Paul Ellison being honored at TMEA

[CWatkins]

Next week at TMEA the TexASTA Board will be honoring Paul Ellison with its Studio Teacher of the Year Award at the annual business meeting during the TMEA convention in San Antonio. We would love to collect tributes and congratulatory messages to be read and presented to him at this ceremony on February 15, 2008. If you'd like to send a greeting, an anecdote, or a few words on Paul's impact on your life and/or career, you can email them to me, Cornelia Watkins rosindust@earthlink.net by Feb 12. Please contact me only by my email, as I won't be able to keep checking back here.

Additionally, it would be wonderful to have you attend the award presentation if you can. This meeting will be during TMEA, room CC206 of the San Antonio Convention Center, Friday Feb 15, beginning at 12:30, in room CC206. We would be delighted to have a roomful of friends and well-wishers there for Paul. I also have a tribute from the ISB that probably ought to be read by a bassist, so let me know if you'd like to do that.

PLEASE spread the word so that we can honor Paul in a fitting manner! Thanks!

[Eli_Upright12]

Can anyone tell me anything about Paul Ellison as a teacher? I'm liking the look of Rice as a School and would like to learn more.

[deep2unes]

Eli,

Paul is one of the best. If you're looking for someone with the highest artistic sense who is a master at the instrument and who can communicate and inspire, Paul is your teacher.

I encourage you to pursue entering the bass performance program at Rice.

[Eli_Upright12]

Originally Posted by deep2unes

Eli,

Paul is one of the best. If you're looking for someone with the highest artistic sense who is a master at the instrument and who can communicate and inspire, Paul is your teacher.

I encourage you to pursue entering the bass performance program at Rice.

Do you know what kind of work he focuses on? Solos, Orchestra Rep, Technique(well everyone does that), Jazz? or is he an all around teacher? I'm really intrigued with Rice, it sounds like the kind of school I would be interested in.

[PaulCannon]

I study with Paul. He'll work on whatever you want to work on. There is an orchestral repertoire class he teaches every other week that is required for all bass students, which is on a two year cycle in which he covers virtually everything you might be asked on an audition. As for solos, all undergraduates are required to give two full length recitals in order to graduate. We also have a studio class every other week (alternating between solo and orchestra rep. class).

There isn't really a jazz program to speak of at Rice, and Paul is not a jazz bassist (although he certainly knows a thing or two about it). However, one of the graduate students here placed third at last year's ISB Jazz competition. You can do it all, if you really want to.

From a technical standpoint, most of Paul's teaching is based largely on the Rabbath technique. He was Francois' first major student, back in the early 80's. He also spent several decades as principal in the Houston Symphony (using a German bow). He plays both German and French, and even has a few "hybrid" bows made just for him. Again, whatever you want to work on, he can teach to it. He has had many students who have gone on to be very successful doing a number of different things. If you want to be an orchestra player, he's one of the best to study with (former students include Hal Robinson, Ali Yazdanfar, and David Moore).

You should come down for a lesson some time. Or better yet, check out Domaine Forget, where he will be for two weeks this summer.

[Eli_Upright12]

Originally Posted by PaulCannon

I study with Paul. He'll work on whatever you want to work on. There is an orchestral repertoire class he teaches every other week that is required for all bass students, which is on a two year cycle in which he covers virtually everything you might be asked on an audition. As for solos, all undergraduates are required to give two full length recitals in order to graduate. We also have a studio class every other week (alternating between solo and orchestra rep. class).

There isn't really a jazz program to speak of at Rice, and Paul is not a jazz bassist (although he certainly knows a thing or two about it). However, one of the graduate students here placed third at last year's ISB Jazz competition. You can do it all, if you really want to.

From a technical standpoint, most of Paul's teaching is based largely on the Rabbath technique. He was Francois' first major student, back in the early 80's. He also spent several decades as principal in the Houston Symphony (using a German bow). He plays both German and French, and even has a few "hybrid" bows made just for him. Again, whatever you want to work on, he can teach to it. He has had many students who have gone on to be very successful doing a number of different things. If you want to be an orchestra player, he's one of the best to study with (former students include Hal Robinson, Ali Yazdanfar, and David Moore).

You should come down for a lesson some time. Or better yet, check out Domaine Forget, where he will be for two weeks this summer.

Thanks for the information sounds great!! I'm gonna make a southern school tour either this summer or this fall and I'll mark Rice on my list.

[PaulCannon]

Originally Posted by Eli_Upright12

Thanks for the information sounds great!! I'm gonna make a southern school tour either this summer or this fall and I'll mark Rice on my list.

Come in the fall. Paul's out most of the summer, and half the point of visiting Rice is to see the orchestra. Try to catch an orchestra concert, if you can.

[NUTT]

Originally Posted by PaulCannon

Come in the fall. Paul's out most of the summer, and half the point of visiting Rice is to see the orchestra. Try to catch an orchestra concert, if you can.

I definitely recommend seeing the Rice Orchestra. I saw them last weekend (3/15). They played a Bartok piece that was killer... made me think of lots and lots of angry bees.