I’ll be performing a short solo set as part of Bakithi Kumalo’s clinic at Shenandoah Music in Winchester Virginia. See you there! Big thanks to Phil Jones Bass and NS Design for this opportunity. Monday 8/7/2023, 7 PM start Cost: Free Shenandoah Music 2133 S Loudoun St, Winchester, VA 22601 https://www.shenmusicstore.com/
Category: News
Redemption…the new single from Ember’s LoFi Grooves…is available now!
null by Ember’s LoFi Grooves I’ve got a new single that dropped today… Friday 7/14 …two years since the distal radius fracture that resulted in my CRPS. When the cast came off, my left hand fingers did not move anymore. It’s been a journey back. Still, so many good things came out of that bad Read More …
Lady Bass Music Reaches Round 2 in “Best of the Burg”
The “Best of the Burg” round one results are in. Lady Bass Music made it into the top 5, moving the studio into round 2 of the competition. This was (and still is) a total surprise. I’m stunned. In all the years I’ve lived here and worked here, Lady Bass Music never moved past the Read More …
I’ve joined the Phil Jones Bass family of artists!
I’ve had some major changes recently in the amplification department; I am honored to say that I’m officially endorsing both Warwick Amplification and Phil Jones Amplification! After some discussion, it was agreed by all parties involved that I could play gear from both companies. I really appreciate this arrangement; I’ve known the guys at Phil Read More …
NS Design ConnectLIVE Session on August 24th with Ned Steinberger and Ashleigh Chevalier
From the NS Design team: “Please join us for the premiere broadcast and conversation with Brittany Frompovich NS Design Artist, educator, bassist, and entrepreneur. Watch the live stream from our website! https://thinkns.com/connect/ Or here on Facebook on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Ht6zNpPS4Io This event will feature Brittany’s premiere of some new material performed with bandmate, vocalist, Read More …
Chapter 1 – It All Goes Sideways
I woke up very early the morning of Wednesday, July 14. My mother had recently gone back into the hospital due to a heart issue, so I attributed the day’s early riser status to stress. I made the best of the situation; committed to the early up, made breakfast, got some practice time in, took Read More …
I never thought I’d be a person receiving a Go Fund Me…but I am. And I’m grateful.
My inner circle has some really special folks. Everyone in that circle was angered today by the bait and switch by Nationwide (see my earlier post for the details). To be clear; these are folks who are privy to the aspects of this story I haven’t told here yet. You think this Read More …
When your bones speak….
Update from the doc… 4 weeks in a cast while the bone sets. No screws or plates. Cast comes off at the end of August. But I gained another tidbit of insight. If you’ve played any gigs with me, or taken an in-person lesson with me…folks notice I tend to pause every Read More …
It’s called SuperVan for a reason…and now insurance company fuckery is afoot…
Still have a blog to write. It’s coming. I’m spending life on the phone with all kinds of folks right now. Doctors, insurance, students, tree removal people…(hey tree folks…return my damn calls! I have a check for you!!) But look what we found under that tree on Saturday. (That process is a whole crazy story Read More …
Broken Bones and A Microburst
So, I’ve been kinda quiet. Here’s why. July 14th…the same day I fell while working out, hit my head, and fractured my wrist…we had a microburst here in town. I was sleeping, enjoying that sweet, sweet sedative shot I had just gotten at Patient First. Such a sweet nap, I slept through the severe thunderstorm Read More …
I AM A DC WAMMIE 2021 FINALIST!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR VOTING! I’m really happy to say Ashleigh Chevalier is also a Finalist for Best Blues Artist/Band. Congrats to her! You can check out her new album at her Bandcamp page. Stay tuned for the 2021 Wammie awards! More info here.
All Of Me – remastered and re-released
All Of Me by Brittany Frompovich And then…there were two! Two tracks on my newly minted Bandcamp page. As mentioned in my previous post…it only took a pandemic to create enough time in my schedule for this to become a thing. For this track, I revisited the vault of old recordings and gave this one Read More …
Hello Bandcamp!
Ain’t No Sunshine by Brittany Frompovich I’m finally on Bandcamp! I know it took a bit…like a pandemic…for me to finally get the time to set this up. I don’t mean to make light of the pandemic…people are dying, people are getting sick and not getting well…but in this particular case, this little bit of Read More …
Virtual NAMM: Inside the NS Connect 2021 event!
I’m missing the NAMM show right now. The hang at the UVA Bar, seeing friends, the gear. The great shows. Taking some time to head over the Galaxy’s Edge at Disney. I’m not missing the expensive convention center food though, that’s for sure. Or the cost of plane tickets. NAMM is being held online this Read More …
Join us next week for NS Design’s CONNECT 2021 event!
I am buttons-popping proud to be part of the NS Design CONNECT 2021 events next week. This is the first time we’ve have to navigate a “virtual” NAMM show, and I’m pleased to be a part of it. Here’s the schedule of live premiere videos and live roundtable sessions from the NS Design event next Read More …
Ashleigh Chevalier releases “Live At The Drive-In 2020”
This show was one of the highlights of my 2020. And now part of that show is an EP. I’m going to let Ms. Ashleigh talk about this album in her own words. “2020 was a doozie for all of us. I was super excited to join some of my best musical friends on a Read More …
Christmas 2020 Solo Bass using the new Limited Edition NS Design CR6 Radius Bass
Here it is. The long-awaited, and highly anticipated…the NEW Limited Edition NS CR6 Radius Bass in Charcoal Satin. Completely stock for this video…even used the stock strings. (They are D’Addario…I like my GHS strings but I wanted to give this bass a try entirely stock, “straight off the rack”.) The only thing I did was Read More …
Introducing…the limited edition NS Design CR6 Radius bass
Today’s offering of bass porn. What can I say? I like my subjects to have a natural look… Enter the limited edition NS Design CR6 Radius Bass. It is badddddddasssssssssss. 🔥😈🔥❤️🎉💀🤛🏻💪🏻 With a 34” scale length, 17 mm spacing…I picked this bass up and I pretty much felt at home immediately. It’s got a powerful, Read More …
Pedalboard update – adding MIDI, parallel cabling, and more
Since we’ve hit quarantine, and all of my lessons have migrated to the online format, I’ve been adding virtual meetups for my students to the calendar. In among the open mic nights and other virtual performances, one such meetup is a monthly event where we talk about gear. Last month we focused on pedals. I’m Read More …
A LIVE show in 2020? YES! And it’s a drive-in live concert experience!
August 14th, the Ashleigh Chevalier Band will be performing at Crescendo Studios as part of the drive-in concerts series. The lineup for the band includes Ashleigh Chevallier, Ron Holloway, Linwood Taylor, Jon Tyler Wiley, Joseph Miller and myself. This is going to be a fantastic show! Check out some footage from the Pearl Street Warehouse, Read More …
Sith Happens
So, Kerry Lathon of Lathon Bass Wear came out with this bangin’ Bass Jedi shirt late 2019, early 2020. I decided to wear it on a trip to Galaxy’s Edge. Photo credit to Lee Britt for catching this pic in Galaxy’s Edge. During the Winter NAMM show, a few folks (along with myself) asked when Read More …
The Space Bass
I’ve been doing a Virtual Open Mic night with my students every other week, frequently featuring various guest performers. Once a month, we do an event called the Fellowship of the Clefs (also nicknamed the East Coast Gun Club.) The Fellowship gets together and tells the stories of our instruments and how we found them….or Read More …
Respect the Clef…
Achievement 1; getting the iPad to be a pretty decent photographer during quarantine! Portrait mode + 10 second timer = not too shabby. #yougotthejob Achievement 2; The real goal was to show off this fab shirt by artist/musician Paul J. Vigeant Jr. Digging this creative and organic bass clef shirt design. I picked this shirt Read More …
Some friends published this great DIY guide – “Thrive and Survive in the Music Business: Learn how to book your band, book a tour and get your royalties…
If you are on my socials, you might remember that time early in quarantine….in my hammock…on my tablet. Editing. Writing. Out in the early spring sunshine. So why should you care? Well, here’s the story….and my part in it starts at Winter NAMM 2019. For the record, Liza Carbe is kickass. So is JP Durand, Read More …
New Song: “A Cold Hello”
I put together a Virtual Open Mic Night a few days ago for the students at all five of my teaching studios. As with most open mics, the host usually kicks things off with a performance. The COVID -19 lockdown provided me with the time and opportunity to work on my original music and to Read More …
COVID-19 Journal – 4/17/2020
Quarantine achievement unlocked; Skype interview at 11 AM with Rob Letcher for Junior Achievement. (Thank you Rob!). Hopefully my morning voice wasn’t too gravelly. The Rode NT1 to the rescue. #bloomsburgalums Bonus points; no cats crashed my Skype session. #thanksforkeepingitprofessionalsquad
UPDATE on the COVID-19 Rig Rundown – Alternate Webcam solutions!
Update to my COVID-19 Rig Rundown post from a few weeks back (a post that was an overview of my Skype setup). Some folks may already be using this solution and don’t need this info. For those who haven’t tried this yet; hopefully, this will be helpful to someone. I already have two webcams, but Read More …
VintageSpector.com is now live!
Saw this great note just pass through my socials from PJ Rubal, so I want to share it here! This looks to be a great site for history on Spector basses, with some nice pics of basses from different time periods in the history of the company. hello everybody ! www.VintageSpector.com is now live! additionally Read More …
The Sound of COVID-19
“Its protein spike contains three protein chains folded into an intriguing pattern. These structures are too small for the eye to see, but they can be heard. We represented the physical protein structure, with its entangled chains, as interwoven melodies that form a multi-layered composition. The spike protein’s amino acid sequence, its secondary structure patterns, Read More …
Folding@Home in the fight against COVID-19
A few weeks back, I heard about Folding@Home as a way to help in the COVID-19 fight. Here’s a link to the original article that aired on WTOP news. To quote the article, “Folding@home is a new project focused on disease research, and in this case, possible cures for coronavirus. Here’s how it works: Read More …
4/5/2020 – COVID – 19 journal
I haven’t ventured out in the car since 3/13. It is now something of an enjoyable game to see how long I can go before I need to go out and resupply. That could still be awhile; the cats still have at least 12 days worth of canned food, and I still have plenty of Read More …
4/3/2020- COVID-19 Journal
Borrowing this from Kathryn Dietz Hichborn, it seemed like a good Covid journal entry for today. April 3, 2020 Mandatory stay-at-home order issued by the Governor from March 31 to June 10th Gas price a mile from home was $1.84 School cancelled – yes cancelled for the remainder of the school year Self-distancing measures on Read More …
4/2/2020 – COVID – 19 journal
This field hospital is 10 minutes from my house. This is a stark reminder that the world is changing drastically, so rapidly. I taught 9 lessons online today, from 1:30 to 9 PM. Another 5 lessons scheduled for tomorrow, possibly 7 total if I get a response from someone. The Steampunk bass made an appearance Read More …
4/1/2020 – COVID -19 Journal
I skipped more than a few days of my COVID journal. I had worked 12 days…basically because of people wanting to rearrange their schedules for lessons due to their work schedules changing. The essential government workers are on shift work now, so the buildings are less populated when they are there. That means people who Read More …
MOD Dwarf
I blame Ben Titus and Steve Lawson. But mostly Ben Titus. Ben says I’ve been a great enabler for the money he’s spent on gear (you are very welcome Pete Skjold). So, it was definitely long overdue for Ben to be my enabler. 19 hours left to go on this Kickstarter. If we ever fly Read More …
Moving forward with the Steampunk Headless
I took a needed break from the all the screen time, Skype lessons, and the news. I fired up my soldering gun and wrapped up work on the Steampunk headless. I’ve got some tweaking to do, but it’s up and running. And I opted for the chicken head knobs. However, the other knob set found Read More …
NoTreble’s new community resource to help bassists during COVID-19….
Many thanks to Corey Brown for putting this website together…stop by and check it out. In his own words “We quietly launched something this morning. (The big promotion is coming this week). Until then, buy an album and/or book, and sign up for lessons (and submit your own). Support the bass playing community and please Read More …
Rig Rundown COVID – 19 style – online lessons using a BOSS RC-300
Typing this out in case it helps someone out. I’ll probably be posting more tips and tricks as things progress. The Boss RC-300 can be dropped into audio mode under System settings and used as an audio interface. The intention was probably initially “just” for recording, but that means it can be used as an Read More …
Stay Home!
Question about music apps for a new iPad user…
I got this question from a student; I’m going to reply to it here for folks looking for apps for their phones/software for laptops to augment distance learning experiences. I’ll also include apps that are not solely iOS apps. “I have now gone full Apple – iPad and iPhone. What apps beyond Onsong do you Read More …
Positive Energy Drink
Working on getting a possible “stand up desk” style Skype setup going today. I found this can while cleaning. When I first saw this at AC Moore, it made me laugh on a particularly rough first day of the RVA Folk Fest. I was nervous, running later than I would have liked, and feeling like Read More …
3/22/2020- COVID-19 Journal
I’ve missed more than a few days of entries here. My schedule…and my whole pacing for my week…and really my whole system of how I do lessons…has gone off the rails for a bit there. I’m getting students (and even some other teachers) migrated over to the online format. Hours and hours of screen time Read More …
New Video with the Folk Metal Band Teshaleh!
Like many musicians, my Ginger Bass Mafia brother Chris Welborn is involved in a range of musical projects…as well as he should be. He’s been a stage hand at many major venues around DC, MD and VA, working with major touring acts from all over the world. He’s been on tour with the melodic progressive Read More …
COVID-19 journal – Teacher Exhaustion
Consider this an entry into my COVID -19 journal for the last two days. This is the fucking truth right here. Pulled an 18 hour day a few days ago helping parents and students get online AND other local teachers who never had never done Skype lessons before. I end every day exhausted anymore. And Read More …
Ben Titus Performing at the GHS Booth at Winter NAMM
I’m increasing the output of content on my YouTube right now. So this is a great time to swing by for videos from myself or other artists I enjoy. Recent content includes John Ferrara, Soften The Glare, Daniel Champagne, and myself. Today’s video – Ben Titus performing at the GHS Booth at Winter NAMM. Thanks Read More …
3/18/2020 – COVID -19 Journal
3/18/2020 – Day 2 – COVID 19 journal I texted a friend this morning, “Kicking off the apocalypse today with sleeping in (only made it to 7:30 am and then woke up…gonna have to work on that…the alarm was for 9 am) blogging, and then some pancakes for breakfast. Judging on traffic, I’m wishing I Read More …
COVID-19 Journal – Day 1 – 3/17/2020
Leslie Ann Castro-Woodhouse posted this on her FB page yesterday. This quote will be helpful for context. “As some of you know, I’m a trained historian (PhD, UC Berkeley, 2009). One element I’m especially passionate about is trying to imagine what it was like to live through various moments in time: what was it like Read More …
The win – win for brick and mortar music stores to allow teachers to migrate to online lessons during COVID-19
A thought for the brick and mortar stores considering if online lessons are a wise choice right now. I know brick-and-mortar locations are deathly afraid of the whole online lesson paradigm. Managers are often quick to point fingers at “online lessons” for “ruining their business”. But yesterday, one store I stopped by had already lost Read More …
New video – Soften the Glare at Orion Studios, Sept 2019
It’s always a treat when STG comes through our area. I was in the house with my iPad Pro 11, shooting both video footage and still pics at the show. Bonus treat; Jefferson Ogata (the gentleman who shot the videos of the Ginger Bass Mafia at Orion)… …well, Jefferson also shot Soften the Glare performing Read More …
John Ferrara at Orbital Music Park
John Ferrara, bass player virtuoso from NYC, made a visit to Richmond on Feb 8th 2020 for a masterclass and solo bass performance. Here’s an excerpt from that extraordinary evening of music.
More Highlights from Winter NAMM 2020…
I’m back with another installment of Winter NAMM 2020 highlights. This time the focus is on the NS Design booth with pics of the new Radius 6 string prototype, the Phil Jones Booth, the Spector Booth, the Ibanez booth, and the GHS Booth. Quick performance cameos from Chance W. Onody, Michael Albronda, I give one Read More …
“Hallelujah” – house concert footage
A friend recently asked me to submit a playlist of videos as part of his booking needs and promotions for an event. I did a quick search on YouTube and found this;a video from a house concert in 2014. I was performing with bassist Stewart McKinsey. Enjoy, and as always, your feedback and comments are Read More …
More Winter NAMM videos – The First Annual West Coast Solo Bass Competition
I’ve got a new video up on my YT channel. This is footage from the First Annual West Coast Solo Bass Competition during Winter NAMM. This gives you a great feel to the variety of performers and styles in the competition, the great supportive energy in the room, and a sense of how well attended Read More …
Concert Clip; Daniel Champagne at Pickers Supply
Checked this guy out over the weekend. An Australian singer songwriter (now based in Nashville) with impressive percussive and tapping techniques on acoustic guitar.
Galaxy’s Edge, part 2 – The Droid Depot
I’m still unpacking and editing a LOT of video and photos from the January trip to NAMM / Galaxy’s Edge. This week, I’ve got the second part of the Galaxy’s Edge video up on my YouTube. Many thanks to Lee Britt for letting me raid his iPhone for footage of my droid build. This second Read More …
NAMM 2020 – part 1 – highlights, videos and more!
I’ve been back from Winter NAMM for two weeks now, and I’m still editing videos of guitar and bass porn from the NAMM show. There is so much media, I’ll be doing several videos that will work like short features; the video will focus on a booth or event of interest. Two videos were released Read More …
Exploring Galaxy’s Edge
Smuggler’s Run Video
I took a day off from Winter NAMM and headed across the street to Disneyland on a side quest. I went with a friend to Galaxy’s Edge. This was actually my first trip to any Disney park in my life. This is video from the first time I rode Smuggler’s Run. There are 6 people Read More …
Testing the new Powerwave wheels
Just in time for Winter NAMM 2020! In this video, I test out the new Bass Gizmotron Powerwave wheels against the classic sawtooth wheel shape. If you own a bass Gizmotron, you’ll want to check out what the new wheels sound like, and what makes them work.
2019; It’s a Wrap!
2019. The ending was a bit bumpy, with grandmom’s passing. There were some hard days with a lot of tears this fall. But when you look at the whole year…wow. Just, wow. We opened for Soften the Glare with a new bass-centric project. We pulled content from my solo show, and flushed it out for Read More …
Pepper meets Ananda
I posted about a cat hoarding case earlier this year on social media. And I was were prepping to adopt one of the kittens from that case. First off…kudos to the young lady who is working with around 20 kittens from this case….it involved roughly 100 cats spread over 2 shelters. However this young lady Read More …
Steampunk style Warwick 211 PRO Cab Conversion
I’ve been working on this older Warwick rig steampunk conversion for a few months. Phase one was just painting the stripped-down rig and doing the stenciled accents. Now we’re on to part two; wiring in the lights and doing some work on the speaker jacks. Fortunately, I have a student who wants to learn electronics Read More …
Dame Evelyn Glennie
I adore Dame Evelyn Glennie. I see a lot of commonalities in what she talks about…I’m not deaf, but bassists do hear with their bodies. I love collecting instruments. I love feeling music punch through my body. Most musicians know and love that feeling. And to those folks who still believe musicians should not get Read More …
Enrollment is open for the 2020 Rock Orchestra Class!
Photo by Aaron Gibson WANTED: String players for a Winter/Spring 2020 Rock Orchestra Class! WE ARE LOOKING FOR acoustic & electric string players; violinists, violists, cellists, & double bassists of all ages & skill levels. We will be performing rock, pop, and original music in an orchestral setting that uses a rock rhythm section (drums, Read More …
The War of Art
So, I’m blogging this for three reasons… #1 – For all the creative types who thought of pursuing a career in the arts (I do get those in my teaching studio). Usually those folks are isolated and do not have a dirth of support/information/how to manuals on how to do it, let alone understand the Read More …
It’s been a year since I found the sound of a diesel truck coming for one’s soul…
It’s been a year since I first mounted a Gizmotron on one of my basses. It happened on Thanksgiving weekend of 2018. Aaron Kipness had sent the unit, and I was taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to get it running. I wanted to try it on the Lightwave bass because the optical pickups Read More …
Project P Bass with Nordstrand Power Blades
This Jay Turser was donated to the studio a few weeks ago. I surprised another student with this donated instrument. The family took the money they were putting aside for a new bass and invested in upgrading it. The upgrades included new Grover tuners, GHS Progressive strings, new CTS pots, a new wiring harness, and Read More …
Changes at the UMW Philharmonic
This made the news recently, in my local area. It would be best to follow the link to the news article before reading the rest of this blog. UMW will not renew contract Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Kevin Bartram I was asked by my private students what I thought of this situation. Especially since I teach Read More …
9V to 18V mod for active basses, temporary or permanent wiring harness
I found this fantastic little mod on YouTube while looking for another schematic. Temporary (or permanent) wiring harness to see if you want to jump an active instrument to an 18V system. Just made one of these for a friend who isn’t sure if he wants to go 18v but he wants to try it. Read More …
Setting up the Pedalboard and signal path for Fun Home…and how the basses tell the story…
Consider yourself warned; we’re getting deep into the music nerding today, dear reader. We’ve got more tales from the Fun Home office. Today’s installment; the signal path for 5 basses. And what roles these 5 basses play in the show. I’m running a pedalboard with two Baggs Paraacoustic DIs out. The top chain (with the Read More …
$80 beater bass goes fretless…
More project basses came to visit me this week. One of my students needed a fretless for a musical production. I told him we could make one, since buying a new one was out of his budget. He brought in an $80 no-name “beater” bass. I showed him how to make the tool he needed Read More …
Upcoming Schedule of Shows…
Time for this week’s schedule updates. Tomorrow kicks off week number two of UMW’s production of Fun Home. The remaining FUN HOME shows are are on; Thursday – 11/14, 11/21 – 7:30 PM Friday – 11/15, 11/22 – 7:30 PM Saturday – 11/16, 11/23 – 7:30 PM Sunday – 11/17, 11/24 – 2 PM Head Read More …
“Sometimes we find the gigs, sometimes the gigs find us.”
As a friend recently said, “Sometimes we find the gigs, sometimes the gigs find us.” I’m doing my schedule post early this week as it is tech week for Fun Home. Add to that, one of the shows is on Wednesday. So, if you want to get straight to the schedule, go ahead and jump Read More …
The Basses of Fun Home
Sunday’s office was the Sitzprobe at UMW’s Wonder Bread Studios for their production of Fun Home. Consider yourself warned…this post is FULL of bass nerd stuff. Continue on at your own risk. This musical *requires* five basses to play the show. The different basses are called up to help move the story through different decades Read More …
Fun Home tickets are going on sale this week..
The run of UMW’s production of Fun Home is coming up. This Wednesday, 10/23, from 10 am to 10 pm, all tickets are $15. You can use the code MAPLE to save at checkout. Go to FredTix.com to get tickets. The show opens 11/6 with a “Pay What You Can Preview” performance. Tickets are regularly Read More …
12 string shootout time – the modded beater bass against a stock 12 string
The “beater” 12 string that appeared in my last blog is ready to prove out against a stock Dean 12 string. I’ve always wondered how a Dean 12 string would sound with a different electronics/pickup package other than the stock set. It’s expensive (and disheartening on some level) to yank pickups out of a brand Read More …
Resurrection…signs of life in the twelve-string project bass…
At the end of July/beginning of August, a donated project bass arrived home with me from work one day. It was a pretty beat-up Dean 12 string bass. There were some significant scuffs on it, the pickups were missing, and I was told the truss rod was shot. That’s a promising start, right? LOL… Truth Read More …
Weekly schedule updates, Celebrating twelve years of Spector in my life, and how I almost owned a red Euro5LX instead of a blue Euro6LX
And, it’s Wednesday again! Time for the upcoming schedule. Here’s where you’ll find me in the coming weeks… NEW BOOKING – Saturday 9/21 – NOVA – The Ashleigh Chevalier Band – LNB Tap House & Grille, 5351 Merchants View Sq, Haymarket, VA 20169, USA 10/11 – 10/13 – Lady Bass Gear will be vending at Read More …
Upcoming schedule for Fall 2019
And, it’s Wednesday again! Here’s where you’ll find me in the coming weeks… Saturday -9/14 – FXBG – Ashleigh Chevalier Band – The Virginia Cider Fest, 2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 – www.vaciderfest.com – 2:30 PM start NEW BOOKING – Saturday 9/14 – FXBG – Ashleigh Chevalier Band – The Colonial Tavern – 406 Read More …
“Whiskey and You” is coming to The Tin Pan in Richmond this Friday
THIS Friday, September 6 “Whiskey & You” The Songs of Bonnie Raitt & Chris Stapleton The Tin Pan – Richmond, Virginia GET TICKETS HERE! Call the box office to avoid TicketFly fees. This is one of the videos Ted and Ashleigh did for a behind-the-scenes look at the show. More are on Facebook and at Read More …
Upcoming schedule of events…
Here’s where you’ll find me…and my basses! The Fall 2019 schedule is booking up… We’re back on 9/6 at The Tin Pan, RVA – “Whiskey and You” – with Ashleigh Chevalier, Theodore Feldman, Linda Shay, and a whole cast of characters. This is a Bonnie Raitt/ Chris Stapleton tribute show. If you missed this very Read More …
The Ginger Bass Mafia performing “Oracle Rising” at 2019 Summer NAMM
This video was shot by bassist Scott Montague of The Ginger Bass Mafia performing during Roy Vogt’s Thunder Row Bass Invitational in July 2019. These are excerpts from “Oracle Rising” by Brittany Frompovich. The band is; Chris Welborn using a Warwick 7 string Custom Corvette $$ with GHS strings. Our special guest drummer was the Read More …
Update for the second full week of August 2019
So…two major changes in the past week. Last Wednesday was my first day at my new Wednesday studio home, The Sound Post. It’s a really well thought-out space, with a lot of attention to how detail, colors, and design work together. Making it feel like a warm, welcoming sweater in a fall chill. Thanks to Read More …
Last week. Last day. Last hours….
Last week. Last day. Last hours. Last carloads of office items being packed up. Last time in this teaching office. Thanks to Chris Welborn; he helped me get four carloads of items out before we headed to NAMM. All the Rock For Strings gear; drumset, PA, practice amps, electric violins, sound reinforcement, percussion, music stands Read More …
The week in review. Oh, wait…it’s only been 4 days….WOW.
Maybe there’s a reason I’m nicknamed the Red Tornado. Here’s the week so far. Hang on folks…it’s a ride. Monday – taught lessons, dealt with major construction on the street outside Lady Bass Music that caused major, major delays for students. Tuesday – got stung by a wasp, 5 minutes before my first lesson. Yeah, Read More …
“Exploratory Flight” with Anora, the new 7 String Prat Original II 7
This is my original tune, “Exploratory Flight”. But this is the first time I’ve used a bass other than the mighty Blue Spector Euro6LX to perform it. This was the first gig with Anora, the first “Exploratory Flight” of that bass. This Prat 7 Original II was built for solo bassist Edo Castro, and it Read More …
Upcoming schedule…
Here’s where you’ll find me…and my bass guitar…in the coming weeks. 7/18 – 7/20 – Next week is Summer NAMM in Nashville. If you are attending, swing by booth #1133 for a demo of the Gizmotron from Aaron Kipness or myself. www.gizmotron.com 7/18 – Chris Welborn and myself are very proud to be part of Read More …
Coming Soon…new hours at The Sound Post
I am saddened to see the closure of Forte Music this month, I have a lot of history in that building. A lot of great bass players performed or taught in that ensemble room in the basement as part of the Virginia Bass Forum. However, as that chapter in my story ends, another begins. I Read More …
Yes, that IS me…In The Gizmotron ad in Bass Player Magazine…
The August issue of Bass Player Magazine arrived in my mailbox today. Page 33…full page ad. So much gratitude to Aaron Kipness and Gizmotron for the continued support. The last few months have been “full steam ahead” for on a variety of gigs and projects. There are a lot of people who have stepped up Read More …
Spare Harmless/Beneficial Snake Species with a Text
804-617-7086 is the number of the Snake Identification service from Virginia Wildlife Management. I shared this resource some time ago in a Facebook post, and then saved the number to my phone. This morning gave me an opportunity to test it out. A friend posted on social media that he needed help IDing the type Read More …
The Cadential Section of Forte Music’s Story, And The Bigger Picture…
I’ve been spending the morning notifying students that a transition is on the horizon. Forte Music Studios is closing August 3rd. I’ve had both emails and phone calls about this news over the weekend. So here’s an observation I made to someone in my inner circle this weekend during a phone call. I felt it Read More …
Gizmotron informal Q&A, live performance clip of “Soul Amputation”
Hey gang…just released a new video. This one happens backstage, pre-show, at Orion Studios, where I’m answering some questions about the Gizmotron unit on my Spector Legend NT. Jefferson Ogata happened to be there…camera in hand…and got this footage of the conversation. The conversation is followed by some live performance clips from “Soul Amputation”. This Read More …
Fredericksburg SPCA needs your donations…
So, I have a friend who has been working on this particular hoarding situation for several weeks now. Yesterday brought a new level of success in securing help for these animals. These animals were finally removed from the home of the hoarder and taken to a safe place. Along the way, there have been many Read More …
Answering interview questions about being a woman in rock music
A student at Penn State Harrisburg, reached out to me (along with other female musicians) to ask a few questions about what it means to be a woman in rock music today. Here’s some excerpts from my portion of the interview…. Can you think of a time that your music or credibility as a musician Read More …
…Unrequited love does not die, it’s only beaten down to a secret place where it hides, curled and wounded…
“Unrequited love does not die; it’s only beaten down to a secret place where it hides, curled and wounded. For some unfortunates, it turns bitter and mean, and those who come after pay the price for the hurt done by the ones who came before.” Saw this in my FB feed a few years ago…someone Read More …
New on Musescore; Killer Queen
A few years ago, I was looking for material on Musescore to use with a Rock For Strings class. I stumbled on a string quartet version of “Killer Queen” and saved it to my hard drive. And it sat dormant for many years as it simply wasn’t used that much. Fast forward a few years Read More …
…you will find something greater….
I had a few sick days recently. Most people binge-watch something. Nope… instead SuperVan gets a spa day with new plugs and an oil change. See, SuperVan doesn’t get many breaks either. If I’m grounded with a cold, that means the car has actual downtime to be serviced. So I bought parts online on Saturday, Read More …
Lily and Sparrow Photoshoot
Becca Griffitts worked her magic yesterday. Here’s a preview!
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Red Tornado’s Musical World of Projects
I decided to write this blog after two different conversations with friends this week. Folks *apparently* know I’m busy from seeing my weekly social media calendar updates, but sometimes keeping all the various projects straight can be hard. As nice as it would be for folks to come to every show…I realize most folks have Read More …
Creative source….
A parent came in yesterday; a rather cool fellow. Ex-military, a drummer, a single dad with two young ladies he’s raising. He’s been following my stories of DIY exploration on Facebook. He told me about a bit of drama that unfolded last weekend. On a major evening. PROM NIGHT. FOR HIS DAUGHTER. AND THE CAR Read More …