Bassist and arts administrator Thomas Zera joins us today to share what changed between our first chat years ago and now, including life in the Utah Symphony and the path that led to building his new project, The Sub Pool.

We dig into what The Sub Pool is, why orchestra sub lists so often "run dry," and how a centralized, musician-friendly platform can help personnel managers find the right players, including for rarer instruments and big-repertoire needs. Tom also explains how the service is designed to be low-friction for musicians, what feedback has shaped the early feature set (including faster notifications), and what they're building toward next. Learn more at The Sub Pool, reach Tom at tom@thesubpool.com, and check out his past podcast appearance here.

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Gear used to record this podcast

• Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder
• Rode Podmic
• Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
• Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens
• Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens

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Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Casey Lipka is a Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, bassist, and collaborator with a gift for building community around music. In this episode, Casey shares the winding path that brought her into jazz voice, bass, and a creative life that blends composing, performing, and heartfelt projects. Along the way, Casey talks about how coaching shaped her work supporting other artists, and why creating space for connection has become such a central part of what she does.

Jason and Casey dig into what it looks like to move through "seasons" of creativity, from album release mode to collaboration mode, and how routines like strength training and time in nature can support the physical and mental demands of making music. They also talk about the joy of live performance, the inspiration of Nina DeCesare's recent Bach marathon, and Casey's new Women in Music series featuring performance-plus-conversation collaborations.

Enjoy, and follow along with Casey and her great work on her website, YouTube, Instagram, and listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Connect with DBHQ

• Join Our Newsletter
• Double Bass Resources
• Double Bass Sheet Music
• Double Bass Merch

Gear used to record this podcast

• Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder
• Rode Podmic
• Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
• Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens
• Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg

This episode with Johnny Hamil and friends is a celebration of the music of Lloyd Goldstein. Enjoy this, and be sure to join Johnny and company March 21st at 11am Central Time via Zoom. You can visit KC Bass Workshop for more information and details.

Connect with DBHQ

• Join Our Newsletter
• Double Bass Resources
• Double Bass Sheet Music
• Double Bass Merch

Gear used to record this podcast

• Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder
• Rode Podmic
• Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
• Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens
• Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Theme music by Eric Hochberg