Alex C wrote:I played in orchestras in Wichita Falls and Longview at the same time, while I subbed regularly in a local orchestra. I know of several others who have done this, too.
In fact, I'm surprised that it seems so far fetched to anybody.
Come on, now...Wichita Falls has 6 concerts scheduled this season (two of which might not include tuba..."A Family-Style Christmas" with the MSU choir and "Classical Mystery Tour"...can't tell from the website) and Longview only has 5 scheduled, one of which is a chamber-only concert (piano trio - no tuba). Those two together make up maybe half of the services the West Virginia tuba player will have.
Of course a player could do both of these...I guess what I find "far fetched" is the fact that there are so many smaller orchestras (that pay?) close enough together for one player to get to all of them...great for you in Texas, but we were talking about West Virginia here.
Alex C wrote:At present, a number of brass players play in the Dallas Opera, a local orchestra and the Dallas Wind Symphony at the same time. It's just part of the routine here. By the way, two of the brass players above also teach full-time at a university. And play in a quintet. And gig.
Again...fantastic if you live in the Dallas area. My point throughout this entire thread was to ask who in their right mind wants to move to Charleston for a $9K a year job. There's not an opera orchestra, wind symphony, university teaching gig, or paying "local orchestra" within three driving hours (one way) to help supplement your income.
Reminds me of a topic for another thread...tuba instructors at 4-year schools who drive from some distance away to be there one day a week for their students. I've had a tuba professor in this situation before, and believe me when I tell you it sucks for the students and is really unfair to them.
Can you sustain a "day job" with the time demands the West Virginia Symphony has? I don't know...never had a gig like that myself...but I was hoping for some perspective from someone in a similar situation, not someone in a large metropolitan area where playing gigs are more plentiful.
Alex C wrote:If you are a working musician, traveling is part of the job description. If you want a job where you go sit for 40 hours a week and play in one place... well, there aren't many of those for tuba players.
Point granted that no one can expect to sit and play in one place for a living (well, almost no one). But I wonder where the line is in regards to how far is too far to make a second gig feasable...100 miles? 200? That's my argument against a low-paying symphony job that's in a fairly isolated region.
Alex C wrote:Frankly, I'd be more worried about the audition than the travel. Get the gig, then figure it out.
Nope...you have to put at least some thought into if the gig is right for your situation. 21, fresh out of college, no family to support? Yeah, I can see the "get the gig first" attitude. Have a family, a couple of kids, and think about uprooting them for this gig? Not a chance.