Lady Bass Music

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. 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 …

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 …

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 …

Becca Griffitts worked her magic yesterday. Here’s a preview!

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 …

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 …

I’ll be bringing my looping clinic to Sam Ash in Richmond in a few days! Won’t you join me?

Saying our goodbyes. It was fun doing bass duos again with Mr. Titus and then kidnapping him for drums in the Ginger Bass Mafia! Chris Welborn got to shine when we rolled into Mafia mode; really enjoying hearing him explore his ideas in this lineup. Good times….we just had breakfast and we’re saying our goodbyes Read More …

SuperVan 2.0 heads across western Pennsylvania…and we see this. No need for concern folks…we’re ok. Owning a SuperVan is known effective deterrent against Windmill Cancer. #shieldsup In case you are from the far future, and you have no idea what the hell is going in on the popular culture of April 2019…here’s a FAQ on Read More …

I added this cover to my solo bass show in 2018. The arrangement came to life for this trio with the addition of a fantastic bass part by Chris Welborn and powerful drums from Tom Sapp. #teamwork Sadly Tom is off camera but you’ll definitely hear him tear it up. The Gizmotron is at work Read More …

Just added some more shows….here’s where you’ll find me and my bass guitar next… Sunday 4/21 – The 3rd Annual Glass City Get Down and Low Down – Toledo, OH Lots of great stuff on tap for this show. Performances by cool kids Ben Titus, Benji Katz, Jonathan Moody, Bruce Vermett, and steven guerrero! I’m Read More …

It’s been a good week. A very good week. This picture pretty much sums it all up. It’s not every day I get to play in Ryan Martinie’s office. Seriously…big thanks to Ryan for being the kind of guy who would let me use his rig. Unbelievably, we use EXACTLY the same bass rig. Roll Read More …

Video is still coming out from the Pearl Street Warehouse show at the start of March. Still very honored and humbled to be part of such a special evening. This is video of Ashleigh Chevalier performing Z’upo when the band opened up for BMA Winner & Grammy Nominee Danielle Nicole Band in Washington, D.C. Jon Read More …

Here’s the sound of an open seam on a string instrument. This is a good check to do during seasonal weather changes.

This time the Gizmotron is at work with my black Spector Legend NT through a Morley Dual Bass wah. Tom Sapp is on drums/percussion and Chris Welborn is on a gorgeous 7 string Warwick bass. Catch us on 4/11 when we open for Soften The Glare. And…we’ve got a new banner graphic with the lineup! Read More …

This is always a fun event. For me, it’s more like a family reunion than an expo. I was an instructor at the Gerald Veasley Bass Bootcamp for a few years. There’s two “schedules” of instructors at the camp; the daytime instructors and Night Owl instructors. The campers would be so excited at this event, Read More …

The first of some video teasers from the Ginger Bass Mafia rehearsals. Chris Welborn – bass Tom Sapp – drums Brittany Frompovich – bass – with a Gizmotron and a brass slide in play First shows are coming up soon; April 8th in Fairfax VA, then April 11th in FXBG opening for Soften the Glare. Read More …

Dear universe, you are simply showing off this month, and I thank you so much for it. Most importantly, I gratefully thank Christopher Cardone and Edo Castro. These gents made this moment possible. Edo wrote me with this thought that resonated deeply; “…weird as it may sound…but it’s like handing someone maps of places they Read More …

Video by Jonathan Wiley. A great clip of the Ashleigh Chevalier band in action last night at Pearl Street Live, opening for the Grammy nominated Danielle Nicole and her band. With Ashleigh on raw, soulful vocals/acoustic guitar, Jon crushing it on lead guitar, Toby Fairchild on drums, and yours truly holding down the bass chair. Read More …

I didn’t create this, this is just something I liked. This is a very useful and methodical way to examine the life factors that generate happiness. That being said, pardon the ad at the end.

Hey gang, there’s some noteworthy shows coming up. First off, the Ashleigh Chevalier Band is hosting a “Women In The Blues” show at Colonial Tavern in Downtown Fredericksburg. Then we’re headed into DC to open for the Danielle Nicole Band. Lastly, the Ginger Bass Mafia (a project with Chris Welborn and myself) will be opening Read More …

So, this is not a typical NAMM video. No product releases, no gear geek out. This is a behind the scenes of the show itself…

A huge thank you to Christopher Cardone, Edo Castro/ Leslie Ann Castro-Woodhouse and Aaron Kipness / Gizmotron for including me in their NAMM plans and shenanigans. Huge thanks to Nalani Bass for organizing “The Breakfast Club”, and much gratitude to all the lovely ladies in attendance. 🙂 Many thanks to Liza Carbe and Jean-Pierre Durand Read More …

I stayed an extra day in LA. I just tagged along with some friends from the band Incendio. This is what we did Tuesday night. If you don’t know Muriel Anderson, please do yourself a favor and look her up…or check out the video. I am a very lucky girl. I literally had no idea Read More …

WANTED: String players for a Winter/Spring 2019 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, guitars, and bass guitar). Read More …

Headphones or better speakers are recommended for this video. The built-in speakers on most mobile devices won’t show the differences very well.

So, one of my 2019 goals is to make some of my string orchestra arrangements available online. I might also post some of my solo bass arrangements as well as time goes on. I’m kicking things off with “Geronimo”. This is a string orchestra arrangement of The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor Who Theme, Read More …

Oliver Kriska – electric violin, viola Dave Hills – electric cello Brittany Frompovich – bass guitar Many thanks to NS Design, Willcox Guitars (makers of Lightwave basses) GHS Strings, Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamps, and Gizmotron for making this possible. Please visit these sites and check out what they have to offer: NSDesign: https://thinkns.com/ Willcox Read More …

In 2009 I joined the MTH team of bloggers and contributed articles over a few years. This is an index of what was contributed. Nov. 2008 – Using Audacity As A Practice Trainer Dec 2008 – MusicPro Magazine Jan 2009 – Taming The Sheet Music Tiger March 2009 – Keeping Tax Paperwork Organized May 2009 Read More …

Today’s Gizmotron/Lightwave report…. I wanted to use the “diesel truck coming for your soul sound” of the current Gizmotron setup in a track. I had already been searching for a sustained “alien war machine” type of sound. Mechanical, sustained, unsettled, intense, and authoritative. This just nailed it. I don’t want to share the whole track Read More …

Betcha you didn’t see this combination coming…. The wheels are not aligned quite correctly yet. However, the noisy, clattery sound begged to be explored before I finished a proper alignment. Add two distortion pedals….yeah, it’s like a diesel truck, coming for your soul. 😈 Gear on and off camera used in this clip; Lightwave Saber Read More …

Here’s a snippet of Ben Titus working on a track with me in my home studio. He’s got a Skjold Drakkar Catacomb 6, a Line 6 Helix pedalboard, the Plus pedal by Gamechanger Audio, and GHS Progressives on the bass. #skjold #skjoldbasses #ghs #ghsstrings #ghsartists #skjolddesign #skjolddesignguitars #ghsprogressives #ghsprogressivesbass #gamechangeraudio #gamechangeraudiopluspedal #pluspedal #line6helix #thesewalls

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.   I’m settling down…a little…after one busy week.  Two tracks recorded and mixed for radio, the studio is getting ready for the last shoot of the doc, and I did a gig This was also 5 years since Samantha had left me. A not-so-subtle reminder that it had been five years since Read More …

This is one of the best parts of my job; pairing up donated gear with students. Aiden very recently started playing bass. She’s already a very talented cellist. However, she came to the realization that playing bass will better serve her musical goals. And better yet….she wants to be a doubler so she can be Read More …

Part 3 takes us to an entirely different pit setup than in the two previous videos. The orchestra for this production is onstage, behind a prop wall and a black curtain. At the end of the production, both the prop wall and the curtain will fly upwards, revealing the whole orchestra to the audience. This Read More …

Well, I decided to give isolation wedges a try on my Mackie HR824 monitors. If you are like most folks…it’s a bit natural to wonder “Do these really work?” Physics stands behind the idea that they should. But let’s face it…most folks (myself included) need to see (or in this case…hear) the proof. The science Read More …

I’ve got these two new video uploads to share this week from the production of “Hello Dolly” that I’ve been involved with. I had a LOT of questions about how a remote orchestral pit works and why my rig is set up the way it is. Hopefully we can cover all of that in these Read More …

Lots of time with a bass in my hands tomorrow. (Saturday 9/22/18). First off, I’ll be performing as part of Art Attack in downtown Fredericksburg from 10 AM – 2 PM. I’ll be located near or in front of 902 Caroline Street. I’ll be leaving Art Attack a little early (the entire event ends at Read More …

9/7/2018 I am VERY proud to announce I’ve joined the GHS family of artists. Thank you to Jonathan Moody and GHS for working with me. Over many months of extensive and exhaustive searching along with Ben Titus, Chris Welborn, and Jaymi Millard through multiple string brands, I’ve tacked down a great match in great strings Read More …

After a few months of using the Nitewalker Preamp in both live shows and in my home studio, using a range of electric basses and electric strings, I’m proud to announce I’ve joined the Nitewalker family. Thank you Cliff Latshaw! Stay tuned for more about the Nitewalker…in the meantime, check them out here.

First off, here’s the things to look forward to. I’ll be performing next weekend in Lakewood Colorado at Festival Italiano. How does a gingery bassist who plays “cosmic” bass (quote from a fan at the recent Porchfest show) get a gig at Festival Italiano? Well, lucky for me, they added an International Market Stage this Read More …

Thanks for all the positive feedback from folks on my Memorial Day weekend shoot at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Really appreciated the shares and the kind words. My phone was blowing up for a few days across social media, email AND text because of these pics. Glad it inspired folks. It was a bit of Read More …

A post with my photos from the 23rd Annual Memorial Luminaria. More than 15,300 candles are lit for this event; one for each soldier buried in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Photos were taken on a Canon EOS 50D with a Sigma EX DC 10-20mm wide-angle. The camera is running Magic Lantern. I used long exposure Read More …

Friday night, during the recent storms, there was a car accident on Courthouse Road. A car got T boned. The car struck; that guy was very lucky to be alive and walk away. The girl in the other car was sitting on the road when I arrived, bleeding from her right leg. I’m no doctor Read More …

Quick clip from between lessons yesterday of my “guest” bass, an Ibanez SR2605e Premium. Stats here: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/sr/

I put my pedalboard and setup on Jenny Craig today because I am visiting some students at Thornburg Middle School and William Wassum’s class. To quote my friend Jared Lees; like most fad diets, this won’t last. Only the RC2, RC300, Vapor Trail, eBow, NSCR5M and the mighty Blue Spector Euro6LX in tow. Could be Read More …

Not my usual office, but a good one. Started with a solo bass set at a house concert…running my rig stereo for the first time through two 410 Warwick cabs…..😃😍😀. I think the audience liked it…lots of good feedback on the set. I’m trying a lot of new stuff on the solo bass front, as Read More …

These are now getting packed up to go on walkabout with me. There’s a nicely diverse selection of materials involved in making this bunch; wood beads, stone beads, polymer clay, laser-cut vinyl records (shaped into guitar picks), African trade beads, bone beads, wood burned pendants (courtesy of Greenwood Creations), leather, ebony guitar picks, zebrawood guitar Read More …

Oh dear…apparently I did not hear the cat knock on the front door. Yes, that is a look of panic on Cocoa’s face. It is raining. 🤣😂 #imissedthememo #cannotmakethisupifItried

We’re in the home stretch with the mods on this. When this bass came in, it had a cracked nut, a broken 3 way switch, a warped backplate, a missing knob, no shielding, some interior wiring done with twist nuts….(yikes)…you get the idea. Good intentions, poor execution. A previous owner pulled the original pups and Read More …

A parent came in yesterday; cool fellow. 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 BREAKS DOWN. This is BAD folks. He’s telling me the story of the ordeal…and Read More …

John….thanks for your order! This bracelet is heading to it’s new home in Colorado. Now available in the store; alder guitar pick earrings and a steampunk cuff bracelet

A parent came in yesterday; cool fellow. 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 BREAKS DOWN. This is BAD folks. He’s telling me the story of the ordeal…and Read More …

‪ No tweaks to my tone or pedals today; this mod was purely to make me smile. #diypedalboard The LEDs add a little bit of noise to the signal chain, but it’s barely noticeable when playing at volume, and certainly not noticeable in a rock setting.

Nice find today on social media. This Romanian orthodox monk is incredible. He plays the “Semantron” on a master level. This wooden plank is used since the 6th century to summon the monks from all over the monastery to the church. It has the sound of war drums to remind the monks of the spiritual Read More …

Poor me. A student built this fretless…..he asked me to take it, play it this week, and give him feedback. I hate playing and evaluating prototypes, bass builds, and new gear. It’s the worst. *laughing* Thank you for trusting me with your bass Andy. It will be a fun week. The other students are checking Read More …

Last summer, I left this bass off with new parts. I managed to concoct a coat of paint that was a blend of copper and bronze, so it would simulate aged copper. However, I didn’t really know how to get other aspects of the look I wanted. Like the reflective surface of copper and the Read More …