What are your goals as a professor?

For me, a big goal is primarily to pass on to my students my knowledge, musical experience and everything I have achieved in my career over the last 25 years and, of course, to develop myself as an educator and as a professor. It would also be nice if we could develop a well-functioning joint class where we could create a bass ensemble for example, that would definitely be special for me. Another goal for the bass class in Berlin would also be to achieve collaboration, especially musical collaboration.

Why did you decide to accept a professorship at the UDK Berlin?

Berlin is already a very appealing place and for me it was also very interesting that my predecessor, Gregory Cohen, is actually someone who is very much involved with the connection of jazz and Jewish folk music on the double bass with John Zorn in bands like Masada etc.. Since I have a similar approach and work with jazz and folk music from the Balkan region, I see a commonality between the two of us by the fact that we both mixed our folk music with jazz on bass. Also, the atmosphere at JIB seems to me to be particularly pleasant and also quite friendly. Therefore, I could very well imagine teaching in Berlin.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I still see my main profession as a musician in the first place, I would still like to keep that in the future, continue with it and focus on it. Now, as a second part of my profession, I have also added the professorship in Berlin and teaching double bass and repertoire ensemble. Playing at concerts is definitely a lot of fun for me, because it's all about music. Therefore, I hope that teaching in Berlin will be mainly about music and that I will be able to create a good atmosphere with my students in the classroom, where we can make music together. In any case, making music gives me the most joy, whether I'm on a stage or in a classroom.

Prof. Nenad Vasilic teaches double bass and ensemble and heads the bass department at the Jazz Institute Berlin.