Contrabass Conversations double bass life

Matthew Tucker of Bresque Basses has been innovating in a number of fascinating ways in the world of bass luthiery.  A regular attendee of the Violin Society of America / Oberlin Bass Workshop, Matthew has designed an innovative system of flatback double bass bracing that he calls Responsive Flatback Bracing. We dig into this bracing system, his path into the luthier world, his approach to repair (think doctor/patient relationship), the luthier and client relationship, and much more!

We’re chatting with Katie Thiroux on today’s episode.  Katie’s album Off Beat was named one of Downbeat’s Best Albums of 2017, and she recently completed a three-month stint at Quincy Jones’ Dubai Jazz club. We dig into all kinds of topics, like: growing up in Los Angeles Katie’s favorite Jazz audiences around the world What she does with 6 hours of practicing Advice for those embarking on a music career ..and much more!  This is an engaging conversation with one of Jazz’s great

Micah and I dig into a ton of topics: • Micah’s journey through the music world • What he learned through his four Pittsburgh Symphony auditions • The experience of serving on the PSO core audition committee • Mindset shifts between preliminary rounds and later rounds • What non-bassists hear when they listen to bassists • Negotiating committees, lockouts, and other things you don’t think about when you’re in music school • Advice for Micah’s younger self

BASS2018 Lucca will take place July 31 - August 5, 2018.  Today, we chat with Artistic Directors Gabriele Ragghianti and Alberto Bocini about what to expect at this event.

Lauren Pierce has just released a new course called Practiceology. As the name implies, this is a deep-dive into the hows and whys of practicing. We dig into all kinds of topics with Lauren, like: • Lauren’s recent article about why practice is frustrating • her video digging into warm-up routines • building a practice routine • intentional practice • general practicing techniques • eight killer practice methods • becoming your own teacher

This special 500th episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Golden Gate Bass Camp in San Francisco on June 20, 2018. Conversations and performances from: • Richard Duke, camp director • Michael Manring and Cody Wright • Alex Friedman, The Acoustic Bass Shop • Joe Conyers, Philadelphia Orchestra and Project 440 • Steve Swan, Steve Swan String Basses • Bill Gould, Faith No More • Donovan Stokes, Shenandoah University • Jeff Denson, California Jazz Conservatory

Marek Romanowski and I were housemates during the Bradetich Competition back in the fall of 2017. He and I spent some great nights with our hosts chatting about bass, music, Texas, Poland, and all sorts of other topics. We talk about nerves, how to set yourself up for success in a competition, how competitions relate to auditions, what Marek does the day of a big event, his position with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and much more!

I first met Steve Tramontozzi back in 2000 at the Pacific Music Festival. Steve was our bass coach that summer, and it was a pleasure to work with him on solo playing, orchestral repertoire, and ensembles. Steve is assistant principal bass for the San Francisco Symphony and also teaches bass at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Steve is also one heck of a solo player, and I’ve had several opportunities to see him play here in San Francisco. Steve just released his latest album Walkabout!

Today, we take a look at the state of young bass education.  This episode is based on a recent blog post written after attending the Suzuki Association of the Americas’ 2018 Conference.

Today, we dig into some thoughts that past podcast guest Colin Corner shared about the recent Oregon Symphony Assistant Principal Bass audition. Check out Colin’s most recent interview here, and check out his complete recital from the 2017 Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium here!

Today’s special episode is Mike Forfia's conversation with Victor Wooten.  An edited version of this conversation appeared in the June 2018 edition of Bass World magazine from the International Society of Bassists.  Enjoy, and be sure to join the ISB if you're not a member already!

Today’s special episode is a round table discussion with over two dozen of the world’s top double bass luthiers. This discussion took place at the 2018 Violin Society of America Double Bass Workshop at Oberlin College

I first met Geoff Neuman when I was teaching high school orchestra back in Illinois, and ever since then I’ve admired how Geoff manages to operate at such a high level as a gigging bassist, music educator, and ensemble director. We dig into a wide array of topics like score study, what he has learned on the podium and how it carries over into the bass section, how the Las Vegas music scene has changed over the years, advice for his younger self, and much more!

Joseph McFadden has led a remarkable career in the music world. Joe’s journey from Southern California to his current role as principal bass of the Atlanta Symphony is full of valuable life lessons. We dig into a ton of great topics like bing true to yourself as an artist, what taking a chance really means in an audition setting, dealing with frustration and discouragement, organizing your time to move forward with your career goals, and much more.

491: Lois Robinson on disaster recovery