The Virginia Bass Forum presents a clinic with Stewart McKinsey



The Virginia Bass Forum presents a clinic with Stewart McKinsey.

Stew McKinsey has been a musician since before his memory begins, although it wasn’t until he saw a friend’s punk band playing in high school that he found the electric bass. Not only has he never looked back, but he has been looking forward to the possibilities of the instrument since he picked one up.

He is noted for his performances on extended range basses; basses that go beyond the expected 4 or 5 string configurations. Along the way his string count has increased, but the journey included work as a sideman, studio musician, writer, teacher, clinician, bandleader, composer and solo artist. While Stew was a professional musician for a living for many years, these days his focus is on making his own music. Art for art’s sake.

An endorsing artist for Conklin Guitars, Nordstrand Pickups, S.I.T. Strings, GruvGear, AccuGroove Speakers, Stew is at the forefront of the world of extended range bass and continues to work with builders and designers of all sorts when it comes to helping create better tools for artists to use in expressing themselves.

This clinic is going to be on a topic of interest to EVERYONE..not just bassists or musicians. Writers, photographers…anyone who is in the arts or is creative. Stew is going to focus on developing one’s original voice.

Original voice has its roots in a number of things, and the clinic will draw many of those roots into focus. Presented in a way that is casual and interactive, we will look at the art and craft of what you do, acknowledging one’s influences and moving beyond them, learning about the function of instinct in creating, identifying healthy and unhealthy ego (really, there is such a thing as healthy ego) and finally confronting criticism and comparison from others.

We are all influenced by the work of others and that is a part of our voice, but we can seek out those things that resonate with us and learn to appreciate them while continuing to forge work that is our own. Our influences are what fuel us and give us the impetus to share what we found and felt when we encountered what our heroes and heroines gave us, but the goal is not to recreate their gifts.

Inside each of us is something special and unique. Others may awaken it but what each of us has to offer is our. The goal of this clinic is to help you start seeing this in yourself and to give you some of the tools to explore and hone your inner voice.


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