Repose

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007

Let me just say that it is really relaxing to not be practicing the double bass for a few days here. I've been shedding on that thing for the past couple of months on a daily basis, mostly in anticipation of the concert that occurred last Sunday. The concert is ...

Play Misty For Me

Sunday, October 7th, 2007

Come and see the show: As of this writing, my pieces appear to be the Rossini Duetto for cello and bass, Koussevitsky's Chanson Triste for bass and piano, and the last two or three movements from the Dvorak quintet. Yingwen is working on a Brahms Rhapsody, will accompany me on the ...

Frustration

Sunday, August 26th, 2007

Bill Harrison posted this tidbit over at Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog about frustration playing with shitty musicians, and I could not agree more with this. It really sucks to be stuck in an orchestra gig with the one guy that insists on playing too loud and too fast. It's ...

The Importance of Mentor

Sunday, August 19th, 2007

Finding the right mentor is more important than anything else. This quote struck me as a perfect example of the mentor-disciple relationship: Confronted with a sudden, near-lethal dose of humility, my mind hatched an insane plan. Acting with cleverness and boldness unmatched before or since, I started looking for Wil Shipley. ...

C is for C-Extension

Monday, August 6th, 2007

Good friend and luthier Gary Upton has finally begun offering a C extension over at Upton Bass. These extensions are different from ones I've seen in the past, and look like they might be a compelling option. Gary described to me that the piece is made out of english sycamore ...