We’re getting quite close to the February 7 Chicago Bass Festival (be sure to register if you haven’t yet!). Here’s a schedule of the events we’ve got going on throughout the day. There will definitely be a few changes to this schedule prior to the event, but it should give you a good idea of the flow of the day’s activities:

Chicago Bass Festival Schedule (tentative)

9:30 am – Registration

10 am – Festival Opening Welcome

10:30 am

BG Hall: Exploring the sound of the bass through the chamber music of Jason Seed (performance)

-performance, no bass needed

Milwaukee Symphony and other local musicians will join Dan Armstrong in playing the chamber music of guitarist Jason Seed.

Andy Raciti, Scott Kreger, Jonathan Cegys, Dan Armstrong, basses

Hermine Gagné, violin, Tom Wright, viola, Jason Seed, guitar

Rm. 13: Orchestral Excerpts – an exploration (classical)

Rob Kassinger, clinician

-group class, bring your bass
-this clinic is suited for high school and college players

Repertoire TBA

Rm. 4: Master Class (classical)

Andrew Anderson, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

Freehling: Bow Grip and Getting a Good Sound (young bassists)

Steve Reinfranck, clinician

11:30 am

BG Hall: Advanced Double Bass Technique (classical)

Jeff Bradetich, clinician

Rm. 3: IMEA Audition Preparation Class (high school)

Alan Steiner, clinician

-group class, bring your bass

This clinic focuses on preparing the required audition music for the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) auditions. Alan will focus on preparing the scales and required audition music (Academic Festival Overture by Brahms for 2010) as well as covering audition preparation strategies in general. Fingering, bowing, and group playing of the repertoire will be covered.

Freehling: Stance and Set-Up for Younger Bassists (young bassists)

Trevor Jones, clinician

Rm. 4: Master Class (classical)

Judith Hanna, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

Rm. 13: Michael Cameron performance – (performance)

Michael Cameron, clinician

-performance, no bass necessary

Michael Cameron will perform chamber music with some of his students from the University of Illinois.

12:30 pm – Lunch

1 pm

BG Hall: Master Class (classical)

Jeff Bradetich, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

Rm. 4: Master Class (jazz)

Eric Hochberg, clinician

-bring your bass

Freehling: Bass Ensemble Play-Along (young bassists)

Alison Gaines, clinician

Rm. 3: How to Manage Your Own Music (clinic)

Trevor Jones, clinician

Whether it’s a chamber group (classical), rock group, or jazz group, you are in charge of your own musical success and everything that goes with it. Marketing, booking, managing personnel, and the satisfaction of playing your own music while maintaining a viable career you can pay rent with is obtainable, and this clinic explores how to achieve this.

2 pm

BG Hall: Chicago Bass Ensemble (performance)

-bass not needed for this session

Performance/Q&A exploring contemporary bass quartet literature with the Chicago Bass Ensemble and composers who have written music for them. There will be opportunity for interaction with both the performers and the composers of these works (they’ll be at the performance!).

Michael Hovnanian, John Floeter, Jacque Harper, and Doug Johnson, clinicians

Rm. 4: Introduction to the Violine (lecture/demonstration)

Jerry Fuller and James Lambert, clinicians

-bass not needed for this session

This lecture/demonstration will feature the violone, how it is played, its history, and its uses in period performance.

Rm. 13: Master Class (classical/jazz)

Michael Cameron, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

Rm. 2: Master Class (jazz)

Marlene Rosenburg, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

content TBA

Rm. 3: – Mock Audition (clinic)

Jason Heath, clinician

-group class but requires participants to play solo music in challenging circumstances
-suitable for all ages, bass not required to attend

This clinic addresses the skills required for successful auditioning. Be prepared to be thrown off your game in this clinic!

Freehling: Shortcuts to Bass Playing: Save time, save energy (young bassists)

-Virginia Dixon, clinician

3 pm

Rm. 3: Warm-Up Techniques and Concepts: A Survey (clinic)

John Floeter, clinician

-group class, bass encouraged but not required

This clinic covers a variety of warm-up strategies and materials used by double bassists from many different orchestras and schools. Participants will learn more about popular methods of warming up and how to find the best option for each individual.

Freehling: What’s so Funny About Repertoire and Curriculum? (jazz)

An exploration of Ed Friedland’s jazz bass lines books (Hal Leonard, pub.)

Brad Opland, clinician

-group class, bring your bass
-this clinic is suitable for all ages, particularly for those with an interest in jazz

This clinic investigates the approach to learning the fundamentals of jazz bass playing outlined in the books of Ed Friedland. Topics will include building walking bass lines.

Rm. 13: Suzuki, The Mother Tongue Method (young bassists)

-Virginia Dixon, clinician

Rm. 3: Top Ten Strategies for Music School Auditioning (lecture/Q&A)

Jason Heath, clinician

-bass not needed for this session

This clinic covers effective methods of choosing schools to audition for, selecting repertoire, developing a successful plan for getting into these schools, and making an informed choice when choosing various packages offered by these schools.

BG Hall: Master Class (classical)

Michael Hovnanian, clinician

-master class, bring your bass if you would like to play for the clinician (not required)

4 pm – Faculty Recital

-program TBA
-faculty for the Chicago Bass Festival will perform solo and group pieces
-performance, no bass needed

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