Damian Erskine is a career bassist, educator, and columnist, having played with a huge range of musicians, primarily from the jazz world. He’s an adjunct professor at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and—viruses permitting—regularly travels abroad to teach. He has performed at many clinics and written for several prints and online publications, including this one, with a long-running series at No Treble coming to a close last year after over 500 installments. Erskine has recently launched the website BassEducation.com, an online school for anyone interested in beginning or developing skills as a bassist. We caught up with him for a peek into his never-more-busy world...
Damian, was the launch of Bass Education inspired by the current pandemic?
It had been in the back of my mind for well over a dozen years, but it was the pandemic and the cancelation of all my tours and the loss of all my work that finally instigated the process. I started Bass Education in March and I launched it in May. It’s definitely been a labor of love, but I’ve got a lot of great feedback from members and people seem to get a lot out of it, so I keep energized and inspired to keep it going.
You’ve kept membership prices at reasonable levels, which is great to see.
I’ve always been a big proponent of supporting the bass community. I’ve taught jazz workshops for Jazz Education Abroad, where we’d go to different countries like China and Thailand, and Lebanon. One of the things I was struck by was always how many people are hungry for music education but don’t have the means to access it. I want to keep the pricing affordable for everyone.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Freekbass
The funk master talks us through five career high points.
ASHDOWN RM-800-EVO ll
What a lightweight! Kev Sanders tests the new head from Ashdown
DUVOISIN Standard 5
Mike Brooks gives this Swiss-style five a road test…
I WAS THERE!
A historic moment in bass world – recalled by those who were there to see it
BAREFACED - One10T Cabinet
A new Barefaced cab? Kev Sanders feels the quality
KRIST NOVOSELIC
It’s 30 years since the release of Nirvana’s era-defining album, Nevermind, and high time that we revisited this 2011 chat with the great bassist turned political activist, Krist Novoselic, a musician who witnessed a truly chaotic period in music history
BASS PLAYER AWARDS 2021
After a year off thanks to the pesky virus, BP’s annual Lifetime Achievement Awards return—and this time we add a new category. Raise your glass to this year’s winners, Marcus Miller, Gail Ann Dorsey, John Taylor and Charles Berthoud.
RUSH TO READ
Rush’s Geddy Lee will release an “epic” memoir in 2022
STAYING POWER
Tal Wilkenfeld’s recent album Love Remains features a five-string in tenor tuning with a capo. Ellen O’Reilly finds out why…
TONEWOODS EXPLAINED
Do woods really determine tones?
