In response to my recent gig story Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy, bassist Don Mincher sent me this tale about a painful gig experience:Your Bugs story and related “intestinal problems” conjured up one of my bad scene gigs many years ago. I was to play a...
There is no sick leave for a freelance musician. I sure learned that lesson the hard way.A couple of years ago I was booked to play Bugs Bunny on Broadway, a popular show using the orchestra to accompany some Looney Tunes classics. These shows are like musical...
For years I worked as a coach and lesson teacher in the public schools of suburban Chicago. I ran sectionals, did some chamber music coaching, and taught a gaggle of kids during and after the school day. Although I was pretty hesitant about doing this work when I...
Double bassist Doug Johnson has a great gig story that I’d like to share with blog readers. Doug is an active double bassist in the Chicago area, and he performs with ensembles raging from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to the excellent bass and percussion band...
I mentioned in a recent Contrabass Conversations episode that I would be sharing Canadian bassist Meredith Nelson’s experiences with double bass plane travel over the years. It is a great reflection of all the garbage we bassists have to deal with just to bring...
