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Attention all you tuba and euphonium players and enthusiasts of the Pacific Northwest!!!!! I am pleased to announce the First Annual Seattle Tuba/Euphonium Conference will take place on January 9-11 at the University of Washington School of Music ( http://www.washington.edu/visit/" target="_blank" target="_blank ) in Seattle. We have formed a non-profit organization for the express purpose of presenting a yearly, free-to-the-public tuba conference in Seattle. We currently have a website that is up but still under construction here: http://www.seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank

This years guest artists include Gail Robertson and Danny Helseth on euphoniums and Willie Clark and me on tubas. The theme of the conference will be tuba quartet and will be kicked off by a tuba quartet recital on the first evening, Friday, Jan. 9th. However, we will also be having a few different solo recitals featuring the guest artists as well as students and community members. Of course there will be masterclasses and vendors exhibits as well.

The conference will start on Friday evening the 9th of January and wrap up on Sunday early afternoon the 11th. The conference is free to the public and will also include at least one mass tuba/euphonium choir reading session during the weekend so EVERYONE gets to play their horn!!!

I am really excited to bring this announcement to you all and hope to see a great turn out for the event. Any pertinent info will be forthcoming on the website: http://www.seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank

There is contact email information on the site as well so please stay tuned and have a great Thanksgiving!!

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera
University of Washington
cheers623@aol.com" target="_blank" target="_blank

Hey tubenet guys and gals,
just wanted to give you a heads up about one of the vendors that will be attending the 1st annual Seattle Tuba-Euphonium Conference coming up!!!
Greg Wilson, tuba player, great guy, and repair technician for Metropolitan Music in Seattle will have a table at the conference.
Here is what they have in mind for the show:
They will have 1 or 2 tubas and euphoniums, a few mouthpieces, and....wait....wait for it...they will be offering on-site repair and service for your horns. They will be accepting some repair and service work that they can perform at the conference BUT will also be able to take horns and do work off-site at their shop and turn it around by the next day. Of course, this will not include complete restorations of your vintage 6/4 York #3 in 24 hours but work that is within reason for a 24 hour turn around.

Finally, Greg will be presenting a 20 minute clinic on rotary valve disassembly and service at 2:30 PM on Saturday right before the Gail Robertson Masterclass in the school.

I would like to thank Greg for volunteering this as well as providing an opportunity for tuba and euphonium players in the area to get a little TLC done to their favorite axe while a the show.

You can check out the conference web-site at:
http://www.seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank
and you can check out the Metropolitan Music website at:
http://www.metropolitan-music.com" target="_blank" target="_blank

Keep checking in for the latest news on the conference.

Thanks and happy holidays!!!!

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera

Your input is needed!!!
As you may know by now the 1st Annual Seattle Tuba-Euphonium Conference is right around the corner. It is shaping up to be a great event so far. BUT...this just in, Ferguson Music from LA is going to be coming to the conference as a vendor and BRINGING TUBAS AND EUPHONIUMS to display at the conference!!!

Here is a list of instruments Steve has proposed to bring thus far:

Gronitz PF125 F silver
Gronitz PCM CC silver
Miraphone 191 BBb
Miraphone 1291 CC
Miraphone 1292 CC
Miraphone 188 CC gold brass
Miraphone 281 F Firebird 6v (4+2) gold brass
Miraphone 56A Bb Kaiser baritone (tenor tuba) 5V gold brass - maybe
Miraphone M5050 euphonium (Demondrae Thurman) 4V comp silver
Miraphone 1281 piston F
Haag F cimbasso - maybe

Now, what I would like from you guys and gals is to reply to this thread and chime in with feedback about these horns. So far the list is a little short on BBb tubas and Eb tubas and Steve has plenty, so let us know. Steve has quite a few other instruments in stock as well so if there is a horn you might be interested in that is not on this list please post so that Steve and I can get a feel for what he should definitely be bringing up. Also, I would suggest looking at his website:
http://www.hornguys.com" target="_blank" target="_blank
and seeing what he has that you JUST HAVE TO TRY.

Finally, please be considerate when posting your choices because Steve will be incurring considerable expense to get these horns up to the conference and as such will have to weigh the possibility of selling these horns at the show against requests to bring 'that ole 7 valve Db Vienna Valve 7/4 Marching Helicon' .

I would like to point out that we tuba and euphers in this part of the country NEVER get a chance to try instruments that we are considering unless we go to LA or the East Coast and as such, this is a tremendous opportunity. Please chime in and also spread the word. Also, take a look at that list and notice the 2nd horn from the bottom.......Miraphone 1281 piston F tuba.......not a prototype mind you.....a production instrument. My understanding is that these horns are now going to be made and this is a unique chance to play this tuba.

Well, I hope that I have generated an appropriate buzz befitting Steve Ferguson's tremendous contribution to the conference and hope to see you all there.

For info about the conference please visit:
http://www.seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank

Also, please let the posting begin!!!!!!

Happy holidays and all the best,

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera

I'd like to see the small Lidl 701 horn- in BBb and/or CC. They look to be a nice size horn for many purposes and a band director or two might want to consider one for their program.