Bass Lessons by Award Winning Hannah Marks

I am a bassist, bandleader, composer, and educator working across multiple genres of music. I have been playing electric bass (bass guitar) for 15 years, and double bass for 10 years. My versatility as a performer and educator is reflected in my collaborations with both traditional jazz artists like Geoffrey Keezer and Marcus Printup, and boundary-pushing innovators like Anna Webber and Miles Okazaki. I’ve studied and performed various genres outside of jazz for years: playing cello and double bass in symphony and pit orchestras, leading worship in a church’s bluegrass and folk praise band, and creating detailed covers of Motown, funk, and soul classics in Indiana University’s Soul Revue ensemble. My practice as both an artist and an educator is a reflection of my respect for the jazz tradition and simultaneous desire to explore and bring other genres into my work. In my teaching work, I strive to convey the same spirit of openness and excitement for all genres of music in my teaching, helping students think more deeply about the soundtracks that thread through their lives. My dedication to continuous improvement as an educator led me to complete two summers of intensive training as a Mentor Fellow at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, where I honed my teaching methods under the guidance of experienced faculty members. I am also earning a Teaching Artistry Concentration as part of my Masters' studies at New England Conservatory, where I am learning more about the science of teaching and practicing through coursework and workshops.