Contrabass Conversations

Trevor Jones is launching a new program called The Scholarship Roadmap that addresses the tricky business of choosing a college that fits your musical needs. We talk about the challenges, experiences, and tactics that Trevor has developed through his broad range of experiences teaching at the high school and collegiate levels. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It's rare for me to interview a fellow San Franciscan like Dan Turkos over the web instead of in person, but we're in strange times for sure right now. Despite the pandemic, Dan and his wife successfully raised over $12,000 on Kickstarter for her debut album. We talk about this, their life before moving to San Francisco and what attracted them to the city, their multi-genre duo Beneath a Tree - Baroque to Folk, having the neck of his bass snapped off during a trip to California, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Beneath a Tree on Instagram and Facebook! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Johnny Hamil has been building bass events for the past decade, and he has organized something really special for this summer: Bassists 4 Bassists. This online event will take place July 7-11, and will feature Francois Rabbath, Lynn Seaton, Jessica Valls, Hans Sturm, Billy Sheehan, and many other well-known bassists. You can register here, and check out this preview video to get a taste of what'll be happening at the event. Hope to see you there! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Helen Svoboda has just released a solo album titled Vegetable Bass featuring her compelling compositional voice and combination of bass and vocals. I had the chance to chat with her in 2019, and it was so much fun connecting with her about this new project and other topics. In addition to the album, we talk about our current respective living situations, her upcoming move back to Australia and how the pandemic temporarily derailed it, how she began using the bow, and much more. Check out Helen's new album here, and be sure to follow her on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Chris Fitzgerald has been putting out incredible jazz bass content on YouTube for years. He recently released a comprehensive review of the Noble Tube Preamp, and he is in the early stages of a new project that he is calling "Bass Jitsu." We talk about this new project, how his early piano teacher was the original inspiration for this approach tot he bass, what it's like putting these massive video projects together, the challenges of teaching online in these current times, and much more. I also bring up this excellent video from Chris and a bunch of well-known bassists from the Aebersold camps on varying right-hand approaches to jazz bass, and we talk about the importance of getting a "good pull" in the left arm for closing notes securely. Be sure to follow along with Chris on YouTube, and also check out his recent asynchronous collaboration with Gabe Evans! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Sara Neilson will be running an online beginner bass camp for students age 8-12 from July 6th through July 30th. She'll be doing hourly sessions from 10-11 am Central Time. Sara teaches bass at the Merit School of Music in Chicago, and she has been running a series of warm-up classes each weekday on Facebook. She also recently wrote an article titled 'Game Changer' for the International Society of Bassists' Bass World magazine. We talk about all this, how things have been going during the pandemic, staying relaxed on the bass, and much more. You can also check out her podcast appearance on a career advice panel from the 2019 Chicago Bass Festival. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Sara on Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg

Susanna Klein has been working on a really cool project the past few years: Practizma. This is a journal that takes you through 16 weeks of guided practice, with goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenges, and journal pages to track your practice. In addition to this very cool system, we talk about Susanna's background, what it has been like teaching online these past few months, the evolution of the journal, the concept of deliberate practice, my trusty practice app Modiacty, and much more. Be sure to check out the Practizma website for more info and to get a free sample, and be sure to follow along with Susanna on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Tom Walley has certainly been keeping busy during the quarantine, publishing a ton content on his Instagram and YouTube, including his arrangement of the Adagio from Mahler's 9th Symphony with his fellow London Philharmonic Orchestra section members. Tom and I talk about this recording and his other quarantine projects, canceled tours, moving out of London for the time being, long-distance relationships, traveling with a bass, and even shaving his head! Enjoy, and be sure to say hi to Tom on Instagram. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I've been following along with the musical adventures of Hans Roelofsen and Rudolph Senn for years. They have toured the world as a bass duo, with 15 trips to the United States alone. Throughout these trips, they have collected some fantastic stories. We dig into these stories, how they came to play as a duo, challenges of transcription, the implications of choosing a particular key for an arrangement, and much more. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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 theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Bill Rinehart has been teaching jazz piano online for the past 13 years, and he has been working with Jaime Slutzky recently to redevelop certain aspects of his online offerings. I've been obsessed with finding new ways to frame the private lesson experience for years, and the current pandemic has made music teachers across the globe rethink the one-on-one traditional private lesson experience. Bill, Jaime, and I talk about a wide range of topics, including online learning platforms like Thinkific, Jaime's incubator program, the unique challenges and rewards that teaching an artistic pursuit like music in an online setting, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to also check out Jaime's excellent podcast Expand Online! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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!

Abo Gumroyan truly is a musical chameleon. In addition to winning Grammys with the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Abo has played with the San Francisco Symphony, played on countless sessions, worked on Las Vegas shows, and much more. We dig into Abo's musical background, his time studying with Scott Pingel, Steve Tramontozzi, David Allen Moore, and many others, what it has been like adjusting to the pandemic, and much more. Be sure to follow along with Abo on Instagram, and also check out this cool video that he put together for us demonstrating the gear he uses in his home studio! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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!

In addition to being an outstanding bassist, Mary Javian has an inspiring goal in life: to use music to create positive social change in communities. We dig into her role as Chair of Career Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, what this institution offered in terms of career development when she was a student and how it has evolved over the years, what this work means to her, the importance of authentic community engagement, and much more. Mary and I have played together in the Iris Orchestra several times over the years, and it was such a pleasure to finally have her on the podcast! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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

The whole world is adjusting to new ways of interaction, and the world of music advocacy is no exception. Jessica Garand's Opportunity Music Project has been doing a particularly good job of adapting their El Sistema-style program to these current times, with their Sponsor a Student program and many other initiatives and offerings. In today's episode, we chat with Jessica and OMP bass instructor Carlos Barriento about the work that this program does, what it has been like teaching online, the challenges and meaningful moments that online teaching has been bringing them, and much more. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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!

Drew Gress' biography reads like a who's who of the jazz world, including collaboration with Tim Berne, Ravi Coltrane, Uri Caine, John Hollenbeck, and countless others. He has appeared on over 140 recordings, 4 of which have received Grammy nominations. In this conversation, which was prompted by Richard Ivy, a former student of Drew's, we discuss many topics, including: Drew's in-depth interview with Pablo Held and the many areas they explore similarities to jazz and birdwatching (a pastime of Drew's) spending time and working with Gary Peacock Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses 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

Marcos Machado shows no signs of slowing down even during the pandemic! He recently joined the Discover Double Bass teaching team and released a course in the fall of 2019 titled Integral Technique. photo credit: Discover Double Bass This course is based on the extensive research and experimentation Marcos has done in fingerings through his epic work Tao of Bass. We spoke with Marcos about volume one of this series a few years ago, and he's gearing up to release volume two later this year. This interview digs into Marcos' fingering journey, what's in store for volume two, and much more. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! This podcast is brought to you by the International Online Bass Summit and the sponsors who are proudly involved with this event: Kolstein Music Discover Double Bass Nick Lloyd Basses - check out how to clean your fingerboard and strings without dropping your post here! 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 Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Miles Perkin is exploring fascinating musical territory with the double bass. Originally from Canada and now living in Berlin, he recently released a solo bass album called Subtones that mixes voice, bass, and extended techniques in unexpected and compelling ways. In this conversation, recorded in March just before the pandemic fully shut down the globe, we talk about his background the Berlin experimental music scene, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Miles on Facebook and Instagram! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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!

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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

We're featuring Czech double bass player Jaromír Honzák on the podcast today. Jaromír recently released an album called Hard To Understand, and like everyone else right now, he's finding new ways to cope with our current pandemic. We talk about the jazz scene in Prague, the value of building a local scene, recording the latest album, and much more. 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

Andrew Goins has been hard at work since the pandemic hit. He recently launched the Texas Double Bass Academy, which is dedicated to the online education of the pre-college double bass student, and he has been putting together a compelling offering with many of Texas' most renowned bass teachers. This new organization will host the Texas Double Bass Academy Online Camp this June 1-4. This camp is made for students entering grades 9-12, and it is not limited to Texas residents. The clinician lineup is incredible: George Amorim Andrew Goins Nick Scales Dennis Whittaker Additional topic presenters include: Travis Baird Grace Lewis Mitch Moehring Jack Unzicker Learn more on the Texas Double Bass Academy website, and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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!

Ryan Roberts is a freelance bassist in Los Angeles and is the founder of The Bass Shed, which is focused on learning the language of music from legendary bassists and other instrumentalists. We chat about many topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting his work life, the impetus to start The Bass Shed and how he is incorporating it into his schedule, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Ryan on YouTube, his site, and his podcast. Also, check out my appearance on his podcast 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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!

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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

It was a real pleasure having Sydney bassist Elsen Price back on the podcast to talk about his recent projects. Elsen was been up to a lot just before the global pandemic hit, including: a world tour throughout Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the UK his solo album Descent of the Free (ABC Jazz/ Universal) Eishan Ensemble Ephemera Ensemble Masha's Legacy Paul Cutlan String Project Marais Project Sonya Holowell and Elsen Price We also play a couple of excerpts from Elsen's recent album Descent of the Free. 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

When I saw a couple of recent projects that Hugh Sung had been working on since the pandemic hit, I knew that I had to have him back on the podcast and talk through what he was doing. Hugh Sung is one of the most creative people I know when it comes to harnessing the power of technology to enhance our music teaching. As co-founder of the excellent AirTurn foot pedal, Hugh has inspired me for years. We dig into a number of topics, including Hugh's Online Virtual Chorus and Orchestra Project, the collaborative sheet music reading app Newzik, cool ways to get a more immersive lesson experience in Zoom, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Hugh on YouTube, Instagram, and his immensely useful blog. 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

It was an absolute pleasure having Morgan Daly on the podcast! In addition to a busy performing life, active teaching schedule, and working for the education program for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Morgan has created a really cool product called the ContraCover. We talk about all the features of this cool bass cover, moments when I really wished I'd had one of these, Morgan's many projects, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow her on Instagram also! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

We're featuring Dmitry Gorodetsky on today's podcast. Dmitry has been on the road constantly since moving to LA a little over 4 years ago, working with Charlie Puth and many other artists. Recently, his work has shifted more toward studio work, and he has been transforming himself into an artist working on dates for film, commercials, TV, and the like. He has been splitting his time between the electric and upright, working on projects with Kanye West, Dionne Warwick, recording for the Grammys, and many other artists. We get into the specifics of these projects, growing up in Boston, living in New York, the Coronavirus pandemic, and much more with Dmitry. Enjoy, and be sure to follow him on Instagram! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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!

Today we're featuring Christian Fabian, the longtime bassist for the Lionel Hampton Big Band. We spent some time in person together during the 2020 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Born in Sweden and raised in Germany, Christian attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. Through Brian Bromberg, one of his early mentors, Christian became the bassist for the Lionel Hampton Band. He currently serves as co-leader of the New Lionel Hampton Band featuring Jason Marsalis, and he also co-founded the Native Jazz Quartet. We talk about Christian's long association with the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, what it was like working with Lionel, the joys and challenges of leading the New Lionel Hampton Band, studying with Ron Carter and Mike Longo, and much more. 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

We're chatting with Eleanor Martindale about the third annual RCR Double Bass Camp, which will be coming up August 17-22 in the south of France. We talk about how the camp is organized, Lorraine Campet, Bernard Salles, Alberto Bocini, Giuseppe Ettorre, and all the other teachers that will be there, and much more. Enjoy, and you can learn more about the RCR Double Bass Camp on their website and Facebook page! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

Houston Grand Opera principal bassist and University of Houston bass faculty Dennis Whittaker recently launched a YouTube Channel called Incredibly Useful Exercises. Dennis has 45 of his favorite exercises that he is putting on YouTube and also into a series of 16 volumes plus an appendix. He rates each exercise on a scale of 1-5 for the following attributes: Control Mindfulness Expression Power Velocity Coordination Endurance We dig into his inspiration for the project, efficiency, and mindfulness while practicing, and much more. 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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

After 30 years at the University of Washington, Barry Lieberman is retiring. I've had Barry on the podcast several times in the past, and we had an engaging chat about the hefty list of bass players that he has brought to the university for his Barry Lieberman and Friends series. We also chatted about a wide variety of videos and artists, including: Barry's orchestral solo videos on his YouTube Channel An Afternoon with Gary Karr A Rigoletto arrangement by Joe Lescher Northwest Profiles: Roma Vayspapir Rodion Azarkhin plays Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso Rustem Gabdullin plays Bottesini "Alla Mendelssohn" This episode was recorded on March 10, 2020, and I congratulate Barry on his accomplishment! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity

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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity 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!

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: Sonata Nr.1 per contrabbasso e pianoforte: Sonata for double bass and piano (Music from the Sphinx) Vissi d'arte - from opera "Tosca" for solo double bass 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity

It was a pleasure chatting with Lizzie Burns about the fascinating career that she has carved out for herself in the music world. Lizzie spent six years studying in Boston while maintaining an active freelance career. She was a founding member of Phoenix and the Pianosofia Chamber Players; a fellow of Symphony Nova; and has been heard many times in Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and at the American Repertory Theater. Lizzie has appeared at Yellow Barn, both as a summer participant and as an artist-in-residence, and has served as principal bass of both the chamber and symphony orchestras at the National Orchestral Institute. We talk about her path toward music school, how Don Palma inspired her to head down the path that she's now on, advice for people looking to explore a career in chamber music, and much more. We chatted on February 25h for the podcast, and much has changed in the world in the intervening weeks, but I hope that you enjoy taking your mind off of these concerning times with this engaging and thoughtful conversation with Lizzie! 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: D'Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of Gary Karr and his influence: David Murray - Butler University Derek Jones - bassist for Cirque du Soleil's show KÀ Diana Gannett - University of Michigan professor emeritus Gary Karr - the man himself! Hector Tirado - Puerto Rican bassist Lawrence Hurst - Indiana University professor emeritus James Oesi - soloist and bass community organizer Jeff Bradetich - University of North Texas Jim Ham - luthier Larry Hutchinson - retired Detroit Symphony member Phoebe Russell - Queensland Symphony principal bass Ranaan Meyer - Time for Three Steve Reeves - retired Melbourne Symphony principal bass Check out Gary Karr's first and second appearances on this podcast, and 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what it's like working these days as a jazz bassist: Ben Allison - NYC Dan Chmielinski - NYC Herbert Smith - Brazil John Goldsby - Germany Katie Thiroux - Los Angeles Kenneth Knudson - Denmark Larry Gray - Chicago Rufus Reid - NYC Sean Conly - NYC 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: 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. 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!

We're all experiencing difficult times right now. Ranaan Meyer, my longtime friend and member of Time for Three, reached out to me this week, and we had an inspiring conversation about how we're handling the current situation. Ranaan has been on the podcast many times in the past, and I felt much better about what I can do to make the best of things after chatting with him. We also featured music from Time for Three's recent track Joy, which is fitting music for these current times.

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what it's like playing in major American orchestras: Chris Hanulik - LA Phil Jeff Weisner - National Symphony Micah Howard - Pittsburgh Symphony Orin O'Brien - New York Philharmonic Rex Surany - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Scott Dixon - Cleveland Orchestra Steve Tramontozzi - San Francisco Symphony Tom Zera - Utah Symphony 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of bass gear: Bill Merchant - luthier Christian McBride - jazz bass legend Daniel Kimbro - Jerry Douglas Band Derek Jones - bassist for Cirque du Soleil's show KÀ Donovan Stokes - Shenandoah University Eric Revis - New York jazz bassist Ethan Jodziewicz - newgrass bassist Gael McKeon - luthier Gahlord Dewald - modular synthesis specialist Joe Zon - Zon guitars Joel Quarrington - noted orchestral principal and soloist Joey Naeger - luthier Kevin Smith - bassist for Willie Nelson Ralph Alcala - luthier David Gage - luthier Luthier roundtable Tom Mendel - Chicago-based theater musician Volkan Orhon - University of Iowa 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of working with the jazz greats: Brian Bromberg - jazz bass legend Chuck Israels - jazz bass legend Frank Proto - bassist and composer Gary Peacock - jazz bass legend Gene Perla - jazz bassist and music business expert Jeff Denson - California Jazz Conservatory Jim Miller on Art Davis Kenny Davis - NYC jazz bassist Kurt Morrow on Milt Hinton Larry Grenadier - jazz bass legend Marco Panascia - NYC jazz bassist Pete Coco - New York area jazz bassist 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topics of improvisation and learning in jazz: Adam Booker - Appalachian State University Alexis Cuadrado - NYC jazz bassist Ben Robertson - Melbourne jazz bassist Bernard O'Neill - European jazz bassist and composer Charley Sabatino - New York jazz bassist and educator Chuck Israels - jazz bass legend Christian McBride - jazz bass legend Carlos Henriquez - jazz bass legend Larry Grenadier - jazz bass legend Marlene Rosenberg - Chicago jazz bassist Peter Seymour - Project Trio bassist Roberto Cassani - Scotland jazz bassist and composer Ron Carter - jazz bass legend Sélène Saint-Aime - French jazz bassist 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of developing your sound: Christine Hoock - German bassist and pedagogue Dan Styffe - Oslo Philharmonic David Allen Moore - LA Phil David Murray - Butler University Ethan Jodziewicz - newgrass artist James VanDemark - Eastman School of Music Mark Dresser - University of California San Diego Matthew McDonald - Berlin Philharmonic Pablo Aslan - tango bass specialist Thierry Barbe - Paris National Opera Volkan Orhon - University of Iowa 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: 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. 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!

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what makes a teacher great: George Amorim - University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Caroline Emery - renowned UK bass teacher Bob Phillips - clinician and educator Paul Ellison - Rice University Guy Tuneh - soloist and chamber musician Lawrence Hurst - professor emeritus at Indiana University Ira Gold - National Symphony and Peabody Conservatory Johnny Hamil - Kansas City-based teacher Jory Herman - LA Phil Francois Rabbath - teacher and soloist Peter Tambroni - Chicago-area educator Tracy Rowell - Oberlin Conservatory Lawrence Wolfe - Boston Symphony and New England Conservatory faculty Victor Wooten - electric bass legend Inez Wyrick - young bass teacher specialist and composer Diego Zecharies - Spain-based pedagogue and composer Danny Ziemann - jazz bassist and educator 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: 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. 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!

It was such a pleasure to spend time with composer and Melbourne Symphony bassist Stephen Newton during my trip to Australia in 2019. Stephen is an outstanding performer, and he has a compelling voice as a composer. A native of Sydney, Stephen joined the Melbourne Symphony in 2006, and he has performed internationally with the MSO and other ensembles. We talk about this recent solo bass suite, developing his voice as a composer, connecting wit the audience, and much more. 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. 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!

I first learned about Eleonore Oppenheim from Contrabass Conversations team member Krista Kopper, and I knew that she'd prove to be an interesting podcast guest. Eleonore describes herself as a "genre surfing musical polyglot," and she explores the bass and its role as a solo and chamber instrument in a variety of creative ways. Eleonore also recently wrapped up a long stint as the bassist for the Broadway revival of Oklahoma. We dig into her musical background, studying with Orin O'Brien and Don Palma, the challenges involving traditional music school environments, the audition trail and what it was like leaving that, creating her 2016 album Home and how she has evolved since then, her current project The Hands Free, and much more.

Stuart Riley has led a multifaceted and inspiring musical life as a bassist. Both in the United Kingdom, Stuart moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and worked as a freelancer in all sorts of ensembles. He took a permanent position with Orchestra Victoria in 2017 as Principal Double Bass. Also, Stuart has a wide array of interests, and he has provided a wealth of information regarding orchestral auditions and musical development on his website. We got together in person during my trip to Australia and dug into his background, a fascinating article that covered how he ended up with his bass, the highs and lows of freelancing, the unique setup of Orchestra Victoria, and much more. 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. 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!

Melbourne bassist Ben Hanlon lives a vibrant musical life as a classical and jazz musician. In addition to his job as a member of the Melbourne Symphony bass section, Ben enjoys a thriving career performing in Melbourne's many jazz venues. He often works with guitarist James Sherlock and has released an album featuring several of their duos. We got together in person during my trip to Australia and talked about growing up in Australia, heading to Los Angeles to study at the Colburn Conservatory of Music with David Allen Moore, Paul Ellison, Leigh Mesh and Peter Lloyd, Melbourne's remarkably thriving jazz scene, and much more. 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. 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!

In October 2018, Sebastiano Dessanay embarked on a humongous adventure: cycling between all 377 towns of his native Sardinia in 377 days. This project, which he called 377, involved him putting his bass ukulele on his back, chronicling his travels via photo, text, and music on his blog. We talk about how he worked up the courage to make this tremendous journey, the logistical planning involved before he went on this trip, high and low points in the journey, what he's planning to do with all of this detailed material, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to say hi to this inspiring member of the bass community on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! 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. 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!

I've been following along with Lila Horovitz and her multidimensional career for well over a decade, and it was a real pleasure to finally have her as a guest on the podcast. Lila's album Preludio del Primer Dia and her video Alone... All one was groundbreaking in highlighting the bass as a solo instrument, and the influence of her Argentinian upbringing is evident throughout her compositions. We talk about her new video series covering techniques used by tango bassists, what it was like playing for Cirque du Soleil's show Algeria last year, moving to Spain many years ago, musical life in Madrid, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! 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. 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!

Kees Boersma has had a remarkable musical career. In addition to serving as Principal Bass of the Sydney Symphony since 1990, Kees teaches at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is an active clinician and guest artist. I had the opportunity to catch up with Kees in person during my trip to Australia. He was one of the headliners for the Melbourne BassDay, and we met up in a charming Fitzroy coffeeshop to talk through what he played on his recital for this event, his varied career, favorite gig stories, what it's like behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House, and much more. 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. 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!

Cécile-Laure Kouassi has had quite a musical journey so far. Growing up in the French Alps, she moved to New York to study with Albert Laszlo at Juilliard. She went on to study with Tim Pitts at Rice University before taking her current position as Assistant Principal Bass of the Oslo Philharmonic. We talk about her upbringing, the decision to study in the United States, favorite memories of her studies with her former teachers, life in Norway, and much more. 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. 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!

Yuriy Galkin's latest album ...For Its Beauty Alone has been turning heads since its release last year, getting warm accolades in All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, and several other publications. On today's episode, we chat with Yuriy about growing up in Russia, moving to the United Kingdom, and his eventual relocation to the New York City area in 2017. We also talk about composing, work flows, how Yuriy approaches orchestration, and much more. Check out Yuriy on Instagram, and check out his album release show at Smalls in New York City on February 19 if you get the chance! 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. 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!