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For those members whom have attended the Midwest Clinic and TMEA, which one would be your preference if you had to choose and why?

That might be a difficult decision for many since they are held quite far away from each other. I could only speak for the TMEA Convention since it's just "next door" come Feb. 2010.

bloke wrote: In February, I believe I would prefer to be in south Texas hangin' out after-hours with buds (perhaps wearing a light jacket or sweater) at some great RiverWalk cafe.

Amen

bloke wrote:
In February, I believe I would prefer to be in south Texas hangin' out after-hours with buds (perhaps wearing a light jacket or sweater) at some great RiverWalk cafe. During Christmas, I believe I'd prefer to be at home, rather than incredibly windy/well-below-freezing McCormick Place trying to find a cab or a parking place.

And...in January?

Having the opportunity to attend both events on more than one occasion, I would say both events are fairly close in what they offer. Both have top notch clinicians (Perantoni, Scott Watson, and the Marine Band Brass Quintet are scheduled for TMEA this year). The exhibit halls are close in what they offer (all the big tuba companies exhibit at both). Both have a premier military band perform as well as top notch public school groups. TMEA doesn't have the CSO concert or tubachristmas. The college night will also probably be more geographically diverse at Midwest but part of the draw of TMEA is the experience of having a convention on the riverwalk in February. You just can't beat downtown San Antonio for a convention site. People do travel from around the country to attend TMEA.

bloke wrote:You'll probably see just about all the tubas that are to be seen at either event.

Almost. While there were many tubas on display at Midwest (as they are every year), a couple of the exhibitors claimed that they would have even more models on display at the Army Tuba-Euph Conference. The rationale may be that Midwest is more geared toward music educators in general while Ft. Myer is a destination for those specifically interested in the tuba and euphonium.

Case in point: Unless I'm forgetting something that was on display at Midwest, the only 6/4 tubas there this year were the M-W Baer 6450, 6450/2, and a PT-7P (I can't remember if the 3050S and 3100 were on display; Willson used to rent their own private display room at Midwest). I may be wrong about this, but I think that the YamaYork has never been on display at Midwest (it certainly has never been at NAMM). There have been more 5/4 and 6/4 tubas on display at Midwest in the past (e.g. Miraphone prototype, PCK, HB-50, Neptune, any Rudolf Meinl, etc.), but perhaps the exhibitors are taking the position that schools are less likely to purchase 6/4 horns than individual tuba players. But with so many universities and colleges recruiting at Midwest, it would make sense for the exhibitors to have models on display to which potential tuba performance majors and tuba instructors would be attracted.

There was at least 1 6/4 Willson at Midwest (though I did not play it), a 6450 or 2, a PT-7P, and I think a piston and rotary Fafner.

IMO, the models of large contrabass tubas most likely to be purchased by "college tuba players" (1291 and 191 in C and Bb, PT6P and possibly rotary, 186, 2341,...) were there.