• DBHQ
  • About
  • Episodes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

895: Richard Duke on bass camps

Richard Duke is the director for the Golden Gate Bass Camp and the San Francisco Winter Bass Bash.  In this episode, we talk about Richard’s early years in music, moving from Alaska to California to study at UC-Santa Cruz, our shared time at Northwestern University in the late 1990s, the Bay Area music scene, how Richard got involved with the bass camp, and what it has been like since taking over as director a decade ago.

Enjoy, and you can learn more about the bass camp here (now accepting applications!).  Also, be sure to give Richard a follow on Instagram!

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

Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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.

Dorico – Dorico 4 is here to supercharge your workflow. Steinberg’s latest major version of music notation and composition software for macOS & Windows is packed with powerful new features that are designed to accelerate your workflow and make it quicker and easier than ever to go from inspiration to finished product. If you’re a composer, arranger or orchestrator, you’ll be delighted by the sophisticated new tools on offer – and there are improvements across the whole application, whatever your focus. For more information and to download a free 30-day trial  of Dorico 4 visit steinberg.net/dorico.

  • theme music by Eric Hochberg
https://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/Richard_Duke_mixdown.mp3

500: Live from San Francisco!

This special 500th episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Golden Gate Bass Camp in San Francisco on June 20, 2018.

It features conversations and performances from the following people:

  • Richard Duke, camp director
  • Michael Manring and Cody Wright
  • Alex Friedman, The Acoustic Bass Shop
  • Joe Conyers, Philadelphia Orchestra and Project 440
  • Steve Swan, Steve Swan String Basses
  • Bill Gould, Faith No More
  • Donovan Stokes, Shenandoah University
  • Jeff Denson, California Jazz Conservatory

Check out the video version on YouTube here!

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

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Robertson & Sons Violins

For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.

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.

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.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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

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

http://traffic.libsyn.com/contrabassconversations/500th20episode.mp3
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

Copyright © 2026 · Maron Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in