Wheaton Resident Attends Bass Conference

Franklin Middle School student Ben Alston, 13, from Wheaton, Ill., participated in a two-day conference for young bassists in Madison, Wisc. on April 6 and 7 2012.

The Richard Davis Bass Conference was the 19th annual event sponsored by the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists, Inc. Richard Davis, Professor of Bass at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an internationally-acclaimed performing and recording artist.

Forty-four young bass students ages 7-18, from six different states, participated in master classes and clinics, worked in classical and jazz ensembles, learned famous bass lines from symphonic classics, and performed publicly in recitals. The conference ended with a student concert and grand finale featuring the bass orchestra with over 60 basses playing together. There was a session on parenting young bassists, sibling band performances, and a clinician recital. Everyone took part in a Q&A session with the 14 master bass clinicians who shared their insights as teachers and performers on subjects that included both European classical and jazz worlds of music.

“This conference gives bassists the opportunity to play with peers and master performers, and helps them gain confidence in their ability,” Davis said.

Ben Alston studies locally with Virginia Dixon from the Suzuki School of Elgin and Music Institute of Chicago as well as Wheaton and Elmhurst Colleges. He plays for the Franklin Middle School Orchestra and Jazz Band, and is a member of the Youth Symphony of DuPage (Ill.). His parents are Carl and Melinda Alston of Wheaton, Ill.