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 and the like. The infrastructure of a rock orchestra. Four more car loads this week; the end is in sight.
School buses are driving by on nearby route 1, teachers are talking about being back in school next week. Thunderheads are building south and west in the NoVa summer sky.
Normally, fall enrollment would be underway right now. Instead, people are cleaning up and packing up their studios. The pianos are being sold. The receptionist is helping me move heavy furniture items to my car on what is also, his last day.
Hard to believe.
Lots of good memories in the ensemble room/my classroom. Lots of clinics and concerts by both local players and world renowned players. Here’s a partial list;
Stuart Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Frank Gambale)
Stewart McKinsey (solo bassist, writer for Bass Musician Magazine)
Adam Nitti (Kenny Loggins, solo artist)
Kevin Walker (Justin Timberlake, Kanye West)
Steve Lawson (UK solo bassist, author, clinician)
Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Steve Vai, Joe Satraini, Mike Keneally)
Micheal Dimin (author of The Art of Solo Bass and the Chordal Approach, solo artist)
Scott Fernandez (solo artist, Prophet Nathan)
Dr. Donovan Stokes (faculty of Shenandoah University Conservatory, writer for NoTreble)
Scott Varney (solo artist)
Matt Koon (owner of Mako Music)
Trip Wamsley (solo artist)
Dave Guzman – clinician for Latin bass lines
John Rensink – clinician for Ask the Sound Guys and money for musicians clinic
Ben Titus – repeat clinician on multiple topics
Chris Welborn – clinician for Ask The Sound Guys, Metal Basslines \m/
Lenora Mullanphy – PR for Musicians
Darren Micheals – solo bassist out of Atlantia Georgia, somewhat of a legend in my genre
Kira Small – vocal lessons and co clinician – (Martina McBride and Lynda Carter)
Norm Stockton – (Lincoln Brewster, solo artist)
….the list goes on….Karen Loving, Christian DeMensones, Walt Finnerty… …I literally cannot recall everyone at the moment without looking at old schedules. So…no disrespect intended if your name is not on here. I’m in-between loads of this move out, with bloodied knuckles from a bloodthirsty wooden cabinet and an ice cold drink, trying to beat the rain. But needing a pause to recharge.
But…so many better bassists built in that room, for 5 years.
And this doesn’t count all the outstanding, world class guest artists Christine Hartigan brought in for her Virginia Cello Ensemble program.
Then there’s the many hours of Rock For Strings rehearsals, group guitar classes, Rock Ensemble classes. My own bands practicing. The support from NS, Design, Warwick, LightWave, and Spector with the Virginia Bass Forum events and giveaways. The companies who helped artists get here to clinic – Nordstrand, D’Addario, and Aguilar. Again, I mean no disrespect if I have forgotten anyone.
Man, when it was great, it was great. The sorry part was the Virginia Bass Forum wasn’t financially sustainable for me to keep it going. But, it was still a moment…a pretty damn awesome one. Five years of awesome.
End of an era this week. Truly. The last time I’ll be in this office, building better bass players and guitar players…and that includes working on myself.
Thank you Forte…for all the community that you helped foster under your roof. A little unassuming house at the intersection of route 1 and 3. Where I taught lessons in a converted bomb shelter that became a class room.
