Pandemic Testimonial
Author: Adrian Vedady
[email protected]
Date: May 5, 2021
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Ottawa Jazz Happenings or of JazzWorks Canada.
For the most part, the past 13 months or so have been an amazing time. I really feel that no matter what, life goes on. Of course, there have been good days and bad days, but really, weren't there always?
The good days usually involve practice, exercise, cooking and friends.
The good days usually involve practice, exercise, cooking and friends.
Practice
I love to practice double bass. Since March 15, 2020, I almost always have as much time as I want to practice. This lack of time constraint is really new to me.
I started really practicing my classical technique. I revisited old etude books like
Simandl New Method vol.1 and vol.2, Simandl 30 etudes, Storch 32 etudes, Hartley Double bass Solo. I also re-learned a Marcello sonata in E min (originally written for cello in D min). These books kept me busy for about 4 months. They provided a mental and physical challenge each day, and a reason to get to the instrument. It brought rigour to my daily practice.
After 90 minutes of this work, I would transition to improvising. I worked on standards that I liked, playing the melody, making sure I was comfortable with the harmony, and then comfortable coming up with substitutions, working on my walking lines, working on double stops, working on my soloing or improvisations. This was a fantastic source of joy and fun for me. I also decided to add a few challenge tunes like Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Countdown. I am getting more comfortable on these tunes, but soloing over them at fast tempos are still a challenge.
These days, I limit my classical practice to the first 2 cello suites, every day. It's a fantastic warm-up. When I switch to my jazz practice, I find that the instrument is ready at my fingers.
I love to practice double bass. Since March 15, 2020, I almost always have as much time as I want to practice. This lack of time constraint is really new to me.
I started really practicing my classical technique. I revisited old etude books like
Simandl New Method vol.1 and vol.2, Simandl 30 etudes, Storch 32 etudes, Hartley Double bass Solo. I also re-learned a Marcello sonata in E min (originally written for cello in D min). These books kept me busy for about 4 months. They provided a mental and physical challenge each day, and a reason to get to the instrument. It brought rigour to my daily practice.
After 90 minutes of this work, I would transition to improvising. I worked on standards that I liked, playing the melody, making sure I was comfortable with the harmony, and then comfortable coming up with substitutions, working on my walking lines, working on double stops, working on my soloing or improvisations. This was a fantastic source of joy and fun for me. I also decided to add a few challenge tunes like Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Countdown. I am getting more comfortable on these tunes, but soloing over them at fast tempos are still a challenge.
These days, I limit my classical practice to the first 2 cello suites, every day. It's a fantastic warm-up. When I switch to my jazz practice, I find that the instrument is ready at my fingers.
Exercise
With the added free time, I did two 12-week half-marathon trainings. My younger brother was the catalyst for this, and I loved having a set running schedule each week to follow. It helped me mentally and physically, especially on days when the anxiety with the pandemic, the future, etc. was high. In the winter months, I followed a 10-week strength training program. This was very challenging. I was really happy with the results. I tried to balance the exercise with caution, as I didn't want to injure myself. Playing bass injured is not fun, so my motivation to be humble when I was exercising was high. In these warm months, I am transitioning back to running. My wife, Kate Wyatt, has developed a running habit, so we try and go out together when we can.
With the added free time, I did two 12-week half-marathon trainings. My younger brother was the catalyst for this, and I loved having a set running schedule each week to follow. It helped me mentally and physically, especially on days when the anxiety with the pandemic, the future, etc. was high. In the winter months, I followed a 10-week strength training program. This was very challenging. I was really happy with the results. I tried to balance the exercise with caution, as I didn't want to injure myself. Playing bass injured is not fun, so my motivation to be humble when I was exercising was high. In these warm months, I am transitioning back to running. My wife, Kate Wyatt, has developed a running habit, so we try and go out together when we can.
Cooking
At home, I am usually the cook. So with restaurants closed, I started cooking even more. I've been having fun improving how I cook Indian food, Italian food, Thai food and Chinese food. When you have lots of time to buy groceries, prep the food and cook, cooking becomes less stressful. How many times in the past did I run home from teaching, scour the fridge, whip up some meal, scarf it down with Kate and the kids and then run out to a gig? These days I pour myself a nice glass of wine and relish the time in the kitchen. I still like to scour the fridge and improvise some dish based on what we have, but I've learned a lot from many cooking shows, cookbooks and on-line recipes. I feel like I'm on top of my game.
At home, I am usually the cook. So with restaurants closed, I started cooking even more. I've been having fun improving how I cook Indian food, Italian food, Thai food and Chinese food. When you have lots of time to buy groceries, prep the food and cook, cooking becomes less stressful. How many times in the past did I run home from teaching, scour the fridge, whip up some meal, scarf it down with Kate and the kids and then run out to a gig? These days I pour myself a nice glass of wine and relish the time in the kitchen. I still like to scour the fridge and improvise some dish based on what we have, but I've learned a lot from many cooking shows, cookbooks and on-line recipes. I feel like I'm on top of my game.
Friends
The circle of friends got much smaller during the pandemic. It had to; it's part of the times. At the beginning, I mostly saw my wife Kate, and my two kids, Jun and Alden. We ate three meals a day together. Kate, an incredible jazz pianist, and I would play an hour or so of piano/bass duo every evening. We went on many walks. In a way, it was pretty complete.
When confinement measures decreased, I started playing with my colleague and friend, drummer Jim Doxas and other musicians. A short list includes Kate Wyatt, Jim Doxas, Steve Amirault, Lex French, Christine Jensen, Steve Raegele, J.S. Williams, Alex Francoeur, Bogdan Gumenyuk, Eric Hove, Guillaume Pilote and Louis-Vincent Hamel. This music-making was imperative to my well-being. I cannot be a bassist without other musicians around me. I can't work in a vacuum. I believe music is a collaborative experience where like-minded people come together and share ideas in the moment. My musician friends are my dearest of friends.
Adrian Vedady
[email protected]
The circle of friends got much smaller during the pandemic. It had to; it's part of the times. At the beginning, I mostly saw my wife Kate, and my two kids, Jun and Alden. We ate three meals a day together. Kate, an incredible jazz pianist, and I would play an hour or so of piano/bass duo every evening. We went on many walks. In a way, it was pretty complete.
When confinement measures decreased, I started playing with my colleague and friend, drummer Jim Doxas and other musicians. A short list includes Kate Wyatt, Jim Doxas, Steve Amirault, Lex French, Christine Jensen, Steve Raegele, J.S. Williams, Alex Francoeur, Bogdan Gumenyuk, Eric Hove, Guillaume Pilote and Louis-Vincent Hamel. This music-making was imperative to my well-being. I cannot be a bassist without other musicians around me. I can't work in a vacuum. I believe music is a collaborative experience where like-minded people come together and share ideas in the moment. My musician friends are my dearest of friends.
Adrian Vedady
[email protected]