Contrabass Conversations

Latest Episodes:

713: Annie Bosler and Trevor Jones Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

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

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713: Rob Kassinger and Trevor Jones: The Scholarship Roadmap Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

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!

712: James Day and Trevor Jones: The Scholarship Roadmap Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

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!

711: The Scholarship Roadmap with Trevor Jones Jul 06, 2020

Show notes

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!

710: Dan Turkos on crowdfunding during a crisis Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

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 on Bassists 4 Bassists Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

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!

709: Helen Svoboda on her solo album Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

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!

708: Chris Fitzgerald on jujitsu and bass Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

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!

Bonus: Sara Neilson, Online Beginner Bass Camp Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

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

707: Susanna Klein on Practizma Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

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:

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!

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