Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

I’ve done a major overhaul of the doublebassblog.org user interface recently. Why? Well, I like to do some sort of design change every six months or so–it’s simply good web design protocol, and it keeps things from getting stale. Plus, web technology moves pretty darn fast, and there are a ton of new features [...]

While it may seem like a strange activity (and, looking around, I certainly seem to be the only guy with a laptop out here!), there is a certain kind of strange satisfaction that I get writing out on the beach, surrounded by nothing but Lake Michigan’s sandy shores and the spruce and pine forests [...]

This is a guest post from German bassist Andreas Wiebecke-Gottstein. Learn more about Andreas at his website www.probass.de. Enjoy!
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„Do you know Thoedor Albin Findeisen?„ - „ Findeisen? - Isn´t it this guy who has written this
double bass method!„ So, in any case, most double-bass players and double bass learners will
answer to this question which was [...]

 

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We’re concluding our chat with Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy double bass instructor Jack Budrow this week on Contrabass Conversations. In addition to helping place students in major orchestras across the globe, Jack has had a very distinguished performance career as a former member of the Houston Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and [...]

This is a guest post from double bassist and early music specialist Jerry Fuller. Learn more about Jerry and his early music podcast at ArsAntiguaPresents.com.
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I had a fascinating day. I performed Biber’s Mensa Sonora composed in 1680 with Chicago’s period instrument orchestra, The Baroque Band, and we recorded this music written 328 years ago with [...]

After publishing my first book Road Warrior Without and Expense Account last month, I’m hard at work editing my next book, which will feature scores of crazy gig stories and will (probably) be titled “My Car Caught Fire and Exploded!”
This amusing little story was told to me by a bassist as we were waiting [...]

 

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We’re concluding our chat with double bassist Anthony Stoops today on Contrabass Conversations, which we began on episode 67 of the podcast. Anthony is the Artist/Teacher of Bass and String Area Chair at theUniversity of Oklahoma School of Music. He also won first prize in the International Society of Bassists international solo competition and is [...]

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune (May 28, 2008) reignited some long-standing concerns that I’ve had for a longtime about the massive amount of educational debt many musicians accrue during their years of training. This trend is affecting all college students (not only musicians), but since our earnings tend to be rather meager compared [...]

This is a post from National Symphony Orchestra bassist Jeff Weisner. Jeff also teaches bass at The Peabody Institute in Baltimore and co-authors the blog PeabodyDoubleBass.  Click here for all of Jeff’s doublebassblog.org posts.
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In my last post I looked at the systemic problem: Having great instruments and bows can help you become a better player, but to have the income [...]

Double bassist Vito Liuzzi recently let me know about a new composition from Italian bassist and composer Leonardo Presicci. Vito writes:

LEONARDO PRESICCI from ITALY and his new composition : CROSS OVER BASS (HR) for db. and orchestra
Dear Jason,
I’m happy to present you the new composition by maestro LEONARDO PRESICCI
“CROSS OVER BASS” [...]