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In business, marketing strategies often revolve around defining your ideal customer. What specific interests and demographics do they represent? The more specific you are in your targeting, the better. But Time for Three proves just how wrong that approach to building an audience can be. Performing their unique blend of Americana, modern pop, and classical music, the acclaimed string trio has grown a large fan base that defies demographics — people who are just as likely to listen to Brahms as bluegrass and the Beatles. And now the members of Time for Three — violinists Charles Yang and Nick Kendall and bassist Ranaan Meyer — are celebrating their latest achievement: a Grammy Award for Letters for the Future, the Deutsche Grammophon album they recorded last year with the Philadelphia Orchestra. For Yang, the nominations carry a comforting sense of validation. "As a group as eclectic, and unique, and weird as we are, we've had to swim upstream at times in this industry. So this was a nice way of saying, finally: What we're doing is right, and we went with our heart." In this episode of the Classical Post podcast, the members of Time for Three and I talk more about the album and the Olympic training mindset that helped them thrive while recording Letters for the Future in Philly. Plus, they share how therapy sessions can often serve as creative sessions and their picks for the best Thai and Japanese food in Manhattan. Listen to Letters for the Future on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream and download music. — Classical Post® is a leading podcast based in New York. Our content uncovers the creativity behind exceptional music through dynamic deep-dive interviews with prominent artists in the world today. We are powered by Gold Sound Media® — a creative studio providing omnichannel marketing and public relations services for the classical music industry.
Comprising violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang, and double bassist Ranaan Meyer, Time For Three joins online editor Davina Shum for a conversation about triple concertos. How does the group maintain the synergy of a chamber ensemble against the backdrop of a symphonic orchestra? In light of commissioned works by Pulitzer-winning composers Kevin Puts and Jennifer Higdon, Nick, Charles and Ranaan share their approaches towards working together, as well as remotely during the pandemic, plus the boys share their favourite string techniques implemented on their new album Letters for the Future. Time For Three will perform Kevin Puts's Contact on 28 July with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Erina Yashima at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. More information can be found here Check out thestrad.com for the latest news, articles and reviews on all things to do with string playing. Register and subscribe to access exclusive archival content from 2010 onwards. Student discount! Get 50% off an online subscription! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/3eQ75AB Find us on social media: Facebook.com/thestrad Twitter: @TheStradMag Instagram: @the_strad_ II: Codes (Scherzo) Contact – Kevin Puts Letters for the Future Time For Three / Philadelphia Orchestra / Xian Zhang Deutsche Grammophon
Time for Three — Letters for the Future (DG) Jump to giveaway form New Classical Tracks - Time for Three by “This is Kevin Puts; he's our new member, our composer in residence — ‘Time for Four.'” The members of the string trio Time for Three — violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang, and bassist Ranaan Meyer — are talking about Puts and his involvement on their latest album, Letters for the Future, which also includes music by composer Jennifer Higdon. Meyer: “We've been on this journey for a while. When we started out, we were this band that was discovering a common ground with classical music. We had this desire and inquisitive nature of wanting to explore all different genres. “Now fast-forward to today, and we're here to talk about our recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which features Jennifer Higdon's work that was also the very first concerto that was ever written for us back in 2008. Here is an exclusive performance for YourClassical MPR of the Cadenza from Higdon's Concerto 4-3: Watch now “We're also super excited about our latest concerto, Contact, by Kevin Puts. In addition to being a sensational composer and writing gorgeous music that is incredibly storytelling in nature, he is like-minded to our group, which pushes us forward on our instruments.” How is this album a homecoming for the group? Kendall: “When Ranaan and I attended the Curtis Institute of Music in the late ‘90s, Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma released Appalachian Waltz, which blew our minds. At that time, it also seemed natural for Time for Three to do the same. We had this incredible opportunity with the Philadelphia Orchestra with help from maestro Christoph Eschenbach. “Eschenbach saw this energy from us and thought if he could put these virtuoso musicians in the hands of a master composer, who would that be? We had a meeting with him, and both of our lists had Jennifer Higdon, who was a teacher at Curtis. That is the story behind Concerto 4-3.” Can you talk about the creativity behind Contact? Puts: “I thought it was an interesting idea to start with nothing but a three-voice chorale and then gradually elaborate on that. As far as there being a message, I didn't really think of it that way until later. We realized what we were working on a piece about all the different forms of contact.” Here's an exclusive performance of Puts' Gankino Horo, which is not featured on the album: Watch now To hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. More on Time for Three New Classical Tracks: Time for Three Time for Three Giveaway Time For Three New Classical Tracks Giveaway You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy. This giveaway is subject to the Official Giveaway Rules. Resources Time for Three — Letters for the Future (DG store) Time for Three — Letters for the Future (Amazon) Time for Three (official site)
This short episode features a look at the 2021 Wabass Institute, with short interviews from faculty members Ranaan Meyer, Eric Larson, and Hal Robinson. Enjoy, and you can also check out this video for a deep-dive at this year's event. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass. Thank you to our sponsors! Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome. Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It's durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion theme music by Eric Hochberg
Our sponsor: Houghton Hornswww.houghtonhorns.comUse code "REX" for $19 entry to Rex Richardson's "Inside the Practice Room"!Hitz Academy - Inside the Practice Room with Rex RichardsonAndrew Hitz has appeared as a soloist, clinician and speaker in over 40 states and 30 countries including Japan, Brazil, Russia and Singapore. He is probably best known for the 14 years he spent touring the world as the tuba player and co-owner of Boston Brass. Andrew has also performed with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra, U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, Imani Winds, T’Ang Quartet, Dallas Brass, Alarm Will Sound, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Lin Manuel Miranda, Renée Fleming, Trey Anastasio, Steve Gadd, Medeski, Martin & Wood and as a soloist with the U.S. Army Blues and the Marine Band of Mexico.As an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments, Andrew appears all over the world as both a teacher and performer. He has presented at over 20 state music educator conferences and taught master classes at some of the finest music schools in the world including Juilliard, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. Andrew has also spoken about the music business and entrepreneurship at many colleges and universities including Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon and the University of South Carolina, where he appeared as a thought leader specializing in marketing and social media at David Cutler's The Savvy Musician In Action Retreat.Andrew hosts two podcasts through his latest venture, Pedal Note Media, a digital media company founded with former Boston Brass colleague Lance LaDuke. Pedal Note Media provides products and programs to educate, entertain and inspire music teachers, players and fans. "The Brass Junkies" is a podcast interviewing the best brass players in the world on everything from the serious to the ridiculous, just like the music business. Previous guests have included Joe Alessi, Carol Jantsch and Marty Hackleman. The other is "The Entrepreneurial Musician" which features interviews with some of the most successful people in the music business. Previous guests on TEM have included David Cutler of The Savvy Musician, Ranaan Meyer of Time for Three and Noa Kageyama of The Bulletproof Musician.Andrew is also the author of "A Band Director's Guide To Everything Tuba: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts" which features interviews with Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and others. The second volume, "A Band Director's Guide to Everything Trombone: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts", features interviews with Joe Alessi, Harry Watters, Ralph Sauer and others and is available now.Andrew is proud to serve on the Board of Directors for the Mockingbird Foundation, a non-profit organization which has awarded over $1.8 million in grants to help bring music education to underserved populations.Andrew is a graduate of Northwestern University. He studied with Rex Martin and was the Graduate Teaching Assistant for Sam Pilafian at Arizona State University.Andrew lives in the Washington, DC area with his son Nicholas, his dog Izabella, and his wife Tiffany, who he thinks is the best band director in the country. He is an avid sports fan, loves history, and has seen the band Phish in concert 20Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)
The 14th annual Wabass Institute will be taking place in Wabash, Indiana June 24-29. In this episode, we sit down with faculty members Eric Larson, Hal Robinson, and Ranaan Meyer to learn about this uniquely inspiring program and what it’s all about. Details on how to apply are listed here, and be sure to follow Wabash and other programs of the Honeywell Arts Academy on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass. Thank you to our sponsors! Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome. Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine! Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice. Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen. Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice. Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress. Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool. Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time. Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg
This week we are in conversation with the members of the genre defying ensemble and "classically trained garage band" Time For Three. Our host and artistic director Clemmie Burton-Hill talked to them earlier this year after being "in awe" of their interpretation and performance of J.S. Bach's Chaconne, Partita No.2 at a private Soiree at Joshua Bell's New York home. Here, Ranaan Meyer, Charles Yang, Nick Kendall, talk about improvisation, connection with the audiences, taking the freedom of moving between genres and playing hungover. And then they play that piece, their desert island companion: Bach's Chaconne – or their take on it. You can also watch their performance as part of WQXR's "Offstage" series here. Chaconne in Winter J.S. Bach/Arranged Hackman & Time For Three Clemency Burton-Hill, Host and ProducerSapir Rosenblatt, ProducerRosa Gollan, ProducerGeorge Wellington, Technical ProducerLukas Krohn-Grimberghe, Executive Producer
We're all experiencing difficult times right now. Ranaan Meyer, my longtime friend and member of Time for Three, reached out to me this week, and we had an inspiring conversation about how we're handling the current situation. Ranaan has been on the podcast many times in the past, and I felt much better about what I can do to make the best of things after chatting with him. We also featured music from Time for Three's recent track Joy, which is fitting music for these current times.
Ranaan Meyer is launching a new camp called the Utah Symposium for Double Bass. It will be taking place in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah June 7-9, and it’s open for registration for anyone ages 12 and up. This new event is a full scholarship, immersive program which provides participants with the opportunity to explore the entire spectrum of the double bass. From orchestra, to solo, to jazz, participants will join the faculty in sharing their knowledge and approach to the double bass. The Faculty will include (links to past podcast appearances): Ranaan Meyer Max Dimoff Peter Dominguez Mike Valerio Ranaan and I talk about the new camp, the inspiration he finds participating in events like this, the stylistic openness of this approach, and much more. Learn more about the Utah Symposium for Double Bass on their website, and following along with Ranaan and the camp on social media through the following links: Utah Symposium for Double Bass - Facebook Ranaan Meyer - Facebook Ranaan Meyer - Instagram Time for Three - Instagram Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: D'Addario Strings This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Bass Violin Shop The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Kolstein Music The Samuel Kolstein Violin Shop was founded by Samuel Kolstein in 1943 as a Violin and Bow making establishment in Brooklyn, New York. Now on Long Island, over 60 years later, Kolstein’s has built a proud reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise in both the manufacture and repair of a whole range of stringed instruments, and has expanded to a staff of twelve experts in restoration, marketing and production. Steve Swan String Bass Steve Swan String Bass features the West Coast’s largest selection of double basses between Los Angeles and Canada. Located in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, their large retail showroom holds about 70 basses on display. Their new basses all feature professional setups and come with a cover at no additional cost. Used and consignment instruments receive any needed repairs and upgrades before getting a display position on the sales floor. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. A440 Violin Shop An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
TEM125: Time for Three's Ranaan Meyer Quotes (TEM Short) This TEM Short features thoughts on my favorite quotes from Ranaan Meyer in TEM124. Quotes: "Yeah, so I decided, based on what I had heard and sort of my professional evaluation of what we had done ... Of course I'm being sarcastic because I had no idea what I was doing, but I had the audacity to say, ‘Well, we're never going to play background music, and we're going to have a flat fee of $1,500.' And this was back 15 years ago right when we started, and like I said, we're college kids slash just out of college. $1,500 for a trio, that seemed like all the money in the world, and Nick and Zach were kind of uncomfortable, but they said, "You know what, Ranaan, if you really feel like you can go get that, go get it.” "I always encourage people ... I mean, obviously not everybody goes to Curtis, but there are opportunities wherever you are in school, out in the professional world, to look for communities where you can be surrounding yourself with a place to fish. That's crucial. You want to fish in the right pond. So look for those places and then gun for them.” "There's definitely this thing that happens constantly in our career which is, we were just playing at a show recently for a presenter, and I made the mistake of saying, 'Yeah, so-and-so recommended us for this, right?' and then one of the people that worked said, ‘No, who are they? I don't even know who they are.' I knew for a fact that the person that I mentioned definitely was the first introduction from them to us, but by the time we had arrived there, so many other people had taken credit for us being there. And that's good for us. I mean, that only makes us feel good, and loved, and all that stuff. But the point was is that, people want to take ownership of you, of what you're trying to sell. They want to believe in it, and when you get people to believe in it, that's when you've really succeed to the point of not having to sell yourself. And ultimately, selling yourself is getting them to believe it." "I'm a big believer in stepping stones. It's very rare in life that all of a sudden at the snap of a finger or the drop of a hat you are on top of the world with everything you possibly could ever imagine for your career. It's a process, and I think it's really good for young artists, or just up and coming artists, to realize that. So, as long as you're going on the trajectory that you want to see for yourself, you should consider yourself a success at all times.” "If you're interested in more than just picking up your instrument and playing it in tune and in time with a musical feeling behind it, then this is an amazing world that will open up so many doors." "As a more mature young man, I now have at the top of my notes, whenever I write down the things that I need to do on my daily schedule, et cetera, in big, old, capital, bold font, DELEGATE WHEN POSSIBLE. And I think this is a really important thing to discuss because ultimately that takes a lot of maturity." "I think it's important to work really hard, to work really smart, and then dream, Man of La Mancha, dream the impossible dream. You know, really, really think about it and imagine it happening because if you can really see it happening, there may just be that opportunity.” Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at: http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes 1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast. 2. I'm up to 60 ratings and 41 reviews on iTunes. Help me reach my goals of 75 ratings and 50 reviews by taking just a couple of minutes on iTunes! And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM. Produced by Andrew Hitz
TEM124: Ranaan Meyer of Time For Three on advice for young musicians, seizing opportunities and why you have to dream big (TEM Rewind) Ranaan Meyer is a bass player and founding member of Time for Three, one of the busiest chamber ensembles in the world. TEM Rewind is a new format that will appear sporadically throughout 2018. Some of my favorite interviews were in the very early days of TEM, before many of you were following the show. This conversation with Ranaan is from the very first episode way back in 2015 and is absolute gold. What You'll Learn: Why all it took was one band member who really believed in the band and was willing to bankroll it to get them on the road to success How from day one they refused to play background music and never performed for anything less than $1500 How even as college students Time for Three was very serious and methodical about who they networked with and how Why once you get people to take ownership of your product they then do the selling for you Why you need to be set up correctly and know the right questions to ask before you potentially waste a lot of time and money showcasing at something like APAP The difference between booking yourself through the commercial market versus the presenting arts market The three words that Ranaan writes in bold at the top of every To Do list he ever makes How a power outage before a Philadelphia Orchestra concert led to Ranaan wowing 5,000 audience members and the entire Philly Orchestra before Time for Three was even a thing The importance of dreaming big because it just might happen if you do Why it's imperative to try get to a place in your career where you can delegate some tasks Links: APAP Le Poussin Rouge Zach De Pue Playing Bach Next to an Airplane Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at: http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes 1. Help me get to my goal of $50 per episode on Patreon by pledging as little as $1 per episode to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast. 2. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to my goal of 50 ratings on iTunes! I appreciate it very much! And finally, a huge thank you to Parker Mouthpieces for providing the hosting for TEM. Produced by Andrew Hitz
In addition to today's "best of" podcast, check out my book Winning the Audition! It's available in paperback, Kindle, enhanced PDF, and audiobook formats. This series is drawn from interviews conducted with dozens of bassists from orchestras like the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Houston Symphony, plus some of the most influential pedagogues in the field. This series provides actionable advice that you can use to take your auditioning to the next level, and while we’re speaking with bassists for these episodes, the advice can certainly be applied to other instruments and disciplines as well. This series is divided into four episodes: Part 1 – Preparing for Audition Success Part 2 – Practicing Techniques for Peak Auditions Part 3 – Preparation Routines That Work Part 4 – Sealing the Deal These episodes include advice from dozens of major figures in the bass world, including Lawrence Hurst, Michael Hovnanian, Ranaan Meyer, Ian Hallas, Brandon Mclean, Robin Kesselman, Ira Gold, Max Dimoff, Jack Budrow, Andrew Anderson, Rob Kassinger, Peter Tambroni, Greg Sarchet, Andrew Raciti, Marc Ramírez, Gaelen McCormick, Joseph Conyers, Colin Corner, Ju-Fang Liu, Jeffrey Turner, Owen Lee, Brad Opland, and Alex Hanna. Our original sponsor for this series is Discover Double Bass. This site is run by Geoff Chalmers and provides lessons and step-by-step courses on a variety of double bass areas of study. They’ve got free articles, string reviews and a show called Ask Geoff and Lauren where they answer questions from the double bass community. Geoff does great work and has built this into a tremendous resource for bassists everywhere. Check out over 70 free lessons and much more at discoverdoublebass.com! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: D’Addario Strings Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. A440 Violin Shop An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!
Cleveland Orchestra principal bassist Max Dimoff and Time for Three bassist Ranaan Meyer are the new teaching team at the University of Michigan! Both Max and Ranaan have been featured on past podcast episodes as well as in my 2016 book Winning the Audition. Learn more about the program: University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance (Facebook) University of Michigan profile page on doublebassblog.org Email Max Email Ranaan Past Max and Ranaan Appearances on Contrabass Conversations: Max: Standing vs. Sitting Practicing Technique Winning the Audition original 2009 interview Ranaan Round Two Interview from 2017 original 2007 interview Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Tim Dilenschneider is the latest addition to the Baltimore Symphony double bass section. Tim is a former student of Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer at Curtis, and he studied with Ranaan Meyer while in high school. We dig into: how everything outside of the audition can seem to go wrong and you still win the audition preparation for one audition carries through to the next one ...and much more! Follow along with all of our audition-related content at contrabassconversations.com/auditioning Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! This episode is also brought to you by Rosin Saver, a revolutionary storage device that keeps bass rosin feeling as fresh as the day it was made. Rosin Saver is used by members of the New York Philharmonic, the MET orchestra, the Los Angles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Use the promo code 'HEATH' at checkout for 10% off any and all orders from rosinsaver.com. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!
Ranaan Meyer is the bassist for the dynamic trio Time for Three. I had Ranaan on the podcast back in the early days of the show, almost ten years ago. Time for Three was performing with the Modesto Symphony here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ranaan had a chance to sit down for an in-person "round two" for the podcast. We dig into all kinds of things: why Ranaan doesn’t carry his own bass out… and why the old-schoolers give him grief about it starting to use the Laborie endpin changes that Ranaan has made to his technique over time staying in shape on the road how the group creates music while living in three separate cities Ranaan’s focus on education advice that he’d give my former parents and students about a life in music Links to check out: Time for Three's website Social Instagram Twitter Their self-titled album Ranaan and Jason after the interview! Ranaan's first appearance on the podcast Ranaan on The Entrepreneurial Musician podcast our new and better CBC Twitter Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Enter our latest string giveaway for Kaplan strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings! This episode is also brought to you by Rosin Saver, a revolutionary storage device that keeps bass rosin feeling as fresh as the day it was made. Rosin Saver is used by members of the New York Philharmonic, the MET orchestra, the Los Angles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Use the promo code 'HEATH' at checkout for 10% off any and all orders from rosinsaver.com. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox!
Andrew Hitz and I go way back. Not only did we both attend Northwestern University together, but we actually lived in the same arts dorm! In fact, I remember Andrew playing tuba in the great room for performance night. We reconnected last year when I discovered his wonderful podcast The Entrepreneurial Musician. He had me on as a guest in the fall, and I'm thrilled to have him on my podcast today! We dig into topics like: blue versus red ocean strategy and how we’re trained as classical musicians to live in red oceans ways you can stand out in a noisy field concepts from James Altucher the best time to start a project.. and the second-best time how so many people seem to be waiting around for people to become more educated and suddenly fall in love with classical music again the crazy hard work that is behind every seemingly overnight success lessons learned from shared podcast guests: Ranaan Meyer and Peter Seymour Seth Godin - Andrew’s spirit animal ...and much more! Links to Check Out: Andrew's website James Altucher's website Books: Blue Ocean Strategy Good to Great The Savvy Musician: Building a Career, Earning a Living & Making a Difference Seth Godin Seth Godin Live at Carnegie Hall More about Andrew: Andrew Hitz is an internationally renowned soloist, clinician and speaker having appeared in over 40 states and 30 countries including Japan, Brazil, Russia and Singapore. He recently ended a 14 year tenure as the tuba player for Boston Brass. Andrew has also appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound and the Marine Band of Mexico. Andrew currently teaches tuba and euphonium at George Mason University and Gettysburg College. As an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments, he appears all over the world as both a teacher and performer. Andrew has presented at over 20 state music educator conferences and taught master classes at some of the finest music schools in the world including Juilliard, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. He has also spoken about entrepreneurship and music business at many colleges and universities including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina, where he appeared as a thought leader specializing in marketing and social media at The Savvy Musician In Action Retreat. Andrew hosts two podcasts through his latest venture, Pedal Note Media, a digital media company founded with former Boston Brass colleague Lance LaDuke. Pedal Note Media provides products and programs to educate, entertain and inspire music teachers, players and fans.. "The Brass Junkies" is a podcast interviewing the best brass players in the world on everything from the serious to the ridiculous, just like the music business. Previous guests have included Joe Alessi, Carol Jantsch and Marty Hackleman. The other is "The Entrepreneurial Musician" which features interviews with some of the most successful people in the music business. Previous guests on TEM have included David Cutler of The Savvy Musician, Ranaan Meyer of Time for Three and Gavin Chuck & Michael Clayville of Alarm Will Sound. Both podcasts are available through iTunes or streamable through the Pedal Note Media website. Andrew is also the author of "A Band Director's Guide To Everything Tuba: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts" which features interviews with Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and others. The second volume, "A Band Director's Guide to Everything Trombone: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts", features interviews with Joe Alessi, Harry Watters, Ralph Sauer and others and is available now. Thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets. Enter our latest string giveaway for Helicore strings at contrabassconversations.com/strings!
Welcome to Winning the Audition - a special series from Contrabass Conversations featuring advice from leaders in the field about preparing and executing auditions successfully. This series is drawn from interviews conducted with dozens of bassists from orchestras like the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Houston Symphony, plus some of the most influential pedagogues in the field. This episode is sponsored by Discover Double Bass, and they have a course on bowing technique with Lauren Pierce that I highly recommend checking out. This course is divided into 37 HD lessons, and Lauren gives a short video overview of the three categories that these videos cover: the basics, bow control, and real world techniques. There’s also a free preview lesson on phrasing with the bow. Check out over 70 free lessons and much more at discoverdoublebass.com! About Winning the Audition This series provides actionable advice that you can use to take your auditioning to the next level, and while we’re speaking with bassists for these episodes, the advice can certainly be applied to other instruments and disciplines as well. This series is divided into four episodes: Preparing for Audition Success, Practicing Techniques for Peak Auditions, Preparation Routines That Work, and Sealing the Deal. Special thanks goes to John Grillo, who was my co-host for many of these interviews. Today's episode includes advice from dozens of major figures in the bass world, including Lawrence Hurst, Michael Hovnanian, Ranaan Meyer, Ian Hallas, Brandon Mclean, Robin Kesselman, Ira Gold, Max Dimoff, Jack Budrow, Andrew Anderson, Rob Kassinger, Peter Tambroni, Greg Sarchet, Andrew Raciti, Marc Ramírez, Gaelen McCormick, Joseph Conyers, Colin Corner, Ju-Fang Liu, Jeffrey Turner, Owen Lee, Brad Opland, Alex Hanna, and Ed Barker.
Welcome to Winning the Audition - a special series from Contrabass Conversations featuring advice from leaders in the field about preparing and executing auditions successfully. This series is drawn from interviews conducted with dozens of bassists from orchestras like the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Houston Symphony, plus some of the most influential pedagogues in the field. Our sponsor for this episode is Discover Double Bass. This site is run by Geoff Chalmers and provides lessons and step-by-step courses on a variety of double bass areas of study. They’ve got free articles, string reviews and a show called Ask Geoff and Lauren where they answer questions from the double bass community. Geoff does great work and has built this into a tremendous resource for bassists everywhere. Check out over 70 free lessons and much more at discoverdoublebass.com! About Winning the Audition This series provides actionable advice that you can use to take your auditioning to the next level, and while we’re speaking with bassists for these episodes, the advice can certainly be applied to other instruments and disciplines as well. This series is divided into four episodes: Preparing for Audition Success, Practicing Techniques for Peak Auditions, Preparation Routines That Work, and Sealing the Deal. Special thanks goes to John Grillo, who was my co-host for many of these interviews. Today's episode includes advice from dozens of major figures in the bass world, including Lawrence Hurst, Michael Hovnanian, Ranaan Meyer, Ian Hallas, Brandon Mclean, Robin Kesselman, Ira Gold, Max Dimoff, Jack Budrow, Andrew Anderson, Rob Kassinger, Peter Tambroni, Greg Sarchet, Andrew Raciti, Marc Ramírez, Gaelen McCormick, Joseph Conyers, Colin Corner, Ju-Fang Liu, Jeffrey Turner, Owen Lee, Brad Opland, Alex Hanna, Links from the episode: Performance Success Audition Success Fight Your Fear and Win Flow
One of the most enjoyable things about hosting a show like this is that I have the opportunity to connect with people that I find interesting and that are really exploring different directions in the world of the double bass, and Brent Edmondson is a prime example of a person like this. I’ve been following along with Brent for years as he helped Ranaan Meyer to launch the Next Level Journals and Ranaan Meyer Entertainment. He has created a really interesting role for himself in the world of the double bass, subbing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and playing with other top-tier ensembles, but also administering camps like the Wabass Institute, helping Ira Gold to launch his new Orchestral Bowing Workshop, editing Hal Robinson’s publications, and working in roles like personnel manager and operations director for the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. About Brent: Double bassist Brent Edmondson is an active performer in the Philadelphia area. Brent currently serves as the principal double bassist of the Lancaster Symphony and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and is an A-list substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He previously held positions with the Beaumont Symphony, Atlantic Symphony, Mercury Orchestra, and Waltham Philharmonic. During the summer, Brent is the double bass instructor at the New York Summer Music Festival. Brent previously performed with the Endless Mountain Music Festival Orchestra. Recent performances include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Pops, Houston Symphony, and other ensembles throughout the country. Brent received his Masters degree from Boston University with Edwin Barker, principal bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His other teachers include Hal Robinson, principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eric Larson of the Houston Symphony, Rob Kesselman of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Ranaan Meyer of the trio Time for Three. Brent works in the arts community as Education Director and Music Librarian of the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He formerly held the position of Operations and Business Manager for Ranaan Meyer Entertainment. He was the Operations Manager of Wabass Institute and Wabass Workshop from 2011 to 2015.
Ranaan Meyer is the bass player for Time For Three, a teacher, and the founder of the Time For Three Foundation. What You'll Learn: How Time for Three started almost by accident and how the got (more like created) their big break The business model Time for Three uses that continues to see them thrive What's next for the group The advice Ranaan has for young musicians trying to make a name for themselves in the business today The importance of having a strong support network (Ranaan leans on his heavily) The three words that are written in block leaders daily at the top of his To-Do list How he and his colleague Zach DePue took advantage of a power outage while playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and proceeded to wow the crowd, amaze the rest of the orchestra and how it helped propel them to stardom The nonprofit he runs and his other entrepreneurial ventures he runs including two bass camps and his career as a soloist Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at: http://www.andrewhitz.com/shownotes Want to help "keep the lights on" and make future episodes of TEM possible? Please visit our Patreon page to see how you can help: https://www.patreon.com/tempodcast Produced by Austin Boyer and Buddy Deshler of FredBrass
Travis DiNicola chatted by phone with visiting magician Eric DeCamps who will be perfomrming at the 2015 Indianapolis Winter Magic Festival, sponsored by IndyFringe. Sharon Gamble invited "Mentor" filmmaker Alix Lambert to talk about making the documentary and what she hopes will result from the documentary's screening presented by Butler University's College of Education and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Travis DiNicola caught up with Time for Three musicians, Nick Kendall, Zach De Pue, and Ranaan Meyer, over the holidays to talk about a new CD and their new WFYI TV documentary.
Within the last month, the string trio Time for Three has had the unusual distinction of being covered by the Today Show, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Strad and yes, WQXR. The reason? Violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall were told they couldn’t take their violins inside the cabin on a US Airways flight from North Carolina to Arkansas. It was at that point that De Pue began playing J.S. Bach's Partita No. 3 on the tarmac while Kendall, recording the incident on his phone, shows the pair being ignored by various US Airways personnel. The musicians’ video of the incident was posted on YouTube, which quickly set off a social media storm. (US Airways later described it as a misunderstanding of carry-on rules between its employees and the musicians.) Even as Time For Three came on a wider public's radar (and its Facebook feeds) with the incident, the trio has been active for over a decade, appearing everywhere from symphony halls to jazz clubs to football games and even the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The musicians first met and began jamming together in 1999 while classmates at the Curtis Institute of Music. They got their first formal gig in 2001 and soon the sideline became a more serious pursuit. “Our common ground is classical music and each one of us brought a different genre to the table,” Double bassist Ranaan Meyer said in an interview with WQXR host Naomi Lewin. Kendall’s interests included gypsy jazz, hip-hop and R&B; De Pue specialized in Texas fiddling and folk music; Meyer played jazz. “What was really unique was we were able to teach each other some of the influences from those other genres, respectively. In the WQXR Café, the group played two selections for their new, self-titled album on Universal Classics, starting with "Roundabouts," an intimate piece by Kendall that features a round structure. Since 2009, Time for Three has been in residency with the Indianapolis Symphony, where De Pue is the concertmaster. The trio's next song, “Banjo Love,” by Meyer, gives a hint of the American fiddling tradition that has become a part of its musical DNA. It also pays homage to the noted banjo player Béla Fleck, who is a musical hero of the group. The trio’s final song in the café is a cover version of Coldplay’s "UFO." While it attests to the strong pop influences on Time for Three, the musicians are quick to call attention to their classical credits. Along with appearing at Carnegie Hall and other major venues, they have commissioned high-profile composers including Jennifer Higdon, William Bolcom and Chris Brubeck to write works for the group and are currently developing a new piece with the Portland, OR-based composer Kenji Bunch. “When people ask us what we are we have no idea,” noted Meyer, laughing. “We're a marketing nightmare for most record companies. The fact that we're actually signed with Universal is a major pat on the back for us. When we're getting together, frankly it's not a purist thing." Video: Amy Pearl; Audio: Edward Haber; Text & Production: Brian Wise; Interview: Naomi Lewin
This week's Contrabass Conversations episode concludes our chat with Time for Three bassist Ranaan Meyer. CBC guest and co-host John Grillo joins us in this interview, and the three of us had a very engaging conversation. You can check out the first part of our interview plus CBC video episodes featuring Ranaan on his Contrabass Conversations page here, and visit Time for Three's website at www.tf3.com.
This week's Contrabass Conversations podcast features the first part of our interview with double bassist Ranaan Meyer. John Grillo (a frequent guest and collaborator on the podcast) and I co-interviewed Ranaan, who is the bassist for the band Time for Three and has had a very interesting and multi-faceted career. In addition to hearing a few musical excerpts from Time for Three, this episode features music from German double bassist Guy Tuneh, Pittsburgh-based singer/songwriter Brad Yoder, Los Lonely Boys, and The Latin Soul Syndicate. Enjoy! Ranaan Meyer bio: Ranaan Meyer, double bassist and composer, began his musical studies at the piano at age 4; at age 11, he took up the double bass (once he was big enough to hold it). He attended the Manhattan School of Music and graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2003. Beyond regular appearances with orchestras such as the Minnesota Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Meyer is also increasingly in demand as a composer, creating unique new works for his trio Time for Three as well as for solo bass and other ensembles. Most recently Mr. Meyer completed a commission, “My Zayda? (for Violin, Piano and Double Bass) for the Kingston Chamber Music Festival in Rhode Island. Other recently completed commissions include a solo double bass piece for the Network for New Music, a double bass and harp duet as well as a set of Time for Three pieces for Astral Artistic Services and a Time for Three composition for the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony, “Of time and three rivers?. All commissions have been expedited through the American Composer’s forum. Mr. Meyer, also an accomplished jazz musician, has performed with Jane Monheight, Victor Lewis, Jason Moran, Mark O’Connor, Ari Hoenig, Duane Eubanks, Mickey Roker and many more. Ranaan, at age 19 produced, directed and performed in the very first Washington Township Jazz Festival which was also broadcasted live on Philadelphia’s WRTI. Mr. Meyer, an avid teacher, has held adjunct Double Bass Professorships at both Princeton University and the University of Delaware. He has spent several Summers teaching alongside Hal Robinson (Principal Bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra) at the Strings International Music Festival in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He has also taught at the Intermountain Suzuki Camp in Sandy, Utah and Mark O’Connor’s String Camp in San Diego, California.