John Kennedy is nationally recognized as a clinician teaching the Young Bassist. Currently President of the International Society of Bassists, he was chair of their 2011 international convention in San Francisco. He has directed the Young Bassist Program at previous conventions. In addition to his work at the Richard Davis Workshop, he is also a clinician at the Golden Gate Bass Camp, the Troy Bass Workshop in Michigan, the Colorado Suzuki Institute and the Elgin Suzuki Workshop in Illinois. Mr. Kennedy is Principal Bass of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, and was formerly Associate Principal Bass of the Honolulu Symphony. He is the orchestra director at Warner Middle School in Farmington, is music director of the Oakland Youth Orchestra and has an active private studio. John Kennedy holds his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in String Bass Performance from the University of Michigan, and studied with Larry Hurst, Robert Gladstone, Jeff Bradetich and Diana Gannett. John lives outside of Detroit with his 3 cats, and has two grown daughters.
