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PODCAST

Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the double bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick. With 2 million downloads and counting, Contrabass Conversations is the most popular podcast for double bassists. Join the community and experience life on the low end of the spectrum!

music music interviews

All Episodes

01:01:36

768: Aaron Olguin on orchestral playing

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/21

Aaron Olguin serves as principal bass for Norway’s Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and he has appeared several times on the podcast in recent years. We connected for today’s episode to discuss bass section playing and the challenges of not falling behind the beat for a recent video, but we cover a lot of other ground and get a general life update on Aaron and how things have been during the pandemic. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Aaron on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and his website!

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01:33:59

767: John Van Lierop on orchestral playing

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/18

John Van Lierop serves as principal bass for Sinfonia Rotterdam and is a frequent guest principal bass in many European orchestras. We connected to talk about the challenges of leading a bass section for a recent video, but we covered many other topics like John’s path through the music world, the effect of strings upon a player’s perceptions, rosin, articulation, and much more. Enjoy, and check out John’s playing on Thomas and George Martin’s YouTube Channel! Subscribe to the podcast to get

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01:06:46

766: Thomas Fiorini on orchestral playing

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/14

Thomas Fiorini is a member of the bass section of the Brussels Philharmonic and is an active performer in many genres.Equally at home on the bass guitar, he has performed with acts such as Rob Thomas, Gap Mangione, Bjork, Dave Samuels, Gregg Allman and top Belgian singers like Sarah Bettens, Stan Van Samang, Natalia, Niels Destadsbader, Belle Perez, Jean Bosco Safari, Boogie Boy, Wim Leys and N8N. Thomas is an alumnus of The Berklee College of Music and has received his Bachelor’s Degree from

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44:25

765: Michael Kurth on composition

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/11

Michael Kurth has had a remarkable career both as a member of the Atlanta Symphony bass section and as a composer. The Atlanta Symphony has commissioned and premiered many of his orchestral and choral works. A recording on the ASO Media label is scheduled for commercial release on CD and digital platforms in February 2019, including Everything Lasts Forever, A Thousand Words, May Cause Dizziness, and Miserere featuring Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor. We talk about Michael’s

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01:20:52

764: Brent Edmondson on composing for Netflix

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/07

Brent Edmondson has made one of the most remarkable pandemic pivots of any musician I know. After spending the last several years subbing regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra and performing with many other ensembles, Brent found himself, like so many other musicians, with a blank calendar in front of him. Brent saw the writing on the wall and reached out to several contacts in other areas of the music industry. He soon found himself deep into the film composing world and is currently writing

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01:26:15

763: Paul Thompson on developing his YouTube Channel

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/04

Paul Thompson has spent the pandemic focusing on his YouTube Channel, and the results have been tremendous. has been playing bass professionally for over 25 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. He is currently an adjunct professor of Jazz Bass at Duquesne University and West Virginia University. He has been an Instrumental Music teacher at his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School, since 2005. We talk

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56:24

762: Jon McCullough-Benner on The Auditioning...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2021/01/02

Jon McCullough-Benner recently released a great new book called An Auditioning Double Bassist's Tool Kit: Bowings, Fingerings, and Useful Tips for Standard Audition Repertoire. In this book, he shares his wealth of knowledge learned over his years in a detailed and compelling fashion. Jon joined the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as its Principal Bass in 2017 after serving as Principal Bass for the Oregon Symphony. He also serves as the Assistant Principal Bass for the Grant Park Music Festival

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45:28

761: Zach VanderGraaff on teaching general music...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/28

Zach VanderGraaff is an elementary school general music teacher who has been adapting his teaching during the global pandemic in interesting ways. He launched his website Dynamic Music Room prior to the pandemic, and he has been offering resources like his 9 weeks of online lessons survival pack to teachers looking for guidance in the unfamiliar new format of teaching. We talk about Zach’s background, his wonderful interview for the Musicality Now podcast, the Kodaly method, and much more.

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01:09:54

760: Garrett Hope on Dorico and portfolio careers

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/26

In addition to a thriving career as a composer and podcast host, Garrett Hope has been using Steinberg’s new music notation software Dorico for several years. After having Daniel Spreadbury, Product Marketing Manager for Dorico, on the podcast, I decided to sit down with Garrett to talk through my experiences with the software as a novice and his as a seasoned professional. We also talk about how Garrett has been adapting to changes brought about by the pandemic, how musicians can continue to

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44:53

759: Susan Cahill on reimagining senior recitals

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/21

Susan Cahill has been rethinking the entire senior recital experience for her students at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. In addition to playing a traditional senior recital, she has reconfigured the senior recital concept into a variety of new options: Composition for bassists Multi Instrumental Techniques for bassists Chamber Techniques for bassists Orchestral Auditioning for bassists Not for Profit Study for bassists Pedagogy and Studio Creation for bassists Learn more

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45:04

758: Trevor Jones on the cost of college

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/17

We’re talking today with Trevor Jones of The Scholarship Roadmap about the value of a college education and the critical importance of finding a school that fits a student's needs and a scholarship that makes it possible. Trevor is doing great work connecting students to colleges. Learn more about his work on his website, and follow The Scholarship Roadmap on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Register for his upcoming workshop on December 19th for student musicians and their parents covering

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01:28:54

757: David White on music school vs real world...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/14

We’re joined today by past podcast guest David White, who has played for many Broadway and National Touring shows, including Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, The Bridges Of Madison County, Motown: The Musical, The Producers, HAIR!, Guys & Dolls and The Illusionists: Turn Of The Century. We talk about a wide array of topics, including the pandemic’s effect on musical theatre and how various companies are handling this crisis. We also dig into the value that music school actually offers and

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49:28

756: Brandi Disterheft on Surfboard and NYC life

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/10

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

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01:49:10

755: Jeremy Watt on pandemic projects and auditioning...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/07

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

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01:11:23

754: Kris Funn on life in the greatest city in America

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/12/03

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

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01:22:57

753: Bobby Scharmann on leveling up on YouTube

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/11/30

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

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53:36

752: James Newcomb and Jason talk podcasting and...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/11/23

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!

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01:09:31

751: Alison Rayner on a life in jazz

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/11/19

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

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34:24

750: Scott Pingel and Metallica

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/11/16

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

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01:00:07

749: Mike Bullock on the experimental bass scene

Contrabass Conversations ·

2020/11/12

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

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1,166 results

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