Contrabass Conversations

This is a look back an an interesting conversation from 2009 that podcast co-host John Grillo and I had about my book Road Warrior Without an Expense Account. Today we take a look back at: what has changed in the orchestra world what has changed for Jason personally and professionally since this original episode Check out the original episode here.

We chat with frequent podcast co-host John Grillo about a new project called Orchestra Confidential. This is a project that had been many years in the making, and if you'd like to be involved, contact John at [email protected]. Links to Check Out: The State of the Orchestra (podcast from 2009) The Orchestral Dream is Dead with Matt Waters past episodes featuring John John Grillo Recital Showcase (from 2007--the first music put out on the podcast) email John

It was a treat to sit down and chat with world music bassist Elsen Price for the podcast! Elsen is based in Sydney, Australia and is incredibly active as a solo and collaborative artist. More About Elsen: (excerpt from Elsen Price: Totally addicted to Bass by Samuel Cottell) Double bass player Elsen Price is making his mark on the music scene in a range of settings. He recently performed his original composition 'red planet' as part of Sydney's Vivid Music at the Seymour Centre, where he also commissioned a new work for double bass and mandolin. Elsen also regularly performs his original music in cafés for five hours at a time (lucky there is coffee on hand), and is undertaking many collaborations with renowned musicians. His musical style is as diverse as the musical settings he performs in and, listening to his compositions and recordings, you can certainly hear a clear cut and confident musical voice. Elsen has a way of engaging audiences with his music, but it all boils down to the level of conviction you give in the performing of the music. Based in Sydney, Elsen grew up in the country six hours of out of the city and first heard the violin at an annual country music festival. "I've been fascinated by the fiddle playing from the first time I heard it," Elsen says. "It didn't all start out easy for Elsen, who suffered from a physical condition called 'syndactyly', which often leaves a person with limited use of their hands and fingers. "My mum figured playing an instrument would help my hands develop and seeing as I was already obsessed with the violin, she let me learn it," says Elsen. (read more) Links to Check Out: Elsen on Facebook Chicken Chili Basil - Elsen's latest album Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It has been such a pleasure getting to know Charles Chandler since moving to San Francisco! In addition to playing in the San Francisco Symphony, Charles teaches at the San Francisco Academy Orchestra and is an active soloist and chamber musician. He is actively involved with the Golden Gate Bass Camp and other Bay Area double bass events and is a champion of new and previously undiscovered works for the double bass. More About Charles: Bassist Charles Chandler has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony since 1992. Prior to his current position, he was Associate Principal Bass and Soloist with the Phoenix Symphony. He also served as Principal Bass of the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra and the New York 20th Century Chamber Players. His primary teachers were Shinji Eshima of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and David Walter at the Juilliard School. His numerous honors and awards include the San Francisco Symphony Pepsi Cola Young Musician Award, the Pittenger Scholarship, the Irving Klein Scholarship, and first prize in the A.S.T.A. National String Competition. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard in 1987, Charles Chandler was selected to perform as a member of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. Playing with Marin Symphony, he has enjoyed performing with his wife Van, a violinist. He also performs at the Music@Menlo Festival and Chamber Music Sundaes series and frequently records at Skywalker Ranch. Mr. Chandler resides in San Francisco with his wife and their daughter Julie. When not playing on his 1750 double bass made by the Venetian luthier, Domenico Busan, he enjoys organic gardening, bicycling, hiking and spending time with his family. Music Featured on this Episode: Rossini Duetto - 1st Movement (Charles Chandler and Amos Yang, recital live in Davies Hall, 2014) Francesco Burlone Sonata No. 8 for Two Basses "The Ferrret" - Mov. 1 Allegro Appassionato - with Charles Chandler & Mark Wright, double bass Francesco Burlone - Prelude to Act III from the opera "Phoebus and Daphne" arranged by the composer for cello and 2 double basses (Amos Yang, Mark Wright, and Charles Chandler, recital live in Davies Hall) Francesco Burlone "Gambo d' amore" from the opera "La Vigna Incantevole" for Bass and Piano (Sujeevah Hapugalle, piano) Francesco Burlone "O! Mie Stelle" from the opera "Galileo" for bass and piano (Sujeevah Hapugalle, piano) Pierre-Louis Hus Desforges Sonata for Cello and bass (with Amos Yang live in Davies Hall) Links to Check Out: Charles' website Charles' San Francisco Symphony page Charles' San Francisco Academy Orchestra page Shinji Eshima Interview (Shinji taught Charles during high school) Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It is such a pleasure to bring you this conversation with Caitlyn Kamminga! Caitlyn has had a fascinating journey through the music world, and we dig deep into her journey across the globe from New Orleans, Hong Kong, and London to her current home of Trinidad and Tobago. More About Caitlyn: Caitlyn Kamminga graduated cum laude, with both a BM and MM from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied with premiere double bass pedagogue, Paul Ellison. She accepted her first job in 1992 in the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, where she held the position of Principal Double Bass until 1995. Subsequent positions include Associate Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO), Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and founding member of the Hong Kong Chamber Players. In 2001 she left Hong Kong to accept the position of Assistant Principal Double Bass in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. After six years in the BBC NOW, Kamminga moved to London, where she was largely employed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the London Mozart Players. Kamminga currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Academy for the Performing Arts. Recent creative projects include the 2014 world premiere of Jab Molassie, a Trinidadian adaptation of L'Histoire du Soldat, authored by Kamminga; and River of Freedom, an inter-disciplinary work about the African American slaves who fought with the British in exchange for freedom and land in Trinidad, which premiered in May 2015 with narration by Kamminga. This work was underwritten by matching grants from the United States Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago and the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation. Kamminga has been published in several musical journals, including the International Society of Double Bassists magazine, Bass World. She is a regular contributor to ALT/space, a project of the Teaching Artist Journal, a peer reviewed print and online quarterly that serves as a voice, forum and resource for all those teaching their art. Links to Check Out: Caitlyn's website University of Trinidad and Tobago Academy for the Performing Arts faculty Campus Concert Series with the UTT Ibis Ensemble Recent Projects: River of Freedom Rainforest: A Musical Postcard from Trinidad Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

In this special episode, we chat with Kurt Morrow about the time he spent with Milt Hinton. Milt's wife Mona asked Kurt if he would live in faculty housing with Milt. Kurt shares some of these life-changing experiences with us today. More about Milt Hinton Milt "The Judge" Hinton was regarded as the Dean of jazz bass players. He was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1910, and at the age of eleven moved to Chicago with his family. He began his musical education by taking private violin lessons, but while attending Chicago's Wendell Phillips High School and playing in a band sponsored by the Chicago Defender newspaper, he learned to play bass horn, tuba, cello, and eventually the bass violin. Like many aspiring Southside musicians of his generation, he was influenced by the legendary educator, Major N. Clark Smith. During the late 1920s and early 30s, Milt worked as a freelance musician in Chicago and performed with legendary jazz artists including Freddie Keppard, Zutty Singleton, Jabbo Smith, Erskine Tate, and Art Tatum. His first steady job was with a band led by Tiny Parham, followed by a stint with violinist Eddie South's Orchestra. Milt's earliest recording come from this era. In l936, Milt joined Cab Calloway and for fifteen years performed with Calloway and renowned sidemen such as Danny Barker, Chu Berry, Doc Cheatham, Cozy Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Quentin Jackson, Illinois Jacquet, Jonah Jones, Ike Quebec, and Ben Webster. During this period he was also featured on numerous recordings accompanying Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Ethel Waters, and Teddy Wilson - to name just a few. Most of these sessions have become jazz classics. After leaving Calloway in the early 50s, Milt began working as a studio freelancer in New York City. For two decades he played on thousands of jazz and popular records. He also played on hundreds of jingles and film soundtracks and numerous radio and television programs. In addition, he made concert and festival appearances around the world and toured extensively with Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, and Bing Crosby. Milt has played with virtually every jazz and popular artist from Ellington, Coltrane and the Marsalis Brothers to Streisand, Midler and McCartney. In the late 80s Chiaroscuro Records released Old Man Time , a double cd featuring Milt along with many life-long friends from the music world. Laughin' at Life, was released by Columbia Records in 1995 and Chiaroscuro recently released The Judge at His Best, a selection of his recordings on that label over three decades, and the Bassment Tapes, which features Milt performing with groups he assembled. Milt received honorary doctorates from William Paterson College, Skidmore College, Hamilton College, DePaul University, Trinity College, the Berklee College of Music, Fairfield University, and Baruch College of the City University of New York. He won the Eubie Award from the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Living Treasure Award from the Smithsonian Institution, and he was the first recipient of the Three Keys Award in Bern, Switzerland. In 1993, Milt was awarded the highly prestigious American Jazz Master Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, in 1996 he received a New York State Governor's Arts Award, in March 1998 he was awarded the Artist Achievement Award by the Governor of Mississippi, and in 2000 his name was installed on ASCAP's Wall of Fame. Milt began taking photographs of his friends in the l930s, and he has continued ever since. Over the years his collection has grown to more than 60,000 images. The work depicts an extensive range of jazz artists and popular performers in varied settings - on the road, in recording studios, at parties, and at home - over a period of six decades. In June 1981, he had his first one-person photographic exhibition in Philadelphia and since then he has had exhibits across the country and in Europe. In addition to being published in major periodicals, Milt's photographs have appeared in documentary films including The Long Night of Lady Day (Billie Holiday), The Brute and the Beautiful (Ben Webster), and Listen Up (Quincy Jones). A Great Day in Harlem a 1994 documentary about Esquire's photographic shoot of jazz legends in 1958, features numerous photographs by Milt as well as a home movie shot by his wife, Mona Hinton. In 1988, Bass Line: The Stories and Photographs of Milt Hinton, by Milt Hinton and David G. Berger was published by Temple University Press. It was selected Book of the Year by JazzTimes. In 1991, OverTime: The Jazz Photographs of Milt Hinton, was published by Pomegranate ArtBooks. In 1990, Milt's 80th year, WRTI-FM in Philadelphia produced a series of twenty eight short programs in which Milt chronicled his life. These were aired nationwide by more than one hundred fifty public radio stations and received a Gabriel Award as Best National Short Feature in 1990. In Ju

I had a wonderful time chatting with Patricia Weitzel for the podcast! Patricia is a dynamic and engaging performer and teacher, and we had a great conversation covering: competitions how a missed opportunity can lead to a better one Patricia's journey from Brazil to the United States being direct with students ...and much more! More About Patricia: Patricia Weitzel holds a bachelor degree from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, where she studied with Dr. Fausto Borem, a Master of Music Performance Degree from The University of Southern Mississippi, where her primary teacher was Dr. Marcos Machado, and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from The University of Iowa, where she studied with Professor Volkan Orhon. As a member of the Sphinx Virtuosi, YOA Orchestra of the Americas, Aldeburgh World Orchestra and Aldeburgh Strings, Dr. Weitzel has played in several venues including the Carnegie Hall, the Royal Concertgebouw and the Royal Albert Hall. Dr. Weitzel has received many awards throughout her career such as the first place in the Paulo Bosisio Strings Competition, Furnas Geracao Musical, William T. Gower Competition (first bassist to ever win this competition). She was also a semifinalist in the X Sphinx Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, the Universidade de Brasilia, the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Iowa orchestras as well as the Bahia Symphony. A dedicated pedagogue committed to building classical music audience, Patricia Weitzel was responsible for the University of Southern Mississippi orchestra's outreach program introducing classical music to schools, nursing homes and similar facilities while working on her degree in that institution. She was also a cello and double bass instructor at the Hattiesburg Public Schools. Dr. Weitzel is currently on faculty at Augustana College and St. Ambrose University. She frequently performs as lecturer and recitalist in the USA and Brazil besides being a member of the Des Moines and the Quad City Symphonies. She also teaches K-12 students through the Quad City Symphony Private Lesson Program and in her private studio. Weitzel performs on a 2015 Nick Lloyd double bass generously supported in part by the Sphinx Mpower Artist grant. Links to Check Out: Patricia's website Patricia's YouTube Channel Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Chromatic Endpin. A straight endpin only lets you balance the bass one way. The Chromatic Endpin opens up many possibilities.You can feel more of the bass's weight, make it feel light as a feather, or anywhere in between. When the bass is balanced, you stand comfortably on two feet with a neutral spine. The instrument feels lighter, is easier to hold, and you're more comfortable. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I've been captivated by the massive and multifaceted YouTube videos that jazz bassist and educator Chris Fitzgerald has been putting out these past few years. Today we dig into the hows and whys of Chris' considerable undertaking. More About Chris: Chris Fitzgerald has been a member of the Louisville jazz community as both a teacher and a performer since 1985. During that time, he has performed or toured with Jamey Aebersold, Lynne Arriale, Darius Brubeck, Sonny Fortune, Antonio Hart, Ari Hoenig, Java Men, Norah Jones, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Ben Monder, Harry Pickens, Jean-Michel Pilc, and many others. Chris earned a Master of Music degree in Theory and Composition from the University of Louisville in 1992. Since then, he has become dedicated to jazz education, teaching at various universities in the area and serving as a faculty member at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops since 1996. He is currently a music professor at the University of Louisville, where his teaching duties include jazz theory, traditional theory, improvisation, jazz bass, jazz piano, and jazz ensembles. He currently devotes much of his creative energy to performing in a number of local performing and recording groups, and to his role as bassist in the original music ensemble Liberation Prophecy. Links to Check Out: Chris's website Chris's album The Sparrow and The Bear Chris' YouTube Channel Right Hand Pizzicato Technique Perspectives Double Bass Posture Variations Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

We're featuring thoughts and playing from the four 2017 Bradetich Competition finalists on today's episode: Szymon Marciniak Dominik Wagner Marek Romanowski Mikyung Soung Check out all four of these players in their semi-final and final rounds on YouTube.

The Bassinova Quartet is a revolutionary new force in the double bass world. They have turned heads worldwide with their stunning performances of traditional string quartet literature, and they are commissioning new works and breaking new ground. Jason sits down with quartet members Daniel Nix, Aaron Olguin, Lauren Pierce, and Harry Dearman for a spirited conversation on the origins of the group and where it's going. Links to Check Out: Bassinova Quartet Website Requirements from their past audition Bassinova on Facebook Bassinova on Twitter Bassinova on Instagram Bassinova on YouTube Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I had a great time talking with Kate Jones for the podcast! Kate is a Suzuki bass specialist working in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford School District in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She is doing remarkable things for young bass students! Links to Check Out: Kate's website Jason attempting to play a 1/32 size bass More About Kate: Double bassist Kate Jones studied with Jeff Bradetich at the University of North Texas, where she completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in the summer of 2014. Before moving to Texas, Kate received her Master of Music degree at Cleveland Institute of Music under the direction of Max Dimoff and Jeff Bradetich. In Cleveland she was actively involved in several area orchestras, including the CIM Orchestra, Cleveland Opera Circle, Firelands Symphony and the Cleveland Womens' Orchestra. Kate received her Bachelor of Music at Illinois Wesleyan University in 2008. Here she was active in the IWU Civic Orchestra as well as Wind Ensemble, in addition to local orchestras such as the Muscatine Symphony and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony. Kate currently holds regular positions in Texas and has subbed for such orchestras as Fort Worth Symphony. In the fall of 2014 she joined the faculty of Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD as their bass specialist. Kate began playing chamber music at an early age with her family--first reading the Trout Quintet in High School. Her fascination with this genre continued to grow and blossomed during a summer abroad in 2007. It was then that she first played the Dvořák string Quintet as well as the Prokofiev Op. 39 Quintet. These performances prepared her for work in contemporary chamber ensembles such as the CIM Bass Quartet and the Cleveland contemporary ensemble Secundum Silentium. Kate has had the pleasure of participating in workshops and masterclasses with such artists as Edgar Meyer, Jeff Turner, and Michael Tilson Thomas. She attended Chautauqua Music Festival during the summers of 2011 and 2012. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Spending time with Jack Unzicker was a major highlight of my trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Jack is an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Arlington and is one of the most professionally active bassists in the region. We dig into all kinds of topics, like: what Jack's professional life looks like where the bass is headed what possibilities look like for music students private teaching modalities of practice Links to Check Out: Jack's Website Jack's UT-Arlington Faculty Page Jack and Jason chatting for Viva el Bajo Live in 2017 (YouTube) More About Jack: Jack Unzicker is the Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Texas at Arlington and is a sought-after performer and educator. He has extensive and varied experience in all performance areas, from early music to contemporary, solo, chamber, and orchestral, as well as jazz and electric bass. He maintains an active performing schedule, over 300 performances since his appointment at UT Arlington in 2012. Raised in Juneau, Alaska, he began his musical studies with piano, guitar, and percussion and began performing as a professional bassist and teaching private lessons at the age of fourteen. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas, where he studied solo and orchestral performance, orchestral conducting, jazz studies, and early music with Jeff Bradetich, Paul Sharpe, Bill Clay, Anshel Brusilow, Lynn Seaton, and Lenora McCroskey. Dr. Unzicker earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Western Washington University where he studied jazz studies, performance, and contemporary music with Chuck Israels, Anna Doak, and Roger Briggs. Dr. Unzicker continued his studies at the Henry Mancini Institute, working with Bertram Turetzky, Christian McBride, and John Clayton, the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program. In 2016, Dr. Unzicker was a featured soloist with the Dallas Chamber Symphony, performing Hindemith's Trauermusik. Upcoming projects include a recording for commercial release in 2017, of an ongoing duo project. This duo project is in collaboration with Dr. Martha Walvoord, UT Arlington violin professor, and contemporary composers to commission, perform, and record new works for violin and double bass. Composers include six-time Grammy-award winner Michael Daugherty, Roger Briggs, Andrea Clearfield, Tom Knific, George Chave, and Daniel M. Cavanagh. The duo will perform a recital at the International Society of Bassists 2017 Convention in Ithaca, NY on June 10, 2017. Dr. Unzicker's recent chamber music performances include the Adams Chamber Symphony, Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, 2, 3, & 6, Beethoven Septet, Bruch Octet, Ginastera Variaciones Concertantes, Prokofiev Quintet, Stravinsky L'Histoire du soldat, and Brahms Sextet in B-flat Major, Svendsen Octet, and Schubert Octet with members of the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, and professors from Rice University and the University of North Texas. Dr. Unzicker is also principal double bass of the Dallas Chamber Symphony and Santa Fe Pro Musica. As an orchestral musician, Dr. Unzicker has performed with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony, Waco Symphony, and as principal of the AIMS Festival Orchestra (Austria), Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Divertimento (Costa Rica), and Plano Symphony Orchestra. He has worked extensively with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, as well as Jaap Van Zweden, Otto Werner-Mueller, Larry Rachleff, Rossen Milanov, James Conlon, Anshel Brusilow, and Gunther Schuller. As a pedagogue, Dr. Unzicker serves on the board of the Bradetich Foundation, a double bass performance and education organization, and is the Bass Forum Editor for the journal American String Teacher. He has been featured in articles on playing and teaching the double bass in The Strad, Bass World, American String Teacher, and Strings Magazine and frequently performs, adjudicates, and presents at the International Society of Bassists, American String Teachers Association, and Texas Music Educators Association Conventions. In the summers, he performs and teaches as Artist Faculty and as the Assistant Director of the Annual Bradetich Double Bass Master Classes. Current and former students of Dr. Unzicker have been accepted to undergraduate, graduate, and summer programs at the Colburn School, Juilliard School, University of Southern California, Boston University, Indiana University, University of North Texas, Florida State University, University of Texas, North Carolina School of the Arts, New World Symphony, Curtis Institute of Music Summerfest, Aspen Music Festival and School, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Interlochen Arts Camp, Round Top Music Festival, Texas Chamber Music Institute, and the

I had a great time chatting with Dallas Symphony bassist and Southern Methodist University faculty member Brian Perry! Brian is also on the Board of Directors for the Bradetich Foundation and the International Society of Bassists, and he is the editor for the Bass World column "In The Zone." This episode is organized into three parts: Part 1 - the difference one teacher can make Part 2 - auditioning Part 3 - staying motivated More About Brian: Brian Perry is the newest member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra double bass section. Prior to his appointment in 2013, he was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for nine seasons. He has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, and often performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. An active collaborator, Perry is a frequent guest artist with pianist Buddy Bray for the Cliburn Foundation's Musical Awakenings educational concert series and has performed locally on the Spectrum Chamber Music, Fine Arts Chamber Players and Cliburn at the Modern series. Additionally, he has appeared as guest artist with the Vermeer String Quartet and pianist Natalie Zhu on the Bay Chamber Concerts series in Rockport, Maine. In recent seasons, he has served as the bassist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya's Caminos del Inka ensemble and as a member of the Funkytown All-Stars, an all double-bass quartet based in Fort Worth. Always keeping his eyes open for new repertoire for the double bass, Perry performed his transcription of William Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag for the composer himself in an all-Bolcom program at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth in 2010. Perry earned his music degrees from Boston University and the University of North Texas. His principal teachers include Larry Moore, Jeff Bradetich and Edwin Barker. Perry is currently adjunct lecturer of double bass at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also serves as a board member for the International Society of Bassists (I.S.B.) and the Bradetich Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting the double bass as a solo instrument. Committed to educating and mentoring young bassists, he has adjudicated and presented master classes for both the 2015 I.S.B. convention and the TCU Bass Fest and, since 2010, has been the double bass instructor at the highly acclaimed Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, Mass., one of the nation's premier summer orchestral training programs for high school students. Links to Check Out: Brian's SMU page SMU in the Double Bassists Guide to Colleges Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Chromatic Endpin. A straight endpin only lets you balance the bass one way. The Chromatic Endpin opens up many possibilities.You can feel more of the bass's weight, make it feel light as a feather, or anywhere in between. When the bass is balanced, you stand comfortably on two feet with a neutral spine. The instrument feels lighter, is easier to hold, and you're more comfortable. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Former podcast guest Donovan Stokes recommended that I contact Zach Rowden and dig into what his musical journey looks like. I did just that, and the result was a fascinating conversation about careers, traditional music school mindsets, and how wide the possibilities really when you decide to do your own thing. Zach is a former student of both Donovan Stokes and Robert Black, and we discuss the impact that both these teachers had on the Zach's musical evolution. Links to Check Out: Zach on Bandcamp Zach on Facebook Zach Rowden Uses His Double Bass As An Acoustic Playground (from the Hartford Courant) Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It was great to chat with Miles Brown about what it's like playing with Alarm Will Sound, learning massively complicated music for this group, and how to be versatile in today's music world! Miles ran the after hours sessions for ISB 2017, and he just took a new position at the University of Delaware after overseeing the jazz department at Oakland University in Michigan. More about Miles ​Bassist, composer, performer and teacher Miles Brown comes from a musical family, and began playing the bass at an early age. He attended the Eastman School of Music for his undergraduate degree, earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Jazz and Contemporary Media. In 2003, he received a Master of Music in String Bass Performance from Mannes College of Music, and he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Performance from Eastman in 2012. A versatile musician, Dr. Brown is the bassist for the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, and he has had his compositions performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Dr. Brown has performed with Regina Carter, Dave Ballou, John Mosca, Bill Goodwin, Bill Dobbins, Ben Monder, Joe Magnarelli, Walt Weiskopf, Gary Smulyan, Sam Rivers, Steve Wilson and Harold Danko. In 2008, Dr. Brown was the interim Herbert Gussman Director of Jazz Studies at Cornell University. Since 2009, he has served as the jazz program coordinator at Oakland University. In this position, Dr. Brown teaches jazz band, jazz theory, arranging and jazz combos. He also teaches privately as Oakland's applied string bass teacher. Dr. Brown is excited to join the faculty of the University of Delaware as instructor of double bass and jazz in the fall of 2017. Links to Check Out: Miles' website Miles' University of Delaware faculty page Alarm Will Sound Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Cleveland Orchestra principal bassist Max Dimoff and Time for Three bassist Ranaan Meyer are the new teaching team at the University of Michigan! Both Max and Ranaan have been featured on past podcast episodes as well as in my 2016 book Winning the Audition. Learn more about the program: University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance (Facebook) University of Michigan profile page on doublebassblog.org Email Max Email Ranaan Past Max and Ranaan Appearances on Contrabass Conversations: Max: Standing vs. Sitting Practicing Technique Winning the Audition original 2009 interview Ranaan Round Two Interview from 2017 original 2007 interview Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Where do you even start when you're talking with John Goldsby? I mean, this is the person who literally wrote the book on jazz bass playing with his groundbreaking work The Jazz Bass Book. I've been reading articles by John in Bass Player Magazine ever since I picked up the instrument, and it was such a pleasure to chat with him for the show! More About John Since 1994, John Goldsby has been a member of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (also known as the WDR Big Band or the Cologne Radio Big Band). From 1980 to 1994, Goldsby lived in New York City and was a fixture on the jazz scene there. He continues to contribute to the art form as a bassist, bandleader, composer, teacher, clinician and author. Mr. Goldsby has written two other instructional method books, Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist and Bass Notes. Bass Player magazine says, Bass Notes is an excellent resource for intermediate to advanced jazz bassist." The National Association of Jazz Educators says, Bowing Techniques should be a required publication for upright bassists!" Goldsby is a disciple and master of the Paul Chambers school of jazz bass playing, and spent many years perfecting his own style of arco (bowed) jazz playing. Through private study with Dave Holland and Michael Moore throughout the '80s, Goldsby codified and honed the techniques of arco jazz. Goldsby perceived a gap in jazz bass pedagogy in the area of arco technique, and published his first book Jazz Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist in 1990. Since 1990, John Goldsby has been a featured writer for Bass Player Magazine with his columns "The Tradition," "Mastering Jazz," and "Jazz Concepts." Goldsby has also written for Double Bassist Magazine, The Strad, and the International Society of Bassists Journal (ISB). In 2009, Goldsby was awarded the International Society of Bassists Special Recognition Award for Scholarship, a biennial award recognizing players and scholars who contribute their special talents, knowledge and support to furthering ISB ideals. Goldsby received jazz performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988, 1990, and 1993. The "John Goldsby Plays Oscar Pettiford" concert, which was funded by the 1990 grant received much critical acclaim from the New York Times, Jazz Times, and the Village Voice. This episode is organized into three parts: Part 1 - life in the WDR Big Band and the experience of moving from New York City to Cologne Part 2 - why John is inspired to write books and articles and what this has done for his bass playing Part 3 - the concept of being a follower, developer, or innovator and what John would do if he wasn't a musician Links to Check Out: John Goldsby's website Upright Bass Handbook, Truefire Video Bass Course John on Facebook John on Twitter Videos featuring John "Plant Bassed" with WDR Big Band (bass feature) "Two For The Blues" with Superbass — Christian McBride, Ray Brown, John Clayton "Ligeti Split" trio with Jacob Duncan, Jason Tiemann "Solar" duo with Peter Leitch (arco bass solo) excerpts from this episode are from the following Goldsby albums The Innkeeper's Gun Space for the Bass The Visit Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Mittenwald model is a sister to their popular Brescian model. The contrabasses from the Mittenwald school are characterized by a high-shouldered gamba pattern with outside linings on deep ribs, resulting in a fine orchestral double bass. Our version incorporates all the ergonomic improvements and geometries found in other Upton models, with great flexibility in sizing afforded by the stout German pattern. The gamba pattern, especially when combined with a flat back, allows us to build this instrument in the 5/8ths sizing of the Kloz copy, all the way up to a large 7/8ths pattern built to lift a string section or push a big band. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome Orin O'Brien to the show! I've been hoping to have Orin as a guest for years, and I want to give a big shout-out to Chris Mathers for connecting the two of us! We chat about numerous shared acquaintances, including Greg Sarchet, Miloslov Gajdos, David Grossman, Ira Gold, Ed Barker, Hal Robinson, Max Dimoff, Michael Hovnanian, Douglas Mapp, and Ron Wasserman. More About Orin New York Philharmonic bassist Orin O'Brien was born in Hollywood to parents in the film industry, George O'Brien and Marguerite Churchill, and received her early musical training in Los Angeles, where she studied with Milton Kestenbaum and Herman Reinshagen. She then studied in New York with Frederick Zimmermann and graduated from The Juilliard School, and is an alumna of the Music Academy of the West, now a partner in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy. She has been a member of the New York Philharmonic since 1966, where she has played with the world's leading conductors. She has participated in numerous chamber music festivals, including Marlboro, and in first performances of the Gunther Schuller Quartet for Four Double Basses. She co-chaired the double bass department of The Juilliard School for ten years, and currently serves on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College of Music. Her most recent chamber music performances were the quintets of Schubert and Dvorak with the Guarneri String Quartet. We dig into a wealth of topics, including: how Orin came to study with Fred Zimmerman how to play specific excerpts the switch from gut strings to steel strings and the premiere of the Gunther Schuller Quartet (these two events are interlocking) how Orin felt about being the first woman in the NY Phil (the answer will surprise you!) how to really be a good principal player what trips people up in auditions New York in the 50s Herman Reinshagen and the bass lineage of the 20th century the great premieres throughout her career how special Riccardo Muti is as a conductor, and what makes him special - one of the living greats what was special about the musicianship of Carlos Kleiber how a great conductor can use imagery to inspire the orchestra Links to Check Out: Double Bass Notebook - amazing book by Orin O'Brien Orin's New York Philharmonic page the Manhattan School of Music double bass program Orin O'Brien Tribute from ISB 2013 (arranged and conducted by Inez Wyrick and narrated by Kristin Korb) Felix Weingartner - On the performance of Beethoven's Symphonies (PDF) Women in Orchestras panel discussion with Orin - Brooklyn Museum the Miloslav Gajdos video Orin references Corresponding with Carlos: A Biography of Carlos Kleiber Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Mittenwald model is a sister to their popular Brescian model. The contrabasses from the Mittenwald school are characterized by a high-shouldered gamba pattern with outside linings on deep ribs, resulting in a fine orchestral double bass. Our version incorporates all the ergonomic improvements and geometries found in other Upton models, with great flexibility in sizing afforded by the stout German pattern. The gamba pattern, especially when combined with a flat back, allows us to build this instrument in the 5/8ths sizing of the Kloz copy, all the way up to a large 7/8ths pattern built to lift a string section or push a big band. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

What is it about the energy of Nashville? How has the technology surrounding us changed the way we musicians do what we do? How does a person go from being down to their last pot of coffee to touring the world with the biggest names in their scene? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Todd Parks. Todd is one of the most active bassists in the Nashville scene and has played with people like Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Garth Brooks, and many others. Todd has also served as the house bassist for prominent fixtures such as A Prairie Home Companion and Pelicula Films' Transatlantic Sessions 3 and 4. In 2006, while touring/recording with Jerry Douglas, he and fellow band members supported the Paul Simon Surprise tour. Todd has been touring and recording with mandolin luminary Sam Bush since 2010. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1- the creative energy of Nashville Part 2 - Todd's remarkable journey Part 3 - playing for massive crowds and the magic of the acoustic music scene Check out more interviews with folks in the newgrass and acoustic scene here. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

On September 22, Simply Three is releasing Undefined, their first album of all-original music. You can pre-order it here. Jason chats with bassist Nick Villalobos about this new release and what the band was going for with this album. Nick is a past podcast guest. Links to Check Out: Simply Three's website Simply Three on YouTube Maverick (their first original song) Simply Three on Instagram Fall Tour Trailer

Jennifer Rosenfeld is a leader in the world of music entrepreneurship and has been helping musicians "level up" their career since 2009. We go "inside baseball" on the whole podcasting thing. I'll bet that there are a few people listening to this podcast that actually listen to all of the shows we reference! Obviously, I'm a bass player, and I'm deep inside that world: teaching performing, going to concerts and events, and interviewing people. The truth, however, is that I've also entered this whole other world of podcasting, and I've developed all these fascinating relationships with people across various disciplines—from Scott Devine to Andrew Hitz. Links to Check out: iCadenza Coro by iCadenza Reclaiming My Identity As a Musician by Jennifer Rosenfeld Awakening your Business Brain by Jennifer Rosenfeld Break into the Scene by Seth Hanes

What does a jazz education in the 21st century look like? And what should it look like? Why would a working bassist decide to drop it all and go to school? How does focusing deeply on contemporary music outside of jazz change the way you approach the instrument? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Jeff Denson. Jeff is a professor at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, California. He's also an active performer and has worked for many years with saxophonist Lee Konitz. He's got a wealth of other projects, including a recent album with the San Francisco String Trio titled May I Introduce To You. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1 - the CJC and redefining jazz education Part 2 - the cauldron of influences in Jeff's life Part 3 - why school? Check out more jazz-related episodes here. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

When you're playing, do you think about what you want to say, or what the music wants of you? Do you remember the process you went through learning how to speak? What happens when you lose half your fingers the day of a big concert? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Gary Peacock. Gary Peacock has spent the past 60+ years collaborating with artists like Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and Tony Williams. He just released his latest trio album Tangents. This is the second trio release with Marc Copland and Joey Baron and draws on years of shared playing in diverse contexts. Thank you to all the listeners that wrote in with questions for Gary! Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1- Zen and Self Part 2 - The Moment Part 3 - Tangents Check out more jazz-related episodes here. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

What's it like working with four of the most famous bass teachers all at the same school? How does eye movement affects learning and performing? Why is mastering the bow so crucial for a bass player's development? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Susan Cahill. Susan is a Chicago native and a graduate of Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Bruce Bransby and Lawrence Hurst as well as Stuart Sankey and Murray Grodner. She has been a member of the Colorado Symphony since 1997 and teaches at the University of Denver. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1 - Sweet Home Chicago Part 2 - working with teaching titans: the approaches of Stuart Sankey, Murray Grodner, Lawrence Hurst, and Bruce Bransby Part 3 - best ways to build your chops Links to check out: Susan's website her Colorado Symphony page her University of Denver faculty page Vaughan Williams Piano Quintet in c - Festival Mozaic Sue playing Failing Cahill - Blue Light John Novacek / Susan Cahill Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

How is it that Larry Grenadier, Christian McBride, and Esperanza Spalding all play basses from the same luthier? What's the difference, really, between a round back and flat back bass? How the heck to you go from local luthier to international fame? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Benedict Puglisi. Benedict is a luthier from the Melbourne, Australia area with a reputation that is spreading across the globe. I was in the audience for Christian McBride's concert at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, which was played on one of Benedict's basses. This bass has a "sister" which is owned by Larry Grenadier. The only difference? One is a carved, round back and the other is a flat back. Well, this was an experiment by Benedict to try to solve the age-old debate on tonal and response differences between those two kinds of backs. We dig into that, his journey to where he is now, and much more. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1 - how Christian McBride and Larry Grenadier came to own Benedict's basses Part 2 - attempting to end the flat back / round back debate Part 3 - from local luthier to internationally known bass maker - Benedict's story Links to check out: Atelier Puglisi (Benedict's shop) Benedict's website Check out more luthier conversations and gear-related episodes at contrabassconversations.com/luthiers Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

How do you get a student excited to play the bass? What does it mean to go slow now so that you can go twice as fast later? Why is learning like a spiral? We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Caroline Emery. Caroline is a Professor at the Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School. She's the author of Bass is Best!, which I've had in my library for decades. And she just came out with a new book called Bow Works. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1 - Bass is Best and Bow Works Part 2 - go slow now to go twice as fast later Part 3 - how to hook students from the beginning Links to check out: Bass Is Best! by Caroline Emery Bow Works by Caroline Emery Bass Club Will Duerden and Ketan Curtis performing for 30th Anniversary Bass Club Concert International Society of Bassists: A Historical Look Mind Mapping Tutorial Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I'm so thankful that Eric at Upton Bass connected me with Lucia Turino! Lucia is the bassist for The Devil Makes Three and has the best crazy gig stories. She's been rained out, nearly blown over, had beer bottles hit her bass... and that's just for starters! I'm a big fan of crazy gig stories, and I was stoked to hear about what it's like traveling the world and playing country/punk/folk music while trying to avoid getting whacked in the mouth by a microphone or trampled by a mosh pit! Our chat goes like this: Part 1 - the pros and cons of big music festivals Part 2 - the origins of the band - life in Santa Cruz Part 3 - life on the road with a bass and crazy gig stories Enjoy! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Being able to sit down with outstanding artists and thinkers like Larry Grenadier is one of the true pleasures of doing this podcast. Larry is a longtime member of the Brad Mehldau Trio and Pat Metheny's group, and has recorded with Paul Motian, Charles Lloyd, Enrico Rava, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and many others. I had the chance to check out Larry's mesmerizing headlining concert at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and I'm so thankful that we were able to catch up for this podcast! Check out Larry on Facebook as well as his own trio Fly, and look for his solo bass album in the near future. Here's the flow for this episode: Part 1 - Bay Area Years Part 2 - Technique Part 3 - Gear and Advice Check out more jazz artists on the podcast at contrabassconversations.com/jazz. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Saxophonist and educator Nick Mainella is the host of the 10 Minute Jazz Lesson Podcast. Each podcast focuses on a particular aspect of jazz and includes a downloadable PDF. Recent episodes include: The Genius of Phil Woods Rhythmic Variation in Vocabulary Four Note Pentatonic Patterns Harmonic Minor It was great to chat with Nick about what he's doing in the podcast world--check it out! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Dennis Tobenski is a composer of acoustic new music whose work has been described by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times as "distinctive and engaging". He is also a vocalist and a strong advocate for new music and for the interests of living composers. Dennis also hosts two music business-centered podcasts aimed at helping composers and performers to learn more about the practical aspects of their careers: the Music Publishing Podcast, a weekly, hour-long conversation with other professionals in the field of concert music, and The Composer's Guide to Doing Business, where he answers questions and discusses current issues the new music community. Links to check out: Music Publishing Podcast Dennis' website The Freelancer's Survival Guide (book recommendation from Dennis) Jason's appearance on MPP episodes of MPP to check out: episode 1 - Alex Shapiro - thinking of your carer as a business episode 7 - Dale Trumbore - taking a methodical approach to your career, being strategic in your career episode 12 - Thomas Deneuville - social networking, email marketing - the why and the how episode 35 - Scott Tegge - diversified income streams Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Earlier this summer, I read an article from Matthew Waters that caught my attention. Titled The Orchestral Dream is Dead, it outlined Matt's experiences going through school at UCLA and trying to develop a career in Los Angeles. I posted this article on Facebook, and it got a lot of thoughtful comments from orchestral musicians, students, and others. I thought that it would be great to chat with Matt for the podcast and dig into these topics. Must-read posts from Matt: The Orchestral Dream is Dead Break the System Additional resources on this topic: Matt's "Off the Podium" podcast appearance David Cutler - The Savvy Musician Contrabass Conversations interview with David Making an Impact (Jason's course on career-building) The State of the Orchestra with John Grillo Road Warrior Without an Expense Account The Entrepreneurial Musician with Andrew Hitz Jason's appearance on TEM Andrew's appearance on Contrabass Conversations David Cutler on TEM Crushing Classical with Tracy Friedlander Jason's appearance on Crushing Classical Tracy's appearance on Contrabass Conversations Make it by Emilio Guarino Contrabass Conversations interview with Emilio Break Into the Scene by Seth Hanes Contrabass Conversations interview with Seth Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

This episode takes a look at the benefits and drawbacks to seated and standing approaches to playing the double bass. Part 1 - sitting Part 2 - standing Part 3 - transitioning from sitting to standing We feature highlights from past podcast guests: Dr. Randy Kertz - specialist in musician's health Max Dimoff - Cleveland Orchestra principal bass and University of Michigan faculty Alex Hanna - Chicago Symphony principal bass and DePaul University faculty Bruce Bransby - Indiana University faculty Greg Sarchet - Lyric Opera of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois faculty Michael Hovnanian - Chicago Symphony David Grossman - New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Paul Ellison - Rice University faculty Ju-Fang Liu - Indianapolis Symphony and Butler University faculty Dennis Whittaker - Houston Grand Opera and University of Houston faculty Szymon Marciniak - soloist and chamber musician David Allen Moore - Los Angeles Philharmonic and University of Southern California faculty Ira Gold - National Symphony and Peabody Conservatory faculty Check out more "best-of" episodes like this at contrabassconversations.com/highlights. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bohemian model is not about excess. With its simple lines, Gamba-style cornered and deep booming tone, its form is defined by purpose without ornament. Hand-built, with the same ergonomics and playability found in all of our models, the Bohemian double bass is being offered in four levels of build styles and price points, each carefully designed to meet unique requirements of its owner. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

This episode is a deep-dive into developing bow strokes on the double bass. Part 1 - bow stroke overview Part 2 - developing spiccato Part 3 - bow stroke deep-dive We feature highlights from past podcast guests on this topic: Matthew McDonald - Berlin Philharmonic Lloyd Goldstein - former member of the Florida Orchestra and a longtime Francois Rabbath student David Allen Moore - LA Phil and USC Ed Barker and Lawrence Wolfe of the Boston Symphony Michael Hovnanian - Chicago Symphony Ira Gold - National Symphony and Peabody Conservatory Lawrence Hurst - former Indiana University bass professor Recommended resources: Strokin' by Hal Robinson (order it from Robertson & Sons) Ira Gold's Orchestral Bowing Workshop Check out more "best-of" episodes like this at contrabassconversations.com/highlights. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bohemian model is not about excess. With its simple lines, Gamba-style cornered and deep booming tone, its form is defined by purpose without ornament. Hand-built, with the same ergonomics and playability found in all of our models, the Bohemian double bass is being offered in four levels of build styles and price points, each carefully designed to meet unique requirements of its owner 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Check out what people are saying about the Bass Violin Shop on Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I've followed along with the incredible career of Jonathan Glawe for many years. Jonathan has established himself as one of the rising stars in the music education world. He is the current Director of Orchestras for Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he is in demand across the country as a clinician. Glawe has played an important role in the their return to the GRAMMY Signature School list, in which the Pioneer Music Department was honored as one of the top 3 music programs in the nation in 2010 and 2015, and earned the honor of being the National GRAMMY Signature School in 2011. Glawe was recognized as MSBOA District 12 Orchestra Director of the Year in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He was a finalist for the Michigan Orchestra Director of the Year in 2012. Jonathan also attended and represented the US in a symposium of Music Education in Stockholm, Sweden with a quartet from the Pioneer ensemble. We dig into this and much more: Part 1 - Finding your place in the music education world transitioning to a new director in an established program spending time each day practicing violin, viola, and cello to hone chops the importance those early teachers - the beginning string teachers are the giants whose shoulders we stand on Jonathan's journey Strategies for landing a job Part 2 - Managing your time putting in the long hours required (70-80 hour weeks) strategies for managing your time getting parents and students involved in a helpful fashion Part 3 - The State of Music Education the Midwest Clinic Journey the global state of music education Links to check out: Pioneer Orchestra website Road to The Midwest Clinic-- A Blog From The Podium ASTA Michigan - Jonathan runs the blog for MASTA Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Brescian model is a custom 3/4 double bass handmade in their Mystic, Connecticut workshop. It is a modern instrument with roots in the 16th century inspired by our favorite historic double basses. While Upton Bass has referenced these classic instruments before, the Brescian directly mirrors those archetypal double basses in its design — large shoulders, violin corners, deep ribs, dramatic top arching and pronounced canted backs. These qualities combine to create a larger air mass with great resonance and rich harmonics, packaged with the the ergonomics, geometry and accessibility that modern players expect from Upton Bass. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Dennis Whittaker has had a fascinating journey through the music world. After his studies in music education at Baylor University and a masters degree with Jeff Bradetich at Northwestern University, Dennis found himself teaching middle and high school orchestra in Texas. After seven years of teaching in the Waco and Houston public schools, a series of events occurred that propelled him into the professional performing world: he landed the principal bass position for the Houston Grand Opera he was hired to teach bass at the University of Houston he began subbing regularly in the Houston Symphony We dig into the events surrounding this transition and much more! This episode is divided into three parts: Part 1 - life in an opera orchestra what the season looks like why Dennis likes Handel's Julius Caesar Overture for auditions how to audition for an opera orchestra Part 2 - staying in shape for the long haul standing for opera performances - why Dennis decided to go in this direction what's freeing about standing power playing and sitting how to get through a massive section like the end of Loenghrin Dennis' three types of technical workouts on the bass Part 3 - the paths of our lives Dennis' journey through the music education world and into performance playing the Karr-Koussevitzky bass key takeaways for teenagers looking to music as a career Links to check out: Dennis' University of Houston faculty page Dennis playing the Karr-Koussevitzky bass Dennis and David Young opera excerpt session at ISB 2013 Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Brescian model is a custom 3/4 double bass handmade in their Mystic, Connecticut workshop. It is a modern instrument with roots in the 16th century inspired by our favorite historic double basses. While Upton Bass has referenced these classic instruments before, the Brescian directly mirrors those archetypal double basses in its design — large shoulders, violin corners, deep ribs, dramatic top arching and pronounced canted backs. These qualities combine to create a larger air mass with great resonance and rich harmonics, packaged with the the ergonomics, geometry and accessibility that modern players expect from Upton Bass. A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I'm so pumped to bring you today's episode covering the tonal differences of various woods with Seth Kimmel! Seth is an awesome luthier located in Eugene, Oregon. I had the chance to play some of his basses at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention and was blown away. Seth uses a wide variety of woods for his basses, including: maple walnut myrtle spruce pine cedar redwood We dig into the tonal characteristics of these various woods today. Totally fascinating! I took notes on everything that Seth covered and put them all into a PDF. If you have our Contrabass Conversations app, the PDF is included with this episode in the bonus content. There's a link to download this at contrabassconversations.com/sethkimmel as well. Check out all luthier episodes at contrabassconversations.com/luthiers Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Barcelona-born Alexis Cuadrado is one of New York's most sought-after musicians. In addition to performing as a sideman with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N'Dour, Dianne Reeves, Omara Portuondo, Steve Wilson and Seamus Blake, Alexis maintains a thriving career as a composer and educator. I had the chance to see Alexis at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and it was great to catch up with him for this deep dive into his craft. This episode is divided into three parts: Part 1 - discovering François Rabbath starting to play upright in Barcelona and developing severe tendinitis trying to "start the house from the roof instead of the foundation" meeting Barry Green - the link to Francois the benefits of "starting from the beginning" with Rabbath Part 2 - the language of jazz improvisation composition approaches with students work habits Part 3 - 21st-century careers multiple income streams multiple skills sets how you present yourself to the world - what's your outlook? moving to New York Links to check out: alexiscuadrado.com Alexis on Sunnyside records Alexis on Spotify Albums: Noneto Ibérico Poetica A Lorca Soundscape Nomadic Nature Puzzles Visual All About Jazz article on Alexis Recording session for Noneto Ibérico Alexis Cuadrado's 'A Lorca Soundscape': Live At 92Y Tribeca Alexis on The Third Story Check out all jazz-related episodes at contrabassconversations.com/jazz Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

What's the deal with strings anyway? We all play them, yet we often don't give much though to them. What, exactly, goes into a string? What's inside those metal windings? Our chat today with D'Addario Orchestral Product Manager Lyris Hung answers these questions and much more! Our episode is divided into three parts: Part 1 - the mystery of strings eliminating confusion Part 2 - how strings are put together core damping winding Part 3 - caring for your strings how strings are damaged how to prevent this damage ways you might be actually wrecking your strings despite your best intentions Links to check out: Helmholtz bowed string video How orchestral strings are made Jason's string comparison guide Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Jessica Valls has created a fascinating career as a double bass performer, educator, and free improvisor. She performs regularly with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and the vocal group Conspirare. She also plays chamber music, jazz gigs, and solo performances. Jessica teaches at Southwestern University, Austin Community College, and Huston-Tillotson University. She is also the founder ad director of the Austin Bass Workshop. Jessica is a dedicated free improvisor, incorporating singing, bass playing, and other elements on a regular basis into her performances. This episode is divided into three parts: Part 1 - Being Onstage Part 2 - Improvisation: The Hows and Whys Part 3 - Reflection and Advice Links to check out: Intermezzo by Reinhold Gliére - with improvised introduction from Jessica Improvisation from the first Austin Bass Workshop 2015 Considering Matthew Shepard - an ongoing project with Conspirare Group free improv - workshop video that we discuss Austin Bass Workshop Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. 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. Bass Violin Shop - Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Stuart Pearce is an engineer by trade. Three years ago, he sent his youngest child off to college and did a "rest of life" evaluation. What do things look like for the next 20-30 years? Golf and finishing would be fun... but it didn't have the appeal to Stuart. Playing an instrument came to mind. Inspired by hearing Edgar Meyer, he decided to pick up the bass. He's three years in and is loving it! Our story today in three parts: Part 1 - why the bass? the story of the aluminum bass being stewards of these instruments Part 2 - the challenges what it's like learning the bass as an adult what has been surprisingly difficult Part 3 - advice for those thinking about picking up an instrument Reach out to Stuart by emailing him. Links from Stuart: Stuart playing bass Ode to Joy Amazing Grace (A Flash Mob) South Carolina Bass Musicians Association The Late Starters Orchestra (a book Stuart has found encouraging) Learn more about aluminum double basses Upton Bass link Kay Bass Repair link Vince Giordano link Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

What's it like being a double bass student these days... and what's it like being a female bass student? These are two topics that should have come up a lot sooner on the podcast. Even though I've put out nearly 400 podcast episodes at this point, I've only had students on the show once before. During the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, I had the chance to meet Rebecca Lawrence. Rebecca is entering her senior year at the University of Southern California and is studying with David Allen Moore. A few weeks after the convention, I had the chance to sit down and chat with her about her experiences as a bass student, where she sees herself going professionally, challenges and setbacks, and much more. Our story today is in three parts: Part 1 - the state of women in the bass world Part 2 - undergraduate life - surprises, evolutions, and challenges Part 3 - looking into the future - how Rebecca's thinking has evolved during her time at USC For more on the state of women in the orchestra world, be sure to check out Nina DeCesare's great post titled "That thing is bigger than you!"; Why We Need More Female Bassists in Professional Orchestras. We also featured Nina on the podcast earlier in 2017. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Playing outside of Aspen's Paradise Bakery was both a low-stakes and high-stakes affair for Louis Levitt and his friends. Low-stakes because... well, it was playing outside of a bakery. High-stakes because folks like David Zinman, Gil Shaham, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg were walking by constantly. Louis was on the orchestral path that so many of us take. But along the way, Louis started to ask "what if?" What if it was possible to make a career as a chamber music double bassist? Our story today in three parts: Part I - the idea Part II - the struggle Part III - the lesson Follow along with Louis and the rest of Sybarite5 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and look for their new album Outliers soon! Check out the excellent tracks that we featured from Sybarite5 and much more on Spotify. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

As a married guy with no children, the thought of even one kid makes me break into a cold sweat. For bassist and educator Jennifer Bradbury, it wasn't just one kid coming her way. It was triplets... and they came into this world 25 weeks early. The story of these three young children (dubbed the EduTriplets by Jennifer and her husband Jeff) is inspiring, heartwarming, and totally compelling. You'll love what we cover in the podcast, and be sure to check out Jeff's TEDx talk for the complete story. Jennifer finally played her first gig after several years off. What was that experience like? We dig into this and much more! Our story today is divided into three parts: Part I - the story of the triplets - their surprising debut onto the world stage, and what it felt for Jennifer like playing a gig for the first time in years Part II - trial by fire in the music teacher trenches Part III - the power of an open mind Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I've been meaning to chat with Gahlord Dewald on the podcast for years. He is forging new ground by fusing double bass playing with modular synthesis and is a unique voice in our community. He and I were both at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and we took a few moments to chat about: what Gahlord uses for his performances (Eurorack modular system and DPA mic or piezo mic) how to start with a phrase/snippet of melody, capture it into electronics and adjust from there the unique funkiness of each individual modular synth good pedals to start with Be sure to check out what Gahlord is up to on the bass--great stuff! Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Kieran Hanlon is Assistant Professor of String Bass and Jazz at The State University of New York at Fredonia. In addition to his teaching, Kieran is a first call performer in both the classical and jazz idioms, and enjoys a diverse performing career in both genres across Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. We dig into all kinds of topics, including: what it was like starting college as a violin and jazz bass student Kieran's varied career path going to Eastman for orchestral studies with James VanDemark studying wth Steve Molina and Colin Corner nuts & bolts teaching techniques for students in music education methods classes coming to the bass Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

John Davis is a great example of how musicians in smaller markets can create a vibrant career. John runs his own business, providing string instrument rentals and repairs. He also restrings tennis rackets! Additionally, John serves as principal bass of the Salina Symphony. He teaches at Kansas Wesleyan University and maintains a private studio as well. John's background in radio, television, and film along with his background in business give him a valuable perspective on how to make a career as a musician regardless of where you live. This episode is filled with great advice! Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Jon Liebman is the founder of For Bass Players Only, which recently published its 500th interview. Jon is also the author of several titles for Hal Leonard and has a series of online bass lessons. Jon and I had been in touch about doing an interview for the past six months, and the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention was a great opportunity to do so. We chatted about what Jon has learned during his 500+ interviews, some favorite past interviews of his, how he got into the book writing business, and much more! Check out Jon's sites: jonliebman.com forbassplayersonly.com forguitarplayersonly.com Some past For Bass Players Only interviews: Carol Kaye Christian McBride Chris Squire Paul McCartney John Patitucci Ron Carter Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Rick Jones started Acoustic Image to solve the problem of hauling around a bulky amplifier that artificially colors the acoustic sound of the bass. As an engineer, he came up with unique methods of construction that keep the weight down and eliminate the problem of cabinets changing the sound of the instrument. Rick had a prototype new amp at the convention and was getting feedback from convention participants. We chat about this prototype, the origins of Acoustic Image, and much more! Be sure to check out the Acoustic Image Facebook page and check out this post about Martin Wind trying out the latest from the company. Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Curtis Burris has taught bass for many years at the Chautauqua Institution. I was with Kate Jones and ran into Curtis as he was chatting with Virginia Dixon on the streets of Ithaca. Kate is a former student of Curtis, and she set up this interview for the following day. As it turns out, Curtis and I have a strangely large amount in common. We both: went to Northwestern taught at DePaul played the Lithuanian Opera in Chicago subbed in the Lyric Opera and Grant Park Symphony played in Milwaukee (he was in the symphony and I played in the ballet) Curtis shares a ton of hilarious tales from the orchestra trenches and offers a wonderful perspective on teaching. This conversation was a ton of fun! Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Gaelen McCormick was heading up the Young Bassists Program for the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention. Gaelen is a past guest on the podcast, and we were able to find a few minutes to chat about her role at the convention as well as her new book Mastering the Bow, Part 3: Studies for Bass. Check out all three volumes from Gaelen below: Mastering The Bow, Part 1: Studies For Bass Mastering the Bow, Part 2: Spiccato Mastering the Bow, Part 3: Studies for Bass Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!