Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

359: Gary Karr on his remarkable journey

I’ve been dreaming about having Gary Karr on Contrabass Conversations ever since starting the show.  We got a chance to sit down and chat during the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and that’s what you’re hearing today.

Gary is the reason that so many of us (myself included) play the bass.  He and I chat about my first experience seeing him perform in Sioux Falls South Dakota.  This had a profound impact on me and is a key reason why I play the bass today.

Gary Karr founded the International Institute for String Bass (IISB) in 1967.  During these early years, he published sixteen issues of Bass Sound Post and two issues of Probas.  He also hosted three international conferences in Madison, Wisconsin.

Seeing Gary at this 50th anniversary convention was a treat for everyone involved.  We saw him in concerts.  He spent time chatting and taking photographs with countless bassists during the week.  Having him at this event was significant for everyone attending.

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358: Orchestra and Opera Excerpts

This is a “best of” episode from three classic Contrabass Conversations episodes. Back in the early days of the podcast, John Grillo and I recorded two episodes that dissected various excerpts. He and I talked through each excerpt and then played a recording of John performing it.

These have been extremely popular resources over the years, but they came out not he podcast ten years ago. With so many episodes of this podcast and so many new listeners to the show, bringing these classic offerings to light is important to me, so I’m planning on doing a few rebroadcasts of this cornerstone content every now and again.

Orchestra Excerpts Covered:

  • Beethoven Symphony No. 9
  • Beethoven Symphony No. 5
  • Brahms Symphony No. 1 and 2
  • Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
  • Mozart Symphony No. 35 and 39
  • Mahler Symphony No. 2
  • Schubert Symphony No. 9
  • Strauss Ein Heldenleben
  • Britten Young Person’s Guide
  • Verdi Otello

Opera Excerpts Covered:

  • Strauss
    • Salome
    • Rosenkavalier
  • Wagner
    • Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
    • Die Walküre
  • Britten
    • Peter Grimes
  • Verdi
    • Otello
    • Rigoletto
    • Falstaff
  • Weber
    • Euryanthe
  • Mozart
    • Magic Flute
    • Marriage of Figaro
  • Beethoven
    • Fidelio
  • Humperdinck
    • Hansel and Gretel

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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!

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