Contrabass Conversations

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**Contrabass Conversations**

Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the double bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick. With 2 million downloads and counting, Contrabass Conversations is the most popular podcast for double bassists. Join the community and experience life on the low end of the spectrum!

Latest Episodes:

374: being an adult amateur with Stuart Pearce Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

Stuart Pearce is an engineer by trade.

Three years ago, he sent his youngest child off to college and did a "rest of life" evaluation.

What do things look like for the next 20-30 years?

Golf and finishing would be fun... but it didn't have the appeal to Stuart.

Playing an instrument came to mind. Inspired by hearing Edgar Meyer, he decided to pick up the bass.

He's three years in and is loving it!

Our story today in three parts:

Part 1 - why the bass?
- the story of the aluminum bass
- being stewards of these instruments
Part 2 - the challenges
- what it's like learning the bass as an adult
- what has been surprisingly difficult
Part 3 - advice for those thinking about picking up an instrument

Reach out to Stuart by emailing him.

Links from Stuart:

Stuart playing bass
- Ode to Joy
- Amazing Grace (A Flash Mob)
South Carolina Bass Musicians Association
The Late Starters Orchestra (a book Stuart has found encouraging)
Learn more about aluminum double basses

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long "Karr neck" has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass!

The Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

373: Rebecca Lawrence on the state of women in the bass world and life as a music student Jul 10, 2017

Show notes

What's it like being a double bass student these days... and what's it like being a female bass student?

These are two topics that should have come up a lot sooner on the podcast.

Even though I've put out nearly 400 podcast episodes at this point, I've only had students on the show once before.

During the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, I had the chance to meet Rebecca Lawrence. Rebecca is entering her senior year at the University of Southern California and is studying with David Allen Moore.

A few weeks after the convention, I had the chance to sit down and chat with her about her experiences as a bass student, where she sees herself going professionally, challenges and setbacks, and much more.

Our story today is in three parts:

Part 1 - the state of women in the bass world
Part 2 - undergraduate life - surprises, evolutions, and challenges
Part 3 - looking into the future - how Rebecca's thinking has evolved during her time at USC

For more on the state of women in the orchestra world, be sure to check out Nina DeCesare's great post titled "That thing is bigger than you!"; Why We Need More Female Bassists in Professional Orchestras.

We also featured Nina on the podcast earlier in 2017.

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

372: finding your path with Louis Levitt Jul 07, 2017

Show notes

Playing outside of Aspen's Paradise Bakery was both a low-stakes and high-stakes affair for Louis Levitt and his friends.

Low-stakes because... well, it was playing outside of a bakery.

High-stakes because folks like David Zinman, Gil Shaham, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg were walking by constantly.

Louis was on the orchestral path that so many of us take. But along the way, Louis started to ask "what if?"

What if it was possible to make a career as a chamber music double bassist?

Our story today in three parts:

Part I - the idea
Part II - the struggle
Part III - the lesson

Follow along with Louis and the rest of Sybarite5 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and look for their new album Outliers soon! Check out the excellent tracks that we featured from Sybarite5 and much more on Spotify.

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

371: when life throws you curveballs with Jennifer Bradbury Jul 06, 2017

Show notes

As a married guy with no children, the thought of even one kid makes me break into a cold sweat.

For bassist and educator Jennifer Bradbury, it wasn't just one kid coming her way. It was triplets... and they came into this world 25 weeks early.

The story of these three young children (dubbed the EduTriplets by Jennifer and her husband Jeff) is inspiring, heartwarming, and totally compelling. You'll love what we cover in the podcast, and be sure to check out Jeff's TEDx talk for the complete story.

Jennifer finally played her first gig after several years off.

What was that experience like?

We dig into this and much more!

Our story today is divided into three parts:

Part I - the story of the triplets - their surprising debut onto the world stage, and what it felt for Jennifer like playing a gig for the first time in years
Part II - trial by fire in the music teacher trenches
Part III - the power of an open mind

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

370: Gahlord Dewald on modular synthesis Jul 04, 2017

Show notes

I've been meaning to chat with Gahlord Dewald on the podcast for years. He is forging new ground by fusing double bass playing with modular synthesis and is a unique voice in our community.

He and I were both at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and we took a few moments to chat about:

what Gahlord uses for his performances (Eurorack modular system and DPA mic or piezo mic)
how to start with a phrase/snippet of melody, capture it into electronics and adjust from there
the unique funkiness of each individual modular synth
good pedals to start with

Be sure to check out what Gahlord is up to on the bass--great stuff!

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Thanks to our sponsors!

This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance.

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

369: Kieran Hanlon on teaching the fundamentals Jul 03, 2017

Show notes

Kieran Hanlon is Assistant Professor of String Bass and Jazz at The State University of New York at Fredonia. In addition to his teaching, Kieran is a first call performer in both the classical and jazz idioms, and enjoys a diverse performing career in both genres across Upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

We dig into all kinds of topics, including:

what it was like starting college as a violin and jazz bass student
Kieran's varied career path
going to Eastman for orchestral studies with James VanDemark
studying wth Steve Molina and Colin Corner
nuts & bolts teaching techniques for students in music education methods classes coming to the bass

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

368: John Davis on communication and business skills Jun 30, 2017

Show notes

John Davis is a great example of how musicians in smaller markets can create a vibrant career. John runs his own business, providing string instrument rentals and repairs. He also restrings tennis rackets!

Additionally, John serves as principal bass of the Salina Symphony. He teaches at Kansas Wesleyan University and maintains a private studio as well.

John's background in radio, television, and film along with his background in business give him a valuable perspective on how to make a career as a musician regardless of where you live. This episode is filled with great advice!

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

367: Jon Liebman on 500+ bass player interviews Jun 29, 2017

Show notes

Jon Liebman is the founder of For Bass Players Only, which recently published its 500th interview. Jon is also the author of several titles for Hal Leonard and has a series of online bass lessons.

Jon and I had been in touch about doing an interview for the past six months, and the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention was a great opportunity to do so. We chatted about what Jon has learned during his 500+ interviews, some favorite past interviews of his, how he got into the book writing business, and much more!

Check out Jon's sites:

Some past For Bass Players Only interviews:

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

366: Rick Jones of Acoustic Image Jun 28, 2017

Show notes

Rick Jones started Acoustic Image to solve the problem of hauling around a bulky amplifier that artificially colors the acoustic sound of the bass. As an engineer, he came up with unique methods of construction that keep the weight down and eliminate the problem of cabinets changing the sound of the instrument.

Rick had a prototype new amp at the convention and was getting feedback from convention participants. We chat about this prototype, the origins of Acoustic Image, and much more!

Be sure to check out the Acoustic Image Facebook page and check out this post about Martin Wind trying out the latest from the company.

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

365: Curtis Burris on delightful stories from the orchestra trenches Jun 27, 2017

Show notes

Curtis Burris has taught bass for many years at the Chautauqua Institution. I was with Kate Jones and ran into Curtis as he was chatting with Virginia Dixon on the streets of Ithaca. Kate is a former student of Curtis, and she set up this interview for the following day.

As it turns out, Curtis and I have a strangely large amount in common. We both:

went to Northwestern
taught at DePaul
played the Lithuanian Opera in Chicago
subbed in the Lyric Opera and Grant Park Symphony
played in Milwaukee (he was in the symphony and I played in the ballet)

Curtis shares a ton of hilarious tales from the orchestra trenches and offers a wonderful perspective on teaching. This conversation was a ton of fun!

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

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