Mark Morton now on faculty at Texas Tech University
Former Columbus Symphony principal bass Mark Morton has been appointed assistant professor of double bass at Texas Tech University. Mark is the founder of the American School of Double Bass and the author of several double bass technique and method books.
Mark will be leading the West Texas Bass Clinic, September 20, 2008, in Lubbock, TX. This clinic will focus on preparing area high school double bass students for All-State Orchestra tryouts, as well North Zone Region 16 bass students interested in auditioning for Middle School All-Region.
Students will also get a chance to perform a solo during an evening recital. The clinic is free of charge to attend, and is sponsored by Mark Morton, The American School of Double Bass, Boyce Wyrick, Coronado High School and the Lubbock Independent School District.
If you’re interested in attending e-mail Laura Felton at lfelton@lubbockisd.org.
What happened to the Columbus Symphony?
The Columbus Symphony recently suffered a financial meltdown, resulting in (for all intents and purposes) the dissolution of the orchestra, and it’s great to hear that Mark has moved on to a prestigious new post.
Many classical music bloggers have covered the financial crisis in Columbus quite extensively. Visit www.insidethearts.com for in-depth coverage concerning what happened to this orchestra. Be sure to check out Drew McManus’ blog Adaptistration in particular for more details.
Orchestras tend to be hit hard during economic downturns, a topic that I address in great detail in my book Road Warrior Without an Expense Account. It’s especially unfortunate given how infrequently these bankrupt ensembles come back. Once an orchestra folds, it is rarely replaced by a new orchestra with the same season, caliber, pay, and benefits. The new orchestra is usually part-time (or with a small core of full-time players rather than a complete roster) and pays less, and unemployed musicians must either move on, hopefully to another full-time position (though the audition scene is fierce, with less than 5% of auditioning candidates obtaining positions) or into another profession.
My favorite podcasts
I’m a podcast junkie, listening at home, in the car, or even on my iPhone (usually while blogging at the same time!). As such, I have a constantly evolving list of shows that I keep up with. Things are constantly dropping off the list, and I check out new stuff all the time as well, but the following shows are reliable favorites that I listen to as soon as a new episode comes out. I also listen to a lot of NPR content via podcasts, but I’ll keep the following list to just indie podcasts (with the occasional exception or two):
Mac Podcasts
Mac OS Ken – A fun and lighthearted look at what’s happening in the Apple world.
Maccast – Great analysis and opinion on the state of the Mac world.
MacBreak Weekly – Leo Laporte and gang crack me up every week with this meandering but engaging look at Max news (and tons of side topics!).
Typical Mac User Podcast – Victor is a great host and covers a wide variety of Mac-related topics in tutorial episodes, interview episodes, and news episodes.
iPhone Alley – This weekly roundtable about the state of the iPhone is like a MacBreak Weekly show just for the super phone. Great content.
Mac Geek Gab – Two very fun hosts from The Mac Observer weigh in on each week’s Mac news.
Travel Podcasts
Amateur Traveler – Chris does a marvelous job with this very popular podcast, and I follow along each week as he chats with people who’ve been on all sorts of interesting adventures. Chris also puts out an enhanced (AAC) feed, which allows for photos from the destinations his guests are describing–a great benefit!
Travel With Rick Steves – This is stellar programming from one of the best in the travel industry. This podcast makes me want to drop what I’m doing, hop on a plane, and travel the world!
Tech Podcasts
This Week in Tech – Leo Laporte’s the man. I’m a huge fan of TWiT, the podcast network that Leo operates, and this flagship show remains one of my favorite programs.
Diggnation – Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht deliver the week’s offbeat Internet news in this always entertaining video podcast.
No Agenda – John C. Dvorak (my favorite curmudgeon) and Adam Curry (my favorite big-haired 1980s veejay) team up for this unique weekly take on world events. Everything from aliens and conspiracy theories to financial markets and politics is discussed, all from a tech-savvy perspective. Very cool!
Music Podcasts
Because Shut Up…That’s Why! – My podcast with fellow Inside the Arts blogger Drew McManus. Gotta love it!
Contrabass Conversations – Shameless plug for my own bass podcast!
The Musician’s Cooler – Dave Jackson’s long-running rock-oriented podcast is both entertaining and informative. Great for musicians from all styles. Dave also featured my car explosion story last year on the show. Quite cool.
Project Studio Network – It looks like this show has podfaded, which is a real shame. Mike and Big Al put out an outstanding program on tech resources for recording musicians, and the back catalog of shows is well worth perusing.
CBC 97: Gary Karr – from the CBS archives
We’ve got a real treat for you this week on Contrabass Conversations. I got this great footage from the CBS archives from bassist Eric Rath. This is a special from Camera 3 filmed in 1969 about Gary Karr. You’ll get a chance to hear Gary perform, chat about the bass, and play in some truly unusual contexts, including the most unique version of the Eccles Sonata that I’ve ever heard with bass legend Richard Davis!
Video Download Link – (MP4 160 MB)
This episode is sponsored by The String Emporium
What’s the best bass car?
The following is a short excerpt from the E-Bass Line Newsletter from the International Society of Bassists. Receiving this newsletter each month is one of the many benefits for ISB members, including special rates on instrument insurance, the excellent journal Bass World, the paper edition of the Bass Line, and much more! Check out the International Society of Bassists website for more information on joining if you’re not a member–I’ve been a member since I was a teenager, and I highly recommend it for bassist of all ages.
Also, doublebassblog.org will be doing live coverage of next summers ISB convention at Penn State (June 8-13, 2009). That’s only 9 months away, and it will be a real blast, so be sure to join up with the ISB and check out this fabulous event!
_______
Jeffrey Koczela, professor of double bass at George Washington University in Washington, DC, says the Honda Fit works great. It’s a 4-door, offers good mileage and can fit bass, driver and three other people (two people in the back seat, at least one of them should be small!) Says Jeffrey, “I can fit my bass on the 40% side of the 60/40 split back seat. The Toyota Yaris can do the same, but it’s only a 2-door, and it’s not easy to slide the bass in the 40% side due to the ceiling-mounted seat belt holder. Same issue with Toyota Matrix. One of my students got a ride with bass to his lesson yesterday in a Mini Cooper – now I want to see someone show up in a SmartCar!”
_______
More information available to ISB members–sign up online today!
Mobile blog man
Man, do I ever love mobile blogging! I never thought that I’d ever get into blogging from a handheld device like the iPhone, but I use it to generate almost all of my blog content now. It’s a quick and easy capture device that I have with me at all times, and it really streamlines the whole blog process.
Here–I’ll blog a photo of where I’m working right now. My computer is 25 miles away in my living room, yet I’m able to accoplish almost every task that I used a laptop for with the iPhone. Awesome!
-
Sponsors:
Subscribe to our podcast!
Blog highlights
Network with us!
-
-
