1st Annual Seattle Tuba/Euphonium Conference

[Chris Olka]

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

[Kory101]

Hello Chris,

This is great to hear! Im trying to get the entire University of Victoria Tuba/Euphonium studio out!

[Chris Olka]

Fabulous, I hope to see you guys there!!
Chris Olka

[The Big Ben]

Should be a fine musical and social event. I am going to try to be there!

[Matt G]

Kudos to whomever set up the website. It is a nice presentation.

Wish I could partake.

[Mark]

Kudos to whomever set up the website. It is a nice presentation.

Wish I could partake.

Thank you!

And, you can partake. Book a cheap flight now.

[Mark]

Bump

[Mark]

In his original post, Chris Olka mentioned that attendance to the conference is free. We are accepting donations though. If you are in the giving spirit this holiday season, drop by our home page, http://www.SEATEC.org, and help us out by clicking on the donate button. Thanks!

[Chris Olka]

We will be posting the schedule on the website soon. But, for those of you looking for performance opportunities, we are having a community recital as part of the conference. This will be on a first come first served basis. So, if you are interested in playing a solo or have a group that would like to play on the recital please visit the website: http://www.seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank and send us an email on the info@seatec.org" target="_blank" target="_blank link. We hope to see you guys there!!!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and best regards for now,
Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera
University Of Washington
http://WWW.SEATEC.ORG" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Chris Olka]

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
and you can check out the Metropolitan Music website at:
http://www.metropolitan-music.com" target="_blank

Keep checking in for the latest news on the conference.

Thanks and happy holidays!!!!

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera

[Chris Olka]

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

[bububassboner]

So I gotta ask, what hotel/motel would you recommend staying at? If me and my friends go we will be going by amtrak and will be looking for a place to stay that is A) cheap and B) walking distance to the event. Also how far is the event from the amtrak station and what's the best way to get there? Fitting 5 plus people in a cab with tubas is not my ideal way to get there.

Many thanks.

[The Big Ben]

So I gotta ask, what hotel/motel would you recommend staying at? If me and my friends go we will be going by amtrak and will be looking for a place to stay that is A) cheap and B) walking distance to the event. Also how far is the event from the amtrak station and what's the best way to get there? Fitting 5 plus people in a cab with tubas is not my ideal way to get there.

Many thanks.

It's at the University of Washington and there are many hotels/motels around campus. Search on "Seattle- University District" at expedia.com or that sort of place. Make sure you get one that is really close to campus- any further east than University Way and you will have to hump your horns up one mutha of a hill to get to campus if you aren't going to have a car. I did undergrad and grad at the UW so I know from whence I speak.

The Amtrak station is downtown right near the football and baseball fields. The cab companies also have van service you could call to pick you up or you could take two or three cabs. There might be a hotel shuttle but I don't know.

Hope you can make it.

[ztuba]

BRING THE HAAG and the KAISER BARITONE!!!!

[Mark]

So I gotta ask, what hotel/motel would you recommend staying at? If me and my friends go we will be going by amtrak and will be looking for a place to stay that is A) cheap and B) walking distance to the event. Also how far is the event from the amtrak station and what's the best way to get there? Fitting 5 plus people in a cab with tubas is not my ideal way to get there.

I have added a page with more information about the venues, etc. (http://www.seatec.org/Schedule/Venues.htm). There is a link on that page to a University of Washington web page that will give you more information (http://www.washington.edu/visit/). According to that site, you can catch a bus from the Amtrak station to the campus (http://www.washington.edu/univrel/visit ... html#train). Hopefully someone who is more familiar than I am with the area around the UW will chime in about where to stay.

[sloan]

So I gotta ask, what hotel/motel would you recommend staying at? If me and my friends go we will be going by amtrak and will be looking for a place to stay that is A) cheap and B) walking distance to the event. Also how far is the event from the amtrak station and what's the best way to get there? Fitting 5 plus people in a cab with tubas is not my ideal way to get there.

Many thanks.

I don't know about "cheap" - but "walking distance" may not be a real concern. Seattle has a decent bus system and the UW campus is easily accessible by bus. Now...bringing tubas on those buses...never tried it.

The only hotel I know adjacent to the UW campus is pretty expensive - sorry.

[David Richoux]

So I gotta ask, what hotel/motel would you recommend staying at? If me and my friends go we will be going by amtrak and will be looking for a place to stay that is A) cheap and B) walking distance to the event. Also how far is the event from the amtrak station and what's the best way to get there? Fitting 5 plus people in a cab with tubas is not my ideal way to get there.

Many thanks. :tuba:

I don't know about "cheap" - but "walking distance" may not be a real concern. Seattle has a decent bus system and the UW campus is easily accessible by bus. Now...bringing tubas on those buses...never tried it.

The only hotel I know adjacent to the UW campus is pretty expensive - sorry.

Be sure to check the weather and traffic conditions - the recent snow and ice has made getting around Seattle (by any method) quite difficult. It is not normal to have long periods of icy roads here, but it can happen, as it did this week! http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/

[sloan]

I'll be there (is there a prize for "furthest distance travelled"?) I'll be at the Hampton Inn downtown, and may be able to offer transportation to those staying nearby. Preference given to someone who can loan me a BBb (or even an Eb) for the open reading session! Inquire within.

[Donn]

The only hotel I know adjacent to the UW campus is pretty expensive - sorry.

"Watertown" is fairly close and appears to be a nice place (from the street, anyway), $179 / $199. That's pretty expensive from my point of view, but I'm dimly aware of a class of better funded travellers ... but I forget, I'm talking to tuba players. Well, there's a somewhat cheaper and probably OK place down the street, University Inn. That isn't an exhaustive list ... you could also look at "Deca", etc.

I have carried a tuba on the bus plenty of times, though never with a hard case. The worst was a sousaphone in a bag - bag designed to hold the sousaphone intact, so it's something like 5 feet long and incredibly cumbersome. Once I was asked to pay extra fare, for a large tuba in a soft case. Otherwise no problems, but this has normally been at off-peak times. Some routes in the UW area normally run over-full in the morning and early evening, and if I were a driver with people standing in the aisle, I wouldn't be delighted to take on a big tuba. The dreaded snow is gone, and by early January one would hope the buses will be running on schedule. Good service to the UW from downtown and elsewhere, though sadly not so good from Aurora Ave N where some real fleabag hotels can be found.

[P8822]

Bump for Chris and this event!

I wish I could be there! This looks event fantastic. Great line up of players and excellent masterclasses.

Regarding hotels, you might try priceline or hotwire for lower rates. I have used those websites with much success for both rental cars and hotels. I can't recommend the airfare usage. The fares are cheaper, but they will have you flying redeyes and/or in the middle of the night. If that doesn't matter to you, then you can also save a few bucks using their airfare booking too.

I hope this event will continue for many years to come.

Paul Weikle