the inevitable equipment ?s

[MikeMason]

I know most of you REAL tuba players probably don't care,but for the rest of us,who knows about Carol's instruments/mouthpieces?I also think i may be picking up a vibe about the way she plays-having never heard her.I'm guessing she was probably not the loudest, most powerful player there(since there were some really powerful guys there),but maybe the most musical.Her extensive pursuits as a soloist seem to have served her well.I think we should all step back and realize there is very seldom a tubist on theses committees,but several fine musicians,who may be impressed by different things than tubists may be.Just some thoughts from the minor leagues
I hope this doesn't sound derogatory to the other participants,all of whom i hold in awe....

[ai698]

Can't wait for the Jantsch line of tubas and mouthpieces (just kidding).

[cute_lil_tuba_gurl]

You know, I just saw her play at ITEC for the first time, and that PT-6 of hers makes her look like a hobbit, which might be the reason for her sound. It's really not all that impressive. I mean, she has technique like nobody's business, and she sounds great when there's something else playing with her, like a piano, but the unaccompanied stuff sounded really airy and breathy - not that nice, big, fat sound that you would expect out of that monstrosity of a horn. I just bought a PT-6, and I love it, but it takes some lung power and a certain trick to REALLY make it sing.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Don't know if they're of much consequence. Just thought I'd add.

[WoodSheddin]

Since she's won the both the ITEC mock orchestra audition and the Potomac solo competition, which I'm guessing are both judged either primarily or exclusively by tubists, it seems that tubists are also impressed by technique, musicality, and personality, and not just massive power in the loud / low parts.

I was one of the judges when she won Potomac. She had plenty of sound. Don't automatically equate female with small sound.

But, what made it blantantly obvious that she was the winner of that competition is that she interprets music VERY well. She plays the tuba like a pianist. Phrases are shaped in ways which we can all enjoy and all learn from. It was humbling to listen to what she could do with the Gregson Concerto, which is a piece of music many of us typically regret hearing for the 1,000,000th time.

You won't "Be Like Mike" just by wearing his Nikes.

[WoodSheddin]

it was her musicality that set her apart, and not how loudly she plays.

it was indeed. on the otherhand, i have never heard her in an orchestral setting. who knows what happens there.

[windshieldbug]

on the otherhand, i have never heard her in an orchestral setting. who knows what happens there.

That committee has a clue, and they WOULD NOT have chosen her if they had any doubts about her ability to do so. Remember, this was an audition that had players from Europe, etc. and they had already passed on one audition with people who had played with the Orchestra before. I doubt that the trombone section, after playing with her, would have given their OK if there were any qualms. This was NO summer festival!

[MikeMason]

I think I recall quite a bit of subbing going on the year before the audition.Maybe that was the real audition....or at least an important part of it.

[Shockwave]

While this is a little off-topic, I'll bite.

I've been hearing this type of tuba tone more and more recently. I don't want to make comments about Ms Jantsch or anyone else's personal sound, but I don't personally like where the tuba world seems to be going. In my head, I have Jacobs, Bell, Schmitz, Bishop, Fletcher all singing away as I play. It's these dark, rich, warm sounds that inspired me to play the tuba. The more 'soloistic' sounds made by very fine musicians don't appeal to me in anyway. I wonder why more and more players are going down that route, and why some orchestras are preferring that more transparent tone.

Robert I. Coulter

Tubas play easy parts, and traditionally the challenge has been in tone production where a tuba has to support an ensemble from the bottom. Now there are very easy playing but ugly sounding horns on the market, and players put a lot of effort into playing ridiculously difficult technical music without giving a thought to tone. The tuba was not invented because someone wanted a really really big instrument that could play cornet solos.

Somehow I suspect the lack of emphasis on tone is related to the CC/F cargo cult, but I'm not sure who is responsible. I've noticed that every tuba player I've heard with "that sound" has been a steadfast CC/F player.

-Eric

[WoodSheddin]

I've noticed that every tuba player I've heard with "that sound" has been a steadfast CC/F player.

-Eric

I assume you live in the United States then. This is tradition here.

[windshieldbug]

If ANYONE had ANY reservations about Ms. Jantsch's abilities in this area, they would not have chosen her. Do you seriously think that the Committee AND the Orchestra wants to go through this whole thing again, next year!?

[Alex C]

for what it's worth...i had a conversation with a good friend of mine from england who commented that john fletcher was not necessarily the best tuba player, but was an outstanding musician. thus, his legacy is huge.

There are few, if any, tubists with more technique than John Fletcher. Personally, I have heard no tubist (even from the UK!) who was "better." I surely do not understand the attitude that he was not necessarily the best player.

When I played the first PJBE recording for Arnold Jacobs he said, "It's easy to see that Fletcher is the best player in the group." High praise for Fletcher, surrounded by a distinguished ensemble, from another great musician.

I also don't understand the CJ putdowns I've been reading in this thread. Posting your rant doesn't make you a better player.

I'm sure that Mr. Jacobs would have been thrilled to hear Carol's playing. She's a marvelous musician with a terrific sound and that's something that always got him energized.

Carol does have one problem, the same one Bud Herseth had: she will never get a better job (on tuba). Poor girl.