Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

1119: Orchestral Insights with Andy Anderson

In this episode, we sit down with Andy Anderson, the newly appointed Clinical Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With over two decades of experience performing with some of Chicago’s most prestigious ensembles, Andy brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to his teaching role.

Enjoy, and check out Andy’s past podcast appearances here.

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Upton Bass – From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah’s website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here.

920: My recital from the Rabbath Institute Los Angeles (2022)

This episode features a recital that I recorded at the 2022 Rabbath Institute Los Angeles. Enjoy!

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Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

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.

713: Annie Bosler and Trevor Jones

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 Background
7m10s – What do you do with a music degree?
15m40s – Music Major Application Matrix
27m10s – Assessing your performance 
31m42s – Tapering + Audition Strategies
41m18s – Covid-19 Education Strategies

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Contrabass Conversations production team:

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713: Rob Kassinger and Trevor Jones: The Scholarship Roadmap

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

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Contrabass Conversations production team:

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712: Dr. James Day and Trevor Jones: The Scholarship Roadmap

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 background
5m59  – Why should someone major in music?
8m53s – Music in a Liberal Arts setting
11m43s – 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:

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