Teacher Artist Statement
Why do people make music? Who can say? Bouncy music makes little children dance automatically - they can’t help it! Music can make us cry, or make us laugh, or even bring back memories. It is more important and powerful than what we take for granted. Like spoken languages, music can communicate. To be able to talk to anyone in the world is an extraordinary ability, and when you can play or sing music well you can really say something! I love learning -especially from my students.
My teaching of technical skills, musicianship and virtue come about through fundamental principles and pursuits; “Form (hand shape, posture, etc.) without tension,” balance, weight, resonance, fingerboard mapping, “Slow practice will get you there faster,” repertoire, deep listening, have fun, and “Play nice with others.”
Teaching Bio
Chris Rathbun holds a B.M. from the New England Conservatory of Music, an M.S. (Education), and an M.S. (Library and Information Science) from Simmons College. His music training also includes undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music and double bass studies with William Curtis, Gaston Dufresne, Frank Gallagher, Lawrence Wolfe, Dave Holland, and Virginia Dixon (Suzuki Teacher Training) as well as studying improvisation with Ran Blake and Jaki Byard. Chris is a registered Suzuki bass and cello teacher.
He is a faculty member at the New England Conservatory Prep School, and formerly Affiliated Artist-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, faculty with NEC Music Extension Division, the Community Music Center of Boston, and “Young Audiences” lecture/demonstration series. He has also been a music theory teacher, library media specialist, and computer applications instructor in public schools.
Chris offers lessons for students ages six to 76+ in double bass and cello (traditional, Jazz, Suzuki), as well as private and group instruction in ear training, theory, Jazz history, auditioning, music business norms, and the direction of all manner of ensembles. He joined the faculty of South Shore Conservatory in 2004.
Performance Bio
Chris has enjoyed decades of bass playing from orchestra and chamber music to blues, free improvisation, be-bop, bluegrass, Dixie-land, swing, Broadway shows, cabaret, klezmer, Latin and world music. His experiences in music range from being musical director, composer, and solo bassist for the Boston Black Repertory Company production of Joseph A. Walker’s The River Niger, to Jazz festivals including the Boston Globe Jazz Festival, the White Mountain Blues and Jazz Festival, the Highlands Jazz Festival, Provincetown Jazz Festival, 2018 JazzIt (Bari, Italy), 2022 Contemporary Music Festival (Cellamare and Lecce, Italy), MAST Academy Recording Studio (Bari, Italy), and all manner of CD recordings.
He has performed with internationally recognized Jazz artists "Papa" Jo Jones, "Tiny" Grimes (guitarist with Art Tatum), Tom Lindsay (trumpet player on Coleman Hawkins’ recording of “Body and Soul”), Joe Muranyi (clarinet player with Louis Armstrong), Herb Pomeroy, "Sir Charles" Thompson (pianist with Charlie Parker), Benny Waters, and Sabby Lewis. His work includes playing in pit orchestras of all the major theaters in Boston and performances with: Ray Charles, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Rosemary Clooney, The Four Aces, The Four Lads, Marvin Hamlisch, Linda Hopkins, Al Martino, The Mills Brothers, Anthony Newley, Patti Page, John Raitt, Bobby Rydell, Yma Sumac, Roger Williams, and many more. He joined the faculty at South Shore Conservatory in 2004.
Recordings:
- Geo-Political Statement (Chris Rathbun, Stephan Peisch-violin)
- It Came From Out of the Woods (Chris Rathbun film ensemble)
- If I Could Dance Like Fred Astaire (Jim Porcella, Ron Zack)
- Never Never Land (Jon Jarvis)
- The Good Stuff (Bob Roskopf, Jon Wheatley)
- Peace (Steve Dale)
- Something Irresistible: Songs of Fran Landesman (Shepley Metcalf)
- Jazzamir (Zamir Chorale)
- The Music of Canary Burton (Jon Jarvis)
- The Last Taxi [4 CDs 2014-2018] (Patrick Battstone)