double bass podcast
Today’s special episode is Mike Forfia‘s conversation with Victor Wooten. An edited version of this conversation appeared in the June 2018 edition of Bass World magazine from the International Society of Bassists. Enjoy, and be sure to join the ISB if you’re not a member already!
I first met Geoff Neuman when I was teaching high school orchestra back in Illinois, and ever since then I’ve admired how Geoff manages to operate at such a high level as a gigging bassist, music educator, and ensemble director.
Geoff is up to so many things in the music world:
Geoff is a great friend, and great guy, and one heck of a bassist and teacher! We dig into a wide array of topics like score study, what he has learned on the podium and how it carries over into the bass section, how the Las Vegas music scene has changed over the years, advice for his younger self, and much more!
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.
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.
This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Joseph McFadden has led a remarkable career in the music world. Joe’s journey from Southern California to his current role as principal bass of the Atlanta Symphony is full of valuable life lessons. We dig into a ton of great topics like bing true to yourself as an artist, what taking a chance really means in an audition setting, dealing with frustration and discouragement, organizing your time to move forward with your career goals, and much more.
Joe is a great guy and one heck of a bass player, and it was such a pleasure to have him on the podcast for this episode!
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.
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.
This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
When Mitch Moehring, one of our producers for the show, recommended that I get in touch with Lois Robinson for an interview, I had a weird sense of deja vu…. I knew that name from somewhere in my past.
After reading a few emails, I realized that Lois and I go way back. In fact, she was the Executive Director of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago back the I was a member in the late 1990s. I even think that we played a gig or two in the Elgin Symphony as well!
In addition to being a bass player, Lois has a remarkable talent: bringing orchestras back from the brink of disaster.
Lois was hired as Executive Director of the Shreveport Symphony following a crippling two year strike by the orchestra. The financial situation of this orchestra was complicated by the loss of the orchestra’s tax exempt status!
After coping with the immediate crises, Lois and her team successfully restructured Fundraising and Marketing activities and increased annual revenue by approximately 50% overall from 2011 to 2015. They’ve achieved an operating surplus for the last two fiscal years, and negotiated the first three year CBA with the musicians since the 1990’s.
Learn about the remarkable transformation that Lois spearheaded fro the Shreveport Symphony, her experiences working at the Louisiana Philharmonic right after Hurricane Katrina, her background as a bassist and a lawyer, and much more in this great conversation!
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.
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.
This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Thomas Zera has undertaken a fascinating project these past couple of years: play in the bass section of many of the United States’ major orchestras and learn the differences between how these sections approach their craft. For this project, Tom performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Oregon Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, and many others.
Tom and I dig into pizzicato placement, use of vibrato, how different halls influence the bass section, what bass sections sounds like out in the hall, and much more!
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.
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.
This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
Contrabass Conversations production team:
Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
