughout the ‘80s, Goldsby codified and honed the techniques of arco jazz. Goldsby perceived a gap in jazz bass pedagogy in the area of arco technique, and published his first book Jazz Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist in 1990. Since 1990, John Goldsby has been a featured writer for Bass Player Magazine with his columns “The Tradition,” “Mastering Jazz,” and “Jazz Concepts.” Goldsby has also written for Double Bassist Magazine, The Strad, and the International Society of Bassists Journal (ISB). In 2009, Goldsby was awarded the International Society of Bassists Special Recognition Award for Scholarship, a biennial award recognizing players and scholars who contribute their special talents, knowledge and support to furthering ISB ideals. Goldsby received jazz performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988, 1990, and 1993. The “John Goldsby Plays Oscar Pettiford” concert, which was funded by the 1990 grant received much critical acclaim from the New York Times, Jazz Times, and the Village Voice. This episode is organized into three parts:
Links to Check Out:
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Mittenwald model is a sister to their popular Brescian model. The contrabasses from the Mittenwald school are characterized by a high-shouldered gamba pattern with outside linings on deep ribs, resulting in a fine orchestral double bass. Our version incorporates all the ergonomic improvements and geometries found in other Upton models, with great flexibility in sizing afforded by the stout German pattern. The gamba pattern, especially when combined with a flat back, allows us to build this instrument in the 5/8ths sizing of the Kloz copy, all the way up to a large 7/8ths pattern built to lift a string section or push a big band. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 18 May 2017 | 348: Andrew Pedersen - Houston Symphony audition winner | 00:22:18 | |
Andrew Pedersen recently won a position with the Houston Symphony. He was a student of Tim Pitts at Rice and a student of Rob Kassinger's at DePaul. I actually had the chance to work with Andrew at Northwestern University’s now-defunct High School Music Institute back in 2011, and it was great watching him continue to grow as a player and musician during his years at DePaul. We dig into the nuts and bolts of Andrew’s Houston Symphony audition process, balancing playing in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago with being a student, Andrew’s audition preparation strategies, advice for his younger self (which I know you’re gong to love!), and much more. Follow along with all of our audition-related content at contrabassconversations.com/auditioning Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! This episode is also brought to you by Rosin Saver, a revolutionary storage device that keeps bass rosin feeling as fresh as the day it was made. Rosin Saver is used by members of the New York Philharmonic, the MET orchestra, the Los Angles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Use the promo code 'HEATH' at checkout for 10% off any and all orders from rosinsaver.com. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 06 Apr 2020 | 684: Kieran Hanlon on Bass Fest and Eccles | 00:37:16 | |
I had a great time having Kieran Hanlon back on the podcast. In this episode, recorded on February 20, we talk about the Fredonia Bass Fest, which had recently wrapped up and which had past podcast guests Danny Ziemann and Lauren Pierce as guest artists. We also dig into Kieran’s new trio edition (bass, guitar, cello) of the Eccles Sonata, the interesting self-care topic that came up at the Bass Fest, and more. Enjoy! I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 10 May 2017 | 343: why Matt Ulery started his own record label | 00:27:04 | |
Matt Ulery is a jazz bassist, bandleader, and composer based in Chicago, Illinois. He recently released his seventh album and has started his own record label. We dig into:
...and much more! Follow along with all of our jazz content at contrabassconversations.com/jazz! Links to check out:Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! This episode is also brought to you by Rosin Saver, a revolutionary storage device that keeps bass rosin feeling as fresh as the day it was made. Rosin Saver is used by members of the New York Philharmonic, the MET orchestra, the Los Angles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Use the promo code 'HEATH' at checkout for 10% off any and all orders from rosinsaver.com. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 27 Sep 2021 | 839: Study with Valentina Ciardelli! | 00:18:46 | |
Valentina Ciardelli is now teaching at the London Performing Academy of Music and is accepting applications through the end of September, including scholarship opportunities. You can visit this link to apply and learn more through this PDF.
This is a great opportunity to study with one of the most innovative bassists active today. Check it out, and be sure to also follow Valentina on her website, YouTube Channel, Instagram, and Facebook!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 09 May 2022 | 901: Luis Celis on auditioning | 00:56:11 | |
Luis Celis recently won an audition for the double bass section of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Luis is originally from Venezuela and studied with Susan Hagen at the Berklee College of Music. He was also a diversity fellow with the CSO prior to winning the audition with the CSO.
We talk about Luis’ musical journey, what his preparation process for the CSO audition was like, and much more.
Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Luis on Instagram!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
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| 27 Oct 2016 | 266: Garrett Hope on portfolio careers | 01:45:28 | |
I love episodes like this. Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer and I wanted to feature each other on our podcasts. But we couldn't figure out the best way to do it.So we chucked the script, flipped on the mic, and riffed for an hour on the subjects that interest us the most. We're both bass players. We're both podcasters. We're both building our careers around this crazy podcast model. Already, we have a lot in common. But that's only the beginning.We're both constantly thinking about what it really means to build a career in music.
We dig into all this and much more!By the way, if you don't subscribe to Garrett's podcast, stop reading this right now and go subscribe. And get on his email list while you're at it. Garrett has figured a lot of things out on the career front, and he has tremendous value to offer all of us. I love listening to Garrett's podcast. It's one of the shows that I immediately click on when I see a new episode. You'll love it too. Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!
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| 16 Jan 2025 | 1076: Yuka Tadano's Musical Odyssey to 1st call Broadway Bassist | 00:50:42 | |
In today's episode, Yuka Tadano shares her musical journey. Starting with her current gigs, including a new Broadway show, "Swept Away,” and preparing for a cast album of "Suffs," she reflects on her extensive experience in musical theater.
Yuka discusses her involvement in several productions, including the Neil Diamond show "Beautiful Noise." She also touches on her passion for jazz, her educational background at the University of North Texas, and her transition to New York's vibrant scene.
We also discuss the blend of stability and uncertainty in a musician's life, her experiences with both electric and acoustic bass, and the importance of creativity and attention to detail. Don't miss this conversation with one of Broadway's first-call bassists.
Enjoy, and check out Yuka’s CASE-4-BASS interview to learn more about her electric bass and great and playing.
photo credit: Erika Kapin
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsor! Upton Bass - From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like ME Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations. Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!
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| 13 Oct 2017 | 411: Elsen Price on world music | 00:19:56 | |
It was a treat to sit down and chat with world music bassist Elsen Price for the podcast! Elsen is based in Sydney, Australia and is incredibly active as a solo and collaborative artist. More About Elsen:(excerpt from Elsen Price: Totally addicted to Bass by Samuel Cottell) Double bass player Elsen Price is making his mark on the music scene in a range of settings. He recently performed his original composition ‘red planet’ as part of Sydney’s Vivid Music at the Seymour Centre, where he also commissioned a new work for double bass and mandolin. Elsen also regularly performs his original music in cafés for five hours at a time (lucky there is coffee on hand), and is undertaking many collaborations with renowned musicians. His musical style is as diverse as the musical settings he performs in and, listening to his compositions and recordings, you can certainly hear a clear cut and confident musical voice. Elsen has a way of engaging audiences with his music, but it all boils down to the level of conviction you give in the performing of the music. Based in Sydney, Elsen grew up in the country six hours of out of the city and first heard the violin at an annual country music festival. “I’ve been fascinated by the fiddle playing from the first time I heard it,” Elsen says. “It didn’t all start out easy for Elsen, who suffered from a physical condition called ‘syndactyly’, which often leaves a person with limited use of their hands and fingers. “My mum figured playing an instrument would help my hands develop and seeing as I was already obsessed with the violin, she let me learn it,” says Elsen. Links to Check Out:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 01 Jun 2023 | 992: Sean O’Hara on long-term progress | 01:28:40 | |
Sean O'Hara recently won an audition for a double bass section position in the Fort Worth Symphony. In this episode, we talk about Sean’s journey from the San Francisco Bay area to UCLA to study with Chris Hanulik, his time working with Brian Johnson at Cal State Fullerton, his with studying with Tim Pitts at Rice University, lessons learned after 33 auditions, getting into traditional Irish, music, and much more. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Thank you to our sponsor, Dorico! It is my favorite software for music notation and composition. Designed for MacOS, iPad, and Windows, Dorico’s workflow allows you to spend more time making music. Download Dorico 5, their free iPad app, or their free version (forever), Dorico SE 5.
Get Dorico: https://www.steinberg.net/dorico/
Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
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| 01 Oct 2020 | 737: Musicians for the World | 00:35:07 | |
Musicians for the World is a non-profit incorporated in the spring of 2020 to give free musical education to students in need globally. So far, they have over 150 students in Haiti, Peru, and Mexico. Bassist Adam Rowton reached out to me about doing an interview with him and co-founders Jesus Saenz and Kelley McGarry, and it was great to learn about this new organization and their inspiring mission. Jesus, Kelley, and Adam are looking for staff and volunteers as they continue to increase their fundraising efforts, so be sure to contact them if you would like to get involved in some capacity. Learn more about this new organization on their website, and follow along with them on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 13 Apr 2023 | 985: Sebastiano Dessanay on 377 and multidisciplinary creativity | 00:47:15 | |
Sebastiano Dessanay recently released his 377: double CD. This remarkable project, which we discussed in early 2020, featured Sebastiano visiting the 377 municipalities of Sardinia traveling exclusively by bicycle: one a day for 14 months.
We talk how this album evolved out of his epic journey, his book covering the journey, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Sebastiano and his cool project on his website, bandcamp, YouTube, and Instagram!
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Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
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| 08 May 2010 | 153: Bottesini with Leon Bosch | 00:13:48 | |
We’re featuring double bassist Leon Bosch performing selections from his latest album on this week’s Contrabass Conversations episode. Titled Virtuoso Double Bass Vol. 2, this album contains a dozen works, both familiar and less familiar, from Giovanni Bottesini. You can purchase this album (as well as Leon’s other albums) from Meridian Records here, and learn more about Leon at leonbosch.co.uk. | |||
| 18 Oct 2017 | 413: Marlene Rosenberg on jazz education and the changing gig scene | 00:28:46 | |
It was great to chat with Marlene Rosenberg for the podcast! Marlene is a Chicago-based jazz bassist and educator and is one of the most active players in the local scene. More About Marlene:Marlene Rosenberg has emerged as one of the most talented and multi-faceted bass players on the scene today. She has played professionally throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America and Japan, performing with innumerable jazz luminaries, such as Kenny Barron, Frank Foster, Stan Getz, Albert “Tootie” Health, Joe Henderson, Marian McPartland, Cedar Walton,Wallace Roney, David “Fathead” Newman, Monty Alexander, Kevin Mahogony, Frank Morgan Frank Wess, Joe Williams and Nancy Wilson, to name a few. Her stylistic range encompasses everything from traditional Big Band to intimate experimental ensembles. Rosenberg was featured on the recording of the Ed Thigpen Quartet entitled “Easy Flight.” Thigpen believes, “What makes Marlene special is her strength and depth of understanding of music. In a world of clones, she has managed to emerge as her own person with her own sound and feel… her time feel is steady and swings like mad.” Rosenberg, who grew up in Illinois, began clarinet studies at the age of ten and took up the electric bass in high school, playing in the jazz band. She began acoustic bass in college at the University of Illinois, where she received the Smith Memorial Women’s Scholarship in 1977, and the University of Illinois Bass-Violas Scholarship two years in a row. Well versed in both the classical and jazz aspects of her instrument, she performed with the University’s main symphony orchestra as well as the prestigious U of Jazz Band, the top of six bands in University of Illinois, and a Masters of Music in Jazz Pedagogy from North western University in June of 1999. In 1985, Rosenberg received an National Endownment of The Arts Jazz fellowship grant,which she used for intensive private study with Ron Carter, Hal Galper, Milk Richmond and Jim Mcneeley. She also counts among her teachers Warren Benfield (Chicago Symphony), Jeff Bradetich (Northwestern University), Ed Krolick and John Gravey (University Of Illinois), and Karl Fruh (Roosevelt University).She also Studied for a 9 month period with Rob Kassinger from the Chicago Symphony (2010) Also, as mentors, Rosenberg counts Rufus Reid and Ray Brown,John Clayton and Buster Williams. In Addition to her versatility as a bassist, Rosenberg has developed a keen interest and capability in the performance of ethnic music. She has performed and recorded with the Balkan Rhythm Band, which focuses on traditional music from Yugoslavia, Serbia and Greece. Her enthusiasm for the drumming and dance of West Africa has promoted study with master drummers from Ghana as well as participation in an African drumming group in Chicago. Rosenberg has worked with numerous modern dance troupes, improvising on both bass and percussion. All this experience have added an extra dimension to Rosenberg’s Jazz work giving it a rare depth and range. Committed to imparting her knowledge to others, Rosenberg currently teaches privately in the Chicago area. She has given special workshops in high schools throughout the Chicago area and has been a clinician at the Saskatchewan School of the Arts in Canada. She has been involved with the Ravinia Jazz Mentors program in the Chicago public high schools.Rosenberg has given workshops on creating melodic bass lines at the International Society of Bassists conference.She was Adjunct Professor at Northern Illinois for 13 years University (1994-2007),teaching Bass Studio and Jazz History (1 Semester). Rosenberg was a full time professor at Western Illinois University, in Macomb, IL for 3 years from 2007-2010 (Teaching Bass, World Music, Popular Music & Jazz Combos)and currently is music faculty teaching jazz combos at Northwestern University (2009-current),in Evanston,Illinois. She also is on the Music Faculty at Roosevelt University, in Chicago.She has been working with students at the Gallery 37 Program in Chicago, Sponsored by the Thelonius Monk Intitute in Washington D.C. Rosenberg has recorded radio and television commercials for McDonald’s and Ameritech, among others. Rosenberg made her debut as a leader and composer on her compact disc “Waimea” (Bassline). Her latest CD “Pieces Of…”(Bassline) presents her as arranger as well as composer. PIECES OF… features pianist Cedar Walton and saxophonist Javon Jackson. Currently, (2011) she is a recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Grant which will help to complete her 3rd self Produced CD. Links to Check Out:Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 12 Nov 2018 | 538: Marco Panascia | 00:59:54 | |
When I put out a call for interview requests for my New York City trip, Marco Panascia was one of the most-requested bassists. In fact, Marco has been requested as a guest many times over the years, and he and I have also talked about doing an interview for the past few years. Being able to chat in person with Marco was an added benefit! Marco and I cover all kinds of interesting ground, like his journey from Italy to the United States, how he established his career in the US, getting to gigs via train and on foot, crazy gig stories, versatility, and all kinds of other topics. Marco’s a great guy and an awesome player, and it was so much fun to chat in person for the podcast!
More about Marco: Panascia has made a name for himself by being featured in the groups of several jazz luminaries, such as Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Kevin Mahogany, Eric Reed, Dado Moroni, Alvin Queen, Bobby Watson, Peter Bernstein, Tamir Hendelman, Claudio Roditi, and David Kikoski, and by regularly appearing in some of the world's top music festivals and venues, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Panascia is also known for his tenure with young jazz piano sensation Eldar, which delivered sold-out performances in three continents, and culminated in two celebrated CD releases on the Sony BMG Masterworks label: "Live at the Blue Note", and "re-imagination", which received a 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Mentored by Los Angeles studio legend Carol Kaye and by classical bass maestros Nello Nicotra and Betram Turetzky, Panascia was the first prize winner of the 1998 Edinburgh International Double Bass competition in Scotland. After moving to the United States, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, as a full tuition scholarship recipient. Currently an adjunct faculty member at the New School University in Manhattan, he often gets invited to teach clinics and masterclasses in the United States and abroad. Recent teaching stints have included the Rochester Bass Retreat and the Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York; the SC Double Bass Conference at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina; the USU Guitar and Bass Festival at Utah State University in Logan, Utah; and the Bass Fest at the State University of New York in Fredonia, New York. Panascia's performance credits on acoustic and electric bass include some of the most highly regarded artists on the contemporary jazz scene and beyond, such as Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Seamus Blake, Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum, Greg Hutchinson, Lewis Nash, Matt Wilson, Victor Lewis, Nasheet Waits, Helen Sung, and Francesco Cafiso. In the pop and R&B fields, Panascia has performed with Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Holliday and Brian McKnight, among others. Whenever he has time off from his hectic worldwide touring schedule, Panascia can be heard performing in some of New York's most celebrated venues, as a leader of his own group, or as a sideman with several world-renowned musicians on the scene. As further indication of Panascia's freelancing abilities outside of the jazz world, he has recently started subbing regularly on Disney's "The Lion King", Broadway's third longest-running show in history and the highest grossing Broadway production of all time, and he has been one of the featured bassists on the groundbreaking Off-Broadway show "Sleep No More" between 2012 and 2017. Panascia is also a first call accompanist on the New York cabaret and singer-songwriter music scenes, and he maintains a strong presence on social media, with a dedicated channel of video bass performances on YouTube that has amassed over 1,200,000 views since its inception. Aside from being featured as a sideman on more than 50 recordings, Panascia's first album as a leader, "Bass Duo Live", was released in 2014, and it documents an unedited live concert with Dario Deidda, one of Italy's most celebrated jazz musicians, on a swinging and highly conversational acoustic/electric bass duo performance. The album is available on CD Baby, iTunes and Bandcamp, both in physical and digital form. Marco Panascia uses and endorses Markbass amplifiers, Mike Lull Custom Electric Basses, Alter Ego Basso, Thomastik-Infeld Double Bass Strings and IQS Electric Bass Strings. For more information, please visit: www.marcopanascia.com
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 23 Jun 2016 | 224: Peter Tambroni on Student-Centered Teaching and Life Planning | 01:19:11 | |
Today's podcast features an in-depth conversation with Peter Tambroni. This is a "round two" conversation that builds upon the topics that we covered in our previous talk on episode 204. Today we dig into fallacies surrounding public school teaching, instrument setup, life planning, instrument insurance, practicing ideas, teaching philosophies, and much more. This episode is a gold mine for anyone interested in taking their teaching game to the next level! Pete is the author of An Introduction to Bass Playing, which is now in its seventh edition, and is an active bass performer, teacher, and author. You can learn more about Pete on his website petertambroni.com. Interview Highlights Fallacies Surrounding Public School Teaching
Instrument Setup
Life Planning
Instrument Insurance
Practicing Ideas
General Teaching Philosophies
How Gigging Helps You to be a Better Teacher
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| 24 Mar 2009 | Music Episode: Ira Gold | 00:21:17 | |
This all-music episode features a performance from National Symphony double bassist and Peabody Conservatory faculty member Ira Gold. Ira performs the Vanhal Bass Concerto live with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra. This was performed on February 9, 2009. Enjoy! | |||
| 07 Feb 2019 | 563: Instrument Rentals with Gareth Montanarello | 00:09:42 | |
I had a great time chatting with Gareth Montanarello, who recently released a cool new service at orchestralrentals.com. Orchestral Rentals is a community that makes it easy for musicians to rent high-quality, professional-level instruments anywhere in the world. You can create an account for free and can look for an instrument or list your own instruments for rental. All payments are handled through their secure system. Gareth is an International Society of Bassists member who lives in Arizona, and it’s great to see this exciting new development toward making bass travel an easier process! Check out orchestralrentals.com here, and you can also follow along with Gareth on Instagram. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
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| 22 Dec 2007 | 54: Steve Reinfranck luthier chat | 01:08:44 | |
This week we bring you a conversation with Chicagoland double bass luthier, teacher, and performer Steve Reinfranck. Steve runs SMR Double Basses in Evanston, Illinois, writes regularly for Bass World (the publication of the International Society of Bassists), and operates a double bass teaching studio. We also listen to a track from the Redd Holt Unlimited Quartet featuring Steve on bass, plus listener feedback, news and notes, a very fun holiday track from Jonathan Coulton, and much more. Enjoy! About Steve: Steve has performed and taught on the Double Bass for over twenty-five years, principally in the Chicago Area, but in places as far away as New Zealand, Japan, Kenya, and Germany. He plays section bass with a variety of area symphonies, and plays jazz with Isaac "Redd" Holt, original drummer with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Steve is also involved in Klezmer, Bluegrass, and other folk styles. Steve has presented at Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic, Illinois Music Educators convention, the Kentucky Music Educators convention, and at many of the conventions of the International Society of Bassists. He was awarded a three-week study tour of Japan under the aegis of the Fulbright Memorial Fund, and was voted Outstanding Studio Teacher by the Illinois Chapter of ASTA, the American String Teachers Association. Steve runs the largest shop in the Chicago Area dedicated strictly to the needs of the Double Bassist. He maintains a private teaching studio of about 50 students, and edits the "Young Bassists' Page" for BASS WORLD, journal of the International Society of Bassists. Steve teaches most Summers at ISYM, Illinois Summer Youth Music, held at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. Steve enjoys playing hockey, ice skating, reading, cooking, and politics when he isn't making music.
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Show Notes: Release Date: 12/22/07 Length: 1:08:40 listen by phone: +1 (360) 227-5632 call our comment line (24 hour voice mail): +1 (206) 666-6509 Website: www.contrabassconversations.com E-mail: feedback@contrabassconversations.com Blog: www.doublebassblog.org Theme song by Eric Hochberg: www.erichochberg.com This show is brought to you by TalkBass.com, the largest community of bassists on the Internet. Join in the conversation at talkbass.com/cbc. Check out our jazz forums at JazzDoubleBass.com. Join our Facebook group and share videos, chat on discussion boards, leave ideas for the show, and interact with other bassists! To get Contrabass Conversations downloaded automatically to your computer (for free!), you can subscribe in iTunes: | |||
| 29 Feb 2016 | 191: David Murray on the Karr sound, bow technique, and the spirit of Koussevitzky | 01:07:59 | |
Today’s episode features double bassist David Murray. David is on faculty at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has been on the board of the International Society of Bassists for past two decades. The former winner of the ISB solo competition, David is known around the world as a soloist and clinician. He is also a member of the Bad Boyz of Bass, a quartet rounded out by Volkan Orhon, Anthony Stoops (a former Contrabass Conversations guest), and Paul Sharpe. We actually featured the Bad Boyz on episode 71 of the podcast back in 2008, which is well worth a listen if you haven’t checked it out before! We talk about David’s experiences having Gary Karr as his first bass teacher, where the “Karr sound” came from, focusing on bow technique, the spirit of Koussevitzky, his long relationship with the International Society of Bassists as a former competition winner and longtime board member, traveling with a bass, and several other topics. We also feature the title track from David’s solo album Vocalise, and we conclude the episode with a recording of David playing the first movement of the Franck Sonata from his Sonatas by Franck and Shostakovich album. Both the Vocalise album and the Sonatas album are available through the ISB Web Store. I’d also encourage you to check out David’s performance of the B.B. Wolf by Jon Deak. It’s a great piece and David knocks it out of the park! About David:David Murray has an international reputation as a solo bassist and teacher. He is currently Professor of Bass at Butler University in Indianapolis and Principal Bassist ofthe Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He also plays as Principal Bassist with Sinfonia da Camera in Urbana, Illinois, and at the Bear Valley Music Festival in northern California. Before coming to Indianapolis, David was Instructor of Bass at West Texas A&M University and principal with the Amarillo Symphony.He has been a member of the Dallas Chamber Orchestra and also toured twice with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. David’s first private teacher was bass virtuoso Gary Karr, with whom he studied in high-school and at the Hartt Music School, University of Hartford, in Connecticut. Summers were spent at Tanglewood and the Aspen Music Festival, where he worked with Stuart Sankey. At Aspen, he won the 1981concerto competition. In Los Angeles in 1988 he won the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Solo Competition, the first prize being a solo debut at Carnegie Hall. David has made solo appearances, both in recital and with orchestra, and given clinics and masterclasses throughout the United States, his native Canada, and in South Korea, Brazil, Israel, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal,Denmark, Germany, and Holland. He has performed at several summer chamber music festivals including Scotia Festival, Killington, and Cape May. In June, 2001,David hosted the ISB convention at Butler University for 800 bassists from 27countries and is currently a Past-President of the ISB. He has been published in the ISB journal, Double Bassist magazine, the Suzuki Association of America journal, and American String Teachers journal. He has recorded three solo CD’s(most recently in 2012), a duo CD with bassist Diana Gannett, is a founding member of the bass quartet Bad Boys of Bass with whom he released a CD in 2006,and he released a DVD of theater music in the spring of 2003. “…to hear David Murray play it, the string bass is a vastly and unjustly neglected instrument. Murray…became a prime spokesman for the instrument.” Denver Post “…Murray is a top-notch player.” IndianapolisStar | |||
| 17 Dec 2020 | 758: Trevor Jones on the cost of college | 00:45:04 | |
We’re talking today with Trevor Jones of The Scholarship Roadmap about the value of a college education and the critical importance of finding a school that fits a student's needs and a scholarship that makes it possible. Trevor is doing great work connecting students to colleges. Learn more about his work on his website, and follow The Scholarship Roadmap on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Register for his upcoming workshop on December 19th for student musicians and their parents covering non-audition topics.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
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Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 19 Jul 2018 | 505: Matthew Tucker on innovations in bass luthiery | 01:24:46 | |
Matthew Tucker of Bresque Basses has been innovating in a number of fascinating ways in the world of bass luthiery. A regular attendee of the Violin Society of America / Oberlin Bass Workshop, Matthew has designed an innovative system of flatback double bass bracing that he calls Responsive Flatback Bracing. We dig into this bracing system, his path into the luthier world, his approach to repair (think doctor/patient relationship), the luthier and client relationship, and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 21 Feb 2022 | 879: Lawrence Wolfe on composition | 00:36:06 | |
Longtime Boston Symphony bassist Lawrence Wolfe wrote a piece for San Francisco Symphony bassist Stephen Tramontozzi titled Melodies. We dig into the story behind this piece and much more in this engaging chat with Larry. Enjoy, and you can listen to Steve’s recording of Melodies plus pick up a copy of the sheet music in our digital store.
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 300+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
Dorico - Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 28 Aug 2016 | 243: Pablo Aslan on tango bass life | 00:43:27 | |
Pablo Aslan breaks bow hairs. A lot of bow hairs. In fact, he rivals the guys in the Met for most-frequent rehair at his NYC bow shop. He also makes killer bass lines. He’s truly the Ray Brown of bowed marcato bass lines. Learn how he does it in this interview! Resources we covered in this interview: AvantangoMedia (Pablo’s YouTube channel) Piazzolla in Brooklyn (album) Tango Grill (album) | |||
| 01 Nov 2016 | 268: Cornelia Watkins on private lesson teaching and Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance | 00:50:45 | |
I first learned about Cornelia (Corky) Watkins through my friend Jeremy Little. Jeremy and I used to teach together in Illinois. He is a proponent of a style of music teaching called Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP). Teaching music through this model is interesting. CMP teaches the complete musician. The intent is to provide music students with deeper understanding and more meaningful experiences with the music they play. I went to a workshop on CMP. It was cool. I learned a lot. Here's a YouTube video with my friend Jeremy that gives a brief CMP overview. But most of what we talked about revolved around teaching in a classroom. Could this be applied to a private lesson setting? How would that work? That's when Jeremy told me to get in touch with Corky.Corky is a pro at this. She served as the national chairperson of American String Teacher Association’s Committee on Studio Instruction, and also served for six years as the Private Teacher Representative on the board of TexASTA. So I emailed her. We set up a time to talk. I read her book Rosindust. It was great! Here's the thing that I was interested in...Most of the young people that I teach don't want a career in music. That's a good thing! I want people to have amazing experiences with music while they're young and continue to have it be a meaningful part of their life when they're older. The point isn't to create a bunch of performance majors. The point is to bring the gift of music into these young people's lives.Are we doing these young people a disservice by focusing only on technique and the music on the stand? How do we teach beyond that without turning the private lesson into a music appreciation class? That's what Corky and I dig into! Learn more about my coverage of music teaching at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. Links to check out:
Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! | |||
| 01 Aug 2016 | Winning the Audition 3: Preparation Routines That Work | 00:42:14 | |
Welcome to the third installment of Winning the Audition, a special series from Contrabass Conversations featuring advice from leaders in the field about preparing and executing auditions successfully. This series is drawn from interviews conducted with dozens of bassists from orchestras like the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Houston Symphony, plus some of the most influential pedagogues in the field. This episode is sponsored by Discover Double Bass, and they have a play-along scale package written by founder Geoff Chalmers that covers 17 different scale types in all 12 keys. The package includes slow and fast MP3 backing tracks and drones, plus PDFs with fingerings and advice for specific types of scales. Check this out and much more at discoverdoublebass.com! Today's episode follows along with the preparation routines used by several bassists holding high-profile positions, including Cleveland Orchestra principal bassist Max Dimoff, Houston Symphony principal bassist Robin Kesselman, and Chicago Symphony principal bassist Alex Hanna. Book discussed: | |||
| 27 Aug 2018 | 516: Jennifer Downing Olsson and her musical journey | 00:42:00 | |
I first met Jennifer Downing Olsson back in the early 2000s. She was playing in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at the time, and we also ended up playing in the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
It has been great watching her career unfold. Jennifer moved to Sweden several year ago to play in the Gothenburg Symphony, and she recently took a new position with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. She also returns to Chicago each summer to play in the Grant Park Symphony.
Jennifer and I got together in person after a Grant Park Symphony concerto to talk about her path through the music world, similarities and differences between Sweden and the United States, studying at Indiana University, and music more!
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 13 Sep 2017 | 394: New Album from Nick Villalobos and Simply Three | 00:10:46 | |
On September 22, Simply Three is releasing Undefined, their first album of all-original music. You can pre-order it here. Jason chats with bassist Nick Villalobos about this new release and what the band was going for with this album. Nick is a past podcast guest. Links to Check Out:
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| 27 Feb 2023 | 978: Are bridge adjusters a good idea on double bass? | 00:10:02 | |
This solo show explores the pros and cons of double bass bridge adjusters and is an accompaniment to a recent YouTube video. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.
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| 13 May 2019 | 589: John Goldsby on his Building Up course | 00:27:34 | |
John Goldsby has recently released a new course on Discover Double Bass called Building Up. This course contains four hours of video in 45 different lessons. Many of the tracks feature piano and drum accompaniment and also include tracks without the bass so you can practice along. The course is perfect for intermediate to advanced jazz bassists who want to solidify their technique and learn new approaches, and it’s put together from material that John has found to be quite effective with his students. John and I go behind the scenes of the new course, digging into the recording process, what it’s like putting a course like this together. We also dig into how John balances his various life projects, like his writing for the new online publication Bass Magazine. It was great to catch up with John, who is a past podcast guest. He’s a great guy and one heck of a bassist and teacher, and I know you’ll love this new course of his! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 16 Dec 2016 | 287: Bill Merchant luthier chat | 01:07:09 | |
Bill Merchant just had the mildest winter in his 40 year career. For decades, double bassists would come in to get their winter posts set during November. Now this is happening in January. "Global warming is real, people," says Bill. That was one of probably 50 topics that we covered in our conversation! Other topics we covered:
If you like going deep on the gear side of things, you will love this conversation with Bill! Links to Check Out:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. | |||
| 12 Jun 2017 | 356: James VanDemark on boxing, projection, and 40 years of teaching at Eastman | 00:55:02 | |
James VanDemark just celebrated his 40th year of teaching at the Eastman School of Music. His students have held positions with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minnesota, San Francisco, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the orchestras of Syracuse, Buffalo and Wichita. We dig into many topics, including:
There’s also a great feature on Backstage Pass from Classical 91.5 celebrating James and his 40 years at Eastman. Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 03 May 2021 | 797: Daniel Chiva Sanz on a newly discovered bass concerto | 00:52:19 | |
Daniel Chiva Sanz recently recorded his own orchestration of the Second Double Bass Concerto Op. 25 by Findeisen. We dig into how this work was lost in a fire, leaving only the nearly impossible to play piano reduction. We also cover how Danny discovered the work, the compositional style of Findeisen, challenges and pleasures of learning this work, and much more. Dani also plays through a great deal of this piece on this episode.
Enjoy, and be sure to follow Dani on Instagram and Facebook!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 26 Oct 2020 | 744: Networked Music Performance with Michael Dessen, Mark Dresser, and Jan Stoltenberg | 01:24:36 | |
When Gary Karr reached out to me asking about a piece of software named JackTrip, I was determined to learn more about it and share my findings with the bass community. I soon found myself on the Networked Music Performance Resources page of UV Irvine professor Michael Dessen, and soon thereafter I found myself on a call with Michael and his longtime collaborator Mark Dresser.
I also found myself going through the excellent JackTrip tutorial laid out on the YouTube Channel of Jan Stoltenberg, a graduate student at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. Jan is an enthusiast of spatial audio and has several cool projects that he is working on which are featured here and also on his YouTube Channel.
This episode first features Michael and Mark talking about their experiences with telematic performance, big picture concepts about latency (also explained by Christian McBride in this excellent NPR video), and how this kind of connectivity opens up a whole new world of possibilities. We then feature my conversation with Jan Stoltenberg about his experiences with JackTrip, spatial audio, and thoughts on the future of telematic performance.
Enjoy, and be sure to check out the JackTrip website for more information about this rapidly evolving open-source product!
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!
Thank you to our sponsors!
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 31 Oct 2017 | Halloween Special: The Curse of the Dittersdorf starring James VanDemark | 00:17:07 | |
Can a piece of music be cursed? After hearing this tale of repeatedly bizarre circumstances surrounding James VanDemark's repeated Dittersdorf Concerto performances, you'll be asking that same question! A big thank you to James for his idea for this episode, and be sure to check out James' past podcast appearance for more about his career as a double bass performer and teacher. | |||
| 14 Dec 2020 | 757: David White on music school vs real world experience | 01:28:54 | |
We’re joined today by past podcast guest David White, who has played for many Broadway and National Touring shows, including Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, The Bridges Of Madison County, Motown: The Musical, The Producers, HAIR!, Guys & Dolls and The Illusionists: Turn Of The Century.
We talk about a wide array of topics, including the pandemic’s effect on musical theatre and how various companies are handling this crisis. We also dig into the value that music school actually offers and whether this is the best path for many aspiring performers.
Enjoy, and be sure to check out David’s website and his YouTube Channel!
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.
Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.
Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!
Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.
Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 18 Apr 2016 | 204: Tips for Teachers with Peter Tambroni | 01:46:05 | |
Today's podcast featuring a conversation with Peter Tambroni, who was an early guest on the podcast back in 2007 on episode 32. Pete is the author of An Introduction to Bass Playing, which is now in its seventh edition, and is an active bass performer, teacher, and author. You can learn more about Pete on his website petertambroni.com. About Peter:Peter Tambroni received his Master of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign and his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music. He has taught elementary, middle school, and high school strings and is a former faculty member of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Peter has been an orchestra director in Mannheim School District 83 since 2001. From 1998 – 2005 he taught and coached at the Crane School of Music’s summer youth program. In 2006 he was the Mannheim Middle School’s PTA Teacher of the year. Peter is an active double bassist performing throughout the Chicago area. He has performed with professional orchestras in New York and Illinois and in 2000 appeared on national television with the Bozo Super Sunday Show. As a writer, he has been published several times in the international journal American String Teacher and on EnergyAddict.com, the website of best-selling author, Jon Gordon. His book, An Introduction to Double Bass Playing, is available at www.lulu.com/tambroni. He also created and maintains the blogs MostlyBass.com and EvolvingEducator.com Peter can reached via email at tambroni AT gmail DOT com | |||
| 11 Jul 2024 | 1049: Renata Soares Caceres on Bass Bites | 00:32:23 | |
In this episode, we're excited to bring you a conversation with Dr. Renata Soares Cáceres. Originally from Brazil, Renata began her journey in music as an electric bassist at age 11. She has since studied and performed in the US, obtaining a Master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, an Artist Diploma Certificate from Texas Christian University, and a DMA degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With a passion for teaching, Renata currently teaches at Illinois Wesleyan University and has extensive experience teaching double bass in the American school system and is certified in Paul Rolland’s String Pedagogy. We discuss Renata's unique project, "Bass Bites - Bite-sized Double Bass Instruction", which was born out of a PechaKucha-style session at the Illinois Music Educators Conference and ASTA National Conference in 2021. The aim of Bass Bites is to create two-minute videos on double bass pedagogy for string teachers, providing them with enough information to understand the basic concepts of double bass playing without taking too much of their time. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Connect with us:
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upton Bass Rosin, developed by Gary Upton, boasts an excellent feel, response, and tone for double bass bows. Gary believes it's the best bass rosin available. It's appreciated by users like Blake Hinson from the New York Philharmonic for its quality and performance. Learn more about Upton’s rosin, basses, and more at uptonbass.com. Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah’s website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here.
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| 22 Sep 2016 | 252: Nina DeCesare on injuries, auditioning, and George Vance | 00:38:57 | |
Nina DeCesare's creative musical quest is inspiring. First, she won the 14 and under International Society of Bassists solo competition. Then she won it again for the 15-18 division. She studied at Rice University, Tanglewood, and Domaine Forget. Also, she won a scholarship to study with François Rabbath in Paris. Nina ended her time at Rice by winning a position with the Oregon Symphony. She has done more in her brief career than many do in their entire life. But it hasn't always been easy for her.In fact, she went through a serious playing injury during her time at Rice University. Her bass playing ground to a halt for months. But through careful analysis, she changed her approach to the bass. She problem-solved her way out of the injury and changed her approach to the bass in the process. We talk about what it was like studying with George Vance and Paul Ellison, playing in Portland bars, thoughts on training as a soloist versus as an orchestra player, and much more! Links to check out: How an Injury Saved my Playing (blog post by Nina) Too many young double bassists prioritise solo technique over orchestral expertise (by Chi-Chi Nwanoku - from The Strad) | |||
| 15 Jan 2018 | 448: best of - Adam Ben Ezra | 00:26:11 | |
This "best of" episode features a conversation with the fantastic Adam Ben Ezra! About Adam Ben Ezra: Double-Bass phenomenon, multi-instrumentalist and online sensation Adam Ben Ezra; a man seemingly on a mission to bring his instrument from its status as a background note to the dominant front-presence it deserves. For the past few years Adam has been pushing his craft in new, exciting directions and carving out a unique spot for himself in today’s international musical landscape, with both his virtuosity and musicianship earning him great success along the way. With more than ten million hits on YouTube and a strong following on all social media platforms, it is clear Adam is a bonafide star in the internet world. However, his success is certainly not limited to the web, having performed around the globe in major international music festivals and shared stages with some of the world’s fusion giants – including Pat Metheny, Victor Wooten and Richard Bona – over the last few years. His work has been shown at industry leading publications, such as BBC World Service, CBS News, Time Magazine and The British Telegraph to name but a few. Jazz FM has defined his appearance as ”a dazzling virtuosity and breath-taking athletic performance”. The term “multi-instrumentalist” is often overused but in this case it couldn’t be more fitting; Adam began playing the violin at age five and picked up the guitar at age nine. Over the years he has added the Piano, Clarinet, Oud, Side Flute and even BeatBox to his arsenal, largely teaching himself each time. However, it was an introduction to the Double-Bass at age 16 that truly changed his life, when he instantly fell in love with the instrument’s rich sound. Drawing inspiration from heroes as diverse as Bach, Sting, Bobby McFerrin and Chick Corea, Adam made a clear decision to make his compositions current – no matter the tool used. He has consciously added new colors to his palette, incorporating elements of Jazz, Latin and Mediterranean music into his playing. Whether he is playing original material or his wonderfully crafted cover arrangements, ABE is a creative force of nature who can transform a room full of strangers into lifelong fans in a moment. Regardless if he’s performing solo, duo or as part of his Trio with guitar and percussion, no two shows are alike as he expertly moves from one instrument to the next, sometimes within the same song, without ever missing a beat. Using a smart combination of effects and pedals, Adam regularly loops his notes in order to deliver an authentic wall of sound, worthy of a small orchestra. With a rise in requests for international appearances and a need to push his instrument further, Adam commissioned a special one-of-a-kind 5 strings bass with an unusual removable neck setup. Both his Trio album (Can’t Stop Running, 2015) and latest Solo album (Pin Drop, 2017) showcase not just a virtuoso performer but also a sensitive composer with no musical boundaries, combining elements of jazz, rock and world music to create a sweeping, fascinating and versatile sound. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! | |||
| 12 Feb 2018 | 456: Left Hand Technique with Lauren Pierce | 00:47:13 | |
Lauren Pierce has been a guest on the podcast many times in the past. She’s a great friend and is constantly looking for new ways to help bass players learn ket concepts. Lauren has just come out with a Left Hand Technique course through Discover Double Bass. Talk about a big concept to tackle! Lauren has done a magnificent job laying out a logical sequence of major concepts for the left hand. We talk about being efficient in the left hand, curved fingers, starting at the heel block, avoiding tension, the “Death Grip,” and much more in this fun and energetic conversation! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets.. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team:
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| 15 Jul 2019 | 607: Sarah Hogan Kaiser on mid-career auditions | 00:41:56 | |
Sarah Hogan Kaiser has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony since 2004. Prior to that, she performed in the New World Symphony, and she received her Bachelor of Music from Indiana University and her Master of Music from Rice University. Sarah and I shared a stand in the Spoleto USA Orchestra many years ago, and it was great to reconnect and talk about her career, life in the St. Louis Symphony, and the challenges of take an audition in your own orchestra after many years of not auditioning. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Texas Hill Country Bass Collective Join them July 22 thru July 25 for our 6th annual Austin Bass Workshop at the amazing Westlake High School. Come join friends from the Texas Hill Country Bass Collective for four days of music, bass, and fun and work with 2019 featured guest artist (and past Contrabass Conversations guest) Dennis Whittaker! An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
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About SMR Double Basses: We are a Chicago-Area shop catering to the largest member of the String Family, the Double Bass. We sell basses from the least expensive [that meet our minimum quality requirements] to several select instruments that are valued at over $20,000.00. All of our instruments have new professional-level strings and almost all have an upgraded endpin – except in cases where a good one comes from the factory. Our "Special Niche" is to provide reasonably priced instruments and bows for professionals and the serious student, perhaps bound for conservatory studies in college. Over twenty instruments in the $4,000.00 - $12,000.00 range are presently available. Link of the week: Hundreds of free, Creative Commons holiday songs-lots of great stuff with a lot of humor thrown in: 