Check Out Rich Bullock’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Bullock

Hi Rich, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Considering I have 3 distinct areas of interest and having covered them all in greater detail in my previous Canvas Rebel article, I’ll try to be as brief as I can in them all!

First, my journey as a musician/trombonist: I started playing trombone as a fifth grader in Warren, Arkansas in 1965. After moving to Long Beach, California in the summer of 1969, I switched to the bass trombone, my specialty to this day, in the fall of 1971 at Wilson High School at the encouragement of my private teacher Jim Nelson on trombone. My first big professional break came in the fall of 1975 when I became the bass trombonist for the Don Ellis Orchestra. I was subsequently a member of many other bands, including those of Bill Watrous, Harry James, Al Hirt, Jack Sheldon, Steve Allen and many others. Starting in the fall of 1981 I took a “day job” with Rockwell International (later merged into The Boeing Company) but continued to be involved in the local show, symphonic, recording and big band realms to various degrees to this day. Since retiring from Boeing at the end of 2012, I have seen my involvement gradually taper off, although I am still a member of the Tom Kubis Big Band (for 35 years!) and The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra. At this point in my life, I do not foresee any uptick in my trombone work…but who knows?

Next, my VoiceOver journey: Having always fantasized about being a disc jockey and/or voice artist, I auditioned for and was accepted into the KIIS Broadcasting Workshop in the spring of 1981. But my optimism was short lived as the workshop went bankrupt and closed after a few short weeks…thankfully I had not paid all the money due! That ambition was put on hold until the year 2000, when a friend and former bass trombone student of mine who had become involved with VoiceOver told me of some workshops I should consider. That really piqued my interest! My first workshop was the Kalmenson and Kalmenson workshop, a great start. I continue to take workshops/courses that interest me (and that I have time and money for) as well as periodically producing demos. I have managed to get a bit of work since the early 2000’s, but nothing particularly noteworthy or anything widely broadcast. I am currently represented by Avail Artist Management and continue to audition, audition, audition. Perhaps I may always be on the periphery of the VoiceOver world, but as long as I have the time and interest, I’ll keep at it!

Finally, my singing journey: This is the avenue I really wish I had pursued more seriously earlier in my life. Even though my singing “career” could be considered to have started around 1975 when bandleader Tracy Wells recruited me to be the bass singer of his vocal quartet modeled after the likes of The Modernaires and The Pied Pipers, I never took singing all that seriously until about 10 years ago. My friend, the amazing trombonist and vocalist Scott Whitfield, recruited me to be the bass singer of an all male quartet modeled after The Four Freshmen. This group recorded on a couple of tracks for one of his albums, and there were a few recording sessions on some other projects as well. But what has really lit my fire to become more involved in singing has been my participation with the caroling troupe The Music Companie, led by Pat Loeb, for the last several years. My experience there, along with the positive feedback and encouragement of my fellow singers, has encouraged me to go further. To that end, I have taken some lessons from some prominent singers and have produced my first ever singing reel. At this moment, I find myself just a bit stuck to figure out my next steps, but I’m working on it!

So here I am, less than two months away from my 70th birthday…what do I have to look forward to? We shall see!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would expect that the vast majority of performing artists have had and will continue to have struggles along the way. In fact, I will go out on a limb here and say I believe the vast majority of people who pursue full time careers in the arts will not make a full time living at it. The supply will always far exceed the demand. But that’s not to say it’s not worth the try. Sometimes it simply is a matter of “right place, right time.” And even if it does not wind up as your primary source of income, it is still quite possible to have a rewarding career in terms of experiences and even some decent “side” money. I know that has been the case for me, and my 31 year aerospace job and steady retirement income stream has greatly helped to mitigate any struggles I may have experienced.

But there have indeed been struggles. The recording musicians’ strike of 1980 – 81 severely impacted the careers of many musicians, mine included, to the point that other career choices had to be made. Besides that, I have found myself to have fallen out of favor among people who used me regularly in the past, through no fault of my own and for very dubious reasons in my opinion. And sometimes a changing of the guard, so to speak, could result in no longer getting the calls you did in the past. The business and many of the people in it can be very mercurial, and changes in your status can often mess with your self confidence and esteem. In terms of my VoiceOver interests, one “struggle” is that there are now so, so many people pursuing it, especially with the internet and the prevalence of home recording. Practically anyone can do it (how well is another issue), and that is both the good and bad news of VoiceOver! In terms of singing, I suppose the struggle has been not taking it more seriously than I did all these years. But I can’t beat myself up over that, I think I’ve had a pretty full plate of interests and responsibilities over the years!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
First of all, I am a trombonist specializing on the bass trombone and doubling on tenor trombone, tuba and contrabass trombone. I suppose I’m best known (for better or worse) for my distinctive, powerful low range on the bass trombone, especially within a jazz big band setting. I’m most proud of the wide range of experiences in all music genres that I’ve had, including with many celebrities that I’ve enjoyed over the years, even from my youngest days. Among my proudest experiences is my time with Don Ellis…there are not many living alumni of his band left, since he passed away shortly after my tenure with him in 1978. My long standing tenure with jazz trombone icon Bill Watrous is another source of pride, which included the opportunity to record and perform on the Tonight Show with the group Chicago. As for today’s activities, my greatest sources of pride are my long standing tenure with the Tom Kubis Big Band (since 1989) and my current position with The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra.

As far as VoiceOver, I have some experience in commercials, corporate narration, animation and elearning. I can’t say I really have a specialty per se since I am really trying to be involved in all areas of VO. I suppose I am known for my deep, resonant voice…but there are a lot of us out there like that. And as I like to say, a great voice may get you attention, but it won’t necessarily get you the gig! I suppose the thing I am most proud of is simply the fact I am hanging in there in spite of scant visible success.

As far as singing is concerned, I am a bass/baritone vocalist. Again, I believe I am known for a deep, powerful voice, although not quite a basso profundo such as Thurl Ravenscroft or Len Dresslar (as I much as I’d like to be). Most of my experience has been with jazz vocal ensembles and for the last few years, Christmas caroling. But I would love to expand more into pop and classical realms as well. As far as what I am proud of…the courage to actively pursue it after all this years and so late in life…and to have finally recorded and released my singing reel! As far as what sets me apart from others…I think I have a very good ear (with perfect or near perfect pitch) and an advanced capability in sight singing.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
If this is referring to memories that could indicate an early love of music and performing, it is hard to pick out just one. A favorite set of memories would be listening to the radio with my Mom and hearing the music of the day and watching variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show to see the performing artists…especially exciting when The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion hit! And another very powerful memory is when I received my very first trombone that my Mom purchased for me in 1965!

Contact Info:

• Website: www, richbullockvo.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bassbonevoice
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rich-bullock
• Other: https://www.bassbonevoice.com