Contrabass Conversations

Brandi Disterheft's latest album Surfboard, featuring tenor sax legend George Coleman and Brazilian drummer Portinho, has been turning a lot of heads since its release. The project gestated in Disterheft's decade-long musical relationship with Portinho, whom she met through Mueller soon after she moved to New York from Canada in 2010 to study with Ron Carter.

We talk about this new album, what it was like growing up in Vancouver, her musical family, and how that shaped her career, long bus rides from Toronto to study with Ron Carter, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Surfboard and also follow Brandi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

Originally from Australia, Jeremy Watt spent 16 years freelancing through the UK and Europe, including stints as guest principal in Spanish, Norwegian and UK orchestras. Jeremy worked extensively with the UK's finest ensembles, including the Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestras. In 2018, Jeremy obtained a permanent position with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

During the pandemic, Jeremy carved out time from his frenetic schedule of pandemic-induced childcare to record himself playing all the parts of Colin Brumby's Suite for Four Basses. This turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying musical outlet for him.

We talk about this pandemic project, Jeremy's background, the twists and turns of his career, what it's like auditioning after 16 years of freelancing, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Jeremy's website and his recording of the Brumby Suite!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Kris Funn is part of the jazz faculty at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins. Kris released his first debut album, Cornerstore, in 2017, and he is an active performer internationally and in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.

We dig into all kinds of topics, like what Baltimore is like (and if HBO's show The Wire captured the city's essence!), Kris' upbringing and musical background, the art and writing he has begun to create during the pandemic, stories from the road, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to follow Kris on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

Bobby Scharmann has been making cool YouTube videos since the pandemic broke out, and a recent one titled Specialization vs. Diversification prompted me to get in touch with him about doing an interview. We talk about how he is putting together his videos, finding topics to cover, leveling up in terms of skill with each video, life as a gigging musician in Omaha, and also about specialization and the benefits and pitfalls.

Be sure to check out Bobby's YouTube Channel and also follow him on Instagram!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

This is an off-the-cuff and laid-back conversation with my friend and fellow podcaster James Newcomb all about what goes on behind the scenes of a podcast. We get into the business of podcasting, nuts and bolts of approaching content, mindset, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out James' podcast Musicpreneur!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

Short Stories, Alison Rayner's latest album with her quintet, has been getting critical acclaim in the UK and worldwide. In this interview, we dig into Alison's journey through the music world, how the pandemic has affected the quintet's plans, what it has been like to play gigs again after so any months, what the British jazz scene is like and how it has changed over the years, her London partnership Blow the Fuse, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Alison's website and follow her on YouTube and Facebook!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

San Francisco Symphony principal bassist and San Francisco Conservatory bass faculty member Scott Pingel had a unique opportunity in 2019 to play a Cliff Burton tribute solo in front of two packed houses with Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony. Scott and I sat down in the fall of 2019 to talk about this project, the cool backstory behind it, going to play for Metallica and the band's staff to demo his idea, and much more.

This interview was the bassist for the cover story for the fall 2020 edition of Bass World, the journal of the International Society of Bassists. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Scott on Instagram!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

Mike Bullock is a composer, improviser, visual artist, and writer based in Western Massachusetts. Mike has been performing since the mid 90s at venues across the US and in Europe, including Fylkingen in Stockholm, Sweden; Instants Chavirés in Paris; Café OTO in London; Experimental Intermedia and ISSUE Project Room in New York City; The Philadelphia Museum of Art; and EMPAC in Troy, NY. In June 2015, Bullock received a Performance Grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage.

We talk about his early years, how he discovered his creative calling, the concept of self-idiomatic music, how Covid has impacted his plans, the western Massachusetts creative music scene, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Mike's website and bandcamp page and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

Luke Stewart is a DC/NYC-based musician and organizer of important musical presentations and has a strong presence in the national and international Improvised Music community. He was profiled in the Washington Post in early 2017 as "holding down the jazz scene," selected as "Best Musical Omnivore" in the Washington City Paper's 2017 "Best of DC," chosen as "Jazz Artist of the Year" for 2017 in the District Now, and in the 2014 People Issue of the Washington City Paper as a "Jazz Revolutionary," citing his multifaceted cultural activities throughout DC.

We talk about his upbringing in Mississippi, the DC music scene, how Covid has affected aspects of this scene, his personal goals moving forward, working in broadcasting, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Luke on Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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

Daniel Spreadbury is the Product Marketing Manager for Steinberg's professional scoring application Dorico. Before joining Steinberg, Daniel and many members of the Dorico team worked for many years on the Sibelius music notation software.

We discuss the innovative approach Dorico takes to user interface, how Adobe Lightroom influenced the initial development of Dorico, lessons learned from legacy products like Sibelius and Finale, and much more.

Enjoy, and pick up a free version of Dorico SE to experiment with all the interface and design concepts that we dig into here!

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

Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.

Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about.

Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.

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
• theme music by Eric Hochberg

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