Reader Spotlight: Cassie Mann

Meet bassist Cassie Mann who like many here, started on guitar before finding out bass is where it’s at. Cassie is a young bassist on the right track, and we’re thrilled to share her story for this week’s reader spotlight feature.

Bio:

I’m an 16 year old bass player in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia! I perform in numerous group from jazz to funk to pop/rock/indie mainly with my high school’s jazz/dance band and combo and the provincial honor jazz funk band. I also like to jam with my close friends.

Location:

New Glasgow/Nova Scotia/Canada

Day gig:

Currently a Grade 11 student at North Nova Education Centre.

Years experience:

Around 3½ years

Bands & Gigs:

I currently play in a pop/rock/indie band called Running With Lions! Since we’re all heavily into advanced courses in high school, we try and take any chance we can get to play together. I also play in a funk band called ConFUSION with 11 other musicians who are all older than me. I play in the Nova Scotia Honour Jazz program and perform with other groups who ask me to play.

Gear:

• Fender American Standard Jazz Bass
• BOSS Distortion DS-1
• BOSS Chromatic Tuner TU-3
• Roland CUBE 30 BASS
• Traynor Dynabass 100

Why I play the bass:

At the start of middle school jazz band I joined as a guitar player, picked up the bass one day for fun and ended up getting a good sound out of it and ever since then my life has been changed for good. I love me some low frequencies.

My bass superpower/claim to fame

I’ve been told I can lock in well with the rest of a band. I’m always aware of what’s going on around me and making sure it really grooves. I’m passionate and people can tell I really love it when I play. I’m also a decent sight reader.

My influences

Main influences right now are Esperanza Spalding, Marcus Miller, Jaco Pastorius, Avishai Cohen, Flea, Henrik Linder, Stanley Clarke, Paul Chambers and many others. In the pop world I am influenced by Zack Merrick, Mike Ayley, Jeremy Davis, Geddy Lee, Sting, etc. I’m also very influenced by the people around me who encourage me to keep doing what I love.

More on the web:

• Twitter (Personal)
• Twitter (Running With Lions!)
• Twitter (ConFUSION)
• Facebook (Running With Lions!)
• Facebook (ConFUSION)
• Youtube (personal)
• Youtube (Running With Lions!)
• Tumblr