Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

323: Daniel Kimbro on newgrass, crazy venues, and life on the road

I had a great time chatting with Daniel Kimbro for today’s episode. Daniel is a member of the Jerry Douglas Band and regularly collaborates with Martin Harley. His bio is a who’s who in the world of traditional music.

We cover a wide array of topics, including:

  • growing up in East Tennessee in a very musical family
  • his family bluegrass band playing venues like Cumberland Gap and Horton Store
  • some of the wackiest small venues he’s played (including a place with tanning beds and a hot dog bar)
  • how Daniel got from playing taking bed parlors to Telluride
  • Edgar Meyer being in the audience for his first gig with the Jerry Douglas Band
  • the gear that Daniel uses
  • the advantages of using the Chadwick folding bass while on the road
  • what Daniel likes about being on the road

We also dig into other newgrass players that Daniel digs:

It was great chatting with Daniel, and I can’t wait to see how his career continues to evolve!

Links to check out:

Thanks to our sponsor!

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets.

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

 

319: Andrew Hitz on hard work and blue ocean strategy

Andrew Hitz and I go way back.  Not only did we both attend Northwestern University together, but we actually lived in the same arts dorm!  In fact, I remember Andrew playing tuba in the great room for performance night.

We reconnected last year when I discovered his wonderful podcast The Entrepreneurial Musician.  He had me on as a guest in the fall, and I’m thrilled to have him on my podcast today!

We dig into topics like:

  • blue versus red ocean strategy and how we’re trained as classical musicians to live in red oceans
  • ways you can stand out in a noisy field
  • concepts from James Altucher
  • the best time to start a project.. and the second-best time
  • how so many people seem to be waiting around for people to become more educated and suddenly fall in love with classical music again
  • the crazy hard work that is behind every seemingly overnight success
  • lessons learned from shared podcast guests: Ranaan Meyer and Peter Seymour
  • Seth Godin – Andrew’s spirit animal

…and much more!

Links to Check Out:

More about Andrew:

Andrew Hitz is an internationally renowned soloist, clinician and speaker having appeared in over 40 states and 30 countries including Japan, Brazil, Russia and Singapore. He recently ended a 14 year tenure as the tuba player for Boston Brass. Andrew has also appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound and the Marine Band of Mexico.
Andrew currently teaches tuba and euphonium at George Mason University and Gettysburg College. As an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments, he appears all over the world as both a teacher and performer. Andrew has presented at over 20 state music educator conferences and taught master classes at some of the finest music schools in the world including Juilliard, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. He has also spoken about entrepreneurship and music business at many colleges and universities including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina, where he appeared as a thought leader specializing in marketing and social media at The Savvy Musician In Action Retreat.

Andrew hosts two podcasts through his latest venture, Pedal Note Media, a digital media company founded with former Boston Brass colleague Lance LaDuke. Pedal Note Media provides products and programs to educate, entertain and inspire music teachers, players and fans.. “The Brass Junkies” is a podcast interviewing the best brass players in the world on everything from the serious to the ridiculous, just like the music business. Previous guests have included Joe Alessi, Carol Jantsch and Marty Hackleman. The other is “The Entrepreneurial Musician” which features interviews with some of the most successful people in the music business. Previous guests on TEM have included David Cutler of The Savvy Musician, Ranaan Meyer of Time for Three and Gavin Chuck & Michael Clayville of Alarm Will Sound. Both podcasts are available through iTunes or streamable through the Pedal Note Media website.

Andrew is also the author of “A Band Director’s Guide To Everything Tuba: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts” which features interviews with Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and others. The second volume, “A Band Director’s Guide to Everything Trombone: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts”, features interviews with Joe Alessi, Harry Watters, Ralph Sauer and others and is available now.

Thanks to our sponsor!

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets.

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