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I have flown at least once a year since I was a child in the '50's, and am a good witness to the dehumanization of airline service. When I retired, I decided I had enough. In the past several years I have traveled (from New Jersey) to New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, Canada (twice), Illinois, California, Oregon, and Washington state ... all of which I traveled to by car or train. I feel very fortunate to no longer be under the time pressure to fly.

At my age, there isn't anything the airlines can do to get me back. Younger people are more adaptable.

Hup

I can't help but wonder if some of these one-off performance opportunities could be paired with tuba buddies lending the use of one their tubas for a few days.

I know, easier said than done... and not everyone would be willing... and top-top-top-level pros are probably very choosy about their gear... but as a low-low-low level dude, it seems like there has to be an easier way, at least some of the time.

I would be happy to lend my tuba to Chris (or other people) in exchange for beer.

Does the Boston Symphony pay the fee for his tuba when he flies to play there?

I tried once, to fly with my little Meinl Weston 3/4 F. I ordered a flight case from a very well known and respected flight case maker, and was astonished at the size when it arrived. Also astonished that the only thing held tight was the bell rim, while the rest of the tuba flopped about inside like a dead rabbit. All the padding was at the bow end, not the bell end, too. The case for this little bitty tuba was as tall as I am, if I remember correctly. I ended up returning the case for a considerable loss, did not try to fly with the tuba, and took my horn with me instead. I can't imagine someone with a 5/4 or 6/4 tuba trying to fly with it. My NStar is surely never going to even see an airplane.

bort wrote:I can't help but wonder if some of these one-off performance opportunities could be paired with tuba buddies lending the use of one their tubas for a few days.

I know, easier said than done... and not everyone would be willing... and top-top-top-level pros are probably very choosy about their gear... but as a low-low-low level dude, it seems like there has to be an easier way, at least some of the time.

I would be happy to lend my tuba to Chris (or other people) in exchange for beer.

There's a story floating around here about Bill Bell and another tubist keeping a tuba in a locker at Grand Central Station for such purposes.

I've read an interview with a trumpet player endorsed by Yamaha (I forget which one at the moment) mentioning that one of the attractions of playing an off-the-shelf horn is the ability to easily pick up another one while touring in case of lost luggage or other mishaps. Not as easy with tubas as with trumpets, but it's a consideration, if one has to travel for work.

bloke wrote:nope.

I always drive when tubas need to move...even if thousands of miles.
Cincinnati to Boston is a c. 13-hr. drive (door-to-door, one-way).
It probably takes 8 hours (door-to-door) to fly.
To me, the c. 5 hours "saved" would not be worth the humiliation, exposure to public airport/airplane bacteria/viruses, risk of instrument damage, hundreds of dollars of extra expense, or other general hassles.

My son-in-law flies with his instrument (as does his tuba-playing colleague) when they go on annual tours, but those planes are chartered, and that's a completely different story (special packing crates, etc.)

What would your preferred mode of transportation be to Europe (if you had to go there with a tuba)? Ship?

doublebuzzing wrote:What would your preferred mode of transportation be to Europe (if you had to go there with a tuba)? Ship?

For Joe, a rowboat?

I'll bet the CSO chartered a plane and had professionals pack the instruments in specially designed crates.

+1 definitely

bloke wrote:nope.

I always drive when tubas need to move...even if thousands of miles.
Cincinnati to Boston is a c. 13-hr. drive (door-to-door, one-way).
It probably takes 8 hours (door-to-door) to fly.
To me, the c. 5 hours "saved" would not be worth the humiliation, exposure to public airport/airplane bacteria/viruses, risk of instrument damage, hundreds of dollars of extra expense, or other general hassles.

My son-in-law flies with his instrument (as does his tuba-playing colleague) when they go on annual tours, but those planes are chartered, and that's a completely different story (special packing crates, etc.)

The BSO reimbursed me for the freight there and back. It was $375 out and $200 back. That in and of itself is maddening because they're so inconsistent in when and how much they decide to charge. The case I have, while not quite bullet-proof, is quite good. I still get minor structural damage occasionally, but it's greatly reduced. This is one of the main reasons I have two of each of my primary orchestral instruments. Both CC tuba and F tuba.

As I've been blessed with more prestigious playing opportunities over the years, it's become less flexible in what instruments I can use on the gig. I'm pretty much expected to show up with one of my Yamayorks and deliver the goods. Hence, borrowing a tuba is not really a possibility. Even when it is (such as teaching in Japan for Yamaha) I've gotten so "tuned-in" to my personal horns that the small differences from horn to horn can be a little disconcerting in performance. That's why I just suck it up and fly with a tuba. Believe me...I wouldn't do it if I had a choice.

However, at the end of the day the tuba (regardless of cost) is still just a tool. It's not some magical talisman and, as with all tools that see regular use, it's still going to show signs of wear. It reminds me of a great "Jake story" involving my use of brown cotton garden gloves while playing my new school Yamaha in high school for a competition that Jake was judging. After I finished playing, he asked me about the gloves. I told him it was to avoid fingerprints, etc. He related the same wisdom about tools and use..yadda yadda yadda. Then said "and besides...it looks stupid"...at which point Ron Bishop laughed out loud and they both chuckled as I slunk out the door. The gloves hit the nearest trash can and I'll never forget that moment...the main point being "Take care of your gear and it'll take care of you...but if you use a tool enough, it'll inevitably show wear". The Japanese call it "Wabi Sabi". Tubas getting beat by airline-apes is the cost of doing business. Unfortunately....

Chris Olka wrote:The BSO reimbursed me for the freight there and back. It was $375 out and $200 back. That in and of itself is maddening because they're so inconsistent in when and how much they decide to charge. The case I have, while not quite bullet-proof, is quite good. I still get minor structural damage occasionally, but it's greatly reduced. This is one of the main reasons I have two of each of my primary orchestral instruments. Both CC tuba and F tuba.

As I've been blessed with more prestigious playing opportunities over the years, it's become less flexible in what instruments I can use on the gig. I'm pretty much expected to show up with one of my Yamayorks and deliver the goods. Hence, borrowing a tuba is not really a possibility. Even when it is (such as teaching in Japan for Yamaha) I've gotten so "tuned-in" to my personal horns that the small differences from horn to horn can be a little disconcerting in performance. That's why I just suck it up and fly with a tuba. Believe me...I wouldn't do it if I had a choice.

However, at the end of the day the tuba (regardless of cost) is still just a tool. It's not some magical talisman and, as with all tools that see regular use, it's still going to show signs of wear. It reminds me of a great "Jake story" involving my use of brown cotton garden gloves while playing my new school Yamaha in high school for a competition that Jake was judging. After I finished playing, he asked me about the gloves. I told him it was to avoid fingerprints, etc. He related the same wisdom about tools and use..yadda yadda yadda. Then said "and besides...it looks stupid"...at which point Ron Bishop laughed out loud and they both chuckled as I slunk out the door. The gloves hit the nearest trash can and I'll never forget that moment...the main point being "Take care of your gear and it'll take care of you...but if you use a tool enough, it'll inevitably show wear". The Japanese call it "Wabi Sabi". Tubas getting beat by airline-apes is the cost of doing business. Unfortunately....

I heard the BSO Alpine radio broadcast. You definitely could be heard (lots of times the tubas get drowned out with all the other loud things going on in that piece). I wanted to ask, how's it been matching Peter Norton volume-wise in Cincinnati?

Buying a seat for your instrument does not guarantee your instrument. The flight crew is totally in charge of who gets on an airplane. If you have a sympathetic crew member, you'll get on, if you have someone who doesn't care about music, doesn't like you and has had a bad day, your instrument could well end up in baggage.

Equally as bad a baggage handlers are the TSA inspectors. Usually not well educated, usually not musicians, when they see a big ol' tuba case they immediately think, "I bet they have drugs jammed up in those pipes." All the great packing you have done can be UNDONE by Joe Schmoe curious to see what's inside your horn.

It happened to me. The ball (that I inflated inside the bell for a tight fit) was removed and the bell demolished during or after. The packing was "redistributed" so that valve tubing was bent and the valve frozen, I don't know what else happened. The airline said, "you fix it and we will see how much we will pay." Yeah, and I believe in the Easter bunny too.

I think Chris is brave to fly with a $30k horn. I would drive. Everybody is different.

why not just "buy" a tuba when you get there, and say "i didn't like it" and return it.

why not just slip a music store a couple 20's to hold a tuba you mail to them, then you just mail it home after concert.

If you're flying to the DC area and need a good tuba, you could do a short-term rental of this tuba:
https://fatllama.com/rentals/vienna/hir ... s-88684471" target="_blank" target="_blank

Maybe Uber can expand into the tuba rental business. They can call it "Tuber."

bloke wrote:The linked story is about work (where a tuba is obviously required), but I would also encourage serious students/professionals to leave their tubas behind when flying to ~vacation~ destinations for 1-2-3 weeks.
If there is a fear of "lack of practicing" involved, that's all the more reason to leave the tuba behind.
I will make this guarantee to any/all: You will ~not~ forget how to play the tuba, and (particularly if you are one who practices several hours each day) the break will prove to be very beneficial...much like (after months of not) turning a computer off, and restarting it. Finally, if constant/very-very heavy/daily practice is the only way that a person is able to maintain their basic functionality as an instrumentalist, there may (??) be something(s) wrong going on.

Excellent Post!
I just returned to playing after a 10 day break and was pleased to find that my playing had not deteriorated at all. In fact, I was able to play several excerpts very well which had been "trouble" before I left! I used to believe that heavy practice was the only way to go about this, however now I know as I age, that less is more.