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Upright Bass with Hannah F.

Chicago, Illinois

5.0
(20)
Background check
Teaches online
Teaches all skill levels
Age: 5+
Speaks Spanish, Arabic
Teaching since 2010
Jazz Studies
  • 1 Repeated Students

Become an expert in upright bass guitar with a multi-talented musician

Hey there – I am so glad that you want to study bass! Upright bass is the cornerstone of my passion for music -- it is such a beautiful instrument and I love to help people find their unique personality on the bass. A little bit about me: I am a graduate of the world-renowned jazz program at the Jacobs School of Music and have been teaching for 8 years. I am well-versed in tried-and-true methods of establishing healthy technique, good tone, good time, and musicality on the bass. I have experience with many styles and genres and have been fortunate to play with artists from over 20 countries. My work has been featured in NPR’s Jazz Critic’s Poll, Jazziz Magazine, and All About Jazz, and I was recently chosen to be a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department’s global music fellowship (OneBeat). In other words, we can work together on whatever music really lights you up, no matter the style! Whether you are just beginning or are already advanced, there's so much we can do together to deepen your understanding of the music you love. Let's play some bass!

Instructor details

Location:
Teaches Online
Teaches Online

Teaching Hours

Tuesday
7 AM-4 PM
Wednesday
7 AM-3 PM
Thursday
7 AM-3 PM
Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Pricing
30 minutes
$34
45 minutes
$47
60 minutes
$59
90 minutes
$84

About Hannah F.

5.0
(20)
I hold a degree in Jazz Studies from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. During my time as a student, I focused on becoming an adaptable bass player in many forms of modern music and in cross-cultural music exchange, thanks to the tutelage of Latin Jazz giants Michael Spiro and Wayne Wallace! My conservatory education also gave me rigorous training in Western music theory and history. My performance career is highly diverse! You like folk? I’ve played with Chicago’s beloved Al Scorch and Della Mae’s guitar star, Courtney Hartman. You like hip-hop? I play and record with artists at Classick Studios, where Chance The Rapper, SZA, and No Name make albums. Indie rock? Part of what got me into bass was underground/DIY scenes—I love playing a good basement show! How about jazz? I’ve done everything from standards gigs at hotels to composing for experimental groups like The Liberation Music Collective. I’ve also had the pleasure to play with musicians from over 20 countries. One of the most rewarding experiences of my life was being a Fellow for OneBeat, a program run through the U.S. State Department that brings together international musicians to compose, record, and tour together. I have learned so much about the power of music through my relationships with artists from all corners of the globe. I believe in “Occam’s Razor” bass playing – finding a simple, elegant solution to the “problem” at hand, whether that “problem” is finding a good fingering for a fast-moving melody, finding a tasteful yet interesting bassline for a funk groove, or improving your right-hand speed so you can finally play that one Tool song you’ve always loved. The “Occam’s Razor” approach builds your instincts and helps you become a solid, expressive bassist that everyone wants to play with! No matter where you are in your musical development, I can be your ally. I have experience teaching all ages and experience levels and can help you go deeper in whatever music lights you up. I can offer advice about musicianship too – how to start a band, how to rock an audition for your school’s jazz ensemble, or how to make the most of a recording session. Bass is a physically demanding instrument, and over my career I have recovered from multiple injuries. I am committed to helping you develop healthy technique that prevents and manages injuries and adapts to your physical conditions. I try to offer compassion AND solutions to students who struggle physically with their instrument or face health challenges. I’ve been there too, and I’m here to help.
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5.0
20 Reviews
Jonathan
Online
Promising first lesson.
Posted Apr 11, 2024
Gail
Online
Hannah listens actively and was incredibly responsive to my particular goals and needs. She is a treasure, a truly gifted instructor!
Posted Jan 17, 2024
O.
Teacher's studio
Best Instructor Ever! Kind, knowledgeable, experienced, super patient, and super supportive.
Posted Jan 26, 2022
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Experience

Freelance Performer and Composer

Aug, 2017 - Present

Chicago & Touring

• Began a solo project under the stage name Lyn Rye, releasing a debut album (Roots of Rye) in January 2019 and touring the record throughout the U.S. as well as regular performances in Chicago • Co-founded Unkettled, a storytelling project which toured the US with a mobile tea house and sound studio for people to record stories of personal and political struggle, which were later sampled by musicians in Chicago in original compositions and debuted in March 2018 • Bassist and singer for The Salaam-Shalom Music Project, a Chicago “super group” of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian folk musicians from around the world • Bassist and singer for small jazz ensembles led by Chicago drummer and disability-rights activist Tommy Carroll • Bassist and singer for folk and country artists such as Al Scorch, an alt-country banjo player and singer-songwriter on Bloodshot Records, and Horseshoe Bender, a Chicago-based honky tonk band • Bassist and singer on studio albums and live performances of socially-conscious Chicago hip-hop artists Joshua Virtue of Why? Records, Ben Burden of Classick Studios, and Not Lovely

Camp Counselor

Jun, 2018 - Jul, 2018

Old Town School of Folk Music

Counselor for annual Arts Camp in the 4-6 year old age group. Assisted in music classes with topics such as ukulele, rock’n’roll singing, and folk music “crankies." Facilitated daily activities such as craft time, creative movement games, and story-telling.

Workshop Facilitator

Apr, 2016 - Jul, 2019

Various

• Facilitated a workshop on socially conscious music and entrepreneurship for The Aadizookaan (an Anishinaabe arts collective) Mawadisidiwag “They Visit Each Other” series in Detroit, MI, July 2019 • Led workshops in Spanish with a cultural music exchange called Todas Las Puertas, which provides programming in Colombian public schools—workshop topics included music and social change and sacred song from around the world, June 2019 • Co-hosted a tea house and mobile studio at the Arcosanti Convergence and facilitated a public workshop on methodologies of nomadic art, stories, and struggles, November 2017 • Collaborated with the Center for Social Empowerment and Justice in Ferguson, MO for a Liberation Music Collective performance and all-ages workshop on jazz and justice, April 2016 and 2017

Co-Founder

Dec, 2014 - Sep, 2017

The Liberation Music Collective

Co-created a socially-conscious jazz ensemble dedicated to performing original compositions about contemporary social issues. Produced, composed, played bass, and sang for the LMC’s two studio albums, Siglo XXI (2015) and Rebel Portraiture (2017).

Education

Jazz Studies

Aug, 2012 - May, 2017

Indiana University

Awards

Delegate to Cuba

Jun, 2015

Indiana University

2019 OneBeat Balkans Fellow

Feb, 2019

U.S. State Department

2017 OneBeat Fellow

Sep, 2017

U.S. State Department

ÉLU Award

Jan, 2016

Citizen Jazz Magazine

Jazz Critic's Poll 2015

Dec, 2015

NPR

Affiliations

BMI

May, 2015

Broadcast Music Inc. was founded in 1939 by forward-thinkers who wanted to represent songwriters in emerging genres, like jazz, blues and country, and protect the public performances of their music. Operating on a non-profit-making basis, BMI is now the largest music rights organization in the U.S. and is still nurturing new talent and new music.

Grammy University Network

Jan, 2016

GRAMMY U is a unique and fast-growing community of college students, primarily between the ages of 17 and 25, who are pursuing a career in the recording industry. GRAMMY U events and special programs touch on all aspects of the music industry, from the technology to the tracks themselves. Events are scheduled throughout the semester to give GRAMMY U members a wide variety of experiences and professional development. Because we are part of The Recording Academy, members have extraordinary access to the industry and its artists.

Languages

Arabic

Limited Proficiency

Spanish

Professional Proficiency

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