Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

744: Networked Music Performance with Michael Dessen, Mark Dresser, and Jan Stoltenberg

When Gary Karr reached out to me asking about a piece of software named JackTrip, I was determined to learn more about it and share my findings with the bass community.  I soon found myself on the Networked Music Performance Resources page of UV Irvine professor Michael Dessen,  and soon thereafter I found myself on a call with Michael and his longtime collaborator Mark Dresser.

I also found myself going through the excellent JackTrip tutorial laid out on the YouTube Channel of Jan Stoltenberg, a graduate student at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics.  Jan is an enthusiast of spatial audio and has several cool projects that he is working on which are featured here and also on his YouTube Channel.

This episode first features Michael and Mark talking about their experiences with telematic performance, big picture concepts about latency (also explained by Christian McBride in this excellent NPR video), and how this kind of connectivity opens up a whole new world of possibilities.  We then feature my conversation with Jan Stoltenberg about his experiences with JackTrip, spatial audio, and thoughts on the future of telematic performance.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out the JackTrip website for more information about this rapidly evolving open source product!

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma – The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free – this gives you an idea of what it’s all about. 

Modacity – Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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743: Do We Need Music School with Jason Haaheim

Jason Haaheim, principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, joins us again on this episode to dig into one specific topic:

What’s the value of music school?

Instead of going to music school, Jason worked for 10 years as an engineer and researcher for a Chicago-based nanotechnology startup.  During this time, he used principles of deliberate practice to continue improving, eventually winning the audition for his current position with the MET.

If he didn’t need to go to music school to make it to the top of the profession, does anybody?  It’s not an easy question, and there’s not an easy answer, but it’s a topic that is worth considering, and I hope you find it valuable.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Jason’s website for more about his musical journey plus information about his next upcoming Deliberate Practice Bootcamp Online.

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma – The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free – this gives you an idea of what it’s all about. 

Modacity – Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

742: An Impossible Choice with Zach Finkelstein and Dana Lynne Varga

Zach Finkelstein and Dana Lynne Varga turned a lot of heads earlier this year with their co-authored article An Impossible Choice: Music Majors, COVID-19, and an Uncertain Future.

We dig into this complicated topic, plus the unique challenges vocalists face in their career, the concept of a correlating career, the pitfalls of Young Artist Programs, and much more. 

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Dana’s site The Empowered Musician, Zach’s site The Middleclass Artist, plus check out Zach’s latest album and MassOpera, which Dana co-directs.

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma – The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free – this gives you an idea of what it’s all about. 

Modacity – Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

741: Derrick Hodge on Color of Noize

Derrick Hodge’s latest Blue Note solo album Color of Noize is incredible and is the latest chapter in his multifaceted artistic life.  Since releasing the album, which was co-produced by Don Was, it’s his first album to feature a live band throughout.

We cover a wide range of topics, including his creative approach to his Color of Noize Instagram Live Sunday Sessions, the thoughtful interview he did recently with Mitch Joel for No Treble, capturing ideas and how that process has evolved, why his Temple University schooling was so important to his artistic development, and much more.  Derrick also answers several questions submitted by podcast listeners, and his warmth and spirit radiate throughout the entire conversation.

Be sure to pick up Color of Noize, visit Derrick’s website, and follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma – The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free – this gives you an idea of what it’s all about. 

Modacity – Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

740: Linda May Han Oh on her artistic journey

Linda May Han Oh’s 2019 album Aventurine on Biophilia Records recently received the award “Best New Work – Jazz” from Art Music Awards, and it’s the latest in a series of wide-ranging projects from this innovative artist.  Linda recently relocated to her hometown of Perth, Australia, and she is teaching full-time for the Berklee College of Music.

We talk about the pandemic, travels to Australia, the unique Biopholio™ physical medium, composing, and much more.  Enjoy, and be sure to check out  Aventurine and her website and follow her on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram!

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma – The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free – this gives you an idea of what it’s all about. 

Modacity – Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!