TubeNet

Choose the answer that best describes your tuba-ing.

"Euphonium"

I'm a band teacher who does the occasional polka gig or brass quintet. I used to do a community orchestra, but life got busy.

Enthusiast here. Make my living at a regular 9 to 5. From time to time there's a dance band gig that wants my trombone or bass guitar, but that's just a bonus. Dream job? To earn my keep playing tuba in a professional wind ensemble, but they're pretty scarce around here. More likely is to let my retirement pay me to play in the several local bands and orchestras available. Not a bad way to go out.

I am a community band type of player. I started at the age of 12 and played until 19. At that point, I continued on with my schooling and was a rural school teacher and administrator for twenty years. I returned to the tuba 12 years ago and now have relocated to my original home where I play in two different groups. One is a concert band and the other is a polka band. Both compliment each other and I have fun at both. I do my best to play everyday and to focus on the basics such as found in the Blazhevich and Tyrrell books. I love playing the tuba and it has given real direction to my daily life as I am now retired and able to spend as much time on it as I like. My fellow tuba player in the Concert Band is a tremendous player who very kindly asked me about 5 years ago if I would like to get together once a week and play. We do this consistently during the concert season and it has paid huge dividends for me in the quality of my playing. Music adds so much to my quality of life that I cannot imagine not being able to participate in it.

I picked up tuba for fun, I'm primarily a trombonist. I have played sousaphone with my high school's pep band a few times, play in a sousaphone ensemble in college, and have only ever played concert tuba in small groups at church or in jam sessions with friends. I also used to play euphonium in a community band... so I could tick quite a few of those boxes...

No poll option for "accordion"?

Donn wrote:No poll option for "accordion"?

Or recorder

I play tuba at the community band level. I joined band playing trombone in 5th grade, played through high school (along the way learning how to play french horn and tuba, since I had friends who played those two instruments that wanted to play trombone in jazz band, and we swapped instruments for the summers). I went off to college, not intending to play. Got a call from the college band director (Max McKee, of WIBIC and ABC) who invited me to play in his wind ensemble. I ended up playing horn (after the first term, there were 8 trombone players and I was 8th trombone) in that band for 5 years, and stayed involved in the alumni band for 5 years after graduation. I got busy with work (being all important, doing police-y type things) and didn't play for 20 years.

After a bout with breast cancer, I decided to get back into playing music, and since my horn was with my nephew, and I had no desire to play trombone, I bought a euphonium, and started playing (hence "bearphonium" on this forum). When I had some semblance of chops back, I went off to a New Horizons band. In speaking with the director in response to her question about my musical background, she found out I had played tuba. She encouraged me to play tuba, so I did (although I still have the euphonium, and love to play it).

I moved from New Horizons (over 40 beginning band) to the Springfield Community Concert Band (non-auditioned adult group). I started playing with both a marching band and the local tuba ensemble. My big jump came this year when I was asked to join our local auditioned symphonic band. Absolute hobby player, and I love it.

I play in 3 community bands and 2 quintets. One of the community bands is an actual paid position. We make $4 a concert and $3 a practice. I usually purchase a band arrangement each year to help keep the bands fresh. That wipes out my profits for the year.

My only time spent as a full time professional player was when I was with the Guy Lombardo Orchestra: 1975 - 78. After that, I was mainly a band teacher, but I did make good money playing all kinds of gigs on Long Island - orchestra, concert band, Civil War Brass Band, tuba quartet, brass quintet and quartet, and dixieland mainly.

Since moving to Austin, I quickly found out that there is no market to make money playing classical type music. So, I entrenched myself in the trad. jazz field. I also play in 1 fine community band, the Cedar Park Winds. I play in a brass quintet and do some German band stuff, along with subbing in Ray Grim's Tubameisters. I also teach tuba and euphonium lessons in 2 high schools.

Doc wrote:Being a musician (and teaching) used to be my only job, but it has been my second job for a long time. Because I have a day job (and not a music "career"), that precludes me from using the "Professional" label on this site*, but I play for pay, and a substantial amount of my income is from playing.

In addition to playing, I'm very much a tuba geek/nerd. I love everything tuba. I love hearing other players in person and on recordings, tuba clothing, tuba paraphernalia, etc. Heck, I buy shirts with different tuba graphics/sayings on them. I have tuba ornaments for the Christmas tree. If I could work in a tuba store where I could look at tubas, play tubas, work on tubas, bring tubas in, and sell tubas, I'd do it. Apparently, I'm afflicted. And I'm ok with that.

An absolutely awesome post!

Most of my tuba work these days is a paying brass quintet, where "pay" amounts to a small honorarium to cover gas more than anything else. Most recent gig was subbing in a "silver band", a 1880's re-creation ensemble. The 1928 Conn BBb came out for that one, warts and all.

I shouldn't forget the strictly-amateurs summer community band I picked-up last year. Director came up to me after my first rehearsal and quietly asked, "You are aware, aren't you, to not expect professional-level playing from these guys?" I just grinned and said that it was fine, I was there mostly to keep my chops sharp in the off-season.

I'd love to play with an orchestra again, but opportunities are thin (read: "nonexistent") in our area.

My most regular playing situation isn't on tuba at all, a college/community band where I'm the oboe guy doubling on bassoon. ("Huh? Howz that work? Why are you here?")

I have completed my tuba studies in switzerland just two months ago. I have never believed that the professional orchestra playing could have been my aim, and when I Made some auditions, just to see how things are in that world, I completely withdrawn from the idea. Talking about Europe and especially Germany I found a very strict and narrow minded world, in which your chances to wind depend on what instruments you have, what teacher you studied with, even what mouthpiece you have. Another thing I noticed from too many people inside that world (Italy first) is the trend to be a “I-know-nothing-about-harmony-history” player because the biggest part of the time is spent to become a robot like musician, interested on the instrument exclusively. Many tubists and trombonists and euphonists I know just don’t know anything about music, they only focus on excerpts and all the technical aspects and trends, but they don’t know what they are playing.

I play in my living room.

I regret it took me so long to start playing again.

When I have time I’d like to be in a community band.

If they’ll take me...

Sidanas wrote:I have completed my tuba studies in switzerland just two months ago. I have never believed that the professional orchestra playing could have been my aim, and when I Made some auditions, just to see how things are in that world, I completely withdrawn from the idea. Talking about Europe and especially Germany I found a very strict and narrow minded world, in which your chances to wind depend on what instruments you have, what teacher you studied with, even what mouthpiece you have. Another thing I noticed from too many people inside that world (Italy first) is the trend to be a “I-know-nothing-about-harmony-history” player because the biggest part of the time is spent to become a robot like musician, interested on the instrument exclusively. Many tubists and trombonists and euphonists I know just don’t know anything about music, they only focus on excerpts and all the technical aspects and trends, but they don’t know what they are playing.

Same thing here, Sidanas. Here we have 'pedigree' performing groups. Technically good, but musically and sonically stale and boring
I actually did play in a small regional pro orchestra, but that was a previous life....
Now mostly do quintet and freelance stuff. More fun and less stressfull

bloke wrote:

Three Valves wrote:
Were I a bandmaster, I'd offer an honorarium (or 12-pk of suds)....

I’ll take it!!

I play in a community brass quintet, and we're currently working on a polka routine for this coming Oktoberfest, where we're going to be playing at the local German American Society. It's unpaid but we're going to get 'free' beer and dinner, so I'm happy with the deal. Granted I'm not the best player, but I can keep in tempo after 6 beers, so I think I'll be able to handle it.

I'd like to try out for the community orchestra, which again is unpaid, but sadly work obligations prevent me from joining up right now, hopefully the time next year I'll be working a job where I have evenings and Saturdays free.

I make a little money from playing in my 10 piece, the odd big band/orchestra gig and some shows. Maybe 2 months worth of my salaried IT "career". I presume I'll eventually earn more from teaching, conducting and playing when I retire from my "career".

The main of my playing is with Foden's band, which is a massively higher level, yet unpaid, than any of the paid work I do. Welcome to the British Band scene!

I'm mostly an enthusiast who makes a little money on the side (although a majority of my paying gigs are Bass trombone these days). In my youth I did the Drum corp thing playing in a DCI, and DCA Corp on baritone, as well as Euphonium in school bands, I did 6 years in the Navy as a non-musician but managed to play in a pick up band aboard ship (on Cornet I needed a instrument that was portable). When I got out of the Navy I joined a local Fire Department Band, and was recruited by the local Army Reserve Band on Euphonium from there, I did 15 years with the Army Reserve Band got my 20 year letter and retired from there. Since getting out of the Navy besides the Army Reserve Band I've played in Fire Department Marching Bands (we actually get a little money and free beer for these), I've played Bass Trombone in a few area Big Bands, as well as doing Church Gigs, pit orchestras, and Community concert bands. I picked up Tuba about 6 years ago, when the Fire Department Band I was in had a couple of gigs with two Euphoniums and No Tubas. I took one of the bands Sousaphones home and started working on it, and I've fallen in Love with the Tuba. I rarely play Euphonium these days, since there is much more demand for Tuba and Bass bone at least in my circle of bands.