We’re changing up the podcast format for today’s show and featuring a group of present and former members of the Midwest Young Artists program located on the North Shore of Lake Michigan in metro Chicago. As an educator, I find it very interesting to hear the perspective of younger bassists–what they enjoy about performing, if they’re planning on majoring in music during college, and how they ended up deciding on a particular school for college.Several of these young bassists are my students, and I’ve worked with them all in the Midwest Young Artists program for several years, so it’s a personal pleasure to be a part of their musical education.Learn more about the Midwest Young Artists at their main site or through their podcast (which I host), and you can check out some of the bassists we’re chatting with online through the following links:
- Daniel Chmielinski – www.carsleuth.net
- Dan Bergren – www.wanderingwithpurpose.com
- Ian Hallas – Bottesini Concerto: mvt 1 mvt 2
- Midwest Young Artists podcast
- Midwest Young Artists website
Links:
This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an in-depth analysis of the double bass opera excerpts most commonly requested at auditions. Double bassist (and regular Contrabass Conversations guest and co-host) John Grillo discusses each of these excerpts–stylistic considerations, differences in articulation and bow strokes, and suggestions for effectively learning them–and then performs them. We believe that this project will be a highly valuable resource for bassists worldwide, and we’d love your feedback on this project!