I’m very excited to announce that, in partnership with the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Art, I’ll be putting on a day - ALL ABOUT THE BASS - on Saturday January 20th, 2018. The fee for the day is an incredibly reasonable $20, which is discounted back to anyone who chooses to sign up for some lessons at the conservatory afterwards.
The day will start at 10:00 in the morning with a technique class where I’ll explore and explain basic to advanced techniques to get the most out of your instrument. Topics here will include proper ways to draw sound from the instrument, how to sit or stand with your bass, a modern approach to how the left hand interacts with the strings on the bass, and a whole bunch of excellent exercises that are pretty much guaranteed to get you sounding the best you can. This is all taken from The Canadian School of Double Bass technique book from the great Joel Quarrington, and a copy of the exercises will be provided to the participants.
The afternoon will be a public masterclass where we’ll hear performances from a number of participants. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to come listen to this part, where pieces or studies up to 10 minutes in length will be performed and worked on, with 20-30 minutes dedicated to each performer. The concepts we talk about here will surely be applicable to just about anyone who plays a stringed instrument, and families are especially welcome and encouraged to come listen to the performances.
The last part of the day will be a mixture of a public recital and also some ensemble playing as a group. We’ll play some bass ensemble music, and then enjoy a short recital given by me! Again, the more the merrier.
Please check out the MCMA website for more details, and to register. It’s sure to be a great day, and it would be very difficult to find a better use for $20 than this day-long double bass experience!
Feel free to get in touch if you’d like more information, and I hope to see you there,