Writing in the July issue of DownBeat Magazine, reviewer Jon Paul has high praise for our NXT-5 upright bass:

With the NXT5, NS design has improved upon an already successful model. With high quality Czech workmanship and better woods, this bass is still a bargain, going for only $300–$400 more than the WAV.  Nothing can replace the “dog house,” but if your musical situation works with an EUB (electric upright bass), you need to give the NXT5 bass a try.

Click here to read a PDF reprint of the review.  (Requires Adobe Reader.)

Jennifer and Jonathan Adams of Montana Skies create a “new acoustic” sound with their pairing of six-string electric cello and Spanish/classical guitar. These award winning musicians delve into music from Pink Floyd and Rush to Vivaldi, House of the Rising Sun, and Bach, as well as their own originals that have been featured everywhere from NPR to the Travel Channel. Using a wide range of effects, Jennifer Adams’ blazing electric cello and Jonathan Adams’ guitar wizardry combine to create a sound that is truly remarkable. With an extensive tour schedule which has taken them all across the US, Canada, Russia and Asia, this vibrant duo is a must see in concert with the finesse and vitruoso of seasoned classical players crossed with the energy of a rock band.

I was recently able to connect with them at their appearance at the TCAN (The Center for the Arts Natick) in Natick, MA on April 30th and was amazed by their purely flawless and excitable performance. With Jonathan reserved, exhibiting his technical prowess on guitar and mastery of technological gadgetry and Jenn dancing across the stage with her NS CR6 Cello and NS’s Original Strap System on her shoulders, these two partners sparred and blended their musical passion into a memorable night of music.

I sat down with Jenn and Jonathan via phone earlier this month and chatted with them about their early beginnings, partnership, Jenn’s experience using the NS CR6 Cello, and both Jenn and Jonathan’s view of music technology, memorable performances and what’s on the horizon for Montana Skies.

Click here to listen to an interview with Jenn & Jonathan Adams and to watch a slideshow. And make sure to check out the Montana Skies website at montanaskiesmusic.ning.com

The NS team had a great time at the 2010 Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany.  The show provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with current and potential customers and distributors in Europe.  Visitors to the booth were particularly interested in the NXT and the Omni Bass, as well as the prototype of the WAV-5 violin (more on that later).  People continue to love the CR-series violins and basses too.

Comparable to the NAMM show in the United States, the Musikmesse is Europe’s premier music tradeshow.  Running between March 24th and 27th, the show featured nearly 2,500 exhibitors and attracted 110,000 visitors from 128 countries.

NS Design is pleased to announce that Education Specialist Scott Laird has been recognized for his groundbreaking educational work with music technology. Scott is the recipient of the 2010 University of North Carolina Board of Governors and North Carolina School of Science and Math Award for Exceptional Contribution in Classroom Innovation.

Scott, who works as Fine Arts Coordinator and Music Instructor at NCSSM, has made a career of bringing his educational and musical talents to students both inside and outside the classroom. Beginning in the early 1990s, he pioneered the use of electric stringed instruments in traditional orchestra programs. In his portfolio submission, Scott  wrote: “I am always seeking innovative methods of instruction that will connect with students and enhance the learning process. I believe that the aspects of music and technology that inspire me as a musician, when presented effectively, will also inspire my students.”

As Educational Specialist for NS Design, Scott has become a valuable resource for music teachers seeking to bring the benefits of electric instruments in their own students. In conjunction with NS Design’s partner, D’Addario Strings, he has produced several instructional videos for students and educators on D’Addario’s website www.thelessonroom.com. Many of these feature NS Design instruments.

“String teachers are necessarily a traditional crowd,” Scott said. “The legitimacy and quality of NS Design’s instruments appeal to those sensibilities.”

Scott is also an active electric violinist and recording artist and has appeared on the Motown, REX and Roadrunner record labels.  His latest solo CD, entitled “Simple Gifts,” features performances on a variety of string instruments with an emphasis on the electric violin.

You can learn more about Scott on his website, www.scottlaird.net.  From all of us at NS Design, congratulations!

We were excited to learn that Janice Martin, an American violinist, soprano, and aerialist, has recently started using an NS WAV-4 violin in her performances.  As you can see from this video, Janice combines all of her talents into a single spectacular performance!  A graduate of the Julliard and Indiana schools of music, she also has a successful career as a soloist and was selected by the Stradivari Society of Chicago to play the 1708 Burstein-Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin.

You can learn more about Janice on her website, www.janicemartin.com.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of NS Design’s founding, this special limited edition of the NXT four-string upright bass is now available to consumers.  Featuring a cream finish, each of these instruments will be signed on the back by Ned Steinberger.  Only 20 were produced for the U.S. market.  You can click on the pictures below for bigger versions.

On January 16th, at the 2010 Winter NAMM convention, NS Design presented the Museum of Making Music with the first of a Limited Edition NXT upright electric bass, created in celebration of 20th Anniversary of the founding of NS Design by Ned Steinberger. Museum curator Tatiana Sizonenko, along with and Carolyn Grant, museum executive director, accepted the bass on behalf of NAMM. Making the presentation to the museum were Ned Steinberger, founder of NS Design, and Gary Byers, managing director.

Crafted in the Czech Republic, the anniversary bass is part of the NXT series which made its market debut in November 2009, and is the latest example of Mr. Steinberger’s concentration on beauty, aesthetics and performance. The NXT incorporates the trademark shape, feel and construction of NS Design’s original CR series, and includes a patented Polar™ Pickup System which provides optimal sensitivity to either arco or pizzicato playing.

Located in Carlsbad, California, the Museum of Making Music was founded in 1998 by the NAMM Foundation. Its collections explore the history of the music products industry in America, from the 1890s to the present day.

We were honored to receive this video from Danusha Waskiewicz, a violinist and violist from Germany, who performed Benjamin Yusupov’s “Viola Tango Rock Concerto” with the Tonkünstler Orchestra in St. Polten, Austria, this past October.  The piece specifically calls for the soloist to improvise on the electric viola.  Danusha switches between the acoustic and electric instruments with ease and achieves a remarkably consistent tone between the fourth and fifth parts of the performance, as she returns to the acoustic instrument.

Danusha Waskiewicz was born in Würzburg, Germany, in 1973.  She studied the violin with Walter Forchert and the viola with Tabea Zimmerman and has received awards from the German Viola Society and from the ARD Music Contest, Germany’s largest classical music competition.  She is a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, of the string quintet the Mahler Soloists, and of the Orchestra Mozart.

Danusha writes:

Finally I can send you the link of the Yusupov Viola Tango Rock Concert. In part 4 there you can listen to the electric viola. I hope you enjoy, I did, even though it was the first time of performing this instrument. NS Design was mentioned in the program and in the end credits of the concert recording.

All the best, thanks again for your support!

Danusha

You can see the video of Danusha’s performance on the NS Viola below.  Follow this link to see the entire concerto on YouTube.

NS Design congratulates cellist David Darling on receiving a Grammy nomination for “Best New Age Album” for his album “Prayer for Compassion”.  The nomination takes its place atop a list of many honors David has already received in his career.  “Prayer for Compassion” was named CD of the Month by Echoes Radio and features David’s NS Cello, among other instruments.  You can read more about it at www.daviddarling.com.

Click on the image below to read the full announcement.

Corey Redonnett, NS Design’s Artist Relations manager, recent interviewed violinist David Ragsdale about his work with the bands Kansas and Native Window, his musicial upbringing, and his thoughts on his NS violin.

 
Click here to listen to the interview and watch the slideshow.