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Freelancing in a College Town: Know Your Role by Jonathan Moody
Freelancing in a College Town: Know Your Role by Jonathan Moody… In the past two articles in this series, we’ve discussed things that aren’t as music oriented as they are professional (being dependable and reliable). This month I’m going to focus more on one of the key elements that the freelancer will use on the bandstand; the ability to know your role. I’m going to break this down into two portions; the technique and the gear.
This concept was firmly planted into my brain years ago when I went to one of the Victor Wooten/Steve Bailey “Bass Extremes” shows. During the Q&A section, I asked them what they think about when they’re backing up someone. I don’t remember Vic’s comment, but Steve looked me directly in the eye and said “My job is to make the lead sound as great as possible. I will play as much or as little to achieve that end result.” I didn’t fully understand (or appreciate) the lesson until years later, when I was freelancing with a number of groups.
Oftentimes, we have the luxury to stick with styles of music that we know, are comfortable with and want to play. However, there are those times that you may be faced with something that you may not want to do, or are not familiar with. In the case of my wake up call, I was playing bass in a country cover band. I was intrigued by the monetary aspect, but was not happy with the basslines of the songs; to be honest, I felt they were below me. However, with Bailey’s comment in my head, I decided to focus more on how the bassline fit in the songs over the specific notes that were used. While I ended up only playing with that group for a couple of months, I held the group together and helped move the songs along, mainly from putting my ego aside and focusing on what was most important; the song itself.
Currently one of my gigs is backing up a folk duo. Technically speaking, I am playing a lot of root notes, and whole notes at that. However, when you look at how the simplicity of the bassline moves the songs along, it is imperative that it stays rock solid and fluid; again, the notes are not as important as the song. And to be honest, keeping something simple with a lot of movement can be tough. However, I’m having a ball with my role in this group.
Secondly, in knowing your role, you also should know what gear to bring. This isn’t your “what bass is best for metal?” thread that we’re talking about; this is more of the “Don’t bring an electric bass to an upright bass gig” statement. With the aforementioned folk group, I use my NS Design CR-5M electric upright bass, because it more closely fits the style of the music. The ability to use a bow is another bonus over just bringing an electric to this gig.
In the case of freelancing, this is one of the questions you need to ask upfront; what is the person hiring you expecting, and can you deliver? I’m in the position that I can bring an electric and/or an upright, but for some people that may not be an option (either you don’t have an upright or do not possess the skills to gig with one). If your gear isn’t exactly what the person is expecting, you need to let them know. Whether or not you think it’s a big deal isn’t important; what they think is. And from talking with a lot of peers, if you address this upfront, you’ll find out that it isn’t a big deal. But that’s the thing; you have to ask. And in that oft chance that it IS a big deal, it is better to back out at the beginning and allow them to find someone that better fits their situation over showing up to the gig with gear that they were not expecting and fighting the sound all night.
Personally, I try to bring the gear I think is necessary for doing my job well and stylistically fits. With that has to come the flexibility to change things up if they aren’t working, or if there is a specific request. I’m currently in a run of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” probably one of my favorite musicals, at the local Civic theatre. This show is scored for electric and upright bass, and the whole pit is using in-ear monitors. During the tech rehearsals, the drummer was having issues hearing the upright as well as the electric; the MD requested I play the whole show on electric. I can fake an upright sound with my thumb muting technique, so it’s no big deal. I really like playing the upright in this score (it’s my second production of this show), but personal gratification at the expense of the quality of the show is not the preferred result, nor is it the way to get hired again.
When it comes to “knowing your role” in the gig, it’s all-encompassing. Musically, you want to play what is appropriate for the style and genre of music that you’re playing. This translates into the gear that you bring into the gig. You’re definitely not going to walk into an orchestral gig with an electric bass, so make sure that whatever you use fits the music and the expectations of the person hiring you. A superior musical product is the desired result, and you need to be able to check your ego at the door in order to do as much – or as little – as is called for to perform your duties to the best of your ability.
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Photo: Self-portrait by Melissa Auf Der Maur
Melissa Auf Der Maur is a Canadian bassist who played with Tinker, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. She released her own work and is a photographer with photos published in Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. She released her ‘90s Rock Memoir “Even The Good Girls Will Cry” on 17 March 2026.
KB: Did you always want to be a singer-musician growing up?
I’ve played music my whole life. In school, I played trumpet and sang in a children’s choir, so music was always within me. My mother was the first female disc jockey on the Montreal airwaves; her record collection played a huge role in my inspiration and love of music.
KB: When did you start playing bass, and why this instrument?
When I was 19, the early 90s music explosion began to percolate in tiny clubs around the world. I was lucky to be a ticket girl at Montreal’s underground music club. In one year, I saw Hole, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, and The Breeders – all had female bass players. That’s when the seed was planted. By the age of 22, I was the bass player of Hole.
KB: Which brands of basses have you used in your career, and which one are you using now?
The first bass that I learned on was a vintage Squier Precision. Hole was sponsored by Fender guitars, so I upgraded to Fender Custom Shop Precisions. That is all I play, but I have a cool vintage 8-string Greco that I use on recordings to thicken up guitar parts.
KB: What equipment do you use or have you used with your basses?
Ampeg SVT amps and cabinets, a couple of Sans-Amp pedals, and that is it.
KB: How did you become a member of Hole, and what is your fondest memory of that time?
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins was helping scout a replacement for (RIP) Kristen Pfaff, Hole’s bass player. My band, Tinker, opened for them on the Siamese Dream tour, so Billy had seen me play and could vouch for me. Courtney trusted her talented friend, and that was it. I initially said “no thank you” due to my commitment to my photographic studies and the drama and chaos surrounding the band during the “Live Through This” album release. Courtney took it as a good sign that I said no, so convinced me to reconsider, and soon after, I accepted their invitation, in the name of helping put females in the male-dominated landscape of rock music. My fondest memory is every show we played as a mostly female band, symbolizing what a woman could do in a rock band. Every show had a purpose: get more women to play music.
KB: You are a photographer as well. What makes a great picture? Do you shoot in color or b/w?
I started shooting photographs at age 15. Initially only shot black & white and worked in the art school darkroom. In university, I took a color photography course, and shifted mostly and forever to that, because it was easier to process film on the road when I joined a rock band. I experimented with many cameras, point and shoots, manual, polaroids, medium format, and vintage finds. The trick to a good photograph is to shoot many and all the time – the magic is in the edit and selection process.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
??I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians in my career. I would still love to collaborate with a new generation heavy electronic artist on an analog bass, heavy electronic drums, and synths collaboration project. Take me out of my usual zone, merging the past and future: my love of 80s dark new wave and new artists exploring that genre. It was very futuristic back then, and we are now, after all, living in the future. I am in the mood to play bass to heavy beats I want to dance to.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in music across all genres? And why these 7?
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction (love a rambling, rolling bass line – feels like the ocean waves)
“Black Top – Helmet” (was the first bass line I taught myself)
“Gold Dust Woman” – Hole from “The Crow 2” Soundtrack (it was my first bass line contribution to the band)
“Get Ready” – The Temptations (Motown just feels so good, because of the bass)
“Lucretia My Reflection” – Sisters of Mercy (makes me want to hit the dance floor and play bass simultaneously)
“Be My Druidess” – Type O Negative (full chord bass playing at its best by iconic, demonic, Peter Steele, RIP)
“Romantic Rights” – Death from Above (1979 – unique distorted overdriven tone, combined dance rhythm and melodic intelligence, all in one shot – also! Shout out to a bass & drum only band, which is awesome, and we should have more of, but the bass player needs to be a killer to fill that role.
KB: What are you currently up to?
Releasing my ‘90s Rock Memoir “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY”. Visceral healing process, it was to get it out of me and write it, but I suspect the real magic will begin by putting it into the world and reflecting with others on what the magic of the ‘90s was all about. Powerful music decade that carried us into what is now a brave new world of digital corporate weirdness – may the past shed a light on our future. That’s my hope for this book release and tour.
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