Recommended Shops/Vendors
Local bass shops:
Bob’s House of Basses - I always recommend Bob’s for first-time renters and buyers of student- to intermediate-level basses and bows.
Brobst Violins - for if you’re in the market for an upgraded bass/bow.
Thomas Andres Basses/Wolf Instruments - this is Mr. Fowler’s preferred bass shop for any repairs, and Tom also has a good inventory of high quality instruments. It’s a little far away from Montgomery County, but Mr. Fowler trusts Tom and Jacob with any repairs, both major and minor, on his own bass and won’t take it anywhere else.
Local bow shops:
Washington Fine Bows - this is where Mr. Fowler brings his bows for rehairs. He works out of the Watergate, right across the street from the Kennedy Center.
Phil DaCunha/DC Bows - Phil lives across the river in McLean.
Bob’s House of Basses - ideal for those who are renting equipment from Bob’s.
Online vendors:
Gollihur Music - has almost everything you want for bass, whether it be strings, mutes, bow quivers, or sheet music.
Lemur Music - similar to Gollihur, but go here if Gollihur doesn’t have what you’re looking for or if their prices are lower.
String Emporium - where Mr. Fowler buys new strings.
Sweetwater - the Amazon of all things music.
Double Bass HQ - if Gollihur, Lemur, or String Emporium don’t have the sheet music you’re looking for (or if you’re looking for a digital copy), go here. Also a great resource for informative videos!
What if I need a stool?
Check Lemur Music (or any of the sites above) to see if they have the Folding Bass Chair - this will last for years, and since it’s super adjustable (and portable! it folds flat!), it will grow with your student.
If the folding bass chair is a little too expensive, try this Padded Shop Stool - it’s very similar to the stools used by the Peabody Bass department, and if three of you band together, you can save on the cost and shipping!
Shops on the East Coast for those looking to purchase a high-quality instrument:
Shank’s Strings - Elizabethtown, PA
David Gage String Instruments - New York, NY (where Mr. Fowler bought his bass)
Kolstein’s - Baldwin, NY and NYC (where Mr. Fowler has bought all his bows)
Upton Bass - Mystic, CT - highly recommended if you want a custom bass for less than $6,000
Spring 2024
Welcome to Spring 2024! We’re really in the thick of it with MCPS Jr. Honors and All County over (or nearly over) and MMEA All-State Orchestra weekends on the horizon!
A few notes:
I’m having many of my students use Hal Robinson’s Boardwalkin’ as an excellent scale warmup. To clarify any confusion (since I know many young bassists start this way, myself included), please see the chart below borrowed from Nicholas Walker and Jason Heath to translate the position markers.
For those students not participating in MMEA All-State Jr. or Sr. Orchestra, I have the following goals:
Start a new solo (possibly in preparation for youth orchestra auditions in August)
Hone technical ability via etudes
Learn new standard orchestral bass excerpts
Fall 2023
Happy August!
My altered summer schedule will be in effect for the next two weeks as students prepare for MCYO Auditions. Current students: please go ahead and schedule a lesson or two before the audition such that we can make sure your student is adequately prepared. My normal schedule will resume after August 21 - please only schedule lessons during the times you typically have had lessons in the past.
Scott Herman, Andrea Cameron, and I are in the process of arranging a mock audition/masterclass for my and Scott's studios - this will take place on Monday, August 21 from 4-6pm at Frost Middle School in Rockville. I understand that this may be after your student has auditioned for MCYO, but it is unfortunately the only day that works out. Scott and I have worked out that we will have 6 total students presenting at the masterclass - these spots are currently filled.
I will most likely be taking new students in the Fall (after MCYO auditions) with limited availability in my schedule. New this year: I will not be offering lessons at students’ homes on Sundays - this day is reserved only for lessons at my house in Silver Spring. Additionally, I am raising my lesson fees across the board by $10 in order to keep up with increasing demand, inflation, etc.
Finally, I will be staying more strict to the studio contract this year; it is the expectation that all students audition for their local youth orchestra (MCYO, AYP, PVYO, etc.) and for County-Wide (All-County/Honors) and State-Wide (All-State) ensembles. Students that do not at least audition for these ensembles (as participation/admission is not guaranteed!) may be let go from the studio. From my perspective and experience, having a private teacher for the sake of basic maintenance for school orchestra classes isn’t the most rewarding experience for either student or private teacher, especially as a bassist. Young bass students tend to flourish more as an ensemble player outside of school (since this mirrors, granted on a much smaller scale, the professional world).
Happy practicing!
Looking ahead: Summer 2023
It’s that time of year when students (and parents) are looking at possible things to do over the summer! While the larger festivals’ auditions have passed (Boston University Tanglewood Institute, NYO, NYO2, Brevard, Interlochen), there are quite a few offerings in the area that I highly recommend students check out.
Bass Works - July 23-30 - Overnight and Day Camp offerings - Towson University - if you have any interest in honing your skills for a week playing a lot of bass (seriously, 5+ hours per day), this is the camp for you. The faculty are incredible teachers and players and include many of my friends, colleagues, and former teachers, and you’ll never another chance at spending a week with only bassists.
Terrapin Music Camp - July 23-28 - Day Camp only - University of Maryland, College Park - a great musical extension of school if BassWorks seems a bit too intense. Housed at UMD, Terrapin Music Camp is a wonderful opportunity to spend a week learning repertoire for a concert, and also take some fun electives classes like Music Tech or Movies! I’m a bit biased towards this camp, as I worked here as a Junior Faculty during my last years of college and returned as the Assistant Conductor/Manager of the upper orchestra in 2022.
National Jazz Workshop - July 16-21 - Overnight only - Shenandoah Conservatory - NJW has three tracks: performing, arranging, and recording. I can’t personally think of another camp where you’re immersed in jazz from the time you wake to the time you fall asleep. I was part of the inaugural years of NJW, and took part from 2009-2013. This camp is both for students who have been doing jazz for years and for newcomers to the idiom.
Useful videos/lessons
Now that we’re approaching the beginning of the MMEA All-State Season and the lull before MCYO/Youth Orchestra audition season, I thought it would a good idea to focus on some fundamental aspects of bass playing by providing a few of my favorite resources regarding the right hand.
https://youtu.be/f1lC0rKcRxc - L.A. Philharmonic bassist David Allen Moore [French/German] - tone production video regarding both French and German bowing
https://youtu.be/CvTigqfUR_E - L.A. Philharmonic bassist David Allen Moore [German] - bow direction changes on bass and how they differ from other string instruments (hint: bow direction changes SLOWLY)
https://youtu.be/GCuBPtdyPvc - Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Principal bassist Joe Conyers [French] - “scooping” the sound out of the strings
https://youtu.be/myjdSqqhxpU - National Symphony Orchestra Principal Bassist Robert Oppelt [German] - for advanced players - German bow spiccato masterclass. In this video, Bob Oppelt doesn’t quite go over mechanics as much as he exemplifies the spiccato strokes necessary for various standard orchestral bass excerpts.
Happy practicing!
Summer ‘22
Welcome to Summer Vacation!
Just a few updates:
I've added Paypal/Venmo connectivity to my website scheduling. This means you should hypothetically be able to pay via your Paypal/Venmo account OR via credit card. If it prompts you for a business vs "friends and family" payment, please select "friends and family" as it will not charge a transaction fee . I will still accept Zelle if that is the easiest option for you. If you choose to at the time of scheduling the lesson (payment is built into the scheduler), you will not need to pay the day of lesson; it gives you the option of either paying when scheduling or paying later (at the time of the lesson).
My scheduler currently has the regularly open days of Sunday, July 17 to Thursday, July 21 as blocked off as I will be in Connecticut. HOWEVER, if anxiety around MCYO audition prep is getting to you, I may be able to schedule a virtual lesson or two during that week. Just let me know via text/email if you want to do that, and I'll see what I can do.
MCYO Audition registration and requirements are now live! Auditions will be live and in-person at Strathmore this year, unlike the past few years (which have been virtual and submitted via Accepted). Auditions are scheduled for August 17-24th (Young Artists auditions will be August 15-20th).
Incoming 7th graders should audition for Young Artists
Incoming 8th graders should audition for Youth Artists AND Symphony
Incoming 9th graders should audition for Symphony (and Chamber Ensemble, per discussion with me)
Incoming 10th graders should audition for Chamber Ensemble (and Philharmonic, if eligible)
Incoming 11th and 12th graders should audition for Philharmonic
Some things to look for this coming school year:
MCPS All-County and Maryland All-State auditions typically occur in November. Be on the lookout for an email from me and/or your orchestra teacher at school with details about these auditions.
Solo/Ensemble festival preparation will commence after All-County/All-State auditions. Though I do not require students to purchase books for our lessons, it is a requirement to have physical copies of prepared solos for festival. The most common books I use and good sites to purchase copies are provided below. I will provide purchase links/editions for students learning advanced sonatas/concertos when the time arises.
Happy practicing!
EOY/Summer Updates
@current students/caregivers - welcome to my new website!
@prospective students - hello, and I hope I can help you become a better bassist and musician!
Please remember to schedule lessons via the Lessons tab above!
With the summer and Youth Orchestra audition season rapidly approaching, be sure to check here and the MCYO website for audition information updates. You can still see the general scale/arpeggio expectations for MCYO auditions. It is my general recommendation to audition for multiple ensembles that you are eligible for (e.g. if you are a rising 8th grader, you should audition for both Young Artists and Symphony).