Writer

In addition to writing Essential Bass Technique (see the “INSTRUCTION” page), I’ve done some journalism over the years, mostly writing for Bass Player and Canadian Musician magazines, but also Canadian Music Trade and Youth Ink. I suppose I should also mention the Jarvis Jargon, the high school newspaper I co-founded with Drew Armstrong back in the mid-80s!

I was the Staff Writer for Alumni Relations at the University of Toronto from 1998 to 2005, writing speeches, brochures, short bios, web copy, letters and more. I also did some French-English translation work for a firm called Verbomoteur.

For Bass Player, I did features on Alain Caron (cover story), Mark King of Level 42, Colin Moulding of XTC, and Canadian jazz great Don Thompson.
Alain Caron BP Jun 96
Colin Moulding feature BP Apr 99

Mark King at Level 40 BP Jun 99
Don Thompson BP Apr 95
Cementing their Fame BP May 99

I interviewed a ton of amazing bass players for Canadian Musican: Les Claypool (Primus), Doug Pinnick (King’s X), Jeff Berlin, Bryan Beller, Dave Piltch, Gary Willis, Jim Creegan (Barenaked Ladies), Joel Quarrington, John Patitucci, Mark Egan, Michael Manring, Neil Swainson, Pat Kilbride, Peter Cardinali, Rich Appleman, Russel DeCarle (Prairie Oyster), Spider Sinnaeve, Steve Bailey, Steve Lucas, Tim Vesely (Rheostatics) and Victor Wooten. I also did a bunch of bass-related product reviews, and interviewed Greg Heet (EBow inventor), Daniel Lanois (cover story) and Big Sugar. I interviewed guitar amp icon Jim Marshall for Canadian Music Trade and Canadian Musician.
Daniel Lanois CM Oct 94
Jim Marshall CM
Big Sugar CM Aug 97

In addition to that, I was Canadian Musician’s bass columnist for a few years, I think 1994-1998.
Canadian Musician column: “Moving Around the Neck”
Canadian Musician column: “Rudiments for Slap Bass”
Canadian Musician column: “Grey Areas are the Most Colourful”