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If you are a current NEC student or are interested in studying jazz at New England Conservatory, please read this post.

Every time I make music, I try to be better at it. I try to play my instrument more in tune, with better rhythm, connecting more efficiently to my ideas, all the while making the musicians I work with sound better. I strive to do the same thing with students, helping them play the instrument better while learning to communicate with other musicians to the best of their ability. This is done by balancing core areas - For bassists, they are the role of the bass, technical facility, and personal style. I teach both electric bass and double bass. For improvisers, they are improvisational approaches, theoretical understanding, and personal style. Any instrument is welcome.

I have been performing for nearly two decades in concert halls and jazz clubs world wide, and on CDs, DVDs, radio and television. I endorse a line of electric upright basses (AlterEGO instruments) and amplifiers (Gallien-Krueger) that have become the global standard of excellence in sound reinforcement. Currently, I am on the faculty at New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where I teach jazz bass, coach jazz ensembles, teach jazz classes ranging from theory to history, and teach improvisation. I also hold both B.M. and M.M. degrees from NEC.

For availability and rates, please use the comment field below to contact me (don’t worry, I won’t post your comment!).  And for a list of core materials, see this post.

Best,
Rick McLaughlin