Contrabass Conversations

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass David Daly has released a true epic debut album with a great title: Titanic Double Bass. The title track of the album is an Irish air my Great Uncle Eugene played on the deck of he Titanic (thats right—David's Great Uncle played on the Titanic!) as it left Ireland. David also filmed an epic video at the crack of dawn on the cliffs overlooking where the Titanic had been. That alone makes for an incredibly cool story, but the whole album is great as well. It features a premiere recording of a new piece David commissioned from an Irish composer named John Kinsella as well as a revised edition of the Eccles, a 'Duetto' for cello and bass by Dragonetti, and a performance of Schubert's Arpeggione. David has created a lovely "behind the music" page on his site for each piece on the album, including the history of the piece, why he decided to record it, and video footage of the recording process. We talk about the making of the album and all sorts of great stories surrounding it. You'll love it! Links to check out: Buy the CD Buy on iTunes Erin's Lament video (so cool!) and the story behind the piece David's site Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Amy Baltzell is a sports psychologist that serves as Clinical Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Sport Psychology Specialization at Boston University. The author of Living in the Sweet Spot: Preparing for Performance in Sport and Life and The Power of Mindfulness: Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport, Amy has worked with many musicians over the years to alleviate performance anxiety. Amy and I dig into performance enhancement, positive psychology, mindfulness, self-care, and much more in this engaging and spirited conversation. A big shout out to Naomi Steckman for connecting me with Amy! Links to check out: webinar with Amy that we reference in the interview Living in the Sweet Spot: Preparing for Performance in Sport and Life (2011) The Power of Mindfulness: Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport (2018) Contrabass Conversations interview with Don Greene Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Herbert Smith has had a remarkable career spanning a variety of musical genres. Originally from Chicago, Herbert spent many years in Southern California prior to his move to São Paulo, Brazil eight years ago. We dig into similarities and differences between the musical scenes of Brazil and the United States, Brazilian musical traditions, language and how it affects the music of a specific culture, Herbert's interesting life path, business skills, and much more! About Herbert: Herbert D. Smith currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil. He has had a diverse international performance career for over 20 years, performing with tenor saxophone greats like Eddie Harris, Teddy Edwards, and Buddy Collette, pianists Art Hillery, Harold Land Jr., Ted Jackson, John Wood and George Cables, jazz vocalist Elaine Miles, guitarists Steve Cotter and John Chiodini, Mexican vocal stylist Sandra Valdivia, Capitol Records blues singer Betty Hall Jones, Basie trombonist Jimmie Cheatham, Dr. Ronald V. Myers, great jazz drummers Clayton Cameron of the Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis Jr. bands, the legendary Billy Higgins and Sherman Ferguson. As an orchestra section bassist, he has performed under Maestros Dr. Herbert Blomstedt and Dr. Jon Robertson in the Blomstedt Summer Orchestra, Riverside, California. Smith also performed with the New American Orchestra in Hollywood under Music Director and Conductor Dr. Luther Henderson, and was Principal Bassist of the Riverside Civic Light Opera Orchestra. Prior to coming to Brazil, Smith performed World Music for 3 years as house bassist at the Orange County California nightly "hotspot" " The Caspian " in Irvine, California. Smith was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He started his music education at the famed Chicago Music College (CMC) of Roosevelt University. CMC former students consisted of Robert Lamm of the rock group "Chicago" and Jazz Saxophonist Steve Coleman of the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra. Through the advice and recommendation of the late Chicago Symphony Bassist Warren Benfield, Smith traveled to Madison Wisconsin to study with Jazz Bassist Richard Davis at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, then on to Milwaukee with Laura Synder currently with the Milwaukee Symphony. Smith received a scholarship to study in the Jazz Program at Livingston College of Rutgers University in Livingston, New Jersey under the direction of Bassist Larry Ridley. As a young bassist in his 20's, Smith became the founder of the Los Angeles Bass Violin Choir, a group of prominent Los Angeles area bassists performing special arrangements by Smith and New York bassist Bill Lee. Bill Lee, father of director Spike Lee, and founder of the New York Bass Violin Choir, premiered many unique compositions and arrangements in his son's earlier films. Regular players consisted of Frederick Tinsley, the late Andy Simpkins, Herbie Lewis and George "Red" Callendar, John Heard, and classical double bass extraordinaire Bertram Turetsky. Additional players to perform with the bass choir were bassists Roberto Miranda, James Leary and Alan Jackson. Drummers Sherman Ferguson and Bill Douglass, and Pianist Cecil Lytle also performed with the choir. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. 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. 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. 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 Coope

One of my all-time favorite podcast guests is Leon Bosch, and it was great to get a chance to sit down with him in person at the 2018 European Bass Congress and dig into some deep topics. Leon is the former principal bass for Academy of St Martin in the Fields and has put out an astounding amount of albums and other projects since retiring from this group a few years ago. This interview covers a lot of ground and is filled with useful information like: Leon's "accelerated learning" approach to practicing daily routines his research process on repertoire conducting balancing projects how to accomplish projects of significance …and much more! We reference this recent MozartCircle feature on Leon, and it's a great way to get a glimpse into the work that he's doing. Be sure to follow along with him on his website, and check out his past podcast appearance here! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Anima Nova carbon fiber sound posts have been getting a lot of attention recently in the double bass world. I had the chance to sit down with Pal Molnar of Anima Nova at the 2018 European Bass Congress to dig into the details bout this new type of sound post and the advantages that it can offer. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Vassilis Papavassiliou has been on my "to interview" list for years, and it was a treat to sit down with him over a coffee at the 2018 European Bass Congress and discuss his current topic of research: vibrato. Vassilis has presented a session on vibrato at past bass conventions, and I learned a lot chatting with him about the topic. He also has an outstanding online resource on vibrato which s a must-read for any bass player, with great video examples and detailed description about the mechanics and aesthetics of vibrato. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 looking forward to having Hagai Bilitzky on the podcast for years, and it was great to be able to sit down with him in person at the 2018 European Bass Congress and dig into his explorations of Middle Eastern music on the bass. Hagai has a wealth of information regarding Middle Eastern music on his website, and this is must-read material for any bassist interested in exploring this world. Be sure to check out his articles, videos, blog, CD, and his soon-to-come book! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 met Jennifer Downing Olsson back in the early 2000s. She was playing in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at the time, and we also ended up playing in the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. It has been great watching her career unfold. Jennifer moved to Sweden several year ago to play in the Gothenburg Symphony, and she recently took a new position with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. She also returns to Chicago each summer to play in the Grant Park Symphony. Jennifer and I got together in person after a Grant Park Symphony concerto to talk about her path through the music world, similarities and differences between Sweden and the United States, studying at Indiana University, and music more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

After a recent podcast appearance from Lauren Pierce all about her Practiceology course, I was contacted by Elizabeth Li of Modacity. Modacity is a practicing app developed by Marc Gelfo, a horn player who used to be in the Hong Kong Philharmonic and who is a regular extra with the San Francisco Symphony. Modacity has become my constant practice companion. Honestly, I haven't been this excited about an app in years. I had the chance to sit down in person with Marc here in San Francisco, and we dig into all the cool features of this app, how it is built to encourage "deliberate practice" (more on that in the interview!), Marc's path from Northwestern University to eventually founding his own startup, and much more! I did a video walkthrough of how I'm using the app to better my practicing. Be sure to also check out Modacity on the App Store, and visit their website and blog for more great content about how to make your practicing better! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 enjoying watching the career of double bassist Grace Lewis unfold. A former student of John Schimek's at Oklahoma City University, Grace is currently completing her graduate studies with Dennis Whittaker at the University of Houston. We dig into Grace's path through the music world, what she finds gratifying about bass events like the KC Bass Workshop, how to develop a bass studio from scratch, teaching materials Grace is digging, and much more. Be sure to follow along with Grace's adventures on Instagram, and enjoy this fun conversation with one of the bass world's young stars! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 a conversation on music, psychotherapy, and double bass. Bill Harrison and Judith Hanna are both Chicago-area double bassists and practicing psychotherapists. We met up in Chicago to talk about their path from bass paying into the world of psychotherapy, how the two disciplines relate, and much more! We also answer a number of questions submitted by listeners, including David Murray, Johnny Hamil, Bernard O'neill, Alan Glick, Dennis Whittaker, Andrew Hassel, Gaelen McCormick, and Kurt Muroki. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 we're digging into a question that I've asked many of my past podcast guests: what advice would you give your younger self? This question is answered today by the following people (in order of appearance): Tom Zera - Utah Symphony Christian McBride - renowned jazz bassist Susan Wulff - San Diego Symphony Peter Seymour - Project Trio Carlos Henriquez - Wynton Marsalis quintet Matthew McDonald - Berlin Philharmonic Lois Robinson - Shreveport Symphony executive director Eric Hansen - Bringham Young University Mitch Moehring - Mitch Moehring Strings Arnold Schnitzer - Arnold E. Schnitzer Fine Cellos and Basses David Gage - David Gage String Instruments Bill Gould - Faith No More Donovan Stokes - Shenandoah University Jacqueline Pickett - Columbus State University Joe McFadden - Atlanta Symphony Geoff Neuman - Las Vegas-based performer and teacher Melody Chia - Melbourne-based bassist and shoemaker Steve Tramontozzi - San Francisco Symphony Marek Romanowski - Polish bass soloist and teacher Micah Howard - Pittsburgh Symphony Pascale Delache-Feldman - New England-based performer and teacher Corey Brown - no treble founder Craig Butterfield - University of South Carolina Cielito de Jesus - Long Beach-based performer and teacher Sandor Ostlund - Baylor University David Heyes - UK-based performer, composer, and teacher David Allen Moore - Los Angeles Philharmonic Carmen Rodriguez - Panamanian bassist and teacher Chris Hanulik - Los Angeles Philharmonic Caleb Quillen - Kansas City Symphony Adam Booker - Appalachian State University Ranaan Meyer - Time for Three A big shout-out to Krista Kopper for cataloging these past conversations—it's what makes an episode like this possible! Check out more "best of" episodes like this at contrabassconversations.com/highlights. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 a fan of Edwin Livingston's bass playing ever since hearing him play with Natalie Cole several years ago. Edwin is one of the most in-demand bassists working today, having worked Elvin Jones, Ellis, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis, The Headhunters, and dozens of other familiar names. Edwin and I cover a lot of territory, including: growing up in Dallas early influences in his musical development how singing and saxophone eventually led him to the bass his journey to Austin, New Orleans, and Los Angeles and what he learned along the way what it's like traveling the world playing bass daily routines …and much more! Edwin is a great guy and one heck of a bass player, and I know you'll get a lot out of this conversation. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Joel Reist has been a member of the Nashville Symphony for nearly 20 years, and has served as principal bass since 2003. A former student of Anthony Bianco and Paul Ellison, Joel spent time in the New World Symphony prior to joining the Nashville Symphony. He also teaches bass at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. We dig deep into a number of topics: what Tony Bianco was like as a teacher and the rich influences from which he drew how Joel was introduced to Paul Ellison and the impact that it had on his playing one of the biggest pitfalls that bassists fall into during auditions the "rubber chicken" story (Nashville Symphony crazy gig story!) what getting a new hall does for an orchestra how to play quality pizzicati in the orchestra …and much more! Joel is a great guy, and it was a blast sitting down with him to chat for the podcast! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Joe Zon of Zon Guitars plus Zon artists Michael Manring, Cody Wright, Bill Gould, and Jeff Denson. Dan Robbins joined the panel with his Ibanez 6-string and array of pedals and effects as well. Topics include: how Joe Zon got into the business, and how he and Michael Manring first met the stability that carbon fiber necks provide the signal chain from bass to amp how to prioritize gear upgrades differences in various types of pickups and how they affect tone Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Ethan Jodziewicz has carved out a remarkable career for himself in the world of acoustic music. He plays bass for Sierra Hull and was featured on her GRAMMY-nominated album Weighted Mind. A former student of Edgar Meyer, Hal Robinson, and Nicholas Walker, Ethan is forging his own path through the music world in a fascinating way. We dig into a ton of topics, like: living a balanced and fulfilling life the concept of how you practicing being more important than quantity of practice time what it was like growing up in Washington state what Ethan learned from watching Tommy Jarrell play fiddle what Edgar Meyer was like as a teacher how to stay sane, energetic, and productive on the road …and much more. Enjoy this spirited conversation with a truly fascinating artist! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Donovan Stokes is a one-of-a-kind artist. I've been captivated by his playing ever since hearing him over a decade ago, and it has been a real pleasure getting to teach alongside him at the Golden Gate Bass Camp. Donovan and I were able to carve out 30 minutes prior to a concert at the camp, and we dug into a bunch of gear-related questions that I'd been wanting to ask him, like: why Donovan plays on bows that weigh 240 grams how his bass is tuned and how he thinks about pitches on it the unique spin on the Marvin tailpiece that Donovan uses when he started to use the Labor-style endpin how he still plays traditional 4-string tuning for rockabilly gigs the influence of heavy metal in his compositions …and much more! We'll have to do a "round 3" soon with Donovan—I've got many more questions to ask! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Bass and Gender Talk Megan McDevitt shares her thoughts on why she has been motivated to dig into this topic and also details about the specific audience for this talk on this bonus episode. She writes: This talk is very similar to the one I have given at the ISB Convention, College Music Society Convention, and Atlantic Music Festival. In all of those settings, most of the audience was made up of professional musicians and college students. With an audience of people with world (and music world) experience, the discussion seemed to give clarity and understanding to their personal history. Many told me they found it helpful and illuminating. But, for the Golden Gate Bass Camp version of it, most of the people in the room were high school and even middle school girls. I had considered adapting it, but ultimately made the decision that they needed to hear the truth. For this group, what I seemed to do was bring an ominous dark cloud over their future hopes. It was actually heart-breaking. You can hear me start to discover this as I muddle through to the end of the talk. At the very end, a young lady asks me "how often" I experience discrimination or micro-aggressions and in the long pause I take before I answer I'm asking myself, "do I tell her the truth and wipe that look of hope from her face? Or do I sugar coat it, only for her to discover it on her own later?" I decided on truth. I'm not sure what the effects of my talk will be on these young women. At best, they will be informed and prepared to face a world that won't always take them seriously. Or, they may quit the bass because they don't feel equipped to handle the gender dynamics. The latter possibility has bothered me for weeks. But, ultimately, I do think it is better to be over-informed than under-informed. I think I would have had an easier time if I had understood as a teenager some of the things I understand now. Hopefully, this will be true for them. And even more hopefully, maybe the world will have changed enough that their stories will be different. Thanks for everything you are doing, Megan—you're an inspiration!

Megan McDevitt has been covering a topic that is of critical importance: The Bass and Gender. She presented a session on it at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and she had a session scheduled for the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp as well. Megan and I dig into femininity, masculinity, and the bass, and a whole variety of topics are covered through this conversational journey. Thank you so much to Megan for enthusiastically covering this topic—I really hope you enjoy this episode and find it valuable food for thought! Be sure to check out Megan's Bass and Gender slides here, and click here to listen to Megan's session on the topic from the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp. Bass and Gender Talk Be sure to check out Megan's Bass and Gender slides here, and click here to listen to Megan's session on the topic from the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp. Megan also shares her thoughts on why she has been motivated to dig into this topic and also details about the specific audience for this talk. She writes: This talk is very similar to the one I have given at the ISB Convention, College Music Society Convention, and Atlantic Music Festival. In all of those settings, most of the audience was made up of professional musicians and college students. With an audience of people with world (and music world) experience, the discussion seemed to give clarity and understanding to their personal history. Many told me they found it helpful and illuminating. But, for the Golden Gate Bass Camp version of it, most of the people in the room were high school and even middle school girls. I had considered adapting it, but ultimately made the decision that they needed to hear the truth. For this group, what I seemed to do was bring an ominous dark cloud over their future hopes. It was actually heart-breaking. You can hear me start to discover this as I muddle through to the end of the talk. At the very end, a young lady asks me "how often" I experience discrimination or micro-aggressions and in the long pause I take before I answer I'm asking myself, "do I tell her the truth and wipe that look of hope from her face? Or do I sugar coat it, only for her to discover it on her own later?" I decided on truth. I'm not sure what the effects of my talk will be on these young women. At best, they will be informed and prepared to face a world that won't always take them seriously. Or, they may quit the bass because they don't feel equipped to handle the gender dynamics. The latter possibility has bothered me for weeks. But, ultimately, I do think it is better to be over-informed than under-informed. I think I would have had an easier time if I had understood as a teenager some of the things I understand now. Hopefully, this will be true for them. And even more hopefully, maybe the world will have changed enough that their stories will be different. Thanks for everything you are doing, Megan—you're an inspiration! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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!

Matthew Tucker of Bresque Basses has been innovating in a number of fascinating ways in the world of bass luthiery. A regular attendee of the Violin Society of America / Oberlin Bass Workshop, Matthew has designed an innovative system of flatback double bass bracing that he calls Responsive Flatback Bracing. We dig into this bracing system, his path into the luthier world, his approach to repair (think doctor/patient relationship), the luthier and client relationship, and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 chatting with Katie Thiroux on today's episode. Katie's album Off Beat was named one of Downbeat's Best Albums of 2017, and she recently completed a three-month stint at Quincy Jones' Dubai Jazz club. We dig into all kinds of topics, like: growing up in Los Angeles Katie's favorite Jazz audiences around the world What she does with six hours of practicing Advice for those embarking on a music career ..and much more! This is an engaging conversation with one of Jazz's great young artists! Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Katie on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Micah Howard has been on my "to interview" list for years. As a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, Micah has had a huge influence on countless bass players (including my good friend Christian Dillingham!). I actually just found a note from 2008 that said "interview Micah Howard" - that's how long I've been hoping to do this! A few weeks ago, I wrote him an email asking to schedule an interview, only to find that he had emailed me that exact same day to ask if I'd be up for being a clinician at the next Pittsburgh Bass Symposium. We must have been on the same wavelength that day without realizing it! Micah and I dig into a ton of topics: Micah's journey through the music world What he learned through his four Pittsburgh Symphony auditions The experience of serving on the PSO core audition committee Mindset shifts between preliminary rounds and later rounds What non-bassists hear when they listen to bassists Negotiating committees, lockouts, and other things you don't think about when you're in music school Advice for Micah's younger self This is a great conversation with a person who gives so much to the bass community, and I know you'll love it! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

BASS2018 Lucca will take place July 31 - August 5, 2018. Today, we chat with Artistic Directors Gabriele Ragghianti and Alberto Bocini about what to expect at this event. I'll be there covering the event and having many conversations for the podcast. We all hope to see you there!

Lauren Pierce has just released a new course called Practiceology. As the name implies, this is a deep-dive into the hows and whys of practicing. We dig into all kinds of topics with Lauren, like: Lauren's recent article about why practice is frustrating her video digging into warm-up routines building a practice routine intentional practice general practicing techniques eight killer practice methods becoming your own teacher I hope you enjoy this discussion with Lauren on a very important topic! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

This special 500th episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Golden Gate Bass Camp in San Francisco on June 20, 2018. It features conversations and performances from the following people: Richard Duke, camp director Michael Manring and Cody Wright Alex Friedman, The Acoustic Bass Shop Joe Conyers, Philadelphia Orchestra and Project 440 Steve Swan, Steve Swan String Basses Bill Gould, Faith No More Donovan Stokes, Shenandoah University Jeff Denson, California Jazz Conservatory Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Marek Romanowski and I were housemates during the Bradetich Competition back in the fall of 2017. He and I spent some great nights with our hosts chatting about bass, music, Texas, Poland, and all sorts of other topics. Ever since the competition, I have become such a fan of his playing. Marek won the Sperger Competition in 2016 and was one of the finalists for the Bradetich Competition in 2017. We also put out an interview and performance excerpt video on YouTube as well as a podcast episode titled Four Bassists that will Change the World. We talk about nerves, how to set yourself up for success in a competition, how competitions relate to auditions, what Marek does the day of a big event, his position with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I first met Steve Tramontozzi back in 2000 at the Pacific Music Festival. Steve was our bass coach that summer, and it was such a pleasure to work with him on solo playing, orchestral repertoire, and bass ensembles. Steve is assistant principal bass for the San Francisco Symphony and also teaches bass at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Steve is also one heck of a solo player, and I've had several opportunities to see him play here in San Francisco. Steve just released his latest album Walkabout. This album features pieces for double bass and piano in a variety of styles. It's a super-cool project, and you have to check out the cover for an epic view of Steve with his bass! We dig into Walkabout, his journey from the East Coast to Brazil, how he found himself in San Francisco, and what it has been like being in the orchestra over the years. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today, we take a look at the state of young bass education. This episode is based on a recent blog post written after attending the Suzuki Association of the Americas' 2018 Conference. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today, we dig into some thoughts that past podcast guest Colin Corner shared about the recent Oregon Symphony Assistant Principal Bass audition. Check out Colin's most recent interview here, and check out his complete recital from the 2017 Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium here! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today's special episode is Mike Forfia's conversation with Victor Wooten. An edited version of this conversation appeared in the June 2018 edition of Bass World magazine from the International Society of Bassists. Enjoy, and be sure to join the ISB if you're not a member already!

Today's special episode is a round table discussion with over two dozen of the world's top double bass luthiers. This discussion took place at the 2018 Violin Society of America Double Bass Workshop at Oberlin College and features the following luthiers: Jay VandeKopple Greg Smith Brian Gencarelli Joey Naeger Thomas Helton Robbie McIntosh Vince Jesse Andrew Stolfa Arnold Schnitzer Elinore Morris Andrew Hassel Sony Negreros Ray Ramirez Jacob Bradford Randy Hunt Mitch Moehring Ralph Alcala Jack Hill Jeff Mueller Gabriel Golden David Gage Mark Leue Alejandro Zapata Dustin Woodward A big thanks to all of these folks for taking the time to chat, and thank you to Steve Rodby, Kristin Zoernig, Lloyd Goldstein, Grace Lewis, Sara Nelson, and all the others that contributed great questions for this discussion! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I first met Geoff Neuman when I was teaching high school orchestra back in Illinois, and ever since then I've admired how Geoff manages to operate at such a high level as a gigging bassist, music educator, and ensemble director. Geoff is up to so many things in the music world: He's the Instructor of Instrumental Music at The Alexander Dawson School in Las Vegas He brought the Green Valley High School Symphony to the Midwest Clinic, and they were also named the National GRAMMY Signature School in 2000-01 He has been a member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic bass section since the group's inception 20 years ago He and Brad Pfeil started the Las Vegas Bass Workshop together 20 years ago His Outside in Jazz Trio has played in countless Las Vegas venues He has played all kinds of shows on the Las Vegas Strip, including long-term subbing for Derek Jones on KA by Cirque du Soleil He's active as a bass teacher and educator, participating in events like the ISB's Young Bassists Program and the Golden Gate Bass Camp He's even pursuing his Doctorate in conducting! Geoff is a great friend, and great guy, and one heck of a bassist and teacher! We dig into a wide array of topics like score study, what he has learned on the podium and how it carries over into the bass section, how the Las Vegas music scene has changed over the years, advice for his younger self, and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Joseph McFadden has led a remarkable career in the music world. Joe's journey from Southern California to his current role as principal bass of the Atlanta Symphony is full of valuable life lessons. We dig into a ton of great topics like bing true to yourself as an artist, what taking a chance really means in an audition setting, dealing with frustration and discouragement, organizing your time to move forward with your career goals, and much more. Joe is a great guy and one heck of a bass player, and it was such a pleasure to have him on the podcast for this episode! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

When Mitch Moehring, one of our producers for the show, recommended that I get in touch with Lois Robinson for an interview, I had a weird sense of deja vu…. I knew that name from somewhere in my past. After reading a few emails, I realized that Lois and I go way back. In fact, she was the Executive Director of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago back the I was a member in the late 1990s. I even think that we played a gig or two in the Elgin Symphony as well! In addition to being a bass player, Lois has a remarkable talent: bringing orchestras back from the brink of disaster. Lois was hired as Executive Director of the Shreveport Symphony following a crippling two year strike by the orchestra. The financial situation of this orchestra was complicated by the loss of the orchestra's tax exempt status! After coping with the immediate crises, Lois and her team successfully restructured Fundraising and Marketing activities and increased annual revenue by approximately 50% overall from 2011 to 2015. They've achieved an operating surplus for the last two fiscal years, and negotiated the first three year CBA with the musicians since the 1990's. Learn about the remarkable transformation that Lois spearheaded fro the Shreveport Symphony, her experiences working at the Louisiana Philharmonic right after Hurricane Katrina, her background as a bassist and a lawyer, and much more in this great conversation! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, cataloging and archiving Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Thomas Zera has undertaken a fascinating project these past couple of years: play in the bass section of many of the United States' major orchestras and learn the differences between how these sections approach their craft. For this project, Tom performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Oregon Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, and many others. Tom and I dig into pizzicato placement, use of vibrato, how different halls influence the bass section, what bass sections sounds like out in the hall, and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I was driving from Santa Cruz to San Jose with Barry Green recently. We were talking about folks I should connect with for the podcast, and Eric Hansen was the first person Barry suggested. Eric teaches bass at Brigham Young University and is the former principal bassist of the Winnipeg Symphony. Eric and I met in person for the first time in December of 2017 at the Midwest Clinic. He's great guy with a fascinating musical background, and I had a blast chatting with him about all kinds of topics like: how he got into conducting ways in which conducting has informed his bass playing studying with Eugene Levinson, Audrey Bush, and Hal Robinson what motivates students This is a fun and spirited conversation, and I know you'll enjoy spending this time with Eric and learning about his unique path through the music world! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Like so many great artists, it's hard to pin down the artistry of Matthew Golombisky. His website states "Bassist, Composer, Educator, Ideator." That's an intriguing tagline for a fascinating and multidimensional artist. Matthew runs ears&eyes Records and is the founder and conductor of the Tomorrow Music Orchestra. AllAboutJazz writer Jakob Baekgaard called Matthew a modern "renaissance man" in this fascinating deep-dive into his career. Matthew has been active as an artist in New Orleans, Chicago (where he played in the Gunelpumpers with my former teacher Michael Hovnanian), Oakland, and Buenos Aires. We covered a lot of ground in this interview—enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

When Moulin Rogue bandleader and bassist Bernard Gallone reached out to me about doing an episode on the unique challenges of being a left-handed bassist, I was intrigued. I am also a left-handed bassist, though like many other left-handed people, I was taught to play in the traditional, "right-handed" way. Bernard plays the bass left-handed, with his right hand doing the fingering and his left hand plucking the strings. He keeps the string order the same, so his G string is on the same side as the standard bass set-up. We dig into issues that left-handed people (and bassists in particular) face, the impact that learning an instrument with the non-dominant hand might have early on, and much more surrounding that topic. We also dig into Bernard's career, the time he spent studying at Berklee in Boston, what it's like leading the band at Moulin Rogue, and how the aging process affects performers. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

James Ham is a legend in the double bass luthier world. After a multifaceted background that landed him in Victoria, British Columbia, James Ham created a series of revolutionary designs for the double bass. His first instrument was commissioned by Gary Karr after a deep analysis of the various positive and not-so-positive traits of the Karr-Koussevitzky bass, Jim created a marvelous instrument on which Gary Karr still plays. In fact, Gary will only perform somewhere these days if there's a Jim Ham bass waiting for him! Here's a photo of me with Gary and his lovely Jim Ham bass. We dig into Jim's adjustable and removable neck system, which eliminates the need for bridge adjusters. We also talk about Jim's founding of the Violin Society of America Double Bass Workshop at Oberlin. We even dig into our shared South Dakota roots! This is a great chat with a luthier that has had a big impact on the lives of many bass players. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Fellow International Society of Bassists board member Marcel Villaflor suggested that I get in touch with high school junior Haruki Gonai about winning the Yonkers Philharmonic Concerto Competition. Haruki is the first bassist ever to win this competition! Haruki will be performing the Koussevitzky Concerto on Sunday May 20th, 2018 at 3:00 PM at Saunders Trades and Technical High School. The ISB has also arranged for Haruki to perform the Koussevitzky Concerto on the Karr-Koussevitzky bass! Learn about Haruki's background, training, and hopes for the future in this interview—my first ever with a high school student! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

The Johann Matthias Sperger Competition is being held from 22 to 29 July 2018 in Ludwigslust / Germany. This competition is open to all double bass players with an age limit of 35. Applications are required to submit audio links. Deadline for applications: June 1st, 2018. Invitations and compulsory piece will be sent till June 15. The final round will be played with the Orchetra of Staatskappelle Schwerin. Prize winners of Sperger Competition will have the opportunity of playing solo concerts with several German partner orchestras of the J.M. Sperger Society. The International J.M. Sperger Competition offers an extraordinary and motivational experience to young double bassists. The challenge of competing artistically on an international level is combined with concerts and masterclasses by the top-level jury. The International J.M. Sperger Society, the city of Ludwigslust and the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania co-host the competition biennially. Jury: Jury chairwoman: Christiane Hutcap (Germany) Jeff Bradetich (USA) Gunars Upatnieks (Latvia/Germany) Hiroshi Ikematsu (Japan) Christine Hoock (Germany/Austria) Dorin Marc (Romania/Germany) Dan Styffe (Norway) Emil Tabakov (Bulgaria) Prizes: 1st prize: €8.500, - 2nd prize: €4.500, - 3rd prize: €2.500, - Plus, many special awards, instruments, bows, concert and recital engagements! New work for Solo Double Bass composed by renowned composer and conductor Emil Tabakov. To apply, please complete the online application form on our website. Please note that video links of you performing a slow and a fast movement of a work of the Classical period are required. For more information, visit our website at www.spergercompetition.com or email us at [email protected]. More links to check out: Sperger Competition website Sperger Competition on Instagram YouTube channel Marek Romanowski final round (winner of 2016 competition) Christine Hoock on Contrabass Conversations (2016)

Gael McKeon saved my bacon in 2017 on the way to a gig. I was headed out the door to rehearsal when I heard a worrisome wooden banging sound from my bass—never a good sign! Opening up the case, I discovered to my horror that my tailpiece had cracked apart. My soundpost was rolling around the bottom of my bass, and my bridge and strings were splayed all over the place. In a panic (I only have one bass!), I called Gael, and he had me in his shop and all set up with a new tailpiece in under an hour. I made it to the gig with plenty of time to spare, and my bass sounded better than ever! Gael is leaving the San Francisco Bay Area (which makes me sad!) for new adventures in France. We talk about how he got into the luthier trade, his time spent working at David Gage's Shop and the Bass Violin Shop, how he ended up as a luthier in the Bay Area, thoughts on set-up, and much more! I know you'll enjoy this conversation and be sure to follow Gael on Instagram to stay current with his new adventures! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Charley Sabatino is on a mission to re-vamp the way people teach music theory. There's a lot of wariness and confusion around music theory for many players, and it often comes down to the way it's taught. That's not all that Charley is up to these days, however. He's a man in constant motion: composing new music, teaching clinics on improvisation, and working with the next generation of players on the art, science, and business of music. We dig into all kinds of topics today, like Charley's first trip to the NAMM show (and the unexpected cosplay happening in the halls!), the "tune/tone/time" pyramid, the umps and downs of a living as a creative artist, and much more. Charlie's an awesome guy—be sure to follow along within on Instagram and Facebook for his great music theory whiteboard posts and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Ole Wilson is the CEO of Wilson Pickup Systems, which have been making the signature Wilson Pickup for double bass for over 34 years. Wilson provided the first commercially available piezo pickup systems for the double bass back in the 1980s, and it has been used by artists like George Mraz, Gary Peacock, and John Patitucci. We dig into the history of the pickup, how the company has branded out into other string instruments, how the pickup is installed, and more in this special gear-centric episode! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Yoshi Horiguchi is a Baltimore -based double bassist and educator as well as a faculty member of Maryland's thriving Bass Works program. In the fall of 2017, Yoshi got in touch with me about putting his analysis of George Vance's Progressive Repertoire Book 1 online. We got it up on the blog, and it has proven to be a popular resource for bassists worldwide. In this analysis, Yoshi interviewed Nicholas Walker, Tracy Rowell, Johnny Hamil, and Martha Vance about the pedagogy of George Vance. We dig into details about using this teaching resource and what Yoshi has learned through this research. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

As the son of Dominic Duval Sr. (Cecil Taylor's bassist for a decade), Dominic Duval Jr. grew up immersed in the world of avant-garde jazz. Dominic attended the Eastman School of Music, working with James VanDemark and Jeff Campbell. He has performed at venues like Carnegie Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, and many New York jazz clubs. The classmate of former podcast guests Danny Ziemann and Eric Steffens, Dominic and I dig into all kinds of topics, like: playing cruise ships (it can be a crazy gig!) daily routines the highs and lows of a music career when to say yes to a project …and much more! Be sure to follow Dominic on Instagram to keep up with his career, and it was a pleasure having him on the podcast. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It was a pleasure to connect with Cielito de Jesus and chat about the vibrant double bass educational scene she has built in Southern California! As the founder of the Rabbath Institute Los Angeles, Cielito has dedicated her career to teaching Vance-Rabbath pedagogy to middle and high school students throughout the Los Angeles area. She works with over 60 bassists each week. Cielito has worked with many of the world's great bass teachers, including past podcast guests François Rabbath, Patrick Neher, and Thierry Barbé. She's a great person and is doing wonderful things for the double bass community. Be sure to check out the Rabbath Institute Los Angeles for more information about this great event! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

What a pleasure to chat with Christian McBride for the podcast! Christian just won his sixth Grammy for the Christian McBride Big Band's new album Bringin' It, and he has a course available titled Fundamentals of Jazz Bass and Beyond. Christian and I dig into all kinds of topics (including many suggestions from podcast listeners!), like: the story behind his Benedict Puglisi bass what Christian looks for in a bass setup hearing Ray Brown play live for the first time Christian's heartwarming story about James Brown from The Moth staying in shape on the road working his bow chops …and much more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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, interview editors Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Former Guildhall Strings solo double bassist Chris West has built a tremendous resource for learning thumb position, and he's finally unleashed it upon the world. Titled Reaching the Heights - Thumb Position on the Double Bass, it's chock full of useful exercises and pieces that will have you navigating the upper reaches fo the fingerboard in no time. Chris and I dig into all kinds of cool concepts in this conversation, including the myelination process detailed in Daniel Coyle's book The Talent Code, the "secret spacing" that makes navigating thumb position much easier, and many other topics. Chris is a great guy, and this book is a great read. Be sure to pick up a copy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

When I heard that Danny Ziemann was filming courses for Discover Double Bass, I couldn't wait to sit down with Danny and Discover Double Bass founder Geoff Chalmers to learn more details about the project. Both Danny and Geoff are past podcast guests, and they happen to be two of my favorite people in the bass world. This new course is called The Bass Player's Guide to the Trio. It's set to launch on April 24th, and you will be able to pick it up at disoverdoublebass.com. Learn more about what's offered in this new course, what it's like filming a course like this, what both Geoff and Danny like about the online course learning environment, and more! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. 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. 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 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!