We’re chatting with Paul Sharpe and Ella Sharpe about what it’s like studying the bass from your parents.  We talk about how both Paul and Ella got into playing the bass, the unique bass program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, perspectives from both Paul and Ella, and Ella’s thoughts on her future.  Enjoy! About Paul Sharpe: Paul Sharpe enjoys teaching all levels of student, whether it is starting instruction with young students and instilling them with good playing habits from the start or with an already well-developed graduate student that he can refine into something great. Sharpe pulls from his extensive performance career while teaching which includes countless performances with orchestras, quartets and as a member the strings duo Low and Lower.   About Ella Sharpe:   Ella Sharpe began double bass at seven years old under the tutelage of her father in North Carolina.  At 17, she was a competitor in the semi-finals of the 2017 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition (15-18 division).  Ella is now in her third year of undergraduate studies with David Allen Moore at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.  Ella has attended music festivals including the National Youth Orchestra, Sarasota Music Festival, and Wabass.  Ella also plays the viola da gamba.   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.   Thank you to our sponsors!   Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals.  With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.   Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.   Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!   Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion theme music by Eric Hochberg