Contrabass Conversations

Here's the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you'd like shared at [email protected]. Stories Covered: Quote of the Week Matthew McDonald News of the Week Acoustic Image amp giveaway from Discover Double Bass Paul Cannon's video "What it's like to rehearse with Ensemble Modern" John Schimek coverage in NewsOK Hans Sturm for receives University of Nebraska-Lincoln Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students Barry Green on the road How I Teach Double Bass to Beginners Be Part of the Music from Scott Lang Recent Podcast Guests Eric Steffens Kevin Brown Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

I had a wonderful time chatting with Detroit Symphony principal bassist Kevin Brown. Kevin studied with Peter Lloyd, Paul Ellison, and David Allen Moore prior to his appointment with the Detroit Symphony and also won the 2009 International Society of Bassists Orchestral Competition. We dig deep into a number of topics: growing up in Minnesota and starting the bass at age 3 studying with Peter Lloyd, Paul Ellison, and David Allen Moore listening to excerpts like Ein Heldenleben while doing stretches living a musical life rather than just being a bass player long-term audition preparation making breakthroughs by only choosing to meet his own standards becoming a musical scholar of sorts during audition preparation advice that CSO principal bassist Alex Hanna gave to Kevin as he was getting ready to do a trial for principal bass of the Detroit Symphony advice he'd have for his 23-year-old self We also talk about playing incidental solos and how much it resembles playing an audition for Kevin, and we feature excerpts of Kevin playing Bach as well as an excerpt of the Vanhal Concerto with the Detroit Symphony. Kevin's a great person and was a lot of fun to chat with! Links to check out: Kevin's DSO bio page Kevin teaching a master class (video) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

I have had a great time following along with Eric Steffens and his remarkable career over the years. Starting off at Eastman studying with James VandeMark and then heading to Vienna to work with Alois Posch in Vienna, Eric won a position in 2012 as principal bass of the Philharmonie Südwestfalen. What's extra-cool to me is that Eric was my very first serious bass student. We worked together in the early 2000s, and it has been so cool seeing where life has taken him. We cover all sorts of topics: working with Jeff Campell at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in the summer and how it led Eric to Eastman heading overseas and studying with Alois Posch how much orchestral stylistic traditions vary throughout Europe Vienna and how specific the traditions are in this city the journey from student to professional in Europe audition procedures in Germany and Austria what life in his orchestra is like Eric's a great guy and is doing great things in the bass world! Links to check out: Eric's website Eric's upcoming performance of the Nino Rota Concerto how German auditions work (article from Rob Knopper) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Here's the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you'd like shared at [email protected]. Stories Covered: Quote of the Week Hans Sturm Link of the Week Annotated Chamber Music List from Jeremy-Kurtz-Harris list includes recommendations from Kurt Muroki, Scott Pingel, Volkan Orhon, and Jeff Weisner Events (calendar link) Virginia Dixon Suzuki Bass Camps - see calendar College Bass Ensemble Showcase at ISB 2017 Scor! - string camps for adult amateurs Cuba summer concert tour Book Recommendation Tao of Bass by Marcos Machado Recent Podcast Guests Galicia Graves preview David Heyes interviews Jason Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Today's episode features a "turn-the-tables" interview with David Heyes of recitalmusic.net. We dig into topics like: Jason's career trajectory teaching bass making a life in music through multiple projects the evolution of double bass over the decades why Jason started the podcast continuing to learn as we get older Thank you so much to David for doing this! Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter the D'Addario string giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners and win a chance at a set of Orchestral, Pizzicato, or Hybrid sets! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

The Galicia Graves International Festival and Competition will take place February 17-19, 2017. Jason chats with Simón García, Diego Zecharies, and Gabriele Ragghianti about the upcoming event. Check out the YouTube version of this conversation here. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Here's the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you'd like shared at [email protected]. Stories Covered: Quote of the Week Ira Gold Link of the Week per service podcast (website) per service podcast (iTunes link) Events (calendar link) P. Kellach Waddle Trio Debut - January 22 Waddle conducting Orchestra Enigmatic - January 27 & 29 Las Vegas Bass Workshop - January 28 University of Minnesota Duluth Double Bass Festival - February 3-4 San Francisco Winter Bass Bash - February 26 South Texas Bass Club hosted Claus Freudenstein my interview with Claus Freudenstein my interview with George Amorim Bradetich 2nd International Double Bass Competition - video update Book Recommendation Make It by Emilio Guarino my interview with Emilio Recent Podcast Guests Brandino Dan Styffe Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Dan Styffe is a man in constant motion. It's astonishing the number of musical projects that he has going on: a new solo album coming this spring (his eighth album in 11 years!) appearances at events like BASS2016, RCM International Festival, and ISB 2017 serving as Co-Principal Bass of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra teaching at The Norwegian Academy of Music and Barratt Due's Institute of Music New music for the bass is a major area of interest for Dan. He works regularly with composers like Rolf Martinsson, Teppo Hauta-Aho, Bernard Salles, and Simón García. We dig into all kinds of topics today: growing up deep in the woods of Sweden how starting to play on his beautiful Gasparo da Saló bass changed his technique life in the Oslo Philharmonic what Dan finds exciting about the modern double bass scene tips for finding practice time in a busy schedule why Dan places the greatest importance on sound It was such a pleasure to spend time with Dan at BASS2016 in Prague, and I can't wait to see him again in person! Links to check out: Dan's website Octophonia (Dan's most resent release) documentary of Dan premiering Rolf Martinsson's Bass Concerto (YouTube) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Kevin "Brandino" Brandon is a seven-time Grammy and three-time Emmy award winner. He has performed with an incredible array of artists, including: Aretha Franklin OutKast (won Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album of the Year) Justin Timberlake (won Grammy for Best R&B Song) Mary J. Blige (won Grammy for Best R&B Album of the Year) The list of artists he has worked with is incredible. Brandino has achieved considerable success as a solo artist as well, and his recent album The Many Faces of Brandino 2 has received enthusiastic critical acclaim. We dig into all sorts of topics today: what it's like playing with artists like Aretha Franklin, will.i.am, Justin Timberlake, and OutKast the steps that go into applying for the Grammys the rise of synth bass being a five-string bass pioneer building a studio and getting into record production ...and much more! Links to Check Out: Brandino's website The Many Faces of Brandino 2 (Brandino's new album) Brandino's Cello Bass by Eastman Music (using D'Addario Kaplans) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Today's episode is a short conversation between Jason and Jeff Bradetich about the upcoming 2nd International Double Bass Solo Competition taking place September 1-5, 2017. The application deadline is February 1, and all details can be found here. Contrabass Conversations will be live on location at the event in September, so expect great coverage of this event in the fall! Check out Jeff's previous podcast appearances here. About the Competition: The Bradetich Foundation is proud to announce the 2nd International Double Bass Solo Competition, September 1-5, 2017, hosted by the University of North Texas College of Music, in Denton, Texas, USA. The finest solo performers in the world are invited to compete for the most generous awards in double bass history with a first prize valued at more than $30,000 US. The Competition is open to anyone under the age of 35 as of the first day of the competition September 1, 2017, and who has not given a formal New York City debut recital. The Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition endeavors to identify emerging international artists to provide career advancement and leadership opportunities. A maximum of twenty performers will be invited to participate in the competition including automatic bids to winners of the 2015 ISB, 2016 Sperger and 2016 Koussevitzky Competitions. About the Bradetich Foundation: The Bradetich Foundation was established in 2008 with the sole purpose of advancing the performing, teaching and knowledge of the double bass. It represents the vision of founder Jeff Bradetich and the culmination of his 35 years of service to the profession. The Foundation is dedicated to identifying the top performers in the world and helping to develop their careers through major competitions, debut concerts in New York and London, CD recordings and concert tours. The educational outreach of the Foundation is a cornerstone of its work. Through instructional and performance DVD's, concerts for children and older adults, and the promotion of the instrument through traditional and non-traditional media, the Foundation will work to raise the standard of the double bass and improve its standing in the general public. The Bradetich Foundation will continue to establish and promote workshops and conferences throughout the world, bringing together the top minds in the field to share their artistry, philosophies and experience to the next generation of bass players. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Here's the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you'd like shared at [email protected]. Stories Covered: Festivals and Competitions Fredonia 2017 BassFest - February 11, 2017 Galicia Graves Festival and Competition - February 17-19, 2017 Chicago Bass Festival - March 5, 2017 International Society of Bassists 2017 Convention - June 5-10, 2017 Rufus Reid video (YouTube) Rufus Reid on Contrabass Conversations Bradetich 2nd International Solo Competition - September 1-5, 2017 documentary of 2010 competition Events NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA - January 19-22, 2017 Svetozar Vujic world premiere of Concierto No. 3 for Double Bass and Orchestra by Mauricio Annunziata - February 17, 2017 Eric Steffens Nino Rota Concerto with Philharmonie Südwestfalen - March 17, 2017 Link of the Week - DoubleBassScore (YouTube) (Facebook) Recent Podcast Guests Adam Booker Best of 2016 10th Anniversary Show Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Ever wonder what it's like to be transplanted from balmy Texas and Louisiana to the coldest city in the continental United States? Ask Adam Booker. Here's a recent weather report from Duluth in case you're curious. How did he go from the gigging life in Texas to the US Navy and finally into a life in academia? We talk about this and much more, including: traditional jazz bass lines and what notes were really being played confessions from a former string neurotic what surprised Adam the most about academia Stefon Harris and his description of scales as a collection of emotions hanging up on Milt Hinton... and then watching Jeopardy with him not just creating great bassists, but creating great people I had a great time hanging out with Adam at BASS2016 in Prague, and it was a real pleasure to sit down with him and do an interview! Here's a shot of Adam, Geoff Chalmers, and me in Prague. Links to check out: Adam's website gear reviews from Adam Unraveled Rival (Adam's album) on iTunes Adam's University of Minnesota Duluth faculty page Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D'Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Here's the latest Weekly Update episode! Check out all past episodes at contrabassconversations.com/news, and send me any stories you'd like shared at [email protected]. Stories Covered: Giovanni Bottesini Double Bass Competition - April 18-24, 2017 Chautauqua Institution is accepting applications - deadline is 2/1/17 Brevard is accepting applications - deadline is 2/17/17 30-Day Music Studio Refresh from Nicola Cantan 24th Annual Richard Davis Foundation Bass Conference - April 14-15, 2017 How to Advance at an Orchestra Audition 101 Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Thank you. Really, I don't know what else to say. Thank you to each and every one of you who have taken your precious time these past ten years to listen to these episodes. You've written in. You've suggested guests. You've shared your passion and energy with me and with the wider community. Thank you to the hundreds of guests who have lent their valuable time to this crazy project. Through the gift of your time, energy, and experience, you've helped thousands of people across the globe. Thank you to John Grillo, who co-hosted this and so many other episodes with me. John, Win Hinkle, Jonathan Stefaniak, Kells Nollenberger, other folks have guest interviewed people for the podcast, for which I am so grateful. Thank you to D'Addario Strings, Bass Capos, Discover Double Bass, Upton Bass, The String Emporium, Riccardi's Violin Shop, Classic Contrabass, and Douglas Mapp Music for their support as sponsors over this past decade. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your support with keeping this juggernaut going. And finally, thank you to Lloyd Goldstein, Mitch Moehring, Szymon Marciniak, Tracy Friedlander, Jay Stark, Adam Booker, and Justin Locke for calling in and contributing to this 10th anniversary episode! Here's to another 10 exciting years! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

I had a blast reconnecting with my old friend Tracy Friedlander! Tracy is the host of Crushing Classical, a new podcast about creating a career you love as a classical musician in today's world. I was fortunate to be one of her first guests! Tracy also writes regularly on her Crushing Classical Facebook page, and she's in the process of writing a book as well. Tracy and I used to play together in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago nearly 20 years ago, and it has been a lot of fun reconnecting with her through the podcasting world. We talk about her motivation for launching this podcast and her vision for the show going forward. She's had some wonderful guests on so far, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here. Be sure to subscribe to her show in iTunes and follow her Facebook page! Links to Check Out: Crushing Classical on Facebook Crushing Classical on iTunes Jason on Crushing Classical podcast Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

This is an inside baseball episode for sure. I love talking podcasting, whether its talking interview techniques or my biggest podcasting mistakes. I also love talking with other podcasters about the nitty-gritty details concerning their craft. That's today's conversation with James Newcomb: a no-holds-barred geek-out on all things podcasting. James is the host of the MusicPreneur and Trumpet Dynamics podcasts. Like me, he has made podcasting the core of his business, and he's doing it in really interesting ways. We talk about: providing value to listeners coming up with new ideas figuring out the "next step" as a solo entrepreneur why he chose to podcast his experiences working with EOFire host John Lee Dumas where he sees his MusicPreneur podcast heading This was a super-fun conversation, and if you want a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of podcasting, this is the perfect episode for you! Links to Check Out: Trumpet Dynamics podcast MusicPreneur podcast Jason on Trumpet Dynamics podcast Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

What a year 2016 has been! This past year is when I kicked the podcast into overdrive, and the stats bear this out: 125 total podcasts released 907,231 podcasts downloaded this year average of 2.4 shows released per week average daily listens: 2,486 This episode takes a look back at the guests featured this year and features a short quote from my conversation with them. Here's the "guest list" along with a link to their interview: Paul Ellison - http://contrabassconversations.com/paul Lauren Pierce and Geoff Chalmers - http://contrabassconversations.com/laurenpierce Marc Ramirez - http://contrabassconversations.com/marcramirez Ju-Fang Liu - http://contrabassconversations.com/jufangliu Andrew Raciti - http://contrabassconversations.com/andrewraciti Bruce Bransby - http://contrabassconversations.com/brucebransby Douglas Mapp - http://contrabassconversations.com/douglasmapp Ian Hallas - http://contrabassconversations.com/ianhallas Carlos Henriquez - http://contrabassconversations.com/carloshenriquez Brent Edmondson - http://contrabassconversations.com/brentedmondson Susan Lipkins - http://contrabassconversations.com/susanlipkins Nick Lloyd - http://contrabassconversations.com/nicklloyd George Martin - http://contrabassconversations.com/georgemartin Ron Carter - http://contrabassconversations.com/roncarter Barry Green and Jeff Bradetich - http://contrabassconversations.com/barrygreen David Murray - http://contrabassconversations.com/davidmurray Michael Klinghoffer - http://contrabassconversations.com/michaelklinghoffer Inez Wyrick - http://contrabassconversations.com/inezwyrick Gaelen McCormick - http://contrabassconversations.com/gaelenmccormick Andres Martin - http://contrabassconversations.com/andresmartin Bert Turetzky - http://contrabassconversations.com/turetzky Ira Gold - http://contrabassconversations.com/iragold Chuck Israels - http://contrabassconversations.com/chuckisraels Adam Ben Ezra - http://contrabassconversations.com/adambenezra Peter Tambroni - http://contrabassconversations.com/petertambroni Trevor Jones - http://contrabassconversations.com/trevorjones Claus Freudenstein - http://contrabassconversations.com/clausfreudenstein Guy Tuneh - http://contrabassconversations.com/guytuneh Joe Conyers - http://contrabassconversations.com/joeconyers Madeleine Crouch - http://contrabassconversations.com/madeleinecrouch Justin Locke - http://contrabassconversations.com/justinlocke Leon Bosch - http://contrabassconversations.com/leonbosch Robin Kesselman - http://contrabassconversations.com/robinkesselman Jerry Fuller - http://contrabassconversations.com/jerryfuller Arnold Schnitzer - http://contrabassconversations.com/arnoldschnitzer Gjorgji Cincievski - http://contrabassconversations.com/gjorgjicincievski Gabe Katz - http://contrabassconversations.com/gabekatz Brandon McLean - http://contrabassconversations.com/brandonmclean Katie Ernst - http://contrabassconversations.com/katieernst Nicholas Walker - http://contrabassconversations.com/nicholaswalker Lloyd Goldstein - http://contrabassconversations.com/lloydgoldstein David White - http://contrabassconversations.com/davidwhite Jory Herman - http://contrabassconversations.com/joryherman Matthew McDonald - http://contrabassconversations.com/matthewmcdonald Thomas Martin - http://contrabassconversations.com/thomasmartin Thierry Barbe - http://contrabassconversations.com/thierrybarbe Sam Suggs - http://contrabassconversations.com/samsuggs Pablo Aslan - http://contrabassconversations.com/pabloaslan Christine Hoock - http://contrabassconversations.com/christinehoock Emilio Guarino - http://contrabassconversations.com/emilioguarino Danny Ziemann - http://contrabassconversations.com/dannyziemann Peter Seymour - http://contrabassconversations.com/peterseymour Hugh Sung - http://contrabassconversations.com/hughsung Diana Gannett - http://contrabassconversations.com/dianagannett Hans Sturm - http://contrabassconversations.com/hanssturm Nina DeCesare - http://contrabassconversations.com/ninadecesare Corey Brown - http://contrabassconversations.com/coreybrown Craig Butterfield - http://contrabassconversations.com/craigbutterfield Frank Proto - http://contrabassconversations.com/frankproto Shinji Eshima - http://contrabassconversations.com/shinjieshima Sandor Ostlund - http://contrabassconversations.com/sandorostlund Trevor Davis - http://contrabassconversations.com/trevordavis Seth Hanes - http://contrabassconversations.com/sethhanes Rob Knopper - http://contrabassconversations.com/robknopper Allan Santos - http://contrabassconversations.com/allansantos Jonathan Haskell - http://contrabassconversations.com/jonathanhaskell David Heyes - http://contrabassconversations.com/davidheyes Szymon Marciniak - http://contrabassconversations.com/szymonmarciniak Garrett Hope - http://contrabassconversations.com/garretthope Johnny Hamil - http://contrabassconversations.com/johnnyhamil Cornelia Watkins - http://contrabassconversations.com/corneliawatkins Dennis Bergevin - http://con

I love talking with audiiton winners. Learning about how they designed and implemented a long-term plan is fascinating. What went right? What went wrong? How did they adjust course? What did they do to get through the low points? When did things start to click? That's what Caleb Quillen and I dig into on this episode. Caleb is the most recent addition to the bass section of the Kansas City Symphony. He studied at New England Conservatory and Rice University prior to winning the Kansas City job. We talk about: Caleb's long-term audiiton plan getting out of the "bass culture" when playing excerpts concept of cognitive shifting and mental replacement how running helped Caleb with auditioning managing frustration and discouragement in audiiton preparation It was such fun connecting with Caleb and talking auditioning with him. He and I had actually met years ago at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago when his high school orchestra performed. Caleb was principal bassist of his orchestra and had a solo in a piece, and I went up to the stage and congratulated him after the performance. Small world! More audition-related content: previous audition winner conversations: Robin Kesselman (Houston Symphony) Joe Conyers (Philadelphia Orchestra) Brandon McLean (Pittsburgh Symphony) Ian Hallas (Lyric Opera of Chicago) Winning the Audition (podcast series) Part 1 – Preparing for Audition Success Part 2 – Practicing Techniques for Peak Auditions Part 3 – Preparation Routines That Work Part 4 – Sealing the Deal Winning the Audition (the book!) Orchestra Excerpt Breakdown with John Grillo Opera Excerpt Breakdown with John Grillo Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Chris Hanulik hit the ground running career-wise, landing a position in the Los Angeles Philharmonic after graduating from Juilliard. "Leaving New York to had out to Southern California... what was that transition like?" I asked. "I did not have too much trouble adjusting!" Chris said jovially. Chris and I dig into all kinds of topics like: studying at Juilliard with Homer Mensch the year he spent as principal bassist of the Cleveland Orchestra his favorite studies for the bass how he sees his role as principal bassist of LA Phil audition preparation advice It was a blast to get to sit down with Chris in person for this interview. I totally love talking in person and do so whenever possible, so it was super-cool to get together with Chris a few weeks back in LA! Links to Check Out: Chris on Hulu (L.A. Philharmonic segment from Los Angeles Times) Chris' LA Phil page Chris' UCLA page Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

This show covers the latest and greatest in the world of the double bass! Learn more at http://contrabassconversations.com/news. George Mraz Rally for Recovery George Mraz, a world class bassist with decades of exceptional musical work as both a soloist and alongside others such as Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson and many many more ( www.georgemraz.com). Surviving pancreatic surgery, George now has five months of recovery ahead. With the unexpected complications, bills and very costly medications we are setting a new goal to double the amount of contributors and reach a record 730 donors. https://www.gofundme.com/2ndyn24 DePaul University Scholarships for Undergrads The DePaul University School of Music is now offering high school juniors an opportunity to audition for conditional acceptance and as much as a 50% scholarship if pursuing a degree as a bass or viola performance major. https://music.depaul.edu/admission/auditions/Pages/high-school-junior-auditions.aspx http://contrabassconversations.com/robkassinger http://contrabassconversations.com/alexhanna more details from DePaul: The opportunity to audition for the DePaul School of Music as a high school junior is only open to those students who wish to major in bass or viola performance. Any School of Music admission offer and/or scholarship award is contingent upon being accepted into DePaul University. High school juniors who audition in February of 2017 must then apply to the university through the Common Application in the fall of their senior year. Only after being accepted to DePaul will scholarship offers become valid. A high school junior who auditions in February 2017 and is offered a performance scholarship and is then accepted to DePaul University in the fall/winter of 2017, may choose to audition a second time in February 2018 to be considered for an increase in their scholarship award. A high school junior who auditions in February 2017 and is not accepted to the School of Music, is welcome to audition again in February of their senior year without any adverse consequence. Please email the admissions office with any further questions about this opportunity. D'Addario Strings http://contrabassconversations.com/daddario1 http://contrabassconversations.com/strings 10th Anniversary for Contrabass Conversations! Call 415-952-5643 and leave a message for my anniversary episode! SoCal Bass Days 2017 January 3-4 free and open to the public featuring special guests David Murray and Claus Freudenstein http://contrabassconversations.com/davidmurray http://contrabassconversations.com/clausfreudenstein http://bassforward.info/socal-bass-days-2017 contact Matt Hare for more information: [email protected] http://matthare.com Galicia Graves International Double Bass Festival & Competition http://www.galiciagraves.com 17, 18 & 19 February 2017 video from Thierry Barbe http://contrabassconversations.com/thierrybarbe I will be doing a feature on this event with Gabriele Ragghianti two of the faculty members are David Heyes and Michael Klinghoffer, and I've featured both of them on the podcast previously http://contrabassconversations.com/davidheyes http://contrabassconversations.com/michaelklinghoffer Finland Awakes! March 12, 2017 FINLAND AWAKES! celebrates the centenary of Finland as an independent country. The concert will feature a wealth of Finnish music by alongside music composed for Teppo-Fest 2016 to celebrate the 75th birthday of the amazing and unique Teppo Hauta-aho. The concert is sponsored by Recital Music http://recitalmusic.net music composed by David Heyes (who recently dedicated a composition to me!), Bernard Salles, Teppo Hauta-aho, Simon Garcia, and many others https://www.facebook.com/events/1045165702279535 Hosting Provided by Bass Capos hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos, Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. Learn more at http://basscapos.com MIDI Practice File Archive from elbsoundStudio dozens of pieces from Bach, Bottesini, Dittersdorf, Eccles, Vanhal, and others https://elbsound.studio/double-bass-midi-files.php more links like this at http://doublebassblog.org/links Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to the Bradetich Foundation 2017 will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Bradetich Master Classes in June and holding the long awaited 2nd International Double Bass Solo Competition on Sept. 1st-5th. By donating to the Bradetich Foundation, you are supporting the double bass, music, arts and education. http://bradetichfoundation.org/index.php?page=supportForm&form=intFriends http://contrabassconversations.com/jeffbradetich Help Support Contrabass Conversations! http://contrabassconversations.com/support FEEDBACK Terrance Fitzgerald, who lives in China and listens to the podca

Bill Merchant just had the mildest winter in his 40 year career. For decades, double bassists would come in to get their winter posts set during November. Now this is happening in January. "Global warming is real, people," says Bill. That was one of probably 50 topics that we covered in our conversation! Other topics we covered: why most people set sound posts too tightly the difference between aluminum and wood bridge adjusters the effect that an endpin can have on the sound of a bass designing a folding-neck electric upright Bill's preferred measurements for all sorts of set-up work contributing to Chuck Traeger's seminal text on double bass repair and set-up If you like going deep on the gear side of things, you will love this conversation with Bill! Links to Check Out: Bill's website Setup And Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound: A Manual for Players, Makers, And Repairers by Chuck Traeger (Bill contributed to this book) Coda to The Setup & Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound by Chuck Traeger Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Ben Allison is the ultimate DIY jazz artist, blending jazz, rock, folk, and 20th century classical music into sonically compelling tapestries. His 11 albums have garnered considerable critical acclaim, and he has toured the world extensively with his groups The Ben Allison Band, Think Free, The Easy Way Trio, Peace Pipe, and Medicine Wheel. For his latest album with Think Free, Ben decided to try a new approach to funding it: crowdsourcing. His campaign ends December 28th, and he is closing in on his funding goal. We dig into all kinds of topics like: the many ways in which making a living as an independent artist has changed The actual business model of streaming music companies tapping into the base of "super-fans" recording at Maggie's Farm in Pennsylvania how mixing has become an addiction to Ben the potential alienation of technology his role as President of the Board of the New York chapter of the Recording Academy It was a great conversation--Ben's a great guy and an interesting artist, and I can't wait to see how the album turns out! Links to Check Out: Ben's website Ben's YouTube monetization experiment Takedown Notices and Malware Kevin Kelly 1000 True Fans Zen and the Art of Mixing by Eric Sarafin (Mixerman) The Stars Look Very Different Today (Ben's previous album) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Here's the latest in the world of the double bass! Visit contrabassconversations.com/news for all episodes, and submit your news at [email protected]. Ben Allison Crowdsourcing New Album Ben on Contrabass Conversations this week http://contrabassconversations.com/benallison Ben's website: http://benallison.com pre-order new album at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/benallison pledge ends December 28th, so pledge now! Adam Booker Gear Reviews University of Minnesota Duluth has started to review gear on YouTube, and the reaction has been tremendous he got hundreds of views on his review for his first review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxqgRMtTAM http://adambookeronbass.com Lauren Pierce New Thumb Position Course course is on Geoff Chalmers' newly revamped discoverdoublebass.com site New course: http://www.doublebasscourses.com/p/double-bass-thumb-position Lauren has been a guest on Entrepreneur Week I had Lauren and Geoff on the podcast almost a year ago Alex Ritter hosts Double Bass Festival at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul he's doing great things for the double bass in Brazil check out these photos and hear a bit of his performance of Sconcerto by Trovajoli link to Trovajoli: TROVAJOLI – I TEMPO DI BLUES – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – II ALLEGRETTO – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – III PAVANE – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – IV SCHERZO – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) http://contrabassconversations.com/alexritter P. Kellach Waddle's 5th String Quartet (including bass) "A Vonnegut Quintet" nominated as a semifinalist for the American Prize in Chamber Music https://www.facebook.com/pkwaddle http://contrabassconversations.com/pkellachwaddle University of Michigan School of Music Bass Faculty Position Faculty position for teacher of double bass link for more information http://contrabassconversations.com/dianagannett http://contrabassconversations.com/maxdimoff Congratulations to the Forth Worth Symphony Bassists the strike is over! congrats to: William Clay, Principal Paul Unger, Assistant Principal Jeffrey Hall Julie Vinsant Thanks to Mitch Moehring for the idea Feedback Derek Jones Jerry Ramos Michael Gam Valentina Ciardelli Bob Nieske Win Hinkle Recent Podcast Guests Dave Swift - http://contrabassconversations.com/daveswift Scott Devine - http://contrabassconversations.com/scottdevine Upcoming all-music show another "radio hour" Ben Allison Bill Merchant Caleb Quillen Get the App! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

"What else do you do?" said the neurologist to Scott Devine. "Because you'll never play bass again." How would you feel after hearing that news? What would you do? Scott was making his living as a gigging bassist when he began having problems with his hands. These problems grew progressively worse, prompting Scott to seek medical advice. The diagnosis was focal dystonia, a neurological condition that affects a muscle or group of muscles in a specific part of the body, causing involuntary muscular contractions and abnormal postures. Doctors told Scott that playing bass would not be an option for him anymore. Fast-forward many years, and Scott is now making his living teaching electric bass (and yes, playing it!) to thousands of people world-wide. How in the world did Scott overcome this? We dig into this and much more in today's episode! Links to check out: scottsbasslessons.com (Scott's website) Scott's Bass Academy (membership site) The Scott's Bass Lessons Podcast Scott's Bass Lessons on YouTube Scott on Facebook Scott's Free Toolkit I also love this video of Scott interviewing Dave Swift, who was a recent podcast guest of mine! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Welcome to the weekly update from Contrabass Conversations! Visit contrabassconversations.com/news for all previous episodes and more information. News of the Week Giving Tuesday from the International Society of Bassists For your gift of $100 or more today, we'll send you a very special thank you in return, a copy of Gary Karr's latest CD, Bass Brothers, Gary's tribute to his sister and harpist, Remembering Arla, or Melodic Pastiche. Make your donation, then email [email protected] to let them know which CD to send. tag any donations with #GivingTuesday Gary Karr's YouTube channel DaXun Zhang launches dragonetti.org free online music library of solo and orchestra music video library information about the 3/4 and 7/8 Dragonetti bass models DaXun has begun producing Dragonetti bass in action (video) DaXun on Contrabass Conversations Thanks to D'Addario Strings for sponsoring! 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. D'Addario string giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners! Learn more at contrabassconversations.com/strings The Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition September 1-5, 2017 Denton, Texas, USA www.bradetichfoundation.org competition specifics Jeff Bradetich on Contrabass Conversations Do you have news you'd like to share? email me at [email protected] send me a message on social media contrabassconversations.com/facebook contrabassconversations.com/twitter contrabassconversations.com plus any other network (snapchat, pinterest, instagram, youtube) Louisiana Bass Fest February 11, 2017 Louisiana State University facebook.com/LouisianaBassFest featured guests: Lawrence Wolfe (Assistant Principal Bass at Boston Symphony Orchestra) Derek Weller (Faculty at Interlochen Arts Academy) Contrabass Conversations interviews with: Yung-Chiao Wei Lawrence Wolfe Second Annual San Diego Bass Fest Step 1: Mark your calendars! June 21-25, 2017 Step 2: Information: www.SanDiegoBassFest.com Step 3: Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/ Featured clinicians include: PJ Cinque Mark Dresser Justin Grinnell Jory Herman Jeremy Kurtz-Harris Andrés Martín Sayuri Yamamoto Contrabass Conversations interviews with: Jory Herman Jeremy Kurtz-Harris Andrés Martín Hosting provided by Bass Capos! Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation. Learn more at basscapos.com. Support Contrabass Conversations Learn about all the various ways you can support Contrabass Conversations (both financial and non-financial) at contrabassconversations.com/support. Listener Feedback: Kudos for Winning the audition from Bob Hanson, Doug Bistrow, and Adam Booker learn more at winningtheaudition.net send your feedback to [email protected]

As the bassist for Jools Holland's band for over two decades, Dave Swift is likely the U.K.'s best-known bassist. He has performed with an astonishing array of artists, including: Paul Simon Eric Clapton Paul McCartney Chaka Kahn Smokey Robinson The list goes on and on! He and I got a chance to sit down over Skype earlier this fall and dig into all sorts of fascinating topics like: how Dave transcribes the songs he performs with Jools why people call Dave an "industrial" bassist learning a tune in front of Amy Winehouse being impressive versus truly moving someone musically life on the road and in the studio crazy gig stories like playing with Smokey Robinson and Eric Clapton without a rehearsal! Dave is a great guy and is such a fun person to chat with! He recently redesigned his website, so be sure to dig into everything that he's up to there. Links to check out: Dave's website Dave's appearance on the Lean Musician Podcast Later… with Jools Holland (YouTube channel) Dave's bass guitar collection (YouTube) Scott Devine interviewing Dave Swift (YouTube) list of all the artists with which Dave has played (it's a huge list!) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos. Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Radio Hour is a new idea that I'm testing out. In each episode, I take one topic and explore multiple perspectives from past guests. Winning the Audition was my first experiment with this type of format format. I'd love your feedback and ideas you might have for future topics! Today's topic: Fitness and Healthy Living We hear from the following nine individuals: Alex Hanna (Chicago Symphony and DePaul University) Lloyd Goldstein (Certified Music Practicioner at Moffitt Cancer Center) David Allen Moore (LA Phil and USC Thornton School of Music) Ira Gold (National Symphony and Peabody Conservatory) Paul Ellison (Rice University) Ian Hallas (Lyric Opera of Chicago) Scott Pingel (San Francisco Symphony and Conservatory) Guy Tuneh (soloist and chamber musician) Jory Herman (San Diego Symphony) We cover the following sub-topics: yoga running meditation crossfit musical athletes diet weight loss the importance of a strong back periodicity in exercise and how it might apply to practicing martial arts being "athletes of the small muscles" balancing yourself as a person Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

News Hour is my new experiment—let me know what you think! Send me news and feedback at [email protected] This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! News: "Round Two" with David Allen Moore - contrabassconversations.com/davidallenmoore new video from Barry Green Chautauqua Audition Season - Application Deadline is February 1, 2017 new podcast from Susan de Weger Feedback: Lars Swanson - I referred him to Danny Ziemann Nate Lerohl - I referred him to orchestraexcerpts.com/doublebass Manuel Rodrigues - wants to know how much hair should be on a bass bow Double Bass Fingering and Timeline Chart - $15 Sienna George Recommendations: Phil Snedecor - Brass Junkies guest (inspiring episode for young musicians) Tim Ferriss Radio Hour Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support

When I got the podcast going again in 2015, I knew that I wanted to do "round two" interviews with past guests. Los Angeles Philharmonic bassist and USC Thornton School of Music professor David Allen Moore was at the top of my list. I had David on the show back in 2009, which has been one of the most popular interviews from the first-generation podcast episodes (nearly 14,000 downloads at the moment). A lot has changed for David since we last spoke: He took a sabbatical and, after analyzing Edgar Meyer's technique, developed the concept of fractal fingerings. He wrote a book on Fractal Fingerings. He became an ultra-marathon runner. Several of my former students have studied with David over the years. When I asked them who had the biggest impact on them as a musician and as a person, David was the first person they mentioned. I headed down to Los Angeles and we met up at his USC studio. Here's a shot of us along with bassists Fernando de la Fuente and Dan Carson (another former student of mine!). We dig into all kinds of topics, including: building an internal map how bass pedagogy is still catching up to reality analyzing Edgar Meyer's bass playing the concept of framing Rabbath's approach and the German bow how practicing is a creative process how running changed David's approach to various aspects of life fractal fingering peak performance raising your floor as well as your ceiling reveling in your successes ...and much more! Links to check out: David's previous podcast appearance Videos on Musaic (New World Symphony's great service) Bowing exercises for clear sound and articulation Building a technical and musical foundation Learning a new piece of music Organizing practice habits and learning how to learn Domaine Forget (David teaches there in the summer) David's LA Phil page David's USC page Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Rob Anzellotti and I had been planning on doing an interview. When we realized that we would both be in Prague for BASS2016, we made plans to meet up and chat about capos, extensions, and other sorts of bass geekery. Rob and I are joined by Chris Mathers for a freewheeling talk about bass, living in New York, life as an expat, getting into fabrication and how that led to making bass capos. Did you ever want to know how many pounds of pressure strings exert on a bass? Are you interested in the nitty-gritty of installing extensions without drilling into the scroll? How about the angle at which a good capo should close? If so, this is the episode for you! It was a blast hanging out with Rob and Chris. After we got done talking, we wandered down the street for some epically good Czech food and beer. There's nothing like geeking out on all things bass and following it up with good food and conversation. Links to check out: D'Addario strings giveaway! Bass Capos (Rob's company) Bass Capos on Facebook Chris Mathers Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Florian Pertzborn launched the European Orchestra Experience Award for the BASSEUROPE Orchestral Competition this year in Prague. The recipients were: 1st prize: Luzia Vieira 2nd prize: Zuzana Blahova 3rd prize: Andrea Cocco Florian and I got a chance to sit down in the beautiful courtyard of the HAMU in Prague to discuss this competition. We talk about why Florian launched this and what benefits he sees it bringing to young double bassists. We also cover: life as a musician in Porto, Portugal a typical season for Casa da Música (Florian's orchestra) the international makeup of this orchestra. It was great to chat with Florian! He's a great guy and is working hard to provide opportunities for young bassists across Europe. Links to check out: D'Addario strings giveaway! Florian's website www.netbass.eu Casa da Música (Florian's orchestra) my appearance on Crushing Classical podcast my appearance on Trumpet Dynamics podcast Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

It was such a pleasure to catch up with Petia Bagovska in Prague for BASS2016! I've known her for years. We used to play in some orchestras together when we were both living in Chicago. When we both realized that we would be in Prague together for the European Bass Congress, we agreed to find a few minutes to catch up and record an interview. Let's set the scene... We're sitting in the courtyard of the HAMU in Prague on a beautiful October afternoon. It's the most perfect weather imaginable. Everyone is outside having a coffee or a beer and a snack, chatting, laughing, trying out basses, and enjoying the experience of being united together as bassists in one of the world's great cities! Not a bad way to spend an afternoon! We talk about: life as a professional bassist in Bulgaria Petia's experiences studying in Sofia orchestra life in Bulgaria Petia's book Double bass: Traditions and future Links to check out: D'Addario strings giveaway! Petia's Facebook page Petia performing Czardas (YouTube) Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Listener feedback and news links: book launch landed Winning the Audition at #1 on Amazon! new ways to support the show - contrabassconversations.com/support find the podcast on all social media networks: itunes, facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram, pinterest, linkedin, youtube feedback from Matt Gold about My Car Caught Fire and Exploded feedback from Jerry Ramos about Gary Karr and Rabbath interviews Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

I'm so thrilled to announce that Winning the Audition is now available! You can get it in paperback, ebook, and Kindle formats, and links to all of this are available at winningtheaudition.net. More formats (including audiobook) coming soon! Today's episode covers: what people are saying about the book Ira Gold's complete foreword to Winning the Audition (it's great!) highlights from all four episodes of the Winning the Audition podcast series What people are saying about Winning the Audition: "Professor Larry Hurst likes to say 'orchestras are the largest employers of musicians in the world,' As a result, auditions consume the lives of so many aspiring classical musicians. We have all obsessed over them to the point of auditions becoming mystical events with their own lore and urban legend. That somehow they are won with some kind of secret handshake, studying at the right school, playing like a machine, selling your soul to the devil, etc. Jason Heath's new book Winning The Audition goes a long way to demystifying this frequently misunderstood and intimidating process. His book is the most thorough and exhaustive book on orchestra auditions that I have come across for any instrument. Through his book and his podcast, Jason has created one of the most invaluable educational resources available for classical bassists." Owen Lee Principal Bass, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati CCM Principal Bass and Faculty, Chautauqua Institution "Jason Heath has compiled relevant tidbits from interviews with top-notch players and major audition winners, interspersing them with his own approaches and experience. Part practical, part anecdotal, and part inspirational, this compilation is something that any musician on the audition trail can learn from. What I particularly like about Jason's approach is the idea that there is not "One Way To Do Things"; rather, he amalgamates multiple approaches with a wonderfully open mind." Lisa Chisholm Preparation and Performance Coach www.masterperforming.com "Jason has done amazing work. What started as a double bass blog has grown into a treasure trove of ideas, techniques, high level concepts, and history of not just the double bass but music in general. In fact, the ideas he's collected and assembled cross disciplines and transcend music. There are useful ideas in here for everyone. Thank you, Jason!" Andrew Raciti Northwestern University Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra "Jason has included an immense amount of value in this book about auditions. I can't imagine a more detailed approach. In this book you have a wealth of information from not only Jason's own experience as a successful musician and auditioner, but from all of the many renowned bass players he has interviewed on his podcast. This is an insider's look at how to nail an audition with a wealth of tools to use to perfect your audition approach. I would say that any musician, bass player or otherwise, will benefit greatly from reading this book and employing the techniques." Tracy Friedlander Crushing Classical Horn Wise "Jason has put together an essential resource for any musician wanting to gain the edge and to win their audition!" Geoff Chalmers DiscoverDoubleBass.com Founder "Thank you Jason for putting this book together! Finally someone has compiled best practices in the realm of audition taking and Jason has gotten together some of the best minds in the music world. I'm sure anyone can gain insight into their own audition preparation from this book." Harish Kumar Oulu Sinfonia, Helsinki "I wish I had this text 25 years ago! Jason has gathered decades of bassists experience and distilled them into this impressive resource. The advice, tips and strategies are detailed and proven successful. Highly recommended!" Peter Tambroni mostlybass.com founder and music educator "I love how all these wonderful resources are in one easy to read tool. Thank you, Jason, for continuing to harness the uniqueness of the double bass community!" Dennis Bergevin music educator, Grand Rapids Get your copy today! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

I had the good fortune to meet Yung-chiao Wei back in 2000 at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. She was wrapping up her time with the New World Symphony and was just about to start new new position at Louisiana State University. The rich double bass culture she has created the past decade-and-a-half is remarkable. In addition to creating the Louisiana Bass Fest, Yung-chio has propelled her students into all sorts of "next steps" like: winning auditions such as tenured Principal Bassist and Assistant Principal Bassist in the Baton Rouge Symphony and the Acadiana Symphony Assistant Principal Bassist of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra going to prestigious music schools with full scholarships at the Juilliard School, Yale University, Eastman School of Music and Cincinnati Conservatory teaching at at the Cincinnati Conservatory and Southeastern Louisiana University founding the Brava Orchestra, an youth orchestra in Brazil, with a mission to bring music to the poor becoming the Executive Director at New York Baroque Incorporated Talk about having an impact on future generations of musicians! Yung-chiao and I dig into all kinds of topics, like: how playing Brahms makes her feel alive the Tai-chi horse stance and how it applies to bass playing overcoming some of her physical limitations over-practicing and how to avoid it her solo recordings the value of creating a bass festival ...and much more! Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Links to check out: D'Addario strings giveaway! Yung-chiao's website Yung-chio's YouTube channel Yung-chiao's faculty page at LSU Yung-chiao Wei Plays Brahms, Elgar, Yen and Tommasini (her latest CD) Yung-chiao's first CD Yung-chiao on Facebook Tai Chi horse stance (YouTube) Links from news and listener feedback: winningtheaudition.net (my new book!) my appearance on TEM podcast notablevalues.com (Susan Weger's site on musical entrepreneurship) video featuring Normand Guilbeault from Montreal Dan Pink and why you should write a failure resume (from Jerry Fuller) Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Contrabass Conversations! The 10th anniversary of Contrabass Conversations will happen on January 1, 2017! Call into our special voicemail line at (415) 952-5643 and leave a message telling me a thing or two about yourself like: your name where you live how long you've played bass where you play when you discovered the podcast your favorite episode(s) Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

I'm thrilled to announce that my new book Winning the Audition will launch on Thursday, November 17th. This book expands on the content provided in the Winning the Audition podcast series. You'll learn: Why thinking of your audition preparation as a scientific experiment unlocks your potential. How charting your audition progress keeps you from making the same mistakes repeatedly. How you can take your auditioning to the next level through changes in mindset. Why auditioning is a skill that can be mastered. Visit winningtheaudition.net to pre-order your copy. You can also sign up for bonus content from the book like my Four Methods of Slow Practice worksheet! Here's what people are saying about Winning the Audition: "Professor Larry Hurst likes to say 'orchestras are the largest employers of musicians in the world,' As a result, auditions consume the lives of so many aspiring classical musicians. We have all obsessed over them to the point of auditions becoming mystical events with their own lore and urban legend. That somehow they are won with some kind of secret handshake, studying at the right school, playing like a machine, selling your soul to the devil, etc. Jason Heath's new book Winning The Audition goes a long way to demystifying this frequently misunderstood and intimidating process. His book is the most thorough and exhaustive book on orchestra auditions that I have come across for any instrument. Through his book and his podcast, Jason has created one of the most invaluable educational resources available for classical bassists." Owen Lee Principal Bass, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati CCM Principal Bass and Faculty, Chautauqua Institution "Jason has put together an essential resource for any musician wanting to gain the edge and to win their audition!" Geoff Chalmers Discover Double Bass Founder "Thank you Jason for putting this book together! Finally someone has compiled best practices in the realm of audition taking and Jason has gotten together some of the best minds in the music world. I'm sure anyone can gain insight into their own audition preparation from this book." Harish Kumar Oulu Sinfonia, Helsinki "I love how all these wonderful resources are in one easy to read tool. Thank you, Jason, for continuing to harness the uniqueness of the double bass community!" Dennis Bergevin music educator, Grand Rapids Learn more at winningtheaudition.net! More links to check out: D'Addario string giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners Road Warrior Without an Expense Account (my first book) Winning the Audition podcast series contrabassconversations.com/donate (new donation option) Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! The 10th anniversary of Contrabass Conversations will happen on January 1, 2017! Call into our special voicemail line at (415) 952-5643 and leave a message telling me a thing or two about yourself like: your name where you live how long you've played bass where you play when you discovered the podcast your favorite episode(s) Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Reuben Rogers and I got connected through our mutual friend Allan Santos. I wasn't even sure where to begin with a player like Reuben. I mean, he has played with Charles Lloyd, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Marcus Roberts, Nicholas Payton, and a long list of jazz luminaries. He's played on some of the best jazz albums of the past 20 years. Where to even start? So I reached out to Allan, and he told me: "You've got to ask Reuben about the time he fell asleep on the bandstand during a set." That's how we kicked it off. It was the first of many stories like that. In fact, I was sore from laughing so hard after we finished talking! We dig into: how to get work done at 3 am on the road Reuben's first blizzard experience living in Boston and how it nearly drove him back to the Virgin Islands how Reuben's high school music teacher Georgia Francis helped him repeatedly during his younger years mistakes that derail the careers of many young musicians ...and much more! This was a super fun conversation. Reuben is an awesome guy, and you'll have a great time and learn a lot from this conversation! Links to check out: Reuben's website (click the bass trunk for a surprise!) The Things I Am (Reuben's solo album) Reuben even has a set of bass loops available from the Loop Loft! Here's a clip featuring these groovy tracks. Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Alexandre Ritter has become a champion of Armando Trovajoli's work Sconcerto. Once you hear this amazing piece, you'll understand why. Written for Franco Petracchi, this work has been largely unplayed until Alex got his hands on it. The process was complex, but Alex worked it out to record the entire piece and publish it on YouTube. This piece is destined to become one of the major concert works for orchestra. It's jazzy, colorful, mysterious, and magical. But that's not all Alex is doing these days. We dig deep into Bille, how Alex uses it in his teaching, and we get into the debate of using the 3rd finger in the lower positions like what's printed in Bille—Alex makes a compelling case for it. While we were talking, he actually grabbed the bass and played through several examples for me! Alex and I also talk about the experience of leaving Brazil to study in Georgia, how philosophy has influenced his thinking, job prospects in Brazil, and much more! Learn more about my coverage of music teaching at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. Links to check out: Alex's website TROVAJOLI - I TEMPO DI BLUES - ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI - II ALLEGRETTO - ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI - III PAVANE - ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI - IV SCHERZO - ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) Joel Quarrington's Method Book (here's a link to my Joel Quarrington interview) Alex's dissertation about the Rota Divertimento (in the ISB's Online Journal of Bass Research) Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Dennis Bergevin and I have a lot in common. He's a bass player. Me too. He taught public school orchestra. So did I. His career has taken an unexpected turn. I totally identify with that. For Dennis, it was the interactions with the students that he found most valuable. Not that the music wasn't important, but helping young people to find their path in life was what really mattered to him. I agree 100%. By the way, Dennis is a rockin' bass player. Check out this video of him playing Bach. So Dennis has transitioned out of that orchestra director role and is now training to work in guidance at the college level. It's amazing the opportunities that exist at the university level outside of being a professor, and how critical the people in roles like what Dennis is doing are to shaping the direction of student's lives. I also like this photo of Dennis and Edgar Meyer! Learn more about my coverage of music teaching at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Other episodes where we talk about teaching orchestra: Peter Tambroni Gabe Katz Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

I first learned about Cornelia (Corky) Watkins through my friend Jeremy Little. Jeremy and I used to teach together in Illinois. He is a proponent of a style of music teaching called Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP). Teaching music through this model is interesting. CMP teaches the complete musician. The intent is to provide music students with deeper understanding and more meaningful experiences with the music they play. I went to a workshop on CMP. It was cool. I learned a lot. Here's a YouTube video with my friend Jeremy that gives a brief CMP overview. But most of what we talked about revolved around teaching in a classroom. Could this be applied to a private lesson setting? How would that work? That's when Jeremy told me to get in touch with Corky. Corky is a pro at this. She served as the national chairperson of American String Teacher Association's Committee on Studio Instruction, and also served for six years as the Private Teacher Representative on the board of TexASTA. So I emailed her. We set up a time to talk. I read her book Rosindust. It was great! Here's the thing that I was interested in... Most of the young people that I teach don't want a career in music. That's a good thing! I want people to have amazing experiences with music while they're young and continue to have it be a meaningful part of their life when they're older. The point isn't to create a bunch of performance majors. The point is to bring the gift of music into these young people's lives. Are we doing these young people a disservice by focusing only on technique and the music on the stand? How do we teach beyond that without turning the private lesson into a music appreciation class? That's what Corky and I dig into! Learn more about my coverage of music teaching at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. Links to check out: Corky's Rice University page Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (main page) Rosindust: Teaching, Learning and Life from a Cellist's Perspective by Cornelia Watkins From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Musicians Become Great Teachers - co-authored by Cornelia Shaping Sound Musicians by Patricia O' Toole - the foundational resource for CMP Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Johnny Hamil has dedicated his life to teaching bass. Starting out as a music education student, Johnny met George Vance at an International Society of Bassists Convention, and his life has never been the same since. After years of prodding from George, Johnny started the Kansas City Bass Workshop. This event has grown into one of the most vibrant double bass events in the country. But Johnny's not worried that others are going to take students away from him by starting their own events. In fact, he's convinced that every city should have their own bass event. And after listening to this conversation, I'll bet you'll agree! Johnny's book Jamming On The Bass is an improvisational accompaniment to Vance's Progressive Repertoire series. Check it out! It'll add some great variety to your teaching. Here's a video describing Johnny's teaching philosophy. This will give you some background on why Johnny was inspired to write his book. Learn more about the materials Johnny uses and what hundreds of other leaders in the double bass field use at contrabassconversations.com/teaching. More links to check out: Feature on Johnny and the KC Bass Camp from KCUR Johnny Hamil Bass Studio (FB page) Rabbath - Bass Ball (vinyl!) Be sure to subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get these episodes delivered automatically to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

I love episodes like this. Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer and I wanted to feature each other on our podcasts. But we couldn't figure out the best way to do it. So we chucked the script, flipped on the mic, and riffed for an hour on the subjects that interest us the most. We're both bass players. We're both podcasters. We're both building our careers around this crazy podcast model. Already, we have a lot in common. But that's only the beginning. We're both constantly thinking about what it really means to build a career in music. How does that even work these days? How do income streams for musicians work? Where are things headed? What can today's musician do? We dig into all this and much more! By the way, if you don't subscribe to Garrett's podcast, stop reading this right now and go subscribe. And get on his email list while you're at it. Garrett has figured a lot of things out on the career front, and he has tremendous value to offer all of us. I love listening to Garrett's podcast. It's one of the shows that I immediately click on when I see a new episode. You'll love it too. Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Szymon Marciniak played a killer recital in Prague for BASS2016. Here's a great photo from that standing-room-only event. The centerpiece of this recital was Frank Proto's compelling new Sonata No. 3. Frank wrote this piece expressly for Szymon, and it is--to say the least--epic in scope. Along with pianist Evan Mitchell, Szymon recorded a CD and DVD called New Music for Double Bass for Liben Music. This new release includes Proto's Sonata No. 3 along with the 2009 Sonata by Richard Dubugnon, Lu Shang's Fantasy Higgs Boson, and Chiel Meijering's The Ultimate Workout (Part 1). We talk about: this feature-packed new release (check it out!) Szymon's decision to leave his principal bass position with The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra and embark on a freelance career strings, endpins, balance, sound, and much more! Check out this YouTube video with the complete first movement of the Proto Sonata No. 3. This will give you a feel for the incredibly musicianship and high production quality on this CD/DVD release. Links to Check Out: Szymon's YouTube channel Szymon plays Proto Sonata No. 3 mvt 1 (complete movement from DVD) Omega - Hungarian rock band we talk about New Music for Double Bass (CD/DVD) Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

David Heyes needs no introduction. Since founding Recital Music over 20 years ago, David has brought the music of composers like Tony Osborne, Teppo Hauta-aho, and Simón García to countless bass players. David has also commissioned over 500 double bass compositions. Talk about an impact on the bass world! In recent years, David has become a prolific composer. In only three years, his compositions have been performed in eight different countries. He is constantly thinking of new ideas for pieces. In fact, he's even writing a piece for me! It was such a pleasure to meet David in person in Prague for BASS2016. Here's a favorite photo of us meeting in the airport--talk about a warm welcome to the Czech Republic! David is also a prolific writer. In addition to writing for publications like The Strad, David has created A History of the Double Bass in 100 Pieces and BASS NOTES. He is constantly finding new ways to synthesize double bass knowledge and provide value to the community. By the way, his recital in Prague was awesome. Here's a bit of it on YouTube. Check it out, and enjoy this interview with Davide Heyes! Links to check out: BASS Notes A History of the Bass in 100 Pieces Recital Music Wells Cathedral School David's Prague recital (YouTube) A Tribute to Teppo (GoFundMe) Listener Feedback Link: Crafting a Music Career This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Jonathan Haskell may very well be the world's most interesting man. He's a bassist. In a great orchestra: L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande in Switzerland. Also, he's the president of the musician's union. An accomplished conductor. Fluent in multiple languages. He is also the author of three murder mysteries centered around the orchestra. Here's a link to the first five chapters of On the beat, a murder mystery involving an orchestra, a sadistic, villainous, and diabolical conductor, an undercover cop in the percussion section, and a Pirastro Flexocor E string as a murder weapon! Set in Chicago and downstate Illinois, this book vividly brings back memories of my "old life" Road Warrioring it around Chicagoland. Interested in reading more? Send Jonathan an email and let him know! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your mobile device! Resources we covered in this interview: On the beat by Jonathan Haskell (PDF - 5 chapter preview) L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (website) L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande (YouTube) Jonathan Haskell on Discogs The Compleat Conductor by Gunther Schuller Twin Cities Bass Camp (from listener feedback) Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Allan Santos and I met 15 years ago at the Britt Festival in Oregon. I vividly recall drinking beer with him at the bar while Dave Anderson shot pool in the corner. After studying with players like Shinji Eshima and John Hood, Allan had landed an orchestra gig in the Toledo Symphony. The goal had been reached. But Allan felt like things were at an 8 in his life. Not a 10. What would a 10 look like? Fast forward to the present, and Allan is on a totally different path. Allan left the Toledo Symphony several years ago. He became the #7 ranked yoga competitor in the nation (yes, we talk about this!). He has now moved into Life Coaching. After reading my manifesto about my new direction in life, he reached out to me and we started talking. He was tremendously helpful in helping me gain clarity about the next steps in my life. I'd never had conversations like this. He gave me strategies to obtain clarity and focus on what's actually important in any given moment. The is a deep conversation for sure. I've never really put anything like this out on the podcast. My conversation with Trevor Jones might be the closest thing. But I know you'll enjoy it! Resources we covered in this interview: Allan Santos (Facebook) Allan's email: [email protected] Documentary on Marshal Hawkins (Allan's first bass teacher) Allan's yoga competition video Martha Beck Institute (where Allan studied as a Life Coach) Unemployment Never Sounded So Sweet (the post I wrote that put us back in touch) Two book recommendations from Allan: The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron The Big Leap by Hendricks Gay leave a review for Contrabass Conversations in iTunes! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your mobile device! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

it would be sacrilege to use capital letters when writing about auditionhacker founder rob knopper. rob plays percussion in the metropolitan opera orchestra. which is quite cool. but rob also started auditionhacker, a site devoted to mastering the systems and processes required to win an audition. we talk about: rob's own auditioning experiences his super-cool practice journal system how to advance at an orchestra audition 101 (rob's free mini-course) the audiitonhacker formula (8 module course) this was a great conversation! you'll walk away loaded with new strategies for your next audition! Subscribe to the podcast and get these interviews delivered to your mobile device! From listener feedback: 10 Preparation Strategies I've Learned from Audition Winners (My AuditionCafe.org post) Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Seth Hanes is a horn player, digital marketing consultant, and the author of the new book, Break into the Scene: A Musician's Guide to Making Connections, Creating Opportunities, and Launching a Career, which is available now on Amazon. If you want to check out some free email templates that will help you pick up gigs and some other bonuses, visit breakintothescene.com. We talk: how to get more gigs working with contractors how to market and self-promote working for free as a tactic Break into the Scene hit #1 in Amazon's music business category within days of its launch. Check it out--it's a great read and full of actionable advice! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Spread and focus. That's what Trevor Davis thinks about as he makes his basses. It's all in the arching. That's what makes an instrument sound great. But Trevor didn't just magically know this from the start. His tale is one of persistence and grit. Carving scrolls during the night shift at 7-Eleven. Dragging his half-made first double bass back and forth across country. Making violins during the day and sleeping on the floor by his workbench at night. But then... Winning a certificate of workmanship at the 2013 International Society of Bassists Convention. Getting hired at a luthier at Robertson & Sons Violin Shop. How did he get from the night shift at 7-Eleven to making award-winning basses and working at one of the world's great instrument shops? Listen and find out! Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

The first Royal College of Music International Double Bass Festival will be taking place on October 16, 2016. Gabriele Ragghianti, Dan Styffe, and Alberto Bocini discuss this exciting new event on today's episode. This event is free and requires no tickets, so be sure to check it out if you can! This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Our teachers shape us more than we realize. Having the right teacher is critical for achieving our goals. Sandor Ostlund has had a staggering set of quality teachers throughout his life journey. First, he studied with Hans Sturm. Then he worked with Richard Davis. From there, he found his way to Paris to study with François Rabbath. In Paris, he met Paul Ellison, with whom Sandor would study with for his DMA. In fact, Sandor was the first student to every receive his DMA with Paul at Rice University. Talk about a great set of musical role models! Sandor has gone on to have a major impact in the world of the double bass. He teaches bass at Baylor University, works as a clinician across the United States, and has released a fantastic solo album of new works for the double bass. We dig into all kinds of topics: how Sandor continues to find inspiration lessons Sandor learned from Paul, François, Richard, and Hans what to do if you only have an hour to practice finding your path in the music world …and much more! Links: Sandor's website Leap of Faith (album) This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D'Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!