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Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

555: Recital Preparation

Today’s episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of recital preparation:

  • Sam Suggs – James Madison University
  • Diego Zecharies – Galicia Symphony Orchestra principal solo bass
  • David Grossman – New York Philharmonic 
  • Marek Romanowski – Polish soloist and teacher
  • Jack Unzicker – University of Texas at Arlington

Listen to more “best of” episodes at contrabassconversations.com/highlights.

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

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

The Bass Violin Shop

The Bass Violin Shop 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!

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

Steve Swan String Bass

Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada.  Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor.

Kolstein Music

The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

  • Jason Heath, host
  • Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing
  • Mitch Moehring, audio engineer
  • Trevor Jones, publication and promotion
  • Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging

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

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/Recital20Preparation.mp3

230: Taking the Podcast to the Next Level

Here are my “top secret” plans for the podcast!

Jason and Courtney

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/CBC_230_-_Taking_the_Podcast_to_the_Next_Level.mp3

229: BASS2016 Prague European Biennial Double Bass Congress Preview

Today’s episode features a conversation with Ursula Dieterich-Pedersen, who is organizing the 5th European Biennial Double Bass Congress, which will be taking place in Prague this September 20-25. Ursula and I got a chance to talk recently about some of the details for the event. You can find all the details for this event at bass2016.eu.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/CBC_229_-_BASS2016_Prague_Preview.mp3

Crazy Gig Stories!

Story TimeWe are featuring a series of crazy gig stories that I had recorded in the first phase of the podcast. I had a total blast doing these back in the day and hope to do more of these in the near future.

You’ll be hearing four of my own stories on this episode:

  • My Car Caught Fire and Exploded
  • Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy
  • Annoying Conductors 101
  • Auditioning is a Rotten Pastime

The last story is from podcast guest David Cardon, a fellow bassist from my time at Northwestern University. He’s a cool guy and incredibly funny, and I think that you’ll really enjoy this tale from him!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/Crazy_Gig_Stories.mp3

178: Useful Music Apps

Jason demonstrates the MIDI Fighter at the 2015 Illinois ASTA Teacher Enrichment Workshop

Jason demonstrates the MIDI Fighter at the 2015 Illinois ASTA Teacher Enrichment Workshop

Today’s episode is a bit of a departure from the norm for us. This is a recording of a talk I did for the Illinois American String Teachers Association’s Fall Teacher Enrichment Workshop in October of 2015.  I have been involved with this organization for many years and am their current state chapter president.  I have done presentations like this many times in the past (you can find them in the archives of Contrabass Conversations).  I cover all sorts of music apps for iOS and Android that I use in my own practicing and teaching, and I think that listeners will discover some useful tools by listening to this presentation.

I recorded this talk on my iPad, and I actually use the iPad for a few parts of the talk, so you will hear some audio strangeness from time to time as I pick up and manipulate the iPad. I also demo a device called the MIDI Fighter using a piece of software called Ableton Live, and again, you’ll hear me kind of banging away at this device as I talk, so that’s what’s going on at the end of the talk.

Here’s a link to a video of the MIDI Fighter in action–it’s an interesting device!

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/CBC_178__Useful_Music_Apps.mp3
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