Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

357: Top 10 Gig Dos and Don’ts

This listener-generated episode came from a question posed on Facebook in our Contrabass Conversations Community group.

You can view the original thread and add your own thoughts.  Also, be sure to join this Facebook group if you haven’t already!

Top 10 Gig Dos

  1. Leave at a time that would make you 45 minutes to an hour early given typical traffic. (Brandon Mason)
  2. Bring extra strings. You’ll probably never need it, but if you do there’s no other alternative. (Paul Cannon)
  3. Be a good communicator. Respond to emails/phone calls in a timely manner. Personnel managers will love you. (Mike White)
  4. Do take a moment to really feel thankful for any gig you have been offered and for the hard work you did that got you to this point. This will put you in a good mindset and help to set you up for success. (Heather Miller Lardin)
  5. Nail the part every gig. (Jeremy Baguyos)
  6. Be Prepared. Be Punctual. Be Polite. (Peter Tambroni)
  7. Treat every gig with the same level of respect, ask all of your questions before you say yes, have a great time and make sure everyone knows you had a great time. (Douglas Mapp)
  8. Listen to everyone playing, including yourself. (Eugene Ciccone)
  9. Do follow the ‘chain of command’ – if you’re playing with a section and have a question, ask the the next bassist or principal bassist.(Peter Tambroni)
  10. If you are asked for recommendations, always mention the best you know. Recommending lesser players to make yourself look good will usually backfire for obvious reasons. (Ron Wasserman)

Top 10 Gig Don’ts

  1. Don’t complain about the gig. You agreed to it. (Adam Booker)
  2. Don’t show up late to rehearsal with a cup of coffee in your hand. (Jerry Fuller)
  3. Don’t show off. Don’t play all of your flashiest riffs during setup and between songs to try to impress people. (Nathan Elmer Ives)
  4. Don’t be a drag. (Douglas Mapp)
  5. Don’t turn down a gig you already agreed to in order to do a “better” gig. (Conrad Cornelison)
  6. Don’t ever believe that there are other things that can compensate for not nailing the part. (Jeremy Baguyos)
  7. Don’t just raise your hand and ask the conductor questions. (Peter Tambroni)
  8. Don’t take a gig you don’t want (if you can afford that, of course; I know not everyone can). (Chantal Incandela)
  9. Don’t tell the contractor you will get back to them as to whether you can make it, and then when you realize you can’t make it, neglect to get back to them.(Ron Wasserman)
  10. Do not ask questions that show how “smart” you are. (Douglas Mapp)

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356: James VanDemark on boxing, projection, and 40 years of teaching at Eastman

James VanDemark just celebrated his 40th year of teaching at the Eastman School of Music. His students have held positions with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minnesota, San Francisco, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the orchestras of Syracuse, Buffalo and Wichita.

We dig into many topics, including:

  • boxing and what it has done for James as well as his students
  • the experience of being a principal bassist of a professional orchestra at 17
  • how he came to join the Eastman faculty in his early 20s
  • studying with cellists like Paul Katz and Leonard Rose
  • learning how to play for a bigger hall – lessons learned from Leonard Rose
  • learning how to vary sound and color to blend in or to project out

There’s also a great feature on Backstage Pass from Classical 91.5 celebrating James and his 40 years at Eastman.

Thanks to our sponsors!

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance.

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

Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!

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355: Tom Mendel on Hamilton, pedal boards, and finding joy in playing

Tom Mendel is currently playing bass for the Chicago production of Hamilton.  He has performed on over 100 musical theater productions like Wicked, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, and Book of Mormon.  Tom is also the President Emeritus of the Theatre Musicians Association.

We also cover the gear that Tom is using for Hamilton.

Tom uses most of the same gear that Richard Hammond is using for the New York production of Hamilton:

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354: Derek Jones on Cirque du Soleil, gear, and being fearless

Derek Jones is the bassist for Cirque du Soleil’s show KÀ. He joined Cirque after spending time playing with Chris Thile and Nickel Creek and then with Jerry Douglas, and he has played over 5,200 performances of this show at this point.

We dig into topics like:

  • challenges of dealing with the low humidity in Las Vegas
  • Derek’s unexpected chance to see Gary Karr play live in Las Vegas recently
  • his 12 1/2 years on the Cirque show
  • why it’s better to cut frequencies than boost
  • growing up in the Bay Area and getting his break on the salsa music scene
  • the decision to move to Nashville
  • the three ways to experience a culture (language, food, music)

…and much more!

You can get Derek’s albums Run With Me and Dusk ’til Dawn in hi res audio from Blue Coast Records!

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