Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

You are browsing the archives of Milwaukee.

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:

If you are interested in learning more about this subject, check out the follow-up post to this article here.
I have a B.M. and M.M. in Double Bass Performance from Northwestern University. Although I had a good financial package for my undergraduate degree and had a full-tuition fellowship or my graduate degree, I still [...]

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 [...]

Last year the Milwaukee Symphony became the first American orchestra to sell archival recordings in iTunes. Their press release states:
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announced the launch today of MSO Classics, an e-label created specifically for digital distribution of its recordings at the iTunes Music Store and other digital music stores and services, including Yahoo! [...]

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 [...]

The Milwaukee Ballet has performed this work before. I had a great time playing it–it is a very intricate and satisfying bass part.
PlaybillArts: Features: The Draw of Dracula

Present Music Celebrates 25 Years with 11 World Premieres!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin… Present Music, Milwaukee’s [...]

Andrews Sill is the music director for the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and I have worked with him many times in that ensemble.
PlaybillArts: News: Andrews Sill Appointed Music Director of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra