TubeNet

I didn't know Kyle Turner and Kerry Turner were brothers until this last weekend when the American Horn Quartet was at the workshop I was at. Kerry gave a fabulous lecture about "how things really are when you are a pro musician" with excellent advice on being in an orchestra.

Some of the things he said (he is in a European [German?] orchestra himself) were:

During your first year, do not express any opinion of another player; do not rub your feet after a solo, don't do ANYTHING except sit there and look pleasant and be pleasant and play your part perfectly. The reason....orchestras have all kinds of alliances in them and people who hate each other. If you "approve" of someone's solo and it turns out he is the mortal enemy of the guy next to you, you suddenly have a mortal enemy who will vote against giving you tenure.

Don't worry if you don't speak the local language; they will translate for you at the audition, and if you win you will learn enough of the language to get along. You don't need to exactly understand what the conductor says...just smile and say the equivalent of "yes sir" and keep playing.

Always keep extra performance clothes in your locker, like white shirt, tie, black socks, because you WILL forget one of these sometime and it will be noted. He said that he learned to make a bowtie out of kleenex that looked quite acceptable.

Auditions are not "normal playing circumstances." If you need Inderol, take it and win the audition. It is not addictive and you won't need it under normal playing cirucmstances.

He also said, IIRC, that Kyle is recording a CD soon....so let's watch for it.

MA, quoting Kerry, not herself

... or the time in marching band when I forgot my black socks. The band director reached into his bag, produced a bottle of black shoe polish, and told me not to get it on my pant legs.
____________________________
Joe Baker, who did something similar with a Sharpie at work when his pants split a seam...

One of my sousaphone players used white duct tape over the tops of his socks when he forgot and wore his black socks.

During college I also always kept three ties, three pairs of socks of each white and black, two cumberbunds, 4 mouthpieces, 3 sousaphone necks and bit sets, a small tool kit complete with lighter and duct tape, a sewing kit with lots of thread, and 2 extra berets for the emergency situations of myself and other players. I also lent out my trumpet, euph, and trombone for performances where the players instruments were out of comission. I had a big locker.

Sousie

MaryAnn wrote:I didn't know Kyle Turner and Kerry Turner were brothers until this last weekend

I did know they were brothers. They have another brother named Ken, Jr. who teaches vocal music in San Antonio. They come from a rather musical family. Their dad, Ken, was my wife's very beloved high school band director. I had the good fortune to work with him for a while in the latter part of his career. He was a fine gentleman whom I respected very much. All three of these brothers are excellent musicians.

[
Always keep extra performance clothes in your locker, like white shirt, tie, black socks, because you WILL forget one of these sometime and it will be noted. He said that he learned to make a bowtie out of kleenex that looked quite acceptable.
]

As a band director, I always have a 10 pack of black socks. I sell them for $5 a pair. Sure its highway robbery, but they learn. Since I started teaching college, I have not had to resort to spray painting shoes or feet, but in high school, once the 10 pack was gone, out came the spray paint... it only happened once.

Just as a side note.....Kerry also composes....Kyle played a piece by his brother at a recital not too long ago. It was very well written and played. (I believe it was originally for cello, and kyle asked kerry to alter it for tuba).

and yes, he does play in germany, i forget the orchestra name however.

Heard a "Young Artists" type radio program a few weeks ago featuring a teen (F)horn player named Catherine Turner. Possibly another member of the same family??