Lady Bass Music

From the Facebook feed of the BassBreak LIVE crew! BassBreak LIVE 2015! Headed back to the Northern VA / DC area! May 29 & May 30! Going to be a great weekend of music, learning, sharing, inspiration, jaw-dropping performances, prizes & giveaways, and more! Enjoy the supportive atmosphere BBL is known for! Excitement is at Read More …

I’m starting off the new week by moving from my old Livejournal blog to one hosted on this new website. So since you are reading this….welcome. My old blog is still located here. I may or may not keep updating it at this point…there are only so many hours in the day. For now, the Read More …

I saw this great note on Facebook today, and definitely wanted to share it; “It’s gotten to be an epidemic on Bass Forums. Someone posts a picture of a 6, 7, 10 or more string bass. Someone else posts, “Get a harp! What is that, a skateboard? That’s not a real bass!” I have little Read More …

This was a great clinic on looping and songwriting for all who attended. The clinic was followed by a concert with Scott Varney and Brittany Frompovich. Many thanks for Forte Music for sponsoring the event.

I had a student walk up to me after rehearsal tonight, and ask me to autograph a copy of the article that appeared in Front Porch Magazine. #honored

What an epic night at the Warehouse! Great music, great food, a campfire, great drinks, cigars, wonderful new friends, bass geekery for those who enjoy that, lovely woods, perfect weather, s’mores….pure magic! Live music by myself, Michael Dimin, and Black Powder Blues, a firepit, beers, wine and cigars. Setting up the DIY stage…I made this Read More …

Next weekend we have a ton of great events scheduled for Michael Dimin’s visit to the ‘burg! Join us Friday 4/18 at 7 pm for a house concert with myself and Mike! (Message me if you want to attend, and I’ll send you info). Here’s a pic of the venue we’re setting up in for Read More …

I’m in Piscataway, NJ this weekend, getting ready to fire off some solo bass performances and good grooves at day 2 of The Geek Creation Show. I’m also doing a looping clinic this weekend for any musicians in the con crowd who might be interested. Interesting times. Let’s face it, it’s not every day that Read More …

As a well-traveled touring musician veteran friend said, “Touring is like nothing else.” It’s true. Living like a gypsy with a band of brothers. The kindness I was shown by complete strangers on the road was amazing. This was a short tour; I was out for 13 days and traveled from Fredericksburg Virginia to Denver Read More …

Just got this lovely piece of feedback in an email from a parent; “I also wanted to say thanks for all you do! My son has developed an interest in guitar building and repair and just all the gadgets and things that go along with electric guitars. You have been a wealth of info for Read More …

Thanks to guitarist James Desanto for taking these fantastic pics for Kerry Lathon and Lathon Bass Wear.

It’s the night before the Bass Coalition Summer Workshop. The van proves it is a Tardis for double basses….and there is still room in the backseat.

Hmmm…I might have been too aggressive on the electric upright during today’s show. Fortunately, it is an easy fix. Totally inspired by today’s concert…Scott Varney’s original music with varied textures featuring mouth trumpet, scatting, percussion, funky basslines, looping, vocal harmonies, effects…well, damn. Aaron Gibson’s stripped down approach…who needs effects when you can plug in a Read More …

Looking forward to Bass Break Live in May 2013! Have you signed up yet?

Three days before a gig. I’m changing the batteries in my electric upright. Nothing like the feeling of seeing the wiring harness fall clean off into your hand. Gratitude to my dad and my friend Chris for teaching me how to solder….the Lady Bass repair shop is open for emergency repairs at 2:30 am.

This will be a concert featuring phenomenal musicians from both the East and West coast. The phenomenal Aaron Gibson will be coming in from Portland, Oregon. The amazing Scott Varney will be coming in from Williamsburg, Virginia. Rounding out the roster is Frederickburg’s own Ben Titus and Brittany Frompovich. “Aaron blows us away with each Read More …

I recently started using a plugin for Gmail called Boomerang. This has been a great asset in managing my Inbox. Boomerang allows you to do multiple tasks; 1) Write an email now and then send it at a later date. 2) Schedule reminders so you don’t lose track of important emails in your Inbox. 3) Read More …

Alright LA – I’ll see you soon!

Just finished my clinic for Bass Break Live. Ace Livingston is up now…. Norm Stockton and Adam Nitti are in the house. Concert at BBL…..the song is appropriately titled, “Lover’s Duet”… The Beltway Batman was in the house for another event, as evidenced by his sweet ride being parked outside…

One benefit of teaching at Pickers; if a student has stage fright, I’ll take them outside the store and show them how to busk on the street. The class should be called “overcoming stage fright while making extra cash.” 🙂 Some students get pizza afterwards at Benny Vitali, some folks donate the proceeds to a Read More …

So, the journey of Space Shuttle Discovery ends. When I was growing up, my dad worked as an aerospace engineer. He has parts on the moon…that’s all I know about that. I also know he designed some parts for the Space Shuttle program. Dad lent me one of the explosive bolts for the SRBS to Read More …

Yesterday was a great day of lessons here at Lady Bass Music with Bryan Beller and Kira Small! All the students left their lessons inspired and sounding/playing better than when they arrived. That evening, I made a lovely homemade Italian dinner for Bryan, Kira, singer songwriter Ashleigh Chevalier, and myself. 🙂 We had some growlers Read More …

So this is an article about a great camp in Richmond that I’m involved with. The article was published in the Central Virginia Women’s Sourcebook 2012. The title says it all; “GirlsRock! RVA – Teaching Young Women Self-Esteem, Cooperation, and Respect Through Music.” This is one of the best camp experiences I have ever been Read More …

We’ve got some great things planned for May 15th. And the party keeps getting bigger and better…here’s some breaking news on the Bass Forum’s 2-year birthday party. First off, we celebrate our new partnership with Fredericksburg Academy. I’m sending a huge thank you to Fredericksburg Academy and their Music Department for hosting and partnering with Read More …

Our next KJFK show is December 12th, 2009. We are teaming up with Guitars Not Guns and the Fredericksburg Food Bank. Guitars Not Guns helps at-risk kids by supplying guitars and lessons. They are a community-based organization that provides youth a positive alternative to the self-destructive behaviors of substance abuse, truancy, crime, and gangs.

Open mic pic from October 2009. The Virginia Bass Forum was doing an open mic at William Mason’s Fine Stringed Instrument Repair, in Fredericksburg, VA. Photo by Amy Bayne.

This is a series of video clips from a Virginia Bass Forum workshop taught in 2009 on walking bass lines. All video shot for this clinic by the multitalented bassist/videographer/photographer Billy Wooten.

Hanging out in Times Square. We were in town to see Les Paul play at the Iridium. He was 91 years old at the time.

The first time at GVBBC! Some photos from that first weekend…many thanks to Charles Ford for these pics. I’ve just successfully finished my first Groove Exam. At the Groove Exam you can play whatever you want, but they do ask that it be something you learned at camp. So for my Groove Exam, I opted Read More …

This is a short clip of Trasna, dubbed “blueridge celtic fusion”, performing at the 2006 Potomac Celtic Festival! Thanks to my drum instructor Kevin Powell for joining us on congas for this show. Unfortunately my tenure was short lived;I came into the band as a hired gun to complete the last of the contracted shows Read More …