I grew up in a small town in the United States. People don’t often leave. But through music, I was able to travel and see other countries. It gave me new perspectives on what was possible. And then I saw a picture of a musician walking along cobbled streets in Prague with a double bass on his back. It looked so cool, so striking. I thought: that’s what I want to do.
As a double bassist, you learn to take on a supporting role. You can guide where a phrase is heading. But for me, the ideal is to be connected to everything happening in the orchestra. The double bass can sound in so many different ways. I can create warm sounds, unusual sounds, tones with different frequencies, and resonance that almost no other instrument can match. I can almost “shake” the room. You can actually feel the sound.
Music can offer a space for reflection. You are invited to pause and take in the moment. It is a universal language – we musicians can all read and play the same thing. Almost all great composers have lived difficult lives. It reminds me that no one is perfect. And that does not necessarily make the music heavy; it simply makes it deeper. Like a search for something. It gives it greater meaning.
Taylor Abbitt
Double bass, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
