Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

686: Dennis Whittaker on Incredibly Useful Exercises

Houston Grand Opera principal bassist and University of Houston bass faculty Dennis Whittaker recently launched a YouTube Channel called Incredibly Useful Exercises.

Dennis has 45 of his favorite exercises that he is putting on YouTube and also into a series of 16 volumes plus an appendix.  He rates each exercise on a scale of 1-5 for the following attributes:

  • Control
  • Mindfulness
  • Expression
  • Power
  • Velocity
  • Coordination
  • Endurance

We dig into his inspiration for the project, efficiency and mindfulness in practicing, and much more.  Enjoy!

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I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: 

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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685: Barry Lieberman on retirement and bass legends

After 30 years at the University of Washington, Barry Lieberman is retiring.  I’ve had Barry on the podcast several times in the past, and we had an engaging chat about the hefty list of bass players that he has brought to the university for his Barry Lieberman and Friends series.

We also chatted about a wide variety of videos and artists, including:

This episode was recorded on March 10, 2020, and I congratulate Barry on his accomplishment!

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

I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: 

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

684: Kieran Hanlon on Bass Fest and Eccles

I had a great time having Kieran Hanlon back on the podcast. In this episode, recorded on February 20, we talk about the Fredonia Bass Fest, which had recently wrapped up and which had past podcast guests Danny Ziemann and Lauren Pierce as guest artists.

We also dig into Kieran’s new trio edition (bass, guitar, cello) of the Eccles Sonata, the interesting self-care topic that came up at the Bass Fest, and more.  Enjoy!

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

I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: 

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

683: Valentina Ciardelli on arranging

It was great to have Valentina Ciardelli back on the podcast to talk about all the new developments in her career.  In this episode, recorded on February 20, we dig into her new arrangements, including Zappa, Stravinsky, and her new arrangement of ‘Nei Cieli Bigi’ from La Bohème for cello and bass.  We also talk about Music Academy International and other topics.

Valentina is currently offering Skype lessons for bassists worldwide, so be sure to reach out to her if you’d like to study with this inspiring artist!  Also, she is now selling the following two arrangements online:

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

I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: 

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

682: Lizzie Burns on chamber music and community engagement

It was a pleasure chatting with Lizzie Burns about the fascinating career that she has carved out for herself in the music world.  

New York City based bass player Lizzie Burns specializes in small ensemble repertoire and solo works of the 20th and 21st centuries. Lizzie is a recent alum of the Carnegie Hall based fellowship program Ensemble Connect, during which she cultivated audience engagement skills on and off stage as well as in public school classrooms and community settings.

As a roster musician of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble in Residence, she is able to continue that work alongside her extraordinary colleagues. She feels very lucky to travel the world and regularly perform with ensembles such as The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, The Knights, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as well as perform new works and collaborate with composers alongside the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Lizzie’s musical life started in rock and fusion bands, and she currently enjoys employing her rhythm section chops in the musical theater world. She was the bass player for “Moby Dick” and “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” at Boston’s American Repertory Theater, and in 2016-17 she could be found regularly at Broadway’s Imperial Theater in the onstage band for Great Comet. Lizzie pursued her higher education in Boston both at the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University where she studied with Don Palma and Ed Barker respectively.

We talk about her path toward music school, how Don Palma inspired her to head down the path that she’s now on, advice for people looking to explore a career in chamber music, and much more. 

We chatted on February 25h for the podcast, and much has changed in the world in the intervening weeks, but I hope that you enjoy taking your mind off of these concerning times with this engaging and thoughtful conversation with Lizzie! 

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

I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: 

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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