Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 201

What specific challenges do you
face as a female bassist?
I have been known to fall in love with grand
old double basses with mighty sounds,
only to realize that their dimensions are
beyond my capacities.
Do you find that you constantly have
to prove yourself... as a musician,
or a musician that happens to be a
female?
I would not use the word ‘prove’, nor
is the word ‘female’ relevant, but I do
believe that an unceasing desire for selfimprovement is an integral part of a long
career. Complacency for me is dangerous.
Do you feel, as a female bassist,
that you receive the professional
respect afforded male bassists?
Yes.
From a practical point of view, do
you find managing the weight of a
bass challenging? If so, do you have
any special techniques/advice?

For me, the biggest challenge of size
comes down to being able to reach
the bridge whilst playing in the lower
positions. To help with this, I hold my
bass at a significant angle, with the spike
far out. This has enabled me to manage
the distance between left hand and right
hand, whilst keeping the back relatively
straight. The disadvantage however is that
the weight of the bass does bear down
more from this position, so compromise
is important.
Strengthening my back and arm muscles
has also definitely helped me avoid
injuries. With regards to specific technical
advice; we are all shaped so differently, it
is important not to unquestioningly copy
one person’s solution, as it may even be
physically damaging to another.
What do you wish someone had
told you when you were first getting
started?
To keep learning foreign languages! I
rashly gave up languages at the earliest
possible stage at school and have suffered
the consequences ever since! Travel is an
indispensable part of a musician’s life
and I’ve since been forced to invest many
hours improving my neglected language
skills!

bassmusicianmagazine.com | aug 2014 | #bassmusicianmag | the face of bass

another’s feet whilst getting ready for
a concert because the space is shared
between so many! It is true that in the
section of nine players in Rotterdam, I am
coincidentally the only female, but in other
Dutch orchestras, the female percentage
is far higher. ^HX[H