Teacher profiles: who they are and why should or shouldn't I listen to their advice?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

This thread is for teachers to introduce themselves briefly and to either list or provide a link to their credentials or experience as teachers of all things double bass. Those who are not requesting permissions to post as a teacher should not post in this thread. Those who are requesting permissions should wait until their access has been approved to post their credentials/links. Please indicate whether your primary focus as a teacher/performer/pedagogue is arco, pizzicato, or both, and as much as it is possible, please note what styles you specialize in. If you find that you would like to edit your teacher "profile" later, feel free to PM me your updates and I'll paste them into your profile post.

When possible/applicable, it would be useful to include a link or links to soundclips of your playing so that all involved - but especially students - can know something about the actual walk behind the talk (translation - the results of the concepts and methods under discussion). This is not required, but I suspect that many would find it helpful.

I'll begin: My name is Chris, and I teach bass (HI, CHRIS......). I dabble with the bow for warmups , but am primarily a pizz player focusing on jazz and popular/indie music styles. I teach bass, theory, jazz theory, and improvisation at the University of Louisville, where I've been teaching full time for the past 8 years. Official bio and soundclips can be found on my website (link below).

[Marc Piane]

Hey.

My name is Marc. I have a BA in Music focusing on performance and composition. I am a performer, composer, arranger, and teacher. I taught 1st and 2nd grade for 5 years and jr high and hs strings for a teacher on leave for a year. I have been the director of a music/theatre camp for 5-8 grade in the summers for the past 6 years. I have taught privately for 12 years. I have also taught a number of clinics in high schools and colleges across the Midwest. I am primarily a pizz player but practice frequently with a bow and have taught arco stlyes. I teach Simandl.

I have also composed original pieces for several groups as well as done composition/sound design for several theatre productions and short films.

I also dabble (and have taught classes) in the recording arts.

Check out my website for more info.

[Ike Harris]

Hi, Ike Harris here. I have a Bachelor's in Music Ed from 1973, where I've taught at Austin Peay St. University since 1990, off and on, whenever possible. Also taught at Belmont Univ. Middle TN St. and now at David Lipscomb Univ. I try to play classical whenever possible, but am primarily a jazz player, having put in several years in theater work and various and sundry styles around the Nashville area. I joined the AF of Musicians at age 19 and am a member of the ISB. Here are some links for more info:

http://www.jerrykrahn.com/theTitanHo...bioHarris.html

http://music.lipscomb.edu/page.asp?SID=20&Page=6798

[Rick Auvil]

I'm Rick and I have been a music educator for 32 years. (sounds suspiciously like an AA introduction!) BS Music Education, 1977 - MA Music Theory and Composition, 1991. My major instruments in college were trumpet and guitar. Most of my performing experience is on electric bass and guitar, but I'm a section double bassist with a fine regional symphony orchestra.

I teach, or have taught, junior-senior high school music theory and harmony, general music, concert bands, jazz ensembles and combos, piano and guitar classes, and group/private studio lessons. I also have extensive musical theater directing, conducting, and playing experience.

I've presented teacher workshops in jazz pedagogy, guitar in the classroom, and a number of education and technology subjects (computer music applications, wikis, podcasting, integrated academics, etc.).

I served as a Content Area Partner in Music and Theater at the PA Governor's Institute for Arts Educators, and was selected to teach model lessons at the introductory conference for our state Standards Aligned System in December 2009.

I love a good jazz gig, and I do freelance work as often as possible. So much for my CV... I hope I have something to share at Talkbass!

[quenoil]

Hello all,

My name is Brian Roessler. I hold the teaching diploma from the International Rabbath Institute, am the bass instructor at Minnesota State University - Moorhead, maintain a small private studio in St. Paul MN, play all in various places around the US and in Europe with my group Fantastic Merlins and in other contexts as well. I play a pretty equal mix of arco and pizz although my teaching definitely focuses on arco. My website is www.brianroessler.com - one can hear mp3s and whatnot there.

Happy to to throw in my 2 cents on topics I know something about (very small range there. Ha).

[Tom Gale]

My name is Thomas Gale and have taught privately and in public schools and part time university level from 1958 to 1997. I am also the author/cpmposer of 5 method books and co-worker with Mark Morton involved in the American School of Double Bass - ASODB.com. Happy to add my 1 cent worth.
Tom Gale
PS - M.M. from Northwestern U. GO WILDCATS!!!! TOMORROW!!!!

[fergus currie]

I would also like to offer what ever advice I could give when I can. I studdied in London at the Royal Academy of Music with a post graduate in Double bass performance as well as the LRAM teachers diploma for Double bass.

Over the past 20 years I have been a member of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra(1989-90), the City of London Chamber Orchestra(1990-91) Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra (Principal 90-91), the Camerata Chamber Orchestra in Athens (co principal 91 -2005), the Greek National Radio Symphony Orchestra (1994-97).

I now work as a professional composer and arranger but still stay in touch with the bass even though I have let my skills lax in recent years. I can draw on 25 years of experience playing as tutti and principal in symphony, chamber and opera orchestras.

I hope my offerings will be of some help to those starting out in the profession as much as in technical aspects as in matters of professional etiquette and behaviour. ...In other word, I'd like to pass on my knowledge gathered over a fantastic (for me) career to those just starting out.


My compositions can be heard on www.myspace.com/ferguscurrie
my recent playing (4 years retired) can be heard on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5xQSLYTJT0

Cheers
Fergus Currie

[Bassius]

Hey guys.

I dont post here often and one of my students here sent me a link to this thread. (thanks jeff)

My name is denson angulo...I have a masters degree in classical double bass performance and pedagogy from brigham young university (2001) I've taught all over the inter-mountain west and currently am the jazz bass instructor at the university of Utah
I'll be pursuing my doctor of musical arts in double bass and jazz studies fall 2010.

I play all types of music on both electric and double bass. I play German and French
and i give lessons online via skype. (it works great!)
i'm on the "when the talk stops" cd too

If you need help with anything send me a PM, as i'm not here to often.

check out my webpage on myspace.

[damonsmith]

My name is Damon Smith, I have studied the bass privately with many great players and teachers - primary teachers were Lisle Ellis and Bert Turetzky, in recent years Mark Dresser and Joëlle Léandre have been been extremely valuable mentors.
While I do lack a college degree I have lectured at the ISB at Penn. State and at the University of Haifa.

I play creative/new/improvised music at a professional level and my instrumental studies and teaching are grounded in the classical methods - I use and look at as many as I can get my hands on.
I also keep up with my jazz studies, listening and playing even though I am rarely playing concerts of pure jazz.
I do still use Simandl as a base, but update it with ideas and fingering concepts from all the methods I have been able to go through myself. I have studied German and French bow holds, although my main bow is a German.
I still feel most new developments make more sense with the grounding of one of the traditional methods and I hold to the idea that the double bass is practiced arco.

[Eric Hochberg]

Eric Hochberg here. I have been playing professionally since 1972 and have had private jazz bass students for much of that time, beginning with a stint at New Trier HS, Northfield, IL. I attended IU as a trumpet major, switched to bass, and received my BS degree from Northwestern University in Communications. I have toured with notables such as Kurt Elling, Lyle Mays, Paul Wertico, Terry Callier, Ken Nordine's Word Jazz and have gigged with many others. I have played on over 1000 jingle and TV/Movie recording sessions and over 100 cd projects including 2 Grammy nominated cds with Kurt Elling. I have also produced recordings for vocalists Jackie Allen (Blue Note, A440), Terry Callier (Verve, Emarcy), saxophonist Mark Colby (Origin) and others.

I have recently been appointed to the artist faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt University teaching jazz bass.

Check out my website linked below for more information.

I look forward to sharing some of the knowledge I have gained over the years.

[Marc Piane]

Originally Posted by ehochberg

Eric Hochberg here.

and he taught me a thing or two about the bass

[Heifetzbass]

Hi,

My name is Brian Gencarelli, and I am a public school orchestra teacher, youth orchestra conductor, professional classical double bassist, and I have a very large private studio. In addition to these things I also repair instruments. Needless to say, I don't sleep much.

I have a music education degree from the University of South Carolina (97) and a master's in double bass performance from the University of Georgia (99). I play with many regional orchestras and ensembles. I am the All-State orchestra chair for the SCMEA and have been on that board for 4 years.

I studied mainly with Jack Budrow, Tim Easter, and Milton Masciadri. I have played for Francois Rabbath, Francesco Petracchi, Tom Martin, Ed Barker, and Edgar Meyer. I performed in recital at the 1997 ISB convention with Milton Masciadri.

Music education is very important to me, and I find my greatest passion teaching privately. My students have gone on to play in orchestras all over the world. I don't use any particular "method book" but have developed individual plans for my students based on their strengths and needs. I have researched and learned many techniques and fuse them together to make my own technique and try to encourage my students to find their own path while upholding traditional pedagogy.

I will try to offer my opinions where I think I can be of some help.

Cheers,
Brian

[Stan Haskins]

Glad this forum is up and running - thanks, Chris!

My credentials:
I'm a school string teacher, directing elementary and middle school string orchestras and teaching middle school general music in the public schools of Newburgh, NY. I'm also a semi-pro (or serious amateur, though I hate that word) double bassist playing in local orchestras and with small group jazz combos.

I hold a performance degree from Berklee College of Music (96), a Master's Degree in Education from Brooklyn College (04), and am a certified Suzuki Bass instructor. I am also currently studying orchestral conducting under Maestro LaSelva at the Juilliard School's Evening Division.

Looking forward to future conversations,
Stan

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just a reminder, gents - a lot of people lobbied pretty hard to get this forum up and running, and there have been a couple of unaddressed questions in the request thread for weeks now. Anybody want to take a crack at either of them?

Here's an easy way to be notified of any new questions that may pop up in the questions/topics thread: click on the link of the thread, then when it opens, select "Thread Tools" from the upper right, and select "Subscribe to this thread". That way, you'll get an email notification any time anyone asks a question. It would be a shame if after all of the fuss we went through to get the forum put together it didn't get used.

[Jeremy Darrow]

I have a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance, and an MAT in Music Education. I have taught pre-K through 12th grade general music, as well as orchestra and band. I currently have a small studio of private students here in Nashville.

[David Potts]

Hi, my name is David Potts and I live, teach, play and examine in Sydney, Australia. You can find my resume at www.musicteachers.com.au if you follow the links through to me. Or just google David Potts and, shock horror, you will find me amongst all the other David Pottses.

My first teacher laughed at me until the day he died after I first introduced myself and said I wanted to play like Ray Brown! I soon discovered that was not to be and that I was more suited to classical music. Four years later, aged 26, I quit my day job and have been a full-time orchestral musician since, joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1970 and retiring in 2002. Since then I have been semi-retired as a player but doing a lot of examining Strings for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) that is the equivalent of Trinity, etc. I have always taught orchestral bass in parallel to playing but now have more time and interest in teaching.

I have always played French bow with 1234 fingering, adopting a rolling approach to stretching between notes in lower positions. I teach 124 (Simandl) fingering and, if I had my time again, would have been better off sticking to this. The difference visually between the two approaches was quite noticeable in a section of nine players, eight of whom were using 124 fingerings!!

I examine violins, violas, 'celli and basses from Preliminary to Eighth Grades and teach at several schools as well as privately at home. I am Principal Bass in the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra (a relatively new part-time professional group of about 55 players) and also play for several other organisations, including a tiny string orchestra made up of string teachers.

I hope my contributions to threads continue to perhaps approach problem solving from a slightly different angle, albeit using Aussie English! I am enjoying giving back to music some of the pleasure it has given me over the years.

Regards

DP

[Pcocobass]

Hi all,

My name is Pete Coco. I hold a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance from SUNY Purchase College and a Bachelor's in music from Hofstra University. Although I am classically trained, I am primarily a jazz player. I also play electric bass and have experience in most contemporary styles. I have toured, recorded and performed with many wonderful musicians (just go to my website to see my full bio).

Besides performing, I own and operate my own teaching facility called the Music Academy of Garden City, where I teach bass and piano.

I have studied with many great jazz musicians, including Todd Coolman, Rufus Reid, Doug Weiss, Dave Lalama, Steve Wilson, Bob Bowen, Dennis Irwin, and others.

Pete

[DC Bass]

Hi everyone,

My name is Joe Gretz, and I studied Jazz/Commercial Music Performance at Towson State University in Maryland (USA). Some of my bass instructors include Jeff Koczela, Drew Gress and Tom Williams. I have been performing since the mid 80's, and began teaching in 1995.

I accept students of all ages, and while I "officially" teach bass, I tell prospective students that I am actually a "General Music" teacher who happens to specialize in bass. I also accept non bass playing students who wish to learn or improve music theory and musicianship skills.

In addition to Upright and Electric Bass, I also play other String Family instruments, Keyboards, Brass, Woodwinds (single reed only at present) and Percussion.

I enjoy playing Classical, Jazz, Rock, Country and Polka music, and perform regularly with many local ensembles.

I hope that I can contribute something of meaning!

Please contact me via PM.

Thanks!

Joe Gretz

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Teachers: please go to This thread, then click on "thread tools" at the top, and subscribe to the thread so that you'll be notified whenever a new question is asked. I noticed that a few have gone unanswered in the past, and I suspect that it's most likely because many of you were not aware that the question was being asked. Thanks!

[PNeher]

Hey all,
Just to let you know: I have redesigned my syllabi to include all genres and all basses! Yes, you can study electric bass and double bass at the Univ. of Arizona (www.u.arizona.edu/~neher). Feel free to ask questions on the "Ask a Pro" forum too
www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=160
Got some wild vids on YouTube too.

But why? you may ask.... Well, it's time the academy (universities and such) acknowledge that bass playing can be done well on all basses, there is a huge amount of repertory in all genres, and a human can actually make a good living playing the bass IF they are adept. So, I am teaching double bass and electric basses and in any style you care to study. My new syllabi have five tracks that you can stay in or mix up. New, unique, and innovative... to match the demands the music business puts on bassists today!
Woo Hoo!
Patrick Neher