Contrabass Conversations

Bass and Gender Talk

Megan McDevitt shares her thoughts on why she has been motivated to dig into this topic and also details about the specific audience for this talk on this bonus episode.

She writes:

This talk is very similar to the one I have given at the ISB Convention, College Music Society Convention, and Atlantic Music Festival. In all of those settings, most of the audience was made up of professional musicians and college students. With an audience of people with world (and music world) experience, the discussion seemed to give clarity and understanding to their personal history. Many told me they found it helpful and illuminating.

But, for the Golden Gate Bass Camp version of it, most of the people in the room were high school and even middle school girls. I had considered adapting it, but ultimately made the decision that they needed to hear the truth. For this group, what I seemed to do was bring an ominous dark cloud over their future hopes. It was actually heart-breaking.

You can hear me start to discover this as I muddle through to the end of the talk. At the very end, a young lady asks me "how often" I experience discrimination or micro-aggressions and in the long pause I take before I answer I'm asking myself, "do I tell her the truth and wipe that look of hope from her face? Or do I sugar coat it, only for her to discover it on her own later?" I decided on truth. I'm not sure what the effects of my talk will be on these young women.

At best, they will be informed and prepared to face a world that won't always take them seriously. Or, they may quit the bass because they don't feel equipped to handle the gender dynamics. The latter possibility has bothered me for weeks. But, ultimately, I do think it is better to be over-informed than under-informed. I think I would have had an easier time if I had understood as a teenager some of the things I understand now. Hopefully, this will be true for them. And even more hopefully, maybe the world will have changed enough that their stories will be different.

Thanks for everything you are doing, Megan—you're an inspiration!

Megan McDevitt has been covering a topic that is of critical importance: The Bass and Gender. She presented a session on it at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and she had a session scheduled for the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp as well.

Megan and I dig into femininity, masculinity, and the bass, and a whole variety of topics are covered through this conversational journey. Thank you so much to Megan for enthusiastically covering this topic—I really hope you enjoy this episode and find it valuable food for thought!

Be sure to check out Megan's Bass and Gender slides here, and click here to listen to Megan's session on the topic from the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp.

Be sure to check out Megan's Bass and Gender slides here, and click here to listen to Megan's session on the topic from the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp.

Megan also shares her thoughts on why she has been motivated to dig into this topic and also details about the specific audience for this talk.

She writes:

This talk is very similar to the one I have given at the ISB Convention, College Music Society Convention, and Atlantic Music Festival. In all of those settings, most of the audience was made up of professional musicians and college students. With an audience of people with world (and music world) experience, the discussion seemed to give clarity and understanding to their personal history. Many told me they found it helpful and illuminating.

But, for the Golden Gate Bass Camp version of it, most of the people in the room were high school and even middle school girls. I had considered adapting it, but ultimately made the decision that they needed to hear the truth. For this group, what I seemed to do was bring an ominous dark cloud over their future hopes. It was actually heart-breaking.

You can hear me start to discover this as I muddle through to the end of the talk. At the very end, a young lady asks me "how often" I experience discrimination or micro-aggressions and in the long pause I take before I answer I'm asking myself, "do I tell her the truth and wipe that look of hope from her face? Or do I sugar coat it, only for her to discover it on her own later?" I decided on truth. I'm not sure what the effects of my talk will be on these young women.

At best, they will be informed and prepared to face a world that won't always take them seriously. Or, they may quit the bass because they don't feel equipped to handle the gender dynamics. The latter possibility has bothered me for weeks. But, ultimately, I do think it is better to be over-informed than under-informed. I think I would have had an easier time if I had understood as a teenager some of the things I understand now. Hopefully, this will be true for them. And even more hopefully, maybe the world will have changed enough that their stories will be different.

Thanks for everything you are doing, Megan—you're an inspiration!

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
• Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging

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

Matthew Tucker of Bresque Basses has been innovating in a number of fascinating ways in the world of bass luthiery. A regular attendee of the Violin Society of America / Oberlin Bass Workshop, Matthew has designed an innovative system of flatback double bass bracing that he calls Responsive Flatback Bracing.

We dig into this bracing system, his path into the luthier world, his approach to repair (think doctor/patient relationship), the luthier and client relationship, and much more!

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
• Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging

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

We're chatting with Katie Thiroux on today's episode. Katie's album Off Beat was named one of Downbeat's Best Albums of 2017, and she recently completed a three-month stint at Quincy Jones' Dubai Jazz club.

We dig into all kinds of topics, like:

• growing up in Los Angeles
• Katie's favorite Jazz audiences around the world
• What she does with six hours of practicing
• Advice for those embarking on a music career

..and much more! This is an engaging conversation with one of Jazz's great young artists! Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Katie on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

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.

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, cataloging and archiving

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

Micah Howard has been on my "to interview" list for years. As a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, Micah has had a huge influence on countless bass players (including my good friend Christian Dillingham!). I actually just found a note from 2008 that said "interview Micah Howard" - that's how long I've been hoping to do this!

A few weeks ago, I wrote him an email asking to schedule an interview, only to find that he had emailed me that exact same day to ask if I'd be up for being a clinician at the next Pittsburgh Bass Symposium. We must have been on the same wavelength that day without realizing it!

Micah and I dig into a ton of topics:

• Micah's journey through the music world
• What he learned through his four Pittsburgh Symphony auditions
• The experience of serving on the PSO core audition committee
• Mindset shifts between preliminary rounds and later rounds
• What non-bassists hear when they listen to bassists
• Negotiating committees, lockouts, and other things you don't think about when you're in music school
• Advice for Micah's younger self

This is a great conversation with a person who gives so much to the bass community, and I know you'll love it!

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.

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, cataloging and archiving

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

BASS2018 Lucca will take place July 31 - August 5, 2018. Today, we chat with Artistic Directors Gabriele Ragghianti and Alberto Bocini about what to expect at this event.

I'll be there covering the event and having many conversations for the podcast. We all hope to see you there!

Lauren Pierce has just released a new course called Practiceology. As the name implies, this is a deep-dive into the hows and whys of practicing.

We dig into all kinds of topics with Lauren, like:

• Lauren's recent article about why practice is frustrating
• her video digging into warm-up routines
• building a practice routine
• intentional practice
• general practicing techniques
• eight killer practice methods
• becoming your own teacher

I hope you enjoy this discussion with Lauren on a very important topic!

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!

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

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!

Marek Romanowski and I were housemates during the Bradetich Competition back in the fall of 2017. He and I spent some great nights with our hosts chatting about bass, music, Texas, Poland, and all sorts of other topics.

Ever since the competition, I have become such a fan of his playing. Marek won the Sperger Competition in 2016 and was one of the finalists for the Bradetich Competition in 2017. We also put out an interview and performance excerpt video on YouTube as well as a podcast episode titled Four Bassists that will Change the World.

We talk about nerves, how to set yourself up for success in a competition, how competitions relate to auditions, what Marek does the day of a big event, his position with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and much more!

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.

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, cataloging and archiving

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

I first met Steve Tramontozzi back in 2000 at the Pacific Music Festival. Steve was our bass coach that summer, and it was such a pleasure to work with him on solo playing, orchestral repertoire, and bass ensembles. Steve is assistant principal bass for the San Francisco Symphony and also teaches bass at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Steve is also one heck of a solo player, and I've had several opportunities to see him play here in San Francisco.

Steve just released his latest album Walkabout. This album features pieces for double bass and piano in a variety of styles. It's a super-cool project, and you have to check out the cover for an epic view of Steve with his bass!

We dig into Walkabout, his journey from the East Coast to Brazil, how he found himself in San Francisco, and what it has been like being in the orchestra over the years. Enjoy!

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!