Chad R. — Cello Teacher — Downtown Montreal, Montreal

My name is Chad Rogers and I am a double bass student originally from White Hall, Maryland. I have been studying the double bass for about 11 years, starting in grade 4 in elementary school. Throughout that time, I studied with teachers Brian Folus, and Alec Hiller, before beginning my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, under the guidance and mentorship of Richard Barber. Currently, I am pursuing a master’s degree in double bass performance at Mcgill University under Ali Yazdanfar, who is my current teacher. Besides these primary teachers, some others I have worked with in the past include Anthony Manzo, Tracey Rowell, David Young, Paul Johnson, Joel Quarrington, Petru Iuga, Andrew Raciti, and Rex Surany. Additionally, I have also been lucky to be a part of some performance-based summer programs and festivals, such as Orford Musique, Bass Works, and National Music Festival, while also acting as a camp mentor for bass students at Summer Strings located in Harford County, Maryland. With the help of the teachers mentioned above, pursuing the bass as a craft as well as a passion has granted me the opportunity to test not only my intellectual but also physical faculties to their limit. Specifically, one aspect I enjoy about learning from music is that there are always new and equally important details to refine. By testing my ear and by using problem solving skills, I can find what solutions grant the best results, such as finding a way to play a fast passage easily or fixing an aspect of one’s bow hold to make a stroke more articulate. Besides what happens in the practice room, I also enjoy sharing the music to a public audience, in both the context of a solo or orchestral performance, so that as a performer I can share the depth of the stories and/or colors of sounds that the composer wished to articulate into the world. With the help of Mr. Ali Yazdanfar and teachers to come, I plan to take the skills that have been taught to me and to aim towards playing professionally in a symphony ensemble. Furthermore, I also intend to share my same passion for the detailed-oriented work that is learning music, and take that to younger students, who may also share the same motivation and passion towards learning music and the double bass.

Setting a strong structure and foundation for technique, allowing the student to play comfortably and efficiently. This includes working on setup, posture, learning what instrument height is comfortable, as well as practicing having a comfortable but stable bow hold. Strong understanding of left hand technique through scale practice and interval/aural training, aiming to develop dexterity, coordination, and flexibility. Strong understanding of Right hand technique through developing vocabulary of articulations/sounds, etudes, exercises, and learning how to use those articulations and sounds to portray musical character. Helping students with orchestral and/or solo repertoire, teaching students not only how to dissect difficult passages but to teach them how they can implement problem solving skills into their practice.