I’ve always considered myself an amateur-level jazz bassist. Even though I played in various jazz ensembles through high school and college, I never did much gigging beyond that, and I’ve never spent much time developing my skills in this genre. As a bass teacher,...
Struggling to Practice Consistently Practicing music is so interesting to me. It’s something that I’ve done for over 30 years, yet it remains one of the single most challenging things for me to get off my duff and actually do. For me, the biggest challenges have been...
I’m coming up on one year of consistently practicing both my musical instrument and Spanish on a daily basis. Like so many people, I took a couple years of Spanish back in high school, but I’ve basically forgotten all of it. Perhaps unlike so many people, I have...
I had a great time helping author Cheryl Dykema with some bass-related advice for her new children’s book about a double bassist. Titled My Doghouse Bass and written for children 11 years and up, this book is a lighthearted exploration of the world of school music....
For a lot of people, the image of a talented virtuoso conjures up images of pianist in a concert hall, or an expert violinist. However, the double bass is a beautiful and necessary instrument that forms the backbone of any serious orchestra; and a number of emerging...
