TubeNet

Ren: How about starting over and introducing yourself to the board, give us some background info, where you went to school, who you studied with, what auditions you won, where you played, who you played with, why you dropped out for so many years, and what sparked your interest to get back into playing and so on?

By some formal or even informal intro, your posts may make a little more sense after you write what you write because now the reader with have an idea of where its coming from. Right now, when someone like me reads what you post i have an image of some HS tuba player that almost made all-district in a state with no districts. No one here wants to insult you on purpose but when you write some of the things you do, you open yourself up to some very entertaining exchanges.

Asking for the pro badge, here are my thoughts as I think it should be given out when one has proven to be a real pro or was a real pro. What is the definituon of a pro? Do you have to be a pro tuba player to satisfy the badge or can you be a pro on any instrument or voice to be given the badge? Do you have to play with a major orchestra or sub with one to get it? Does playing in a quintet for a christmas or easter gig once a year qualify? There are in my opinion way too many instrumentalists that call themselves pros and frankly it is insulting to those who have worked their butt of to get to the top of the game. You dont need to give us your resume and i am not suggesting you do but some background information will go a long way and then you may have some credibility with what you say.

So, welcome to the board but tell us a little about yourself.

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mctuba1 wrote:Asking for the pro badge, here are my thoughts as I think it should be given out when one has proven to be a real pro or was a real pro. What is the definituon of a pro? Do you have to be a pro tuba player to satisfy the badge or can you be a pro on any instrument or voice to be given the badge? Do you have to play with a major orchestra or sub with one to get it? Does playing in a quintet for a christmas or easter gig once a year qualify? There are in my opinion way too many instrumentalists that call themselves pros and frankly it is insulting to those who have worked their butt of to get to the top of the game.

Back when things were getting "rebooted" around here, I thought about getting a "pro" badge, because I am a music teacher by profession, but opted not to because for this site about TUBAS, I am not a professional tuba player. I get paid to play from time to time, but make my living as a school teacher. I personally think the "pro" badge should be for those who make their money playing and/or teaching nothing but tuba.

I too, hope for some clarification about the background of our new board member. Cheers!

Just about everything I do is 'tuba'. However... I never considered asking for 'pro' rating even though I spend most of my waking hours either repairing tubas or playing them. I'm quite comfortable supporting TubeNet as a sponsor.

That said... I played tuba through high school and continued playing with local bands wherever I was stationed while in The Navy. No... I did not play in The Navy Band. I left The Navy in 1968 and did not pick up a tuba again until 1998 when my new wife (a high school sax player) dared me to start playing again when we stumbled upon a local Tuba Christmas. I retired from automation engineering and machine building in 2003 and put my training as a machinist/designer/engineer to work repairing music instruments. Being a tuba player I simply focused on working on tubas because there didn't seem to be anyone close who knew anything about them.

Yes... I do get paid to work on music instruments. Yes... I do often get paid to play tuba. No... I don't earn enough at if to do much more than just support my bad habit of collecting instruments and having a darned good time. I have an ideal 'retirement' working on tubas and playing well in excess of sixty hours a week. Livin' the dream!