IRIS Orchestra member Eric Stephenson in NYC subway

Want to hear some real busking? This is a video featuring IRIS Orchestra cellist Eric Stephenson and beatbox flute player Greg Pattillo which has been circulating YouTube like wildfire. The New York Times is planning a feature on Greg’s flute playing, which...

IRIS Orchestra now an independent entity

The Commercial Appeal put out a feature today on the IRIS Orchestra and its new status as an official nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. You can read the article for more information on how this new organizational structure will impact future endeavors.Some of the...

Henry Peyrebrune featured on Adaptistration

The last of the “Three Bassists” of TAFTO (Roger Ruggeri and I were the other two authors), the Cleveland Orchestra’s Henry Peyrebrune writes a great article on the delicate balance between asking and coercing friends to orchestra concerts, and he...

European double bass train travel woes

Double bassist Jean-Yves Bénichou recently sent me this item about the increased difficulties and hassles that European double bassists are encountering while traveling with their basses on trains. In Europe, trains tend to be used as the main method of transportation...

Funny gig story from Doug Johnson

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...