We have some really interesting guests that we’re featuring over the next few weeks on Contrabass Conversations.

Next Week

In keeping with the thematic weeks of episode releases in 2016, I’m calling this week Finding Your Path. We are highlighting two longtime colleagues of mine that are working in diverse niches within the music industry.

On Monday, we release an episode featuring double bassist, educator, and author Peter Tambroni. Pete is the author of An Introduction to Double Bass Playing. He appeared on the podcast back in the early years, and he continues to work on interesting projects. Pete has worked in education for two decades, and we talk extensively about the advantages and challenges about this career path.

On Wednesday, we release an episode with Trevor Jones, another multi-talented musician who manages to work full-time in musical theater, tour with his band Molehill, and hold down a salaried university job at Illinois Wesleyean University. Trevor and I focus on how he got to this place in his career and the decisions and strategies that he followed. Interesting stuff for sure!

On Friday, I’m putting out a talk that Trevor and I did at the 2016 Chicago Bass Festival. This annual event is hosted by Midwest Young Artists Conservatory at Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall. Trevor and I talk with students about the music school audition process and offer up thoughts and strategies on this important topic.

In Two Weeks

The following week (April 25 – May 1), we are featuring two European bassists who are pushing boundaries and forging new paths. On Monday, April 25th, we will release an episode with Claus Freudenstein. Claus has done tremendous work in double bass education with his mini-bass project. These small and very hip-looking instruments are eye-catching and captivating for young people. A heavy metal guy at heart, Claus is exploring new repertoire and performance settings with the Bassmonsters.

On Thursday, April 28, we will release a brand-new interview with Guy Tuneh. Guy is an extremely active chamber musician, soloist, and teacher who pushes the boundaries of what we think of as double bass repertoire. Guy originally appeared on the podcast back in 2007, and it was great to get a chance to catch up with him and talk music, career, inspiration, and motivation.

I’m also recording interviews with many other well-known bassists the remained met of the month, including Leon Bosch, Joe Conyers, Robin Kesselman, and Gjorgji Cincievski. Look for these episodes in May!

I’ll also be releasing video from composer Paul Ramsier later this month. Paul was an interview guest on the podcast a few years ago, and it’s my pleasure to be able to bring you this video content from Paul.

Thematic Week Breakdown

In case you missed some of our previous thematic weeks on the podcast, here’s what we’ve done so far:

Luthier Week

Performing at a high level requires specific and sophisticated gear.  In this collection of episodes, we dig into the nitty-gritty of making instruments and bows, choosing gear, tonal characteristics of woods, how to pick an instrument, and much more.

• CBC 183: Susan Lipkins on crafting bows, tonal characteristics of wood, and how to choose a bow
• CBC 184: Nick Lloyd on the craft of bass making, building flat backs, and traveling to Pakistan
• CBC 185: George Martin on challenging restorations, the art of varnishing, and riding horses in the English countryside
• CBC 186: Barrie Kolstein on making rosin, lessons learned from his father, and bass trunk technology
• CBC 187: Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand on working at Robertson’s, building extensions, and aesthetic wood choices

Unconventional Projects

These episodes are united in all being slightly off-the-beaten-path from our traditional formats.  With music interspersed with opinion and commentary, these three episodes are a departure from the interview format.

• CBC 188: Ron Carter on technical development, an orchestral foundation, and developing the next generation of music lovers
• CBC 189: Barry Green and Jeff Bradetich on the Anna’s Promise Project
• CBC 190: Czardas with Andy Anderson – the making of an arrangement

Gary Karr Week

This week, we featured two people highly influenced by Gary Karr’s teachings, as well as Gary Karr himself!

• CBC 191: David Murray on the Karr sound, bow technique, and the spirit of Koussevitzky
• CBC 192: Michael Klinghoffer on driving a double bass, how not to hold the bow, and directions in education
• CBC 193: Gary Karr on making recordings, “retired” life, and arranging Baroque music

A Passion for Teaching

Two wonderful bassists with outstanding reputations as teachers share their stories of pedagogical trailblazing and trench warfare.

• CBC 194: Inez Wyrick on 911 bass teaching, creating artists, and teaching the whole fingerboard
• CBC 195: Gaelen McCormick on bow strokes, Progressive Repertoire, and the Pomodoro Technique

New Music Mavericks

Two bassists on opposite points in their career share their enthusiasm, imagination, and energy for creating and promoting new music for the double bass.

• CBC 196: Andrés Martín on the creative process, the composer mind, and forging a bass scene
• CBC 197: Bert Turetzky on forging new paths, compositional language, and commissioning over 300 works