Contrabass Conversations

Jason Haaheim, principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, joins us again on this episode to dig into one specific topic: What's the value of music school? Instead of going to music school, Jason got a PhD and worked for 10 years as an engineer and researcher for a Chicago-based nanotechnology startup. During this time, he used principles of deliberate practice to continue improving, eventually winning the audition for his current position with the MET. If he didn't need to go to music school to make it to the top of the profession, does anybody? It's not an easy question, and there's not an easy answer, but it's a topic that is worth considering, and I hope you find it valuable. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Jason's website for more about his musical journey plus information about his next upcoming Deliberate Practice Bootcamp Online.

Zach Finkelstein and Dana Lynne Varga turned a lot of heads earlier this year with their co-authored article An Impossible Choice: Music Majors, COVID-19, and an Uncertain Future. We dig into this complicated topic, plus the unique challenges vocalists face in their career, the concept of a correlating career, the pitfalls of Young Artist Programs, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Dana's site The Empowered Musician, Zach's site The Middleclass Artist, plus check out Zach's latest album and MassOpera, which Dana co-directs. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Thank you to our sponsors! Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Derrick Hodge's latest Blue Note solo album Color of Noize is incredible and is the latest chapter in his multifaceted artistic life. Since releasing the album, which was co-produced by Don Was, it's his first album to feature a live band throughout. We cover a wide range of topics, including his creative approach to his Color of Noize Instagram Live Sunday Sessions, the thoughtful interview he did recently with Mitch Joel for No Treble, capturing ideas and how that process has evolved, why his Temple University schooling was so important to his artistic development and much more. Derrick also answers several questions submitted by podcast listeners, and his warmth and spirit radiate throughout the entire conversation. Be sure to pick up Color of Noize, visit Derrick's website, and follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Thank you to our sponsors! Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Linda May Han Oh's 2019 album Aventurine on Biophilia Records recently received the award "Best New Work - Jazz" from Art Music Awards, and it's the latest in a series of wide-ranging projects from this innovative artist. Linda recently relocated to her hometown of Perth, Australia, and she is teaching full-time for the Berklee College of Music. We talk about the pandemic, travels to Australia, the unique Biopholio™ physical medium, composing, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Aventurine and her website and follow her on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Thank you to our sponsors! Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research-based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

With the Bass in Mind the debut solo album from Jeff Picker, is being released on October 9th. This album reimagines the contemporary string band, drawing on the harmonic, metric, and improvisational intrigue of his jazz background, while never straying too far from the front porch. Past podcast guest Michael Thurber connected us to chat about this cool project. We dig into how the pandemic has been for him, what it's like touring with artists like Ricky Skaggs, Mark O'Connor, and Sarah Jarosz, making the move from New York City to Nashville, his pivot from jazz into roots music, and much more. Be sure to follow Jeff on Facebook and Instagram, and pre-order his debut solo album on bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Thank you to our sponsors! Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Honesty Pill is the project of Christopher Still, a trumpet player with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Chris creates focused, actionable plans that help musicians and other creatives address the issues standing between them and their goals. Chris has just launched the Honesty Pill podcast, and his first guest was Trevor Jones from The Scholarship Roadmap and also a member of the Contrabass Conversations team. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Chris' new podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Adam Booker and Miles Brown are launching a new 14 and under jazz competition for the 2021 International Society of Bassists Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska. Miles and Adam share details on this short episode, and you can learn more by visiting the ISB website here.

Ian Hallas has had quite a journey on the road to his position as Principal Bass of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. We first spoke for the podcast in early 2016 after winning a section bass position, and he won three additional auditions for Lyric for title chairs. We talk about what it's like auditioning for another job in your same orchestra, how his audition process has evolved since our conversation four years ago, what he learned along the journey, and much more! Ian teaches bass privately and also for Northwestern University, so don't hesitate to send him an email if you'd like to study with this incredible teacher! About Ian: Ian Hallas began his tenure as Principal Bass of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 2019 after joining the section in 2016. He holds a bachelor's degree with Distinction in Research and Creativity from Rice University where he studied with Paul Ellison as well as a master's degree from the University of Southern California under David Moore. He has also been heavily influenced by Chris Hanulik and Todd Seeber and has worked extensively with master luthier Mike Shank. In addition to the Lyric Opera, Ian has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit, Atlanta and Milwaukee Symphonies and the Grant Park Orchestra. Ian was an award-winning fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. He was also an invited guest chamber musician at Spoleto Festival USA where he performed with the St. Lawrence quartet and members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Additionally, he has attended the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and Domaine Forget Summer Music Academy. He serves on faculty at Northwestern's Bienen School of Music and maintains a private studio on the north shore of Chicago. He also teaches at the National Music Festival and was a teaching assistant at the Double Bass Workshop at BUTI. In his spare time, Ian enjoys running, laughing and spending time with his wife, playing with his two Siberian Forest cats and expanding his bourbon collection. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Thank you to our sponsors! Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Musicians for the World is a non-profit incorporated in the spring of 2020 to give free musical education to students in need globally. So far, they have over 150 students in Haiti, Peru, and Mexico. Bassist Adam Rowton reached out to me about doing an interview with him and co-founders Jesus Saenz and Kelley McGarry, and it was great to learn about this new organization and their inspiring mission. Jesus, Kelley, and Adam are looking for staff and volunteers as they continue to increase their fundraising efforts, so be sure to contact them if you would like to get involved in some capacity. Learn more about this new organization on their website, and follow along with them on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Fumi Tomita just released a new album called Celebrating Bird: A Tribute To Charlie Parker. This new release from Fumi explores the ideas of Bird in a fresh and creative way. We dig into all kinds of topics, like what it was like growing up in New York City, Fumi's move into academia, and his current position at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the surprises and opportunities of this career pivot, and much more. Check out the latest album and more on Fumi's website, and be sure follow along with him on YouTube and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Chris Lightcap is a bassist and composer with over 80 album credits and six critically acclaimed albums of original music. Chris is known for his work with Marc Ribot, Regina Carter, Craig Taborn, and many other noted artists, and his 2019 album SuperBigmouth was listed by Rolling Stone in their Best Jazz of 2019 article. We dig into Chris' early years, his circuitous path through the music world, his appearance on the burning ambulance podcast, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Chris and his great albums on his website and follow along with him on Facebook snd Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Here's a deep-dive into the process I used to plan for my Beginner's Classical Bass course on Discover Double Bass. Get course for 25% off until Sunday September 27 by following this link: https://bit.ly/JASON25 LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Rob Knopper - AuditionHacker https://www.robknopper.com/auditionhacker forScore - https://forscore.co/ Notion - https://www.presonus.com/products/notion Dorico - https://new.steinberg.net/dorico/ Gary Karr course from DC Music School - https://www.dc-musicschool.com/store/in-the-style-of-gary-karr-vol1/ --------- all things double bass - https://doublebassblog.org double bass podcast - https://contrabassconversations.com instagram - https://instagram.com/contrabassconversations twitter - https://twitter.com/cbc_podcast facebook - https://facebook.com/contrabassconversations newsletter: https://doublebassblog.org/email course - https://courses.discoverdoublebass.com/p/beginners-classical-bass/?coupon_code=JASON

Heidi Kay Begay is the host of the Flute 360 Podcast as well as a flutist, teacher, and non-profit organizer. She and I connected to talk about all things podcasting, and she cross-posted this conversation on her podcast as well. We dig into content creation, daily and weekly routines, social media and marketing, email newsletters, and much more. Heidi also recently featured my friend and colleague (and fellow bassist!) Garrett Hope, which was an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Heidi's great work on Instagram and Facebook! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I've had the good fortune to work with Alan Lewine on the International Society of Bassists board for several years, and his artistic journey has always seemed fascinating to me. The recent release of Sephardic Treasures, his latest album with his wife Ana María Ruimonte, was a good excuse to sit down and chat about his multifaceted career and unconventional journey. We dig into Alan's path through the music world, the decision to go to law school and the career shift that resulted, this new chapter in his life after retiring, the latest album, and much more. Check out the latest album here and on Ansonica Records, and be sure to follow along with Alan and Owlsong Productions on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Tomoya Amori is truly one of the most well-rounded musicians I've ever met. Not only is he an incredible bass player, but he also subs as a percussionist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and has a vibrant career as a multi-genre cellist! Tomoya and his wife Julia Kang form AKDuo, which specialize in playing jazz/classical/pop fusions composed or arranged by Tomoya. They also run performance workshops titled "Be Creative!" and have performed worldwide. Learn more about Tomoya and his creative explorations on the AKDuo website, and follow their YouTube Channel to check out Tomoya's super-interesting Cello Vlog! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It's great to have Katie Thiroux back on the podcast to chat about her new show The Hump. Katie was on the podcast in 2018, and it is so inspiring to follow along with her artistic career. We talk about our respective Discover Double Bass courses, including Katie's "baseball card," which I hold up at the beginning of our chat. We mostly dig into her new show The Hump, online teaching, and how she has been spending her time during the quarantine. Be sure to follow The Hump on Instagram, and check out Katie's great course From Beginner to Bandstand on Discover Double Bass! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

On today's episode, we're featuring Mark Dresser and William Parker in a discussion about Deep Tones for Peace 2020. Here's a description of the current project, which is a continuation of the Deep Tones for Peace international event in 2009: Deep Tones for Peace 2020 is a regular streaming of live meditations for peace, healing, and transformation. Musicians transmitting deep tones to counterbalance the many systemic injustices woven into the fabric of our society. Deep tones can strengthen the unseen bonds of our diversity as we oppose economic, educational, and environmental inequities fueled by racism, sexism, and greed. The idea is to play your bass for 5-30 minutes with the intent of musically sending healing vibrations to be felt worldwide. Participation is open to all bassists who wish to join in an ongoing musical transmission of vibrations for peace. Any style or form of music and any level bass player can generate Deep Tones for Peace. The main requirement is the intent and desire to create peace in the world. We truly believe this project will have a positive impact on the balance of life. If you'd like to get involved, email [email protected], and check out the archive of all past performances on the Deep Tones for Peace Facebook Group. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Jon Liebman has led a varied and prolific career through the music world, and a lot has changed about his website For Bass Players Only since we last chatted for the podcast. We talk about how Jon has consolidated his offerings into a single site, how he has restructured his interviews for the site, his online teaching offerings, and upcoming book projects. We also dig into a ton of great tales from Jon's wild adventures from his years in the music business. Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Jon and his great content at For Bass Players Only! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Ian Allison has been going all-in on Instagram these past few years, and he has been inspiring countless people in the process. As the bassist for Eric Hutchinson and a seasoned veteran in the industry, Ian has been working to connect and educate through Instagram, and the results have been incredible. We talk about growing up in Montana, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and its early influence on him, basing his career in Minneapolis, the "synth bass on electric" niche that he has created for himself, what the pandemic is like, the practice routine he outlined for a Bass Magazine article, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Ian and his remarkable work on Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Alyssa Peterson has had quite the freshman year. She hails from La Crosse, Wisconsin and has spent the past year at New England Conservatory, where she launched a podcast called Something to Consider: College Edition. We talk about how crazy her first year of school has been with the pandemic, her goals for starting the podcast, the importance of self-care for musicians, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Alyssa on Instagram and her podcast on Apple Podcasts! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Jason Haaheim's path to his current position as principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is unconventional and inspiring. He didn't go to music school, instead of getting a PhD and working for 10 years as an engineer and researcher for a Chicago-based nanotechnology startup. Through the principles of deliberate practice, Jason set out on a long journey of continual improvement in his playing, ultimately winning an audition for his current position. We dig into a ton of topics, like our shared time spent freelancing in Chicago, discovering deliberate practice, the groundbreaking work of Anders Ericsson and his impact on Jason, realities of life in the MET Orchestra, the two fascinating podcasts he did on The Bulletproof Musician, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Jason's website for more great content on deliberate practice and information about his next upcoming Deliberate Practice Bootcamp Online! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Brooklyn native Richard Myron has spent his professional life in Europe working in the early music world. Currently residing in Paris, Richard is professor of contrabass and chamber music in the early music department of the CRR de Paris and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Music de Paris. He is also a founding member of the Freiburger Barockorchester and Consort, the Atlantis Ensemble, Il Seminario Musicale, les Basses Réunies and a member of the Ensemble Mosaïques, and he has performed internationally with a great number of other ensembles. We dig into many topics, including growing up in New York City, memories of his time at Juilliard studying with Homer Mensch, how he found himself being drawn to Europe, discovering early music, parallels between jazz and early music, how the scene for this music has developed over the decades, and much more. I hope you enjoy this spirited conversation, and I can't wait to have Richard on the podcast again for a round two! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

I had a wonderful conversation with Jonathan Haskell a few years ago, and a lot has changed in his life since then. He recently retired from L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande in Switzerland, and he has been diving deep into the world of contemporary music. He also wrote a thoughtful article for the Chicago Tribune about the conflicting emotions surrounding retiring after 40 years on the job. We talk about a wide range of topics, including diving into contemporary music, how he approaches learning a piece, the bass' role in contemporary ensembles, how he has been handling the pandemic, and much more. I hope you enjoy these wide-ranging conversations from one of the most interesting musicians I know! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

T. Alan Stewart wears many musical hats in the Baltimore/Washington DC area. In addition to serving as principal bass with the Williamsburg Symphony and Roanoke Symphony, Alan has performed with the Baltimore Opera, National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Spoleto Festival, Alexander Schnieder String Orchestra; and many other ensembles in the area. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, digging into topics like Alan's path through the music world, his time in the New World Symphony and subsequently working with Mstislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony, audition preparation, The Artist's Way, diversity and inclusion in classical music, freelance life, and much more. I hope you enjoy Alan's thoughtful insights and perspectives, and I can't wait to spend some more time with him in the future! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Andrea Beyer is a bassist, teacher, and advocate for social growth. Having recently finished up three years with the New World Symphony, Andrea has relocated to Austin, Texas. She recently started blogging for AuditionCafe.com, where she has been focusing on how all kinds of musicians are handling the pandemic and lockdown. Andrea also recently asked me to write a piece for the blog, which was a pleasure for me to do. We talk about her background, the teaching and performing that she has done in Mexico, El Salvador, Uruguay, Bolivia, and other countries, the work that she does for the MusAid Organization, how she has been handling the pandemic, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Andrea and her great work on AuditionCafe.com and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It was great to connect with Gahlord Dewald about his latest album Coherent Light Enclosed Without. This album was recorded at The Tank Center for Sonic Arts on a hill above the town of Rangely, Colorado. We talk about this fascinating performance venue, how Gahlord found himself heading to The Tank for this project, what it's like preparing to record in such a unique acoustic space, and much more. Enjoy, and measure to follow Gahlord on YouTube and check out this new album here! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It was great to connect with Giovanni Sanguineti for the podcast. We start off talking about an online workshop that past podcast guest Danny Ziemann has been doing online. Giovanni is obsessed with learning and growing as a player, and we dig into a number of resources, including Dennis Whittaker's new series Incredibly Useful Exercises for Double Bass. We also talk about the time we spent together in Lucca, Giovanni's latest album Remember The Future, how he has been handling the pandemic, his visual approach to composition, and much more. Enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

It is a pleasure to have Olivier Babaz back on the podcast! Olivier recently released a course with Discover Double Bass titled The Creative Improvisor. In this episode, we talk about our shared experiences filming for Discover Double Bass, using iPads creatively for music, Olivier's live streams, creative flow, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Olivier on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today we're featuring Christian Dillingham, a Grammy Award-winning bassist who happens to be one of my longtime friends. Christian recently joined the faculty at Indiana University to teach jazz bass. We chat about that and much more! Check out my in-person conversation with Christian from the 2019 International Society of Bassists Convention, and be sure to follow him on Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

We're featuring Josh Skinner on today's podcast. Josh is a bassist, composer, and faculty member at the University of Idaho. Josh also directs the annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, which brings together thousands of jazz students from the United States and abroad. I also had the pleasure of being a clinician at the 2020 festival and spending some time in person with Josh. We talk about the festival, how Josh is handling the pandemic, his path through the music world, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Josh on Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today we're featuring Christian Dillingham, a Grammy Award-winning bassist who happens to be one of my longtime friends. Christian recently joined the faculty at Indiana University to teach jazz bass. We chat about that and much more! Check out my in-person conversation with Christian from the 2019 International Society of Bassists Convention, and be sure to follow him on Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today we're featuring Sam Morel, a French double bass luthier who has recently taken a job at David Gage String Instruments. Sam won a Silver Medal for Tone at the 2019 International Society of Bassists Convention and a Certificate of Merit at the 2018 Violin Society of America Competition. We talk about the various basses he has built, how life has been for him during the pandemic, working with Patrick Charton, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Sam on Facebook and Instagram! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

We're chatting with conductor and career development coach Stephen P. Brown today. Stephen appeared on the podcast in 2019, and we dig into developing your career during the pandemic, what holds so many musicians back, what life is looking like for Stephen at the present moment, and much more. Follow along with Stephen on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to check out his podcast Classic Jabber! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today's episode is the 4th and final of The Scholarship Roadmap's takeover of the Contrabass Conversations podcast feed. The Scholarship Roadmap is an online program for student musicians pursuing careers in music. It was developed by Contrabass Conversations team member, Trevor Jones. Book a discovery call with Trevor to see if it's right for you. "A performance degree is a way to give you a language, it gives you skills you can carry into any other profession." -Annie Bosler Dr. Bosler co-wrote College Prep For Musicians and How to practice effectively…for just about anything. As a freelance horn player, Annie has toured with John Williams' Star Wars in Concert and with Josh Groban and performed on Dancing with the Stars, The Ellen Show, and PBS's Live from Lincoln Center, and shared the stage with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney on CBS's The Beatles: The Night That Changed America. She performed with Chance the Rapper at The Grammy's, Sean Combs (P-Diddy) at The American Music Awards, and Wu-Tang Clan at Coachella. 2m15s - Annie's Background7m10s - What do you do with a music degree?15m40s - Music Major Application Matrix27m10s - Assessing your performance 31m42s - Tapering + Audition Strategies41m18s - Covid-19 Education Strategies Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today's episode is the 3rd of 4 of The Scholarship Roadmap's takeover of the Contrabass Conversations podcast feed. The Scholarship Roadmap is an online program for student musicians pursuing careers in music. It was developed by Contrabass Conversations team member, Trevor Jones. Book a discovery call with Trevor to see if it's right for you. "What I'm looking for is seriousness, talent, and a work ethic that exceeds that talent." -Rob Kassinger Today, I'm chatting with Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassist and Professor of Double Bass at DePaul University School of Music, Rob Kassinger. Rob and I dig into a bunch of topics that were chosen to provide clarity to the student musician who is looking into musical schools. •35s - Rob's background •6m20s - am I right for a music degree?•9m50s - Finding the right teacher•13m57s - What does Rob look for in a student?•21m50s - Am I ready for music school?•26m05s - Audition Day — From Rob's perspective. •28m25s - Common mistakes in an audition•31m40s - Rob's audition advice•37m05s - What should I do about Covid-19? Is online education worth it? Thanks for listening! -Trevor Jones Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Today's episode is the 2nd of 4 of The Scholarship Roadmap's takeover of the Contrabass Conversations podcast feed. The Scholarship Roadmap is an online program for student musicians pursuing careers in music. It was developed by Contrabass Conversations team member, Trevor Jones. Book a discovery call with Trevor to see if it's right for you. "We have to understand the significance of what we're doing, the place it is has in the world, and the potential impact every one of those choices can make." -Dr. James Day On today's show, I'm chatting with Dr. James Day. James is Director of the Sunderman Conservatory of Music and Associate Professor of Music at Gettysburg College I wanted to talk to James to get a sense of what a Conservatory looks for in prospective students and what students can do to make sure they're prepared for music school. We dig into: 33s - James Day's background5m59 - Why should someone major in music?8m53s - Music in a Liberal Arts setting11m43s - Different types of music majors 16m43s - Scholarship opportunities (even for non-majors)27m18s - Best practices to secure a scholarship 33m13 - COVID 19 Thanks for listening! -Trevor Jones Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Trevor Jones is launching a new program called The Scholarship Roadmap that addresses the tricky business of choosing a college that fits your musical needs. We talk about the challenges, experiences, and tactics that Trevor has developed through his broad range of experiences teaching at the high school and collegiate levels. Enjoy! Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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