Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

715: Sam Morel on bass making

Today we’re featuring Sam Morel, a French double bass luthier who has recently taken a job at David Gage String Instruments.  Sam won a Silver Medal for Tone at the 2019 International Society of Bassists Convention and a Certificate of Merit at the 2018 Violin Society of America Competition.

We talk about the various basses he has built, how life has been for him during the pandemic, working with Patrick Charton, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to follow Sam on Facebook and Instagram!

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Contrabass Conversations production team:

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714: Stephen P. Brown on flipping your approach

We’re chatting with conductor and career development coach Stephen P. Brown today.  Stephen appeared on the podcast in 2019, and we dig into developing your career during the pandemic, what holds so many musicians back, what life is looking like for Stephen at the present moment, and much more.

Follow along with Stephen on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to check out his podcast Classic Jabber!

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Contrabass Conversations production team:

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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

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

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

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

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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