future track

[Dave Roberts]

Have a private teacher? You really need to find one pronto, if you're really serious. Boca is relatively close, check out Lynn U...I think Jay Bertolet is the tuba instructor. If Miami is your flavor, there's a few of us down here with tons of experience who teach privately as well as at various schools. Just an observation and recommendation. Dave

[crbarnes]

I have been playing a long time and realized a number of years ago that I might be very good, but not GREAT and that is what it takes to make it in the pros. 1 tuba per orch. does not make for a lot of room. If you are entering AND winning competitions, then you have the makings. Read the Tuba News article by Jim Self before you commit to a career. It is very tough. Look to the conservatories as well as the universities. Talk with those who have made it and then ask yourself if you have that much self discipline. After you become GREAT, then all you have to hope for is a lot of luck and just the right sound and then maybe you might make it a bit farther.

I don't mean to rain on your parade here, but it is very hard given the competition, numbers of available gigs and the unfortunate but steady decline of interest in classical music in general to say that making it as a pro is possible unless you get a lot of breaks and are willing to work harder than you might think is reasonable

[crbarnes]

Not just for tuba players, but solo competitions or concerto competitions to earn the right to play with local orchestras. Your state should have some kind of HS solo and ensemble festival. If you can win these, or get a top rating, then someone is telling you to continue your dream. Audition for anything you can. Be willing to go anywhere to get more playing experience. The right track is the one that gets you to your goal. Practice, practice and more practice is a good start. Finding an excellent teacher is another. Looking at things like the list that Don Little published for repetoire.

http://www.music.unt.edu/instrumental/t ... abus03.pdf

and

http://www.music.unt.edu/instrumental/t ... abus03.pdf

Learn Bb and C treble clef and play everything you can get your hands on from other instruments, including soprano arias from operas. Buy the trumpet Arban's and standard things like the Blazevitch and play them until the pages fall out. Ask and ask some more and then really listen to the answers. Read books about playing written by people like Arnold Jacobs and Phil Farkas. Listen to CDs and get the sound in your head first of what a tuba is supposed to sound like. Then practice some more. Seek out the nearest symphonic tuba player and take a lesson when you can. Practice even more.

While I have been fortunate enough to go to an arts academy in HS and a great university with a great instructor and later an MA, it still became obvious after a bit that while I might make it in a lower tier orchestra, the top 5 were beyond me. Hard realization, but necessary, nonetheless. It was what I wanted and ultimately knew I would not get for a variety of reasons. But this was my experience and you may very well go beyond what I did. Just have a backup plan that does not include asking someone if they wish to super size their order.

[cambrook]

I stongly back up Dave Robert's excellent advice, the absolute BEST thing you can do is get yourself a good teacher. I know it's great to plan ahead and have a long term goal to aim for, but it's most important to have an immediate goal.

If money is an issue perhaps you can arrange to have a "one off" lesson with a good teacher. At least then you're making a start. Most pros that I know are VERY decent people, and if a student comes along with a genuine commitment and the right attitude they'll try very hard to work something out.

One good lesson is worth more than all of the talk/advice you can get here

All the best,