Bass may sit low in the mix, but its cultural impact runs deep. This episode explores how community, technology, and restraint shape the future of music through the lens of the bass world.
Bass rarely leads the conversation about music innovation, yet it quietly shapes how songs move, how bands connect, and how audiences feel rhythm in their bodies. In this episode of Music Evolves, hosts Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli explore that idea with Jon D’Auria, Editor in Chief of Bass Magazine, through the lens of community, technology, and cultural relevance.
D’Auria describes bass not as a background instrument, but as a stabilizing force. It anchors songs while allowing others to shine, a role mirrored by bass players themselves. That identity informs how the bass community operates: collaborative, inclusive, and deeply connected across generations. Events like the Bass Magazine Awards, held alongside the NAMM Show, are not about spectacle alone. They are about recognition, continuity, and shared lineage.
Technology plays a central role in how this community grows. Digital publishing allowed Bass Magazine to expand reach beyond the limits of print, creating immediate access to news, gear releases, artist stories, and cultural moments. Social platforms now surface bass players from bedrooms and rehearsal spaces worldwide, creating opportunity while also reshaping how success is measured.
Innovation, however, is not framed as progress for its own sake. The conversation questions where technology supports creativity and where it distracts from it. Lightweight amps, compact gear, and modeling tools solve real problems for working musicians. AI, on the other hand, introduces unresolved tension. While it lowers barriers to creation, it also challenges authorship, labor, and artistic value.
Through it all, the episode reinforces a simple truth: music remains human at its core. Technology can amplify access, speed, and scale, but it does not replace intention, emotion, or community. Bass, often overlooked, becomes the perfect metaphor for that balance. Present, essential, and powerful without demanding the spotlight.
This episode positions bass not just as an instrument, but as a signal of how music culture adapts while staying grounded in human connection.
Jon D’Auria, Editor in Chief of Bass Magazine | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-d-auria-2a7b5089/
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/
Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder, ITSPmagazine and Studio C60 | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com
Bass Magazine: https://bassmagazine.com
Bass Magazine Awards: https://bassmagazineawards.com/
The NAMM Show 2026 is taking place from January 20-24, 2026 | Anaheim Convention Center • Southern California — Coverage provided by ITSPmagazine — Follow our coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/cybersecurity-technology-society-events/the-namm-show-2026
The NAMM Show 2026: https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend
Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/
sean martin, marco ciappelli, jon dauria, bass magazine, namm, bass, music, technology, community, creativity, music, creativity, art, artist, musician, music evolves, music podcast, music and technology podcast
More from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcast
Music Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtW
Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/
On Location with Sean and Marco: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location
ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazine
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