Contrabass Conversations

Dennis Whittaker has had a fascinating journey through the music world.

After his studies in music education at Baylor University and a masters degree with Jeff Bradetich at Northwestern University, Dennis found himself teaching middle and high school orchestra in Texas.

After seven years of teaching in the Waco and Houston public schools, a series of events occurred that propelled him into the professional performing world:

1. he landed the principal bass position for the Houston Grand Opera
2. he was hired to teach bass at the University of Houston
3. he began subbing regularly in the Houston Symphony

We dig into the events surrounding this transition and much more!

Part 1 - life in an opera orchestra

• what the season looks like
• why Dennis likes Handel's Julius Caesar Overture for auditions
• how to audition for an opera orchestra

Part 2 - staying in shape for the long haul

• standing for opera performances - why Dennis decided to go in this direction
• what's freeing about standing
• power playing and sitting
• how to get through a massive section like the end of Loenghrin
• Dennis' three types of technical workouts on the bass

Part 3 - the paths of our lives

• Dennis' journey through the music education world and into performance
• playing the Karr-Koussevitzky bass
• key takeaways for teenagers looking to music as a career

• Dennis' University of Houston faculty page
• Dennis playing the Karr-Koussevitzky bass
• Dennis and David Young opera excerpt session at ISB 2013

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Brescian model is a custom 3/4 double bass handmade in their Mystic, Connecticut workshop. It is a modern instrument with roots in the 16th century inspired by our favorite historic double basses. While Upton Bass has referenced these classic instruments before, the Brescian directly mirrors those archetypal double basses in its design — large shoulders, violin corners, deep ribs, dramatic top arching and pronounced canted backs. These qualities combine to create a larger air mass with great resonance and rich harmonics, packaged with the the ergonomics, geometry and accessibility that modern players expect from Upton Bass.

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.

Bass Violin Shop - 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!

I'm so pumped to bring you today's episode covering the tonal differences of various woods with Seth Kimmel!

Seth is an awesome luthier located in Eugene, Oregon. I had the chance to play some of his basses at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention and was blown away.

• maple
• walnut
• myrtle
• spruce
• pine
• cedar
• redwood

We dig into the tonal characteristics of these various woods today. Totally fascinating!

If you have our Contrabass Conversations app, the PDF is included with this episode in the bonus content.

There's a link to download this at contrabassconversations.com/sethkimmel as well.

Check out all luthier episodes at contrabassconversations.com/luthiers

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass.

Bass Violin Shop - 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!

Barcelona-born Alexis Cuadrado is one of New York's most sought-after musicians.

In addition to performing as a sideman with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N'Dour, Dianne Reeves, Omara Portuondo, Steve Wilson and Seamus Blake, Alexis maintains a thriving career as a composer and educator.

I had the chance to see Alexis at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and it was great to catch up with him for this deep dive into his craft.

• Part 1 - discovering François Rabbath
  • starting to play upright in Barcelona and developing severe tendinitis
  • trying to "start the house from the roof instead of the foundation"
  • meeting Barry Green - the link to Francois
  • the benefits of "starting from the beginning" with Rabbath
• Part 2 - the language of jazz
  • improvisation
  • composition
  • approaches with students
  • work habits
• Part 3 - 21st-century careers
  • multiple income streams multiple skills sets how you present yourself to the world - what's your outlook?
  • moving to New York

• alexiscuadrado.com
• Alexis on Sunnyside records
• Alexis on Spotify
• Albums:
  • Noneto Ibérico
  • Poetica
  • A Lorca Soundscape
  • Nomadic Nature
  • Puzzles
  • Visual
• All About Jazz article on Alexis
• Recording session for Noneto Ibérico
• Alexis Cuadrado's 'A Lorca Soundscape': Live At 92Y Tribeca
• Alexis on The Third Story

Check out all jazz-related episodes at contrabassconversations.com/jazz

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Bostonian was conceived at the 2009 International Society of Double Bassists convention at State College, Pennsylvania, while world-renowned jazz bassist and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Lynn Seaton and Upton Bass String Instrument Co. President and Founder, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw were playing and discussing the various instruments Upton Bass had created for the convention. They started with a blank sheet of paper, and together began jotting down Lynn's preferences and suggestion with each model. The result was a rough outline of what would become the UB Bostonian Concert Double Bass.

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.

Bass Violin Shop - 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!

What's the deal with strings anyway?

We all play them, yet we often don't give much though to them.

What, exactly, goes into a string? What's inside those metal windings?

Our chat today with D'Addario Orchestral Product Manager Lyris Hung answers these questions and much more!

• Part 1 - the mystery of strings
  • eliminating confusion
• Part 2 - how strings are put together
  • core
  • damping
  • winding
• Part 3 - caring for your strings
  • how strings are damaged
  • how to prevent this damage
  • ways you might be actually wrecking your strings despite your best intentions

• Helmholtz bowed string video
• How orchestral strings are made
• Jason's string comparison guide

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building.

Bass Violin Shop - 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!

Jessica Valls has created a fascinating career as a double bass performer, educator, and free improvisor.

She performs regularly with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and the vocal group Conspirare. She also plays chamber music, jazz gigs, and solo performances.

Jessica teaches at Southwestern University, Austin Community College, and Huston-Tillotson University. She is also the founder ad director of the Austin Bass Workshop.

Jessica is a dedicated free improvisor, incorporating singing, bass playing, and other elements on a regular basis into her performances.

• Part 1 - Being Onstage
• Part 2 - Improvisation: The Hows and Whys
• Part 3 - Reflection and Advice

• Intermezzo by Reinhold Gliére - with improvised introduction from Jessica
• Improvisation from the first Austin Bass Workshop 2015
• Considering Matthew Shepard - an ongoing project with Conspirare
• Group free improv - workshop video that we discuss
• Austin Bass Workshop

The Upton Bass String Instrument Company. Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building.

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.

Bass Violin Shop - 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!

Stuart Pearce is an engineer by trade.

Three years ago, he sent his youngest child off to college and did a "rest of life" evaluation.

Golf and finishing would be fun... but it didn't have the appeal to Stuart.

Playing an instrument came to mind. Inspired by hearing Edgar Meyer, he decided to pick up the bass.

He's three years in and is loving it!

• Part 1 - why the bass?
  • the story of the aluminum bass
  • being stewards of these instruments
• Part 2 - the challenges
  • what it's like learning the bass as an adult
  • what has been surprisingly difficult
• Part 3 - advice for those thinking about picking up an instrument

Reach out to Stuart by emailing him.

• Stuart playing bass
  • Ode to Joy
  • Amazing Grace (A Flash Mob)
• South Carolina Bass Musicians Association
• The Late Starters Orchestra (a book Stuart has found encouraging)
• Learn more about aluminum double basses
  • Upton Bass link
  • Kay Bass Repair link
  • Vince Giordano link

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.

Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass!

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!

What's it like being a double bass student these days... and what's it like being a female bass student?

These are two topics that should have come up a lot sooner on the podcast.

Even though I've put out nearly 400 podcast episodes at this point, I've only had students on the show once before.

During the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, I had the chance to meet Rebecca Lawrence. Rebecca is entering her senior year at the University of Southern California and is studying with David Allen Moore.

A few weeks after the convention, I had the chance to sit down and chat with her about her experiences as a bass student, where she sees herself going professionally, challenges and setbacks, and much more.

• Part 1 - the state of women in the bass world
• Part 2 - undergraduate life - surprises, evolutions, and challenges
• Part 3 - looking into the future - how Rebecca's thinking has evolved during her time at USC

For more on the state of women in the orchestra world, be sure to check out Nina DeCesare's great post titled "That thing is bigger than you!"; Why We Need More Female Bassists in Professional Orchestras.

We also featured Nina on the podcast earlier in 2017.

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.

Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass!

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!

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?"

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.

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!

As a married guy with no children, the thought of even one kid makes me break into a cold sweat.

For bassist and educator Jennifer Bradbury, it wasn't just one kid coming her way. It was triplets... and they came into this world 25 weeks early.

The story of these three young children (dubbed the EduTriplets by Jennifer and her husband Jeff) is inspiring, heartwarming, and totally compelling. You'll love what we cover in the podcast, and be sure to check out Jeff's TEDx talk for the complete story.

Jennifer finally played her first gig after several years off.

We dig into this and much more!

Our story today is divided into three parts:

• Part I - the story of the triplets - their surprising debut onto the world stage, and what it felt for Jennifer like playing a gig for the first time in years

• Part II - trial by fire in the music teacher trenches

• Part III - the power of an open mind

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!

I've been meaning to chat with Gahlord Dewald on the podcast for years. He is forging new ground by fusing double bass playing with modular synthesis and is a unique voice in our community.

He and I were both at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and we took a few moments to chat about:

• what Gahlord uses for his performances (Eurorack modular system and DPA mic or piezo mic)
• how to start with a phrase/snippet of melody, capture it into electronics and adjust from there
• the unique funkiness of each individual modular synth
• good pedals to start with

Be sure to check out what Gahlord is up to on the bass--great stuff!

Follow along with all ISB-related coverage at contrabassconversations.com/ISB.

This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance.

Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Thank you also to 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!