HAMDBW began in 1993 as a one-day master class with international virtuoso bassist and pedagogue Jeff Bradetich. Bassist and luthier Hammond Ashley, then 91, sat in on the class. The next year, after his death, it was named the Hammond Ashley Memorial Double Bass Workshop. Now it is a week long workshop at SPU every June, with guest faculty including symphony players, International Society of Bassists award winners, and jazz notables. Classes range from beginning ensembles to solo master classes, with students from ages 8 to 70.
