On February 16-18 the LSU’s School of Music hosted its annual Louisiana Bass Festival at the School of Music Recital Hall. The festival was open for all bassist in and around the Baton Rouge community. The event featured a Young Artist Competition for bassist under 18 as well as a Young Bassist Competition for bassist 18 and older. There were also master classes and workshops available. The final concert featured performances from both students and faculty. The featured guest artists this year were Milton Masciadri, Professor of Double Bass at the University of Georgia and Brian Powerll, Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Miami. E & D White Professor of Music William Grimes was one of LSU’s own faculty to perform as well as Associate Professor of Double Bass Yung-Chiao Wei who organized the event. There was a large variety of music played at the event, which made it easy for audience members to enjoy.
Concertgoer Kelly O’Quinn especially enjoyed the concert’s diversity and said, “I thought it was really diverse. There was jazz music as well as the really classical stuff. It was cool that there was so much diversity just within bass music because I never really hear just bass by itself.”
Professor Yung-Chiai Wei who organized the event feels that this festival is really beneficial to students and states “I really think that my students need this to motivate them and to inspire them to perform. I also want to promote the performance opportunity for them. music performance is about performing on the stage and playing for people. I’m trying to create educational opportunities and performance opportunities so my students can really benefit from it.”