Amazing Place!
For prospective students:
Are you a high school senior looking for a fantastic music school, one that also happens to be in a location of amazing natural beauty with incredible outdoor recreation, where you will get an excellent music education along with having all the benefits and advantages that come with access to courses in one of the nations top universities?
Are you looking for a graduate program that will maximize your talents and performance skills, giving you more self-confidence, better consistency in articulation, tone, and intonation, and an improved capacity to think clearly when under pressure, thus increasing your success in the next audition or performance?
With a kind of individualized instruction that draws upon new "out of the box" techniques combining aspects of learning, teaching and performance styles from the USA, Europe and India, the CU College of Music double bass program may be the ideal learning environment to prepare you to be qualified for the professional doors that will certainly be opening for you.
Dear Prospective student,
We are happy that you have visited our double bass website and explored what we do here in Boulder.
Being a double bass player is a wonderful way of life. Our program is designed to help students develop a strong foundation upon which to build a fulfilling career as professional double bassists.
Careers in music are extremely varied, and it is most likely that your professional activities will involve different kinds of work: performing (orchestra, jazz group, soloist, rock band, chamber music group, or some other kind of ensemble), teaching bass (privately or in a music school), teaching music as a public school orchestra or band director, recording and marketing your recordings, or perhaps starting some kind of music related business that makes use of the incredible power of the internet. Options and possibilities are many. One thing is for sure: you will have an exciting time, probably travel to interesting places and meet lots of great people from all over the world. Perhaps the greatest satisfaction will come from knowing that all your hard work has touched audiences in a very special and meaningful way.
While you may not be able to predict what kinds of doors will open for you in your career, one thing is for sure: doors will open. The key is to be ready, and have the kind of strong foundation in your playing that will enable you to feel confident to be able to jump in and make the most of new and unexpected opportunities. It could be a surprise call from a symphony orchestra needing a replacement bass player for a concert series or part of the season, or a Celtic group going on tour, or a gig with some top touring jazz artist, or a touring rock band needing an upright bass player, or a music school that has a sudden and unexpected need for a bass teacher, or someone needing a group to play a benefit concert… anything can happen.
If you choose to come to CU, you will become a musician whom people in positions of leadership (conductors, contractors, teachers, leading professional musicians in our area) will want to hire. What are the foundation skills that you will develop in Boulder as a bass player and a person? Simple: 1) excellent left and right hand technique as part of your overall relaxed way of playing 2) a great ear for intonation and sound quality 3) the ability to listen to and respond to other musicians a musical ensemble (orchestra, jazz combo or big band, early music ensemble, chamber music group, and others) 4) a strong rhythmic foundation that gives your bass playing musical drive 5) love and enthusiasm for music.
We hope that you enjoy our website. If you like what you see, and think that this might be a place for you either at the undergrad or graduate level, I invite you to contact me via phone or email.
Wishing you all the best in your musical adventures!
Sincerely,
Paul Erhard
Dr. Paul Erhard
email: paul.erhard@colorado.edu
tel: 303-492-4918
Amazing Bass!
Amazing Place!