Interview Guests – Page 129

240: Thierry Barbé on expressive music, German bow, and French basses

Thierry Barbé is a man in constant motion.

When he’s not performing as principal bass of the Paris National Opera or teaching at the Paris Conservatory, Thierry can be found in all corners of the globe, performing lesser-known gems from the bass repertoire and giving clinics along the way.

He is a technical synthesizer, pulling from many different schools of playing, even incorporating German bow into his bag of techniques.

Thierry is a pioneer in uniting the European double bass community. He organized the first European Bass Conference in 2008 and started the European Society of Bassists shortly after that.

He also has a new CD/DVD, which are must-haves for any bassist. It’s available from the Triton label and as an MP3 download on Amazon.

Best of all, Thierry is a warm and caring person who brightens the day of anyone he runs into. I had the good fortune to work with him on the International Society of Bassists board a few years ago, and he brought a marvelous energy to the organization.

Check out the full interview using the audio player, and subscribe to the podcast to get interviews delivered to your inbox or device automatically!

Resources we covered in this interview:

Thierry’s website

Thierry’s YouTube channel

French Impressions on Amazon (MP3 download)

order the DVD

French Impressions – CD/DVD on Triton

238: Thomas Martin on Bottesini, gut strings, and the bass revolution

Today’s episode features Thomas Martin. Tom has worn many hats throughout his career, working as an orchestra principal bass, soloist, champion of Bottesini’s music, luthier, teacher, and conductor. We cover a wide variety of topics, including Tom’s early years, playing in the Army Orchestra, studying with Roger Scott, the process of uncovering the music of Bottesini and reconstructing how Bottesini approached the instrument, making basses, and the bass revolution that’s currently taking place. Enjoy!

Links:

Tom’s website
Tom’s Bottesini recordings:

Listener feedback links:

Cassie LaMarche’s GoFundMe for BASS2016
Music Podcasts I’ve been Enjoying:

236: Matthew McDonald on resonance, bow distribution, and mindset

Berlin Philharmonic principal bassist Matthew McDonald is today’s featured guest!

Today’s episode features Berlin Philharmonic principal bassist Matthew McDonald. Originally from Australia, Matthew joined the Philharmonic in 2008 after spending time in orchestras in Denmark and Germany. We cover bow distribution, resonance, the performers mindset, practicing, advice for students, and several other topics.

We also feature excerpts of Matthew performing pieces by Hindemith, Bruch, Bottesini, and Koussevitzky. Check out these complete recordings and more on Matthew’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Tracks featured:

234: Justin Locke returns!

Management coach, speaker, author, and playwright Justin Locke

Today’s episode is a “round two” with Justin Locke. After playing double bass for many years with the Boston Pops, Justin is now a management coach, speaker, author, and playwright.

We talk about many concepts, including the Toyota Lean Manufacturing system and how it relates to the Simandl technique, crazy stories from the Boston Pops, arts education, lessons from the music world that can be applied to the corporate world, workflow and timing, the “Mozart in the Jungle” effect that Justin has experienced, and his latest book that explores the physics of emotional energy.

Check out the original interview from nearly a decade ago here.

Books mentioned:

232: Jory Herman on community engagement, balance, and resonant churches

San Diego Symphony bassist Jory Herman is today’s guest!

Today’s episode features Jory Herman, who is a member of the San Diego Symphony bass section and has just released his second solo album titled Life. In addition to playing in the San Diego Symphony, Jory is actively involved in community engagement in the San Diego area. He has recently become Director of Community Engagement with Art of Elan and is an active teacher and clinician.

We talk about his early years in music, studying bass with Paul Ellison at Rice University, and his time playing in the New World Symphony, where he got bitten by the community engagement bug. We also discuss the recording of both his previous album of Bach Cello Suites and his most recent album, as well as what it’s like to continue to develop as a player and a person after landing an orchestra job. Enjoy!

Links: