Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

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Bassist Drew Davies also runs a company called Click for Lessons. This is a service that will match up students and teachers for various instruments. The service is not just for music–I see that you can find lessons for salsa dancing, ballet, acting lessons, and the like. I was just playing [...]

In this second installment of my series on professional freelance life as a musician, I would like to offer some commentary on trends that I see in the world of professional classical music performance. This installment of the series is geared toward orchestral performance. Other musicians, educators, and industry professionals may find [...]

When you play a piece like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet time after time, year after year, sometimes you long for something (anything!) different to happen. Variety is good, even if it is a bad kind of variety. Well, last year at the Milwaukee Ballet we had some REAL variety down in the pit that [...]

Every summer I think Chicago’s great. It’s sunny, warm, the beaches are filled with people, the city is bustling with activity, and the lake is beautiful and inviting. I am convinced that it’s the greatest city in the world. Then winter hits (in November, or perhaps October or maybe even in September [...]

The dress rehearsal for Amahl and the Night Visitors was last night, and it should prove to be a charming run. You can read my previous post for more information or visit the Ruth Page Center for the Arts website for ticket information.
Victoria Bond, the conductor for this performance, has had a very interesting [...]

I play bass for the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra (this is my seventh season), and they always put on a great Nutcracker. Check it out if you’re in southeastern Wisconsin this December!

BUY TICKETS NOW!!

Also, check out a reasonably priced complete Nutcracker recording:

…or a higher-end Boston Symphony recording:

I have had the unfortunate experience of doing many all night drives over the years to get from one gig to another. This is never fun. The main problem is that I work in Memphis, Tennessee and in Chicago and Wisconsin. IRIS Chamber Orchestra concerts will start in Memphis at 8 [...]

NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: David Lussier, Secretary-Treasurer AFM Local 8
Milwaukee, WI (October 12, 2006) – The 46 orchestra musicians employed by the Milwaukee Ballet have voted to reject the company’s wage proposal for the 2006/2007 season, which is scheduled to open this weekend (October 12-15) with four performances of “Don Quixote.”
Some 90% [...]

Polyphonic.org has a very informative set of video interviews with Milwaukee Symphony principal viola and Milwaukee Musicians Association president Robert Levine. Greg Sandow interviews Robert on a series of issues facing modern orchestras, including changing dynamics between players and management in negotiations, perception of an orchestra as either a commercial enterprise or a [...]

Here are some interesting upcoming Chicago musical (bass-related) events. These are recent press announcements from the various ensembles:
Gunnelpumpers
This is a heads up for what we’re calling the BIG WEEKEND. No, Gunnelpumpersare not playing at Lollapalooza, but will be the house band for anambitious program called The Dutch National Ballet Project. The culmination of acollaboration [...]