Following the ISB from a Distance

I'm following the International Society of Bassists' (ISB) convention from afar, being at home while the meetings are at Penn State. Here's the list of links I'm following to try and keep abreast of what is going on:

1. Matt Heller's posts form the convention
2. Jason Heath's blog (I think this is the standard for all bassists to read)
3. ISB's live convention coverage (set up, I believe, by Jason Heath)
   

Ron Carter Interviews on Artist House Music

There are two great interviews (both in several parts) with Ron Carter on Artist House Music. The first interview features Ron Carter discussing everything from technique, tone, playing with Miles, recording, his feelings about jazz, and much more. The second interview (which may be part of the first, but takes place in a classroom) discusses the role of life in the music industry.

Podcast: Gerard Schwarz

I recently listened to an interview with conductor Gerard Schwarz on a Naxos Podcast. The main thrust of the interview is Arthur Foote (additional information, scores at IMSLP) and why his music isn't played as much as it perhaps should be. However, Schwarz discusses the role of culture, music education, and the role of the arts in American history (or at least its pedagogy) Great interview (and great music).

A Rough Day for Music: Sam Butera and KokoTaylor

Both Sam Butera and Koko Taylor passed away today. Below are videos of Butera playing Night Train with Louis Prima (check out Keely Smith's facial expression). The second video is Koko Taylor with Little Walter.

Louis Prima - Sam Butera - Night Train
Uploaded by rocknroll50. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

More on Goal-setting and Achieving Goals

I was forwarded this post on goals and goal-setting. I have an interest in goals, having blogged about it and done research on goals, and use them myself to try and get things done. In any event, some of the interesting points from the post:

1. Start With An Easy Goal And Complete It

Choose a simple goal and get it achieved within the next two weeks. This will start your momentum and get you feeling like you are in full forward motion.Think of a small, achievable goal that only takes four to five hours to complete. Next, set a date when you will get it done by and go for it.

2. Make Lists To Stay On Track

• Make daily lists of what you need to do to get your goals met - the night before! Do the hardest thing first in the morning- don’t procrastinate.
• Do something everyday that moves you towards the goals
• Delegate the little activities that waste your valuable time to other people (you would be amazed what you could do with the 4 hours it takes to clean your house).

3. Get Help

Build a TEAM to help you!! Get an intern or two - log on to http://www.entertainmentcareers.net and post as an employer seeking interns - you will be amazed at how many bright young people would like to get their feet wet in the business.

4. Remember You Can Change The Goals As You Go

Goals should be looked at as beacons and guiding points for you to keep yourself on track along your journey. I would not recommend changing them every week but the music industry is changing so rapidly it’s hard to know what goals are reachable in this landscape. So if over the course of the year your goals change its OK to cross one off or modify as you go.

5. Don’t Beat Yourself Up!

This is a process intended to take a whole year and you will have your days where you may get frustrated, and you will start to beat yourself up (sound familiar?) Self-criticism will interfere directly with achieving your goals and dreams. So, the next time you are making yourself wrong, take a step back and instead acknowledge the good, and celebrate your achievements.

6. Write Down 5 Successes Each Day

I’m inviting you to write down five little victories a day for this entire year. I learned this powerful technique from T. Harv Eker. Once you start getting into this habit, you are training yourself to put the focus on the positive and get your brain to stop being so critical. So put a notebook in your gig bag or next to your bed and each day write down 5 things. Make one or two of them music or band related.

Upcoming Event in Calgary

I've been doing some research on charitable giving, not looking at the motives as much as the mechanisms organizations use to raise funds. So its in this respect that I'm posting the following regarding an upcoming event in Calgary to raise funds for Janus Academy, a school specializing in the education of children with autism:

Upright Bass Health Tips from Randy Kertz

The new issue of the online magazine Bass Musician Magazine has an article by bassist/physician Randy Kertz. Dr. Kertz has written an excellent book on bass playing and health. His current article is specific to the upright bassist:

Upright players will be more prone to have stiffness and tightness in the neck musculature due to the head moving in time with the music and leaning forward to read charts and/or to look at the neck or a conductor while playing. This can lead to soreness of these muscles and often to a pinched nerve. While not always available in an orchestral setting, it is best to have one's own music stand to avoid unnecessary strain while transitioning between these places.

Body weight should be evenly distributed so that it can be shifted as needed to aid the right or left hand. The instrument should be balanced against you so that it can stand without the aid of the left hand (all assuming you are right handed). If the weight of the body is all on the right side the left hand will have no power and vice versa.

When playing the upright, the vibrato should come from the elbow, not the wrist. The hand and arm should act as one in an involuntary motion, using the elbow as a support. The full arm vibrato is a sideways motion and if the hand begins to roll in you will not be able to generate the force required to press the string down. Keeping this in mind can help you to avoid wrist problems.

Make sure the peg height is set correctly so that you don't have to alter your posture, any more than is absolutely necessary to compensate for tight musculature from an uncomfortable stance. This alone can cause you discomfort anywhere in your back which can lead to other areas as the body compensates to try and lighten the load.