Words of Wisdom: Double Bassist Christine Hoock

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This was first published in the December 2011 issue of The Strad

A travelling bassist needs a good sense of humour and a lot of luck.

Practising is meditation. Enjoy the flow of the music.

Always exaggerate dynamics and phrasing so that the audience can feel and understand the emotions behind your playing.

Virtuosity should always serve the music and not vice versa.

Relax the day before an audition. Your muscles will thank you. Just do some mental preparation, take a walk and eat.

Don’t hurry rests. Music lives in the breaks just as much as it does in the notes.

On stage, a bassist needs to have good contact with the ground and the desire to make the air vibrate with their internal fire.

Being with others on stage is a gift. Enjoy these unique moments.

The sound of the bass is the voice of Mother Earth. You can have lots of love, yearning, endless power and smoothness all in the same moment. 

This was first published in the December 2011 issue of The Strad