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Playing 2nd tuba with the Victoria Symphony on Strauss' Eine Alpensinfonie. Such a fantastic experience.

Not necessarily a "musical" experience but I think its related: Getting my first check for a "pay gig"--my entry into the business side (or many would call "the dark side") of performing music.

JJ

Back in the 80's - around 1989 - I was in the 195th Army Band (National Guard). A national concert band was created for the installation of a 3 star General at Worcester Massachusetts. This band was comprised of 2 members from every guard band in the U.S. Whoever assembled this band REALLY liked brass: of the 160 or so players only about 50 were non brass. We had 15 tubas, 20 trombones, 20 euphoniums, 30 trumpets and 25 french horns. These were all good musicians. We played the whole Victory at Sea suite, Fanfare for the Common Man, several civil War and Revolutionary War suites and all of the service songs. Sitting in the back of that band was like being in the cockpit of a B-57. The highlight for me was that when we accompanied the choir in the military version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic I was chosen to play the lone tuba part on my 3 + 1 Besson Eb. After playing with that band I never played with another concert band again - I resigned from the 195th and did quintets, dance gigs, pit bands and trad jazz from that point on.

Almost falling asleep (as in the cartoon) during the 4th movement of Mahler 5 with the MIT Summer Phil... then having to "wake up" for the 5th movement action. a different season making it to the tuba "solo" at the end of Mahler 9 with the same group... then breathing a long sigh of relief

I've told this story before, so sing along if you know the words.

Back when I live in Austin (mid-80's), I played in the Community Symphony. The conductor was also the music minister at a church in Austin, and their big holiday production that year was Pulenc's Gloria. I was late for the first rehearsal (this was coordinated with the conductor--I had a conflict), and I arrived just before they started rehearsing the second movement.

That movement starts with a trombone duet of sorts. I heard trombone sounds I had rarely heard before, and looked to my left, and the fellow sitting next to me was Donald Knaub.

I'm quite sure I could not play another decent note for the rest of that rehearsal.

(He was a true gentleman. The kid sitting next to him attended that church, and was still in middle school. He was having trouble with those alternating 8th notes in that duet, and I think he would have been quite happy to let Mr. Knaub play the whole lick, and I suspect most pros would have just done so and been grateful for the opportunity not to have to deal with it. But Knaub wouldn't have it, and worked with the kid during the breaks to bring him up to speed on that duet, and they nailed it in performance.)

On another occasion, I was playing with the San Antonio Municipal Band, and one of our conductors, who owned a music store and had good connections with Hal Leonard, arranged for a clinic/performance of the Canadian Brass for local high-school kids. That night, the band performed a joint concert with the CB at Laurie Auditorium on the Trinity Campus. This was maybe 1991 or 1992. During the band's portion of the program, the Daellenbach came and sat in our section and played along with us as utility tuba. I seem to recall we played Lincolnshire Posy (is that right, Ray?) and I was playing the upper part on F tuba. It wasn't a difficult part, but sitting next to Daellenbach as a community-band amateur didn't make it any easier.

The community of musicians in general and tuba players in particular frequently presents such opportunities, and they become such highlights in our musical memories that we should NEVER turn them down.

Rick "who did, however, chicken out of being a master-class guinea pig for Mike Sanders at the Army Conference several years ago--sometimes TRVTH is intolerable" Denney

Playing 3 concerts in Europe was an unforgettable experience. The concert in far Northern Italy was the most fun I'd ever had. Three encores and they were looking for more. One of the most high-energy concerts I have ever played.

When I was in high school I played in the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra. At the time, the old Oklahoma City Symphony tuba player was (now Dr.) Mark Mordue, and he was my private teacher. He recommended me to the orchestra, and after a quick "does he know which end to blow" audition I was in. The very first concert was a command performance from the Governor of Oklahoma - the OYO combined with the OKC Symphony. The only piece I had a part on was Mahler 1. Of course Dr. Mordue insisted that the solo was for me to play. As nervous as I was, I still nailed it. What an experience!

The members of OYO were basically the All-State orchestra strings, and almost all of the winds and percussion were All-Staters as well. I still get goosebumps when I listen to the recording of that concert, and the 16 monster horn players on the Mahler. I think that 5 of the 8 horns from the OYO are in pro gigs now. The end of the finale was a wall of sound that, given the mix of high school and pro players was really good.

I had a real big music moment only last week. Played in the world première of Salisbury Vespers by Bob Chilcott in Salisbury Cathedral. The work for the première was played by two orchestras (but only one with tuba!) and eight choirs spread around the cathedral - 620 performers in all. We had a full house with capacity audience of 1,400.

The experience as an 'amateur' participating in such a huge event was incredible and one I will never forget. If the work gets established in the repertoire, which it may well do, because it's an incredible work in the great British choral tradition (cleverly written so it can normally be performed by just one orchestra and choir), then I can forever say I was tubist for the première!


BTW If any of you get to perform, look at the back of the OUP tuba part to see if its the copy I've signed

I have several that come to mind. I was asked to play Beelzebub with the Seminole Community Band outside of Orlando when I lived there for our big Winter concert. As it turns out my family came down for a visit when the concert was scheduled. For some reason that made me more nervous than the several hundred people in the audience. I had only been playing tuba again after picking it up 18 years after last playing in college, so it was a particular challenge for me. I did OK, but some of the high Cs were not quite there.

I have played with the Richmond concert band since I've lived in Richmond, VA. Every year we play for the city's fireworks program on the fourth of July at Dogwood Dell, a large outdoor amphitheater. We are told that between 30,00 to 50,000 people come to that program. We have also been told that it is the only venue in the US where the 1812 overture is played with live canon and a carillon on site (even in Boston they pipe in the church bells). It is exciting every year to play for that kind of crowd, but for three of the programs I got to play up front with a small ensemble accompanied by the band. One year it was a tuba and trumpet duel type duet (can't remember the name of the piece). Other years it was with small ensembles like a dixieland group. Other than having to bring two horns to this concert, where it is impossible to park close by, it was great fun to be able to be featured at this type of event.

Presenting the Huntsville, AL Concert Band on Memorial Day 2009. Very tuba-centric. Heck, it was my friend making the video...of course it's tuba-centric!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUE5J1k8kns" target="_blank" target="_blank

About 5 months after starting to play the tuba, I got to play at a "retirement" concert for my college band director, Max McKee. It was a pretty cool experience after a 20 year lay-off.