Widening the road - for all bass players and teachers

Hello Bass friends!

They are about 1/4 done with a project in front of my home to widen the road and add drainage to our otherwise soggy area.  Exciting, no?  And from where I practice in the front of the house, right now I see all kinds of large machinery being hauled by, lots of flagpeople helping to keep the flow of traffic safe, and not much else.  I live pretty far outside of Rochester, and it's very scenic and hilly, which makes for great road biking and running in the warmer months.  So I really enjoy seeing the bicyclists zip by as I practice.   But alas, they are wisely avoiding my road for the rest of summer.  The good news is that the road shoulders will be widened, making it even safer and smoother for our biking community.

Today, however, I am thinking a lot about the upcoming workshop I'm planning - 

Bass Boot Camp at Nazareth College  

We just named the date: Tuesday, August 19th!  And I was thinking about how this one day camp will be about "widening the road" for more ideas and more kinds of bass playing.  It's not always the case that lots of different ideas are welcome at the table, but I want you to know that here it is!  There are so many styles of bass playing, sizes of instruments, kinds of bows and bow grips, types of strings.... you see where I'm going with this?  

Bass playing isn't just one thing, and teaching it isn't either.  So let's widen the road together.  Let's share our ideas, play with them right away on our instruments, and help each other grow as players and teachers.  Save the date August 19, from 9am to 5pm for a friendly and fun day of bass playing and learning together.  A formal announcement and marketing materials will be coming out soon.  I have a great list of teachers and players joining me for this event:

Jeff Campbell - jazz bass professor at the Eastman School of Music

Katie Fittipaldi - Alexander Technique teacher, cello teacher at the Kanack School 

Nicholas Walker - bass professor at Ithaca College

and of course, me too!  Gaelen McCormick, bass instructor at Nazareth College and the Eastman Community Music School

Until we meet again - happy practicing!

Gaelen

Bass Boot Camp

You heard it here first:

What?!?!

I'm proposing this idea to you all:  After a lovely summer, spent doing what you love, eating ice cream, playing in the pool....aaaaah!.....it will be time to get your bass chops back in working order.

Why go it alone?  Let's get together for a day of refresh and remember all things bass!  Everyone will be welcome - from newbie to seasoned veteran, to get together and talk about easy stretches, natural posture in sitting and standing, drawing great tone, practicing advice at all levels of performance, and mini jazz lesson for everyone to try out, and a faculty recital at the end.

There will be two "tracks" happening - one for students and one for teachers.  Some classes will be everyone in the room working together on the basics, and some break outs especially for teachers to talk and demo pedagogy ideas.

So.....

Are you in?  

What specifics would you like us cover that day?

We are looking at the week of August 18, for one day only, and I'm working to get teacher's credit through ASTA for coming to this workshop.

Happy practicing!
Gaelen