I had lunch with bass player Chris
Carson today, who will be the
March Playbill Meet the Musician
subject. He and his wife, violinist Debbie Bloom, won't be playing the Beethoven Festival this weekend. Depending on
what is being performed each week, the
orchestra swells and shrinks. Sometimes the
full orchestra, plus extras, is needed; sometimes, as with the Beethoven works this weekend, the orchestra thins down a little bit. In the rotation of players, Chris and Debbie got the week off.
I always enjoy talking with Chris, a thoughtful artist who is
curious about many things. Today he told me this: "I go to tai chi class three
times a week. I've been doing tai chi for thirty years with the same teacher. One time he told me 'You know how
to play the bass. This is the same as playing the
bass, except that it's you. Let me show you how to play you.' I've been trying
to bring the two together--tai chi and bass playing. They're still not completely meshed, but the parallels are compelling. They're almost exact."
