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Lisa Riddering, Editor                                                                      November, 2007 

Writer Dan Ouellette, well known to readers for his incisive liner notes and articles and profiles for DownBeat Magazine, invites ISB members to actively participate in the authorized Ron Carter biography project that is the first of its kind: a traditional book-in-print enriched by a website that offers a host of online experiences. Go to http://danouellette.artistshare.com for streaming video (including exclusive footage of Ron at home and in concert halls and recording studios); streaming audio (excerpts of interviews with Ron as well as his colleagues); photo galleries (capturing Ron in various settings, including rehearsals and recording sessions); journal entries on the creative process in writing the biography; and a radio station of selected interviews. This innovative publishing concept is the brainchild of ArtistShare, a New York-based startup (www.artistshare.com) that uses the latest technology to connect artists and fans directly. Dan Ouellette is the first writer to sign a contract with ArtistShare, best known for its recording projects, most notably jazz composer/bandleader Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning CD, "Concert in the Garden." Founder/CEO Brian Camilio's mission for ArtistShare is to offer "a place where fans fund the projects of their favorite artists in exchange for the privilege of participating in the creative process." Available for purchase exclusively online, the biography - a living document of Ron's life and extraordinary career - will never go out of print or be relegated to remainder status in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore.

NEWS OF NOTE

 

The 2008 ASTA National Conference takes place February 28-March 1 at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Among the masterclass clinicians appearing will be Diana Gannett and Jeff Bradetich. Paul Robinson ("What You Hear is What You Get: Rehearsing with the Ears of the Audience") and Eric Hansen ("The Happy and Healthy Bass Section") will both be presenting general sessions, and Paul Erhard will give a demonstration on incorporating classical Indian music techniques into bass playing. Dan Swaim will also be on hand to present pointers on using the revised Suzuki Bass School to build good technique. For more information go to www.astaweb.com.

 

The University of Texas Pan American is offering one double bass graduate assistantship for Spring, 2008, along with a dorm scholarship and season contract with the Valley Symphony Orchestra. Contact George Amorim at [email protected] for details. For more information about the UTPA Music Department and degree information go to www.utpa.edu/depts/music.

 

The 38th Annual University of Northern California/Greeley Jazz Festival, April 24-26, 2008, will feature presents its first National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Night, with NEA Jazz Masters bass/guitar duo Ron Carter and Jim Hall, and trombonist Slide Hampton with the UNC Jazz Lab Band I. Also in the line-up will be the vocal group Take 6 and Chris Potter's Underground. The festival is the largest event of its kind in the nation and the longest-running jazz festival in Colorado. Ticket sales begin December 1; call 1-800-315-2787 or 970-356-5000, or go to www.ucstars.com. For more information go to www.uncjazz.com or call 970-351-2394.

The 3rd Mittenwald International Masterclass with Jeff Bradetich is scheduled for August 4-9, 2008. Come to the historical town of Mittenwald, Germany, hometown of P�llmann double basses and Mike and Ralph Krahmer. Guest instructors include Timothy Dunin and Andreas Bennetzen, artistic director. For more information contact Andreas Bennetzen at [email protected], or go to www.music.unt.edu/mittenwald.

 

Dean Ferrell, a member of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, will repeat his popular "Musical Humours of Captain Tobias Hume" program on November 6th at the Atelier fur Streichinstrumentenbau in Berlin at the invitation of luthier Thomas Schiegnitz. The Iceland Symphony is currently on tour. Dean and Thomas met while attending an ISB convention for the first time this past June at Oklahoma City University as presenters. "This never would happen without the convention!" says Thomas.

 

Congratulations to Derek Zadinsky, 2007 winner of the Aspen Music Festival Academy Bass Competition. He performed the Koussevitzky Concerto with the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra on July 10, 2007. He also performed his own arrangement for solo bass and string orchestra of Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate in Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall this past June. Derek was previously a scholarship student at the Perlman Music Program in New York and the Sarasota Music Festival in Florida. He is currently a second-year student at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studies with Edgar Meyer and Harold Robinson.

 

ISB member Richard Hartshorne ("Dobbs") is touring and performing in Afghanistan on a personal mission of goodwill. For information on Dobbs and his musical outreach missions around the world, go to http://www.bachwithverse.org/Videos.html and watch his performances as they happen.

 

Arizona Bass Players, Inc. is a new non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and performance opportunities for all Arizona bassists. The first annual ABP Festival and Workshop will be held March 6-9, 2008, at Arizona State University School of Music in Tempe, AZ, co-sponsored by the ASU School of Music, the University Of Arizona School Of Music, and the Northern Arizona University School of Music. Featured guest artists will include Catalin Rotaru, Patrick Neher, Joel DiBartolo, Rufus Reid, Robert Kassinger and Miloslav Jelinek. Robertson and Sons Violin Shop of Albuquerque, NM, is sponsoring a competition for bassists' ages 16 to 22 years, and donating an instrument as first prize. For more information go to www.arizonabassplayers.org.

 

The 5th Biennial Hawaii Contrabass Festival will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, March 23-31, 2008. Guest artists will include Hal Robinson, John Clayton, Mark Dresser, Paul Ellison, Todd Seeber, David Gage and George Rubino.

 

Mark your calendars for April 27, 2008, and the Pittsburgh Bass Symposium at Duquesne University, with guest artists Hal Robinson, Paul Ellison, Max Dimoff and Rob Nairn, and Duquesne faculty members Jeff Turner, Jeff Mangone and Micah Howard. Sponsor/exhibitors include Bob's House of Basses, Shank's Strings, George Rubino, bow maker, and luthier Michael Magee. For more information email Micah Howard at [email protected].

 

It's finally happened! Cellists are going to the double bass repertoire for inspiration, reports composer Frank Proto, who reports that the Osaka Philharmonic in Japan recently performed his Carmen Fantasy with cello soloist Yoko Hasegawa. http://yoko-hasegawa.com/e_concert.html On the double bass front, ISB president Hans Sturm performed Proto's Carmen with the Ball State University Symphony to open the orchestra's 2007-2008 seasons.

 

The ensemble Time for Three (Zachary DePue & Nick Kendall, violins and Ranaan Meyer, double bass) will give the world premiere of Concerto 4-3 by Jennifer Higdon for string trio (two violins and double bass) and orchestra on January 10, 2008 8:00 PM with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA.

 

BASS ADVENTURES WITH KRISTIN KORBISB Banner                              

 

Traveling in the United States has been more than an adventure for everyone in the last six months. Delays, cancelled flights, and missed planes create stress for travelers, even those without basses. After dealing with all that, our next concern is the security checkpoint. Where does my bass go? Are they going to open my case? Are they going to pack it properly? The fears start building, and they are not completely unfounded. I've watched guys lean on my bridge more than once and I couldn't hold back my screams of terror. (You should see how fast they move away from the bass! It's kind of cool, but they get a little grumpy after that.)

 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants you to have a smooth transition from check in to flight departure. Go to www.tsa.gov for information about traveling with your instrument:

 

"If you have an instrument in your checked baggage, include short written instructions, where a security officer will notice them, for handling and repacking your instrument. Make sure these instructions are very clear and understandable to someone with no musical background."I've watched them move my lovely personalized note without even reading it. I'm working on an official bass brochure with pictures on how to properly pack a bass.  I'll be taking pictures of loading Gage and Stevenson trunks. If you have another kind of packing procedure, please take step by step pictures and email them to me at [email protected]. I'll include them in the brochure. We need to do all we can to help them, but this is not my favorite mode of communication.

 

"You may bring musical instruments as checked baggage as long as they fit within the size and weight limitations of the airline you are taking."  This means that the airline can't blame TSA for a size restriction. We'll leave that issue for another column.

 

 "We encourage you to stay with your instrument while security officers screen it to make sure it is repacked properly."  What? You mean I can be with my bass while it's getting hand checked? YES. In fact, they encourage it: "Owners should be present when an instrument is removed from its case for screening. For this reason, musicians are advised to add at least 30 minutes to the airline's recommended arrival window when checking their instrument."  I love this statement. You have now been advised by the TSA to be present at the screening. You have to stand away from your bass, but you are there to give calm and encouraging verbal instructions. The calmer you are, the gentler they will be with your bass.  Heck, you might even luck out and they won't open the case at all.  This doesn't work so well for international transitions, but you should be okay the rest of the time.

 

Do you have a TSA story to share?  Take a picture of your favorite TSA folks and send them to me at [email protected].

 

APPOINTMENTS

 

Sandor Ostlund is the new associate professor of double bass at Baylor University. He is active as a soloist and clinician, and as a chamber, early music, and orchestral musician. He received his master's degree and his doctorate of musical arts from Rice University, where he studied with Paul Ellison. He previously held faculty appointments at West Texas A&M University and Shenandoah Conservatory.

 

DaXun Zhang is the new associate professor of double bass at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the first double bassist to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and the first bassist to take first prize in the Women's Auxiliary of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra competition. Among his many honors are the La Jolla Music Society Prize, the Orchestra New England Soloist Prize, grand prize in the ASTA National Solo Competition, first prize in the 2001 ISB Double Bass Competition, and The Fergus Prize. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Indiana University School of Music, where he studied with Lawrence Hurst. Most recently he served on the faculty of Northwestern University. In April, 2007, he was the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.  

 

Jack Unzicker has joined the faculty at Texas Tech University's School of Music in Lubbock. He was previously on the faculties of the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarleton State University and Texas Woman's University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in double bass performance with Jeff Bradetich at the University of North Texas. He has performed as principal bass with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Orhcestra, Orquestra Divertimento (Costa Rica,) and the Irving, Texas Chamber, and Wichita Falls Orchestras.

 

ON SALE NOW

 

Purchase selected CDs, DVDs, ISB convention wear and more, including the new recording by Peter Askim, "Moving Still," featuring original compositions recorded at the 2005 and 2007 ISB conventions at 

http://www.isbworldoffice.com/isb_shop/merchandise.html. 

 

Are you selling your bass or bow?  Try the ISB Online Classifieds! Sell instruments, bows, accessories, CDs or printed music. $25 U.S. for members, and $100 for non-members. For more information go to http://www.isbworldoffice.com/isb_shop/classifieds.html.