Playing outside of Aspen's Paradise Bakery was both a low-stakes and high-stakes affair for Louis Levitt and his friends.

Low-stakes because... well, it was playing outside of a bakery.

High-stakes because folks like David Zinman, Gil Shaham, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg were walking by constantly.

Louis was on the orchestral path that so many of us take.  But along the way, Louis started to ask "what if?"

What if it was possible to make a career as a chamber music double bassist?

Our story today in three parts:

• Part I - the idea

• Part II - the struggle

• Part III - the lesson

Follow along with Louis and the rest of Sybarite5 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and look for their new album Outliers soon!  Check out the excellent tracks that we featured from Sybarite5 and much more on Spotify.

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

The 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.

The Bass Violin Shop, which  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!

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