Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Frompovich.

Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

I started out learning guitar in middle school, then kept on playing and developing by joining a high school garage band. That band covered everything from the Ramones and the Cure to Joe Satriani, Van Halen, and Extreme. But we also had a tendency… almost a preference… to write and create our own material, so we did a lot of songwriting in that band. And we did a lot of ear training as a group because we couldn’t always find the sheet music for the songs we wanted to play.

That band was my first tribe where we got into building and modding instruments. We were definitely influenced by Eddie Van Halen and his DIY experimentation with modding and building. I brought a book about building guitars into high school and handed it off to a best friend, who was the other guitarist in that group. That opened a HUGE door for both of us. We collaborated and schemed together to build guitars for our senior projects. So we were modding and building guitars when we weren’t practicing in the band. On reflection, it really shouldn’t be a surprise because my parents, even though they weren’t musicians, also embodied a lot of that same spirit in daily life; they are huge DIYers, even building the house they live in.

Early on, I did the spray finishes for both our guitars with my dad’s help and guidance… we just applied what dad knew from working on car finishes. My friend knew how to solder, so I picked that up from watching him.

I went to college, where I was more formally trained on classical double bass and audio recording engineering; in some ways, it was less gritty and more akin to learning the secrets of the musical universe… getting theory, writing for orchestra, learning about recording. But all that time I spent learning in that high school rock band really carried me forward into college; the work ethic, the DIY mindset, “the gritty underdog who digs in until they succeed” mindset.

I played electric bass as needed through college, borrowing basses from friends until I was able to purchase one. I had joined another classic rock band before graduating school and I got into electric because it was needed for gigs. But I could never quite reconcile my singer songwriter side with my bass playing side…I was always a bassist who could sing. Some part of me really wanted the solo performer aspect that a guitarist could have. I saw Michael Manring play in 2006, and that was it…seeing that performance was my “marching orders” to develop my voice as a solo performer on bass guitar.

I had a lot of work to do on my playing to get into that space, and I met some mentors along the way that helped me with that growth. After working on my skills, a few years later, I was asked to do a solo set during BassUp!, a bass event that used to be held during NAMM conferences in Long Beach, California. That whole first NAMM Anaheim event really accelerated things for me; it felt like I had met my tribe.

Today, I’m still primarily a musician and music educator. I’m often hired as a bassist for various events…currently, that takes the form of music theater work, subbing work, pit work or work as a sideman. I’m very lucky in that do get a lot of work for hire, and that’s satisfying. But it’s also satisfying when I can perform as a solo artist…or in a small group…where the creative limits are wide open. And I’ve created that option for myself in my career.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

There’s definitely been struggles; everything from fighting college bureaucracy to just GET the degree I had done the work to obtain, to a hand injury in recent years that nearly ended my playing career.

“You will not have been playing long enough to be a successful professional musician by the time you graduate.” – this was said by one of my college professors. Funny thing is, I never saw that instructor actually play any gigs the whole time I was in school. Or quite frankly, even practice. On the other hand, the other students (and many teachers) knew I was out gigging or working shows as much as I possibly could during college.

I’ve had to skillfully deflect advances from several instructors over the years. And sadly, teachers can be in a position to potentially ruin your career and years of hard work. One instructor commented to me at one point “I’d pay good money to see those breasts.” I just as quickly replied, “I’d keep your wallet in your pocket, you can’t afford them.” You have to deflect those advances with humor so that retaliation isn’t felt to be merited. Still…it’s not a great feeling to have to navigate these situations, call the predator/offender on their shit, and then continuously BE on your guard around that person. And unfortunately, our society doesn’t seem to be improving with regards to addressing these issues for marginalized individuals.

With regards to my hand injury that nearly ended my career; I fractured my left wrist during a workout in July 2021. It was a distal radius fracture, but it wasn’t so bad that I needed surgery. I ended up at urgent care, where I got a temporary sling and a sedative to sleep off the pain and shock, and I was told to follow up with an ortho for a proper cast. But that follow-up? Yeah, that didn’t happen in a timely fashion.

A few hours after I got home, a severe storm…a microburst…hit. I was still knocked out from the sedative and completely slept through all the emergency alerts. I woke up to the storm raging outside, feeling super groggy. By the time it was over, I had a massive maple tree down across the front yard of my house. It just missed hitting the roof but it blocked the front door so you couldn’t get out…it was that close. And the tree trunk was ON my work van. To top it off, a second tree was blocking the back exit of my house, so there was no safe way out. It was over 100 degrees outside, the power was out, and I was supposed to be dealing with this broken wrist—oh, and did I mention I also found out my mom was in the hospital for a heart issue? (She’s doing fine now, thankfully.)

It was a rough night’s sleep that first night…everything was too quiet as the power was out and my arm just hurt. The next day, once the power was finally back on, I had to cut myself out of the house…literally with a reciprocating saw using one hand. And then I had to start freeing the car. It was insane…the heat was brutal…like 102, 104 degrees and that Virginia summer humidity. The area was hit so hard…nearby houses had second floors crushed by fallen trees. I actually felt lucky that the damage to the house wasn’t much worse.

Over the next few days, friends and neighbors started coming by. They brought food, helped clear the trees, freed my van and moved it to the body shop. And I finally got to the ortho to get my wrist properly cast. But that was just the beginning. The insurance company gave me the go-ahead to repair my van on a recorded phone call with the claims adjustor, then a few days later the company changed their mind and decided to total it. So I went down to the body shop and brought the van home. I was ready to fight the insurance company to make sure they kept their word. Around that time, my best friend surprised me by organizing a GoFundMe to help cover the car repairs and medical bills. I had already started shopping for a new vehicle in early 2021. But as you might recall, car prices were through the roof by summer that year. Thanks to the fundraiser, I was able to start thinking about rebuilding the van instead without the insurance company being involved. Since I was still in a cast, I started small by putting together a spreadsheet of all the parts I needed to get it back on the road, sourcing the parts, and locating a shop willing to work with me if I brought in the parts myself.

It was crazy how everything came together…truly some synchronicity there. There was a point where I had to decide whether to go ahead with the rebuild because so many of parts I needed were on sale, and if I didn’t jump on them, the costs would have shot up. The GoFundMe wasn’t quite enough at that point. After talking it over with my best friend, I figured I’d cover the difference and just go for it. It felt like there was a whole community rallying behind this recovery effort. Right after I made that decision…we’re talking minutes here…someone made a huge donation that covered exactly what I needed. It was incredible. So many instances of that synchronicity were happening that got me through this tough time…and I’m grateful. For the next few weeks, I focused on rebuilding the van and getting my house and business back in order. People kept showing up to help…whether it was money, support, or just showing up at the right moment with a kind word or some helping hands. It really made me realize how connected I was to my community, and I was (and continue to be) humbled by the outpouring of support.

But while I was focused on all of that, I had started developing a bigger health issue. My wrist and arm began to burn every night, and I’d wake up in terrible pain. I assumed it was stress, or maybe some weird PTSD starting, or maybe my arm was burning because it was swelling up in the cast. This was all new to me, so I didn’t understand that something was actually going wrong in the healing process. It was actually the start of something called CRPS—Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. It’s an excruciating condition nicknamed ‘the suicide disease’ because of the intense, constant pain.

The house eventually got fixed up, the van was out of the shop by late fall, and the insurance mess was getting sorted out. But when the cast came off my arm, my left hand was paralyzed. My fingers and forearm had atrophied, and the doctor warned me that if I didn’t get into physical therapy immediately, I might never play bass again. That was a huge blow. I left that appointment and started calling anyone who had contracted me for gigs from the parking lot…before I even drove home. Once the doctor said “chronic pain,” in the context of an ongoing and potentially worsening condition, I realized I had to step away from my livelihood and fully focus on recovery.

The physical therapy process was slow. It was like coming back from a stroke…there were small, incremental improvements. Some days were big wins…like when my fingers finally began moving again after several months of paralysis. But other things…like simply touching my thumb to my pinky…took much longer. I had to relearn everything. Even basic tasks like typing or picking up a small object with my left hand…impossible. I took a picture of the first time I could pick up my car keys with my thumb and one finger of my left hand…it was a huge accomplishment to get that far.

By Christmas, my mom and I had rigged a setup that let me play bass in a new way…we made a harness that held my bass upright…more like a Chapman stick or a double bass…allowing me to play electric bass without needing as much wrist mobility. I had a lot of new setbacks, like my fingers just stopping mid-movement for no apparent reason. I was dealing with allodynia (pain caused by things or actions that shouldn’t hurt) and hyperalgesia (pain that is out of proportion the action that caused it) and ongoing soft tissue swelling in my left wrist/fingers/forearm. Guitar strings bit into my fingertips and caused shooting, fiery pain. But I kept at it, practicing every day, like a beginner again. And I know people who saw me early on the the process really had their doubts I would recover…and they weren’t wrong to feel that way…my arm was pretty messed up. It took a lot of patience, but I had made a choice…I was determined to get back to playing. Or find another way to play.

Fast forward to now…three years later…I’m playing gigs regularly again. I did 52 shows in 19 weeks during the first half of 2024. My hand…and many other aspects of my health…are in much better shape. I still struggle with some things like turning doorknobs. It’s been a journey, but I’ve learned to appreciate the “little things” even more than I already was; the ability to type, to use both hands to button a shirt. I continue to research new ways to manage CRPS and improve my range of motion. CRPS can also spread and cause greater disability in some cases. But right now, we’re successfully co-existing with each other. But just like any disease you learn to live with, this is a balancing act.

I’m currently working with a bass student who lost part of her fingertip in an accident. I always make sure to check in on how she’s handling nerve pain and fatigue as she works on rebuilding her hand strength. But it’s not just physical—it’s also about regaining confidence. I remember playing too quietly for a while during my own recovery, and I noticed the same thing happening with her. The great thing is, we could talk through it right away during lessons, because I had just been through the same challenge myself. I know I wouldn’t have been able to help her as much if I hadn’t had these life lessons.

This whole experience taught me a lot about myself and my resilience. I also learned how to ‘right-size’ problems and stressors. Problems that would have felt like a big deal before have now become laughable compared to the bigger picture. People have problems…reality often is they overthink and obsess over them, or have methods to procrastinate; but once you are in a dire situation, you tend to realize that most of the thing we believe are problems don’t matter so much after all.

Some of my newer students eventually tend to find out about the experience I went through…and they see what I can and can’t do, range of motion-wise. I get a lot of “…AND YOU CAN PLAY BASS LIKE THAT?” comments. Yeah. I did the work to recover, as best as I can. The rest has been adapting to the new normal.

So it’s helped others see they can move past their limitations if they are committed to finding a solution. On that note…in early 2024, I played 54 shows in 19 weeks on both electric bass and double bass, not counting dress rehearsals or anything like that. It’s about being committed to finding a solution.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

The work I do centers around the combined skills of being a musician, an entrepreneur, and an educator. As a musician, I’m often hired as a bassist for various events…currently, that takes the form of music theater work, subbing work, or choral pit work. I also play bass with the Ashleigh Chevalier Band. I have been in a few different projects along the way…several Celtic rock/Celtic fusion groups, a classic rock/Americana group, an acoustic duo (as a singer and multi-instrumentalist), a fusion group that featured two bassists, and I’ve even toured across the United States as a solo artist a few times. As a solo artist, I perform as a singer-songwriter who happens to play bass. I do a lot of work for hire, and that’s satisfying. But it’s even more so when I can perform as a solo artist…or in a small group…where the creative limits are wide open.

As an entrepreneur and educator, I wear a few hats. I run Lady Bass Music, my private lesson studio/home studio. I give double bass, electric bass, guitar, cello, and theory lessons. I’ve been doing lessons in-person and online for over a decade, but with the pandemic, about half my clientele has become online students from all over the country. Students often hire me because I tend to teach music lessons with more of an “apprenticeship” feel to the experience, even if you never intend to go out on a gig. I teach both recreational music makers and the very serious students who have embarked on their own music careers.

I teach at the University of Mary Washington as the bass instructor, and I’m one of the remote lesson instructors for Pickers Supply, a local music store in my area. Some past accomplishments I’m proud of as an educator include managing an intergenerational community rock orchestra. I’ve also run a clinic series for bass students wanting to improve their craft. This event, called the Virginia Bass Forum, brought in world-class professional musicians to teach clinics and perform in an intimate setting. I’m also proud when my students go on to do incredible things on their own; going out on tour with their own bands, or winning important auditions for colleges or scholarships, or getting that chair placement they worked so hard for in a county, state or regional orchestra event. I’m also very honored to have been offered opportunities to do clinic events at places like Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp or at the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles at the invite of Stuart Hamm.

I’m a writer as well.; I used to contribute columns to the Music Teachers Helper’s website (now called Duet). I’m currently a contributor for No Treble Magazine, the leading online magazine for bass players. My column features the stories of female bassists…the “Wonder Women: Stories from the Women Who Play Bass” series. I’ve interviewed players like Mohini Dey, Liza Carbe, Becky Baldwin, Jennifer Young, and Angeline Saris to name a few. It’s been a pleasure interviewing all these intelligent, ambitious and inspiring women who are doing amazing things in their careers. I also go back and try to give a “signal boost” to some of the female bassists who may have been overlooked by the magazine simply because they passed before No Treble came into existence; Kristen Pfaff is one example. So my job is one part interviewer and one part archivist so these stories are not overlooked.

Lastly…in my spare time (chuckles)…I run an Etsy store that sells various items related to music. There are handmade bass string bracelets and pendants with music-themed boho designs on them. In the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with offering photography and digital art created via made-to-order print services. The newest item I’m starting to offer on Etsy are copies of music arrangements I create for students. These are digital downloads that are available instantly. The Etsy store has been a great experience, resulting in sales at gigs and international sales online. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a vendor at major events like the Richmond Folk Festival and Belmar’s Italian Festival in Colorado. I’m looking to expand my digital offerings over to other platforms like Gumroad as well.

What am I most proud of? I’ve worked very hard to balance multiple jobs and pursue a portfolio of creative passions, while striving to create meaningful connections along the way. But if I had to pick one thing, it’s the ability to keep moving forward, even when things get tough, while staying true to myself.

How do you define success?

Creativity, growth, connection, balance, peace of mind. Creating great things (or striving to) as an expression of my individuality, talents, and my history…and doing it with authentic, purpose-driven expression. I like being able to innovate whenever possible, and I hope to create some kind of legacy that helps others in some way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blog.ladybassmusic.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladybassmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladybassmusicmusicianpage/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ladybassmusic/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ladybassmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ladybassmusic
• Other: https://www.notreble.com/buzz/contributors/brittany-frompovich/

Image Credits

Rana Strickland
Faye Varal
Becca Bass/Lily and Sparrow
David Parrish Photography