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Marianne Schofield

Double bass player

Tell us a little about yourself I am a freelance double bass player based in London. I’m classically trained and also play lots of contemporary classical music as I’m part of two busy new music groups: contemporary collective Riot Ensemble, and The Hermes Experiment, which is an unusual quartet of clarinet, harp, soprano voice and double bass.

Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career? Probably my high school music department: even though not many people at the school took GCSE or A level music in comparison to other subjects, the teachers were so knowledgeable and committed. I remember learning about music analysis, composition and harmony for the first time, and when I took up the bass aged 15, playing in orchestras at school and at borough level was a big part of my development.

What would you say is your greatest achievement to date? It might sound silly, but I was genuinely proud when I passed my driving test a few years ago! I found learning to drive really difficult, it definitely didn’t come naturally to me, but since then it has been such a useful qualification to have, especially as a bass player. Within music, an achievement I’m also really proud of was the honour of winning an RPS award with The Hermes Experiment in 2021. Who is your all-time favourite artist and why? My favourite living artist is mandolin player Chris Thile. His solo playing and compositions are incredible, and his collaborations with other musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Brad Mehldau are also stunning.

What was the last CD or music download that you purchased? The album ‘All Ashore’ by Punch Brothers (another fantastic Chris Thile band: think 20th century Impressionism meets Bluegrass). Riot Ensemble linktr.ee/riotensemble @riotens

The Hermes Experiment thehermesexperiment.com @TheHExperiment

What are your plans for the future? Both The Hermes Experiment and Riot Ensemble have some interesting premieres and collaborations in the pipeline over the next few years, so I’m really looking forward to those. Finally, what is your ISM membership to you? Things have been so uncertain for everyone due to Brexit and the pandemic in the last two years, and the ISM has been working so hard to look after all musicians at this time. It’s been really reassuring to me to be part of the ISM and to know that I can access advice and guidance on so many topics, and that support is there when needed.

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