Ben’s Blog

One thing I used to do a lot when I was younger was practice with the radio, but i had gotten out of the practice until recently.

I was cleaning up some old junk over the weekend, and I found a whole shoe box of audio cassettes, most of which were taped radio shows. I used to tape HRB’s The Jazz Spectrum. In fact, I remember that’s where I first heard Abraham Laboriel, one of my favorite players ever.  

This is one case where some technology has made this easier, I got a Radio Shark about a year ago, and I love it! It’s like TIVO for your radio. I record about 20 hours of radio shows per week. I then MP3 them and throw them on my iPOD, or just play them on my computer and practice along. It’s great to have the recorded option, because sometimes I want to back up and learn a passage or work out a melody. It’s great to be able to freeze for a minute and do that.

For me, radio is the best way to be listening to an amazing variety of music (and much cheaper than buying it all). It’s fantastic ear training, since hopefully you’re hearing new music all the time and trying to keep up. I think it speeds your reaction time and really stretches your ears.

bentorrey :: Dec.23.2006 :: Musical Thoughts :: No Comments »

I’ve been cleaning out old stuff of late and found the first article I wrote for Bass Frontiers magazine, back in 1997, which I wrote about playing the Minuets from Suite # 1. So great of Jim Hyatt to give me the opportunity to contribute to his great magazine. I probably should have recorded these back then, but to be honest, they never really sounded right until I tried them on an EAB. Funny enough, in the very same issue, Stanley Clarke is on the cover with a 4-string EAB.

bentorrey :: Dec.22.2006 :: Musical Thoughts :: No Comments »