Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

1158: Neal Miner on Juzeks, Golden Spirals, and the Art of Playing Bass Melodies


New York City jazz bassist Neal Miner joins the podcast to talk about his new book of original bass-feature compositions, an 11-song collection designed for students and professionals to use in ensemble settings.

Neal shares how longtime collaborator Chris Byars encouraged the project, how the book grew into play-alongs and a My Music Masterclass, and how his work as a bassist, teacher, composer, and documentary filmmaker all connect through a patient “chip away” creative process.

We dig into Neal’s love of bass melodies, contrafacts, gut strings, his longtime Juzek bass, Golden Spiral strings, DPA mic setup, recording acoustic bass, and the realities of playing unfamiliar instruments on the road. Neal also talks about his YouTube documentaries, his trio album Invisibility on Cellar Music, and life as an active New York jazz musician.

Enjoy, and learn more at Neal’s website, follow him on Instagram, and check out his work on YouTube! Be sure also to check out Neal’s excellent appearance on Discover Double Bass.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg

1157: Kathryn Schulmeister on Imagining Hands

Kathryn Schulmeister joins the podcast to talk about Imagining Hands, her debut solo album on Protomaterial Records. A bassist, improviser, composer, and University of Wisconsin faculty member, Kathryn brings together contemporary music, storytelling, extended technique, and deeply personal experience in a project shaped by her time at UC San Diego, her work with Mark Dresser, and the narrative world of Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ Women Who Run With the Wolves.

We dig into the album’s connection to The Handless Maiden, the thread-and-tabletop bass techniques behind “Underground Forest,” the prepared-bass sounds of “Harrowing,” the role of injury and recovery in “Silver Hands,” and how contemporary music can expand what bassists imagine is possible on the instrument. Kathryn also reflects on growing up in Hawaii, discovering contemporary improvisation at New England Conservatory, studying at McGill and UCSD, working with ELISION Ensemble in Australia, and why classical, experimental, and improvisational practices can strengthen each other.

Enjoy, and follow Kathryn on her website and Instagram, and listen to Imagining Hands on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music!

Thank you to our sponsor!

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg

1156: SoJung Kim’s journey from Korea to the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra

SoJung Kim joins the podcast to share her journey from discovering the double bass in Korea to joining the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. A graduate student at the Colburn Conservatory studying with Peter Lloyd, SoJung has performed with the One Korea Youth Orchestra and Orchestra Ensemble Seoul, spent summers at the Pacific Music Festival and Music Academy of the West, and first came to the instrument after hearing the deep resonance of a bass ensemble at her cousin’s concert.

We talk about SoJung’s move from solo repertoire into the world of orchestral excerpts, the wake-up call of studying alongside highly prepared Colburn colleagues, and the practice routines that helped her prepare for a massive San Francisco Opera and Ballet audition list. She shares why long tones and glissando work became central to her warm-up, how recording lessons and asking for feedback shaped her preparation, and what she has learned from playing Nutcracker and other ballet repertoire night after night. Enjoy, and check out the video version of this podcast here.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg

1155: Orion Miller on preparation, structure, and trusting the process

?Orion Miller? joins the podcast to talk about his path from growing up in New York City to joining the ?San Francisco Symphony? bass section. Orion studied at the ?Shepherd School of Music at Rice University? with Tim Pitts and spent formative summers at places like ?Tanglewood?, ?Music Academy of the West?, and ?Aspen Music Festival?.

We dig into Orion’s audition journey, including getting cut from the San Francisco Symphony preliminaries, rethinking how he prepared, and eventually winning the job after a trial week.

Orion shares the practice system that changed everything for him, from 25% tempo work and Galamian-style rhythms to mock auditions, detailed listening, score study, and learning to trust the process. We also talk about focus, phone distraction, sustainable preparation, life in the SFS bass section, and his advice to young bassists.

Listen, watch, and read this conversation in ?full audio and HD video on Double Bass HQ?.

1154: Dominik Wagner on teaching, competitions, and finding your sound

Dominik Wagner returns to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation recorded during his visit to San Francisco for the 2026 Golden Gate Bass Camp. A prizewinner for many major solo competitions, Dominik has built an extraordinary career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and pedagogue, with albums including Giovanni Bottesini – Revolution of Bass, Chapters – A Double Bass Story, and Double Bass Rhapsody. He currently teaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and his work continues to expand what is possible on the double bass.

We dig into Dominik’s daily “musical hygiene,” his thoughts on posture, motion, sound, vibrato, setup, great instruments and bows, and how teaching keeps pushing his own playing forward. Dominik also shares what he looks for in students, how he thinks about auditions and the German-speaking orchestral world, why competitions should reward compelling soloists and creative programming, and how the bass community can keep evolving while honoring tradition. Follow Dominik on Instagram, YouTube, and his website, and experience this conversation in full audio and HD video on Double Bass HQ.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg