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 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!
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!