Sturm’s book on Rabbath earns ARSC recognition
calendar icon06 Nov 2023
Lincoln, Neb.--Hixson-Lied Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies Hans Sturm’s book, “75 Years on 4 Strings; The Life and Music of François Rabbath,” has won a certificate of merit in the 2023 Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research in country, folk, roots or world music.
The ARSC Awards Program recognize and draw attention to the finest work now being published in the field of recorded sound research. The winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony to be held during ARSC’s annual conference in May 2024 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The ARSC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of sound recordings in all genres of music and speech, in all formats and from all periods.
“I was thrilled, and frankly stunned, to learn that ‘75 Years on 4 Strings’ will be one of only a handful of books to be awarded a 2023 Certificate of Merit Award by the ARSC in May,” Sturm said. “The biography was a labor love and came about after having worked with François Rabbath for more than two decades.”
Knowing virtually nothing about his history, Sturm was first inspired to travel to Paris to study with Rabbath after witnessing an incredible transformation of one of his former students, Sandor Ostlund, who is now a professor at Baylor University.
“Our many years of working together resulted in multiple concerts, masterclasses, and a pair of pedagogical DVDs — utilizing biomechanics animations and user-selectable camera angles,” Sturm said. “Along the way we became close, and François felt comfortable sharing stories from his life with me; from his early days in Aleppo to his eventual collaborations with such diverse artists as tightrope artist Philippe Petit (Twin Towers), avant-garde saxophonist Ornette Coleman, Spanish folk singer Paco Ibanez, cabaret legend Edith Piaf, artist Pablo Picasso, film director François Truffaut, the Paris Opera and more. His has been an epic life, one well worth sharing."
This recognition for his book comes as a surprise to Sturm.
“While the book has recently received positive reviews from a handful of publications in the string press, it is from a very small press and the award comes as a complete surprise,” he said. “I have no idea how it came to the ARSC’s attention. I am very much looking forward to attending their gala in May and perhaps learning more. This means a lot to both me and François.”
“75 Years on 4 Strings: The Life and Music of François Rabbath” was published in 2022 and is available for sale on Sturm’s website at http://avant-bass.com. Rabbath is a French double-bass virtuoso, soloist and composer who has influenced countless bassists around the world. Rabbath is renowned in the bass world for his innovative left-hand technique and pedagogy that has revolutionized the way the bass is played and taught. Sturm has worked with Rabbath since 2000.