Big thanks to Dan, my colleague at Curtis and the Bach Choir and our first non-double reed interviewee! Dan has lived a "double life" for pretty much his entire career, and he teaches the Curtis students' career development class, so he is an expert. Enjoy! --AM
Dan McDougall, double bassist, freelances along the East Coast playing with
ensembles including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania Ballet
Orchestra, Philly Pops, Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Bach Choir of
Bethlehem, and Delaware Symphony, to name a few.
Dan is a graduate of the
Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Roger Scott. Dan has worked at
Curtis for nearly twenty years in various administrative roles; he is currently
Human Resources Assistant. He has also served on Curtis faculty for ten years
and teaches the "21st Century Musician" course to all instrumental undergrads. (Photo by L. C. Kelley)
When did you start with your other
work outside of performing?
I always had
another job, even when I was a student. I’ve always been a doer and I say yes
to everything. So even as a Curtis student, I performed in operas as an actor,
or playing keyboard. I tried to stretch what I was doing because I knew that if
I just played bass all day that I’d be bored to tears. You know what bass parts
are like, and I knew that wouldn’t be enough for me early on, so I always diversified
what I did.
Jacob Smith is principal bassoonist with the Academy of Vocal Arts
Orchestra and plays frequently with the Opera Company of Philadelphia,
the Pennsylvania Ballet, and is a substitute with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a former member of The Chamber Orchestra of
Philadelphia. He studied with Nancy Goeres at Carnegie Mellon University
and Danny Matsukawa at Temple University. 
