Lady Bass Music

I’ve missed more than a few days of entries here.  My schedule…and my whole pacing for my week…and really my whole system of how I do lessons…has gone off the rails for a bit there. I’m getting students (and even some other teachers) migrated over to the online format. Hours and hours of screen time Read More …

Like many musicians, my Ginger Bass Mafia brother Chris Welborn is involved in a range of musical projects…as well as he should be. He’s been a stage hand at many major venues around DC, MD and VA, working with major touring acts from all over the world. He’s been on tour with the melodic progressive Read More …

3/18/2020 – Day 2 – COVID 19 journal I texted a friend this morning, “Kicking off the apocalypse today with sleeping in (only made it to 7:30 am and then woke up…gonna have to work on that…the alarm was for 9 am) blogging, and then some pancakes for breakfast. Judging on traffic, I’m wishing I Read More …

Leslie Ann Castro-Woodhouse posted this on her FB page yesterday. This quote will be helpful for context. “As some of you know, I’m a trained historian (PhD, UC Berkeley, 2009). One element I’m especially passionate about is trying to imagine what it was like to live through various moments in time: what was it like Read More …

A thought for the brick and mortar stores considering if online lessons are a wise choice right now. I know brick and mortar locations are deathly afraid of the whole online lesson paradigm. Managers are often quick to point fingers at “online lessons” for “ruining their business”. But yesterday, one store I stopped by had Read More …

It’s always a treat when STG comes through our area. I was in the house with my iPad Pro 11, shooting both video footage and still pics at the show. Bonus treat; Jefferson Ogata (the gentleman who shot the videos of the Ginger Bass Mafia at Orion)… …well, Jefferson also shot Soften the Glare performing Read More …

John Ferrara, bass player virtuoso from NYC, made a visit to Richmond on Feb 8th 2020 for a masterclass and solo bass performance. Here’s an excerpt from that extraordinary evening of music.

I’m back with another installment of Winter NAMM 2020 highlights. This time the focus is on the NS Design booth with pics of the new Radius 6 string prototype, the Phil Jones Booth, the Spector Booth, the Ibanez booth, and the GHS Booth. Quick performance cameos from Chance W. Onody, Michael Albronda, I give one Read More …

A friend recently asked me to submit a playlist of videos as part of his booking needs and promotions for an event. I did a quick search on YouTube and found this;a video from a house concert in 2014. I was performing with bassist Stewart McKinsey. Enjoy, and as always, your feedback and comments are Read More …

I’m still unpacking and editing a LOT of video and photos from the January trip to NAMM / Galaxy’s Edge. This week, I’ve got the second part of the Galaxy’s Edge video up on my YouTube. Many thanks to Lee Britt for letting me raid his iPhone for footage of my droid build. This second Read More …

I’ve been back from Winter NAMM for two weeks now, and I’m still editing videos of guitar and bass porn from the NAMM show. There is so much media, I’ll be doing several videos that will work like short features; the video will focus on a booth or event of interest. Two videos were released Read More …

I took a day off from Winter NAMM and headed across the street to Disneyland on a side quest. I went with a friend to Galaxy’s Edge. This was actually my first trip to any Disney park in my life. This is video from the first time I rode Smuggler’s Run. There are 6 people Read More …

Just in time for Winter NAMM 2020! In this video, I test out the new Bass Gizmotron Powerwave wheels against the classic sawtooth wheel shape. If you own a bass Gizmotron, you’ll want to check out what the new wheels sound like, and what makes them work.

2019. The ending was a bit bumpy, with grandmom’s passing. There were some hard days with a lot of tears this fall. But when you look at the whole year…wow. Just, wow. We opened for Soften the Glare with a new bass-centric project. We pulled content from my solo show, and flushed it out for Read More …

I posted about a cat hoarding case earlier this year on social media. And I was were prepping to adopt one of the kittens from that case. First off…kudos to the young lady who is working with around 20 kittens from this case….it involved roughly 100 cats spread over 2 shelters. However this young lady Read More …

I’ve been working on this older Warwick rig steampunk conversion for a few months. Phase one was just painting the stripped down rig and doing the stenciled accents. Now we’re on to part two; wiring in lights and doing some work on the speaker jacks. Fortunately I have a student who wants to to learn Read More …

I adore Dame Evelyn Glennie. I see a lot of commonalities in what she talks about…I’m not deaf, but bassists do hear with their bodies. I love collecting instruments. I love feeling music punch through my body. Most musicians know and love that feeling. And to those folks who still believe musicians should not get Read More …

WANTED: String players for a Winter/Spring 2020 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 …

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. Show opens 11/6 with a “Pay What You Can Preview” performance. Tickets are regularly $25, 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 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… 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 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 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 the fall. Thanks to Bill 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 myself on a variety of gigs and projects. There are a lot of people who have stepped 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 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 he home of the hoarder and taken to a safe place. Along the way, there have been many late Read More …

A student at Penn State Harrisburg, reached out to mel (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 Read More …

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 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 …

It’s been a good week. A very good week. This picture pretty much sums it all up. It’s not everyday 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 call 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 very useful and methodical way to examine that 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…

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

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 Frederickburg 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 solider 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 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 …

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 …

‪ 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.

This seems to happen every 6 months…the pedalboard undergoes another evolutionary step. Or an experiment happens. Either way, it’s a good thing, ultimately. I’m sure this board will go on a diet (which we all know…those never last..LOL), or perhaps I’ll endeavor to put together a pair of travel boards at some point. Before: After: 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 …

Here’s more info about the Glass City Get Down / Glass City Low Down in Toledo in April. Honored to be in this lineup of great players for the bass showcase…and what a cool cause! ‬I’ll be bringing Lady Bass Gear to the party as well.

That expression in the first pic was me on Friday night. SuperVan picked up a nail in a tire while I was rolling towards Philly, lost pressure, and then had a major sidewall blow out. My destination was the G3 concert in Philly…I was meeting friends there. This is an example of the fine humor Read More …

I’ll be getting on the road again…my looper in one hand, bass in the other. My next trip takes me to Toledo, for the Glass City Get Down and Bass Showcase. They are assembling an impressive lineup of players for the event, and I am honored and humbled to be included. Here’s some info from Read More …

Just a head’s up…and making this official…about a week ago I made it known that I have resigned as the bassist for the Headstone Circus Band. I wish Bart and Mark the best of luck in all their endeavors. This started for me as a subbing gig, and I greatly appreciate that they called me Read More …

I’m back with another installment of DIY projects for musicians. Here goes… I’m big on DIY pedalboards, which works very well at this time in my life. I’ve been having discussions with folks online about DIY boards. So here’s a few projects that surfaced… Pedalboard one was built by a guitarist who is a huge Read More …

Someone just lent an electronic tabla to me. It’s proving to be big fun for writing and practicing odd time grooves. Normally, it’s a metronome to help Indian classical musicians train and practice. For me, it’s breaking up some writer’s block and stretching me into areas that I’ve wanted to explore. I wrote a quick Read More …